the chronicles of nini

Again and Again, 2008

2008-05-30T19:47:00.003+08:00

Again and again, however we know the landscape of love
and the little churchyard there, with its sorrowing names,
and the frighteningly silent abyss into which the others
fall: again and again the two of us walk out together
under the ancient trees, lie down again and again
among the flowers, face to face with the sky.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~

Tomorrow afternoon I am marrying you.
Nothing in this life could be sweeter.

Stop Writing Crap for Children

2008-03-17T18:25:00.005+08:00

I spent the weekend with my 6-year old sister, and was introduced to Nickelodeon’s hit show, “The Naked Brothers Band”. In my opinion, another awful addition to so-called Kid-Friendly TV’s lineup of tween tackiness. Come to think of it, the main characters, aged 8 and 10, aren’t even tweens. The show is apparently meant to be rockumentary-mockumentary for kids. Are they kidding??? Watch a bunch of 6 year-olds lap this stuff up-- there is NO way they think for a minute that what they’re watching is satire and tongue-in-cheek pointlessness. And that continuing plotline about one of the boys being "in love" with the band's female member, Rosalina. It's cute the first 2 minutes, and then after that it's just damned annoying. A few episode summaries:

Nat must learn to cry on cue for an upcoming video and to also make Rosalina think he is deep. Alex is awesome at crying on cue and offers to help Nat for a price.

Nat does stand-up comedy to impress Rosalina, but isn't very good. He's determined to prove his sense of humor. He looks closer to home for better material.

The band, Mr. Wolff, Cooper, & Jesse take a day off and go to the beach. When Nat catches Qaasim flirting with Rosalina, he tries to do the same to get Rosalina to fall for him. Thomas and David see Nat getting more attention from girls...

When Nat and Rosalina find out they have to kiss in their new music video, they're both nervous, but for different reasons. Nat is shaky because he's never kissed a girl on the lips. Rosalina is conflicted about her feelings for Nat - after all, she's a teenager and he's only 11...

It's for kids, I know. But that's just the problem. It’s just as dumb as that local show Goin Bulilit, where they dress kids up as adults (complete with ninang hairdo for the girls and pencil moustache for the boys) and have them deliver the news in their best grown-up voices. Obviously, these writers can't figure out who they're writing for.

Grrr.

Stop Bunny-Punchings

2008-03-13T17:04:00.003+08:00

Augh! So much work! I can't wait til this over, so I can have time for other things like, oh, say, planning my wedding! Three more things to cross out of today's work to-dos and then hmm..I can choose my flowers or something.

But first, let me tell you about a client who requested that I use Comic Sans on materials for a children's event. Why is it that this clumsy-looking font is deemed default for anything associated with children? Poor kids. What's wrong with a good serif? There are so many other options! We've got as many fonts out there as we do hair. Her reason for insisting: "So that it matches the rest of our décor." Ohhh-kaaay.

To be fair, client listened to gentle reason and agreed to use another type with the same playful intention, but with tons more dignity. Everyone's happy. I leave you with propaganda from bancomicsans.com. I declare this a classic.

Sunday with Cat

2008-03-02T21:49:00.003+08:00

Merienda cena at my cousin's today. Luigi is one of their two cats. He jumped on my laptop, and then went to sleep at my feet. Purrr.

Hervé Morvan

2008-01-21T16:57:00.001+08:00

This image originally posted on a delightful blog called Today's Inspiration. Visit it!

Dear Henry

2008-01-09T01:33:00.000+08:00

I just saw you and your craaaazy wife Terry on The Amazing Race Asia tonight. I'm so glad you weren't eliminated despite your coming in last at the South Korean pit stop. That being said, however, I still hope that you will take a long, hard look at your teammate and finally make the decision to continue on your great Swan Paddleboat Journey without her. This is without prejudice to nationality, gender, or voice projection--she's just nasty! And never mind the choked-up exposition of her self-esteem issues. Hello? That woman's a piece of work. The Filipino audience sympathizes with you and hopes you bust out soon. Or at least sign up for some serious counselling. :(

Revisiting

2007-12-08T19:05:00.000+08:00

When the child was a child,
it awoke once in a strange bed, and now does so again and again.
Many people, then, seemed beautiful, and now only a few do, by sheer luck.
It had visualized a clear image of Paradise, and now can at most guess,
could not conceive of nothingness, and shudders today at the thought.

Peter Handke
"Song of Childhood"

Megalomania

2007-11-30T16:17:00.000+08:00

Every other local blog today has something to say about yesterday’s events in Makati. Here’s mine:

Trillanes’ Oakwood stunt in 2003 was bad enough, I can’t even think of what to call his actions yesterday. It does seem that this guy and his cohorts can’t make up their minds about how they want to conduct themselves -- so-called officers and gentlemen one day, foggy-minded adventurists the next.

It was unbelievable that he actually ran and WON a seat in the Senate, while facing charges for rebellion (Hello? Comelec? Anyone home?). No, I didn’t give him my vote, but it seems enough of our compatriots thought he would do a good job as Senator. Yeah, we’re nice that way, unfortunately.

So what does the Senator do with those votes? He walks out of his own trial, seizes a luxury hotel in the heart of the financial district and calls on all of us to come and support him. After it dawns on him that no one was coming, he and his band of 30-odd supporters surrender (yet again), saying they could not live with their conscience if anyone got hurt. Nice. Wonder if they thought of that before they started their day.

My belief is it takes a lot more fortitude to keep breathing change everyday than to take a heavy hand and make demands.

Saturdays Are Better. Mondays Too.

2007-11-25T17:21:00.000+08:00

My to-do lists fly out the window on Sundays, whether I want them to or not. No matter how clearly I have laid out in my mind on Friday all my nefarious/not-so-nefarious plans, by Sunday morning I draw a blank. I’ve spent most of today lounging at home and surfing. It sounds ideal, considering how crazy busy last week was. But when I think about the start of another workweek tomorrow, plus the stuff that I “need” to have ready for Monday (none of which I have touched as of this posting), I get that “last meal before execution” feeling. On the whole, I don’t like Sundays. To me they feel melancholic and...sticky.

It’s a dark and windy Manila today, courtesy of Typhoon Mina. I’d already charged my gadgets, set out candles and a flashlight, etc. in anticipation of a whopper like last year’s Milenyo..who could forget that? But as it turns out, the typhoon has altered its course, heading higher north now. I hope the folks in Catanduanes and Aurora stay safe.

That’s it for now. Just checking in since it has been a while.

Macbeth vs. Sheep

2007-11-06T02:26:00.000+08:00

I just spent the last half hour reading my old posts. I wrote longer ones before.. I would like to be able to sit down and write at leisure again. I would also like to sleep earlier. Over the past six months I've noticed that it's been taking longer for me to fall asleep. Hence this post at 2.30 in the morning, not really full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, but it beats counting sheep.

Big 2-0

2007-11-04T16:42:00.000+08:00

The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that food came out his nose.
~Garrison Keillor

Happy Birthday to my dearest brother Mikki.
Love you.

Good Boy

2007-11-04T16:15:00.000+08:00

While waiting at an entrance of Mall of Asia yesterday, this very well-behaved shepherd charmed a lot of shoppers. Part of mall security, he rested patiently, probably at command from his handler, front paws crossed. After I snapped a few with my phone camera, other tourists started taking photos of him as well, at which point he sat up attentively. He could have set up his own photo booth, and given the mall Santa a run for his money.

Freedom for Burma

2007-09-27T19:38:00.000+08:00

Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, October 2004:
"The outlines of Burma's misery are clear, despite limited access to the country. They include the holding of political prisoners, arbitrary arrests, low spending on health and education, forced labour, exploitation of child soldiers, harassment of ethnic minorities and official connivance in opium trafficking."

--------

Excerpts from "The Ghost Road", by Mark Jenkins, who writes about his experience in Burma, Outside magazine, October 2003:
"In these neighboring villages, under cover of darkness, I finally find people who will talk to me. They..are dying to speak to someone. A deluge of stories, always told behind closed doors, beside candles or oil lanterns that are frequently doused—and always in whispers. They are everywhere. A shopkeeper who says that everyone is an informer here: "Trishaw drivers, businesspeople, teachers," he says. "Even good people are informers. This is the only way to protect their families: to give up someone else. It is poison."

This shopkeeper takes me to see a former government official who was tasked with beating tribals used for road gangs in the Karen state, in far eastern Burma. "I was expected to hit them with a club," he says. "Not systematically, because then they could plan and train their minds to resist, but randomly. This works very well. It maintains the fear of the unknown. This is how to create terror in a human heart."

"The son of a father who was imprisoned for friendship: "The bravest of all, Aung San Suu Kyi, came here in 1988," he says. "My father knew her; they were schoolmates. Just friends. When she left, my father was taken away. He managed to get letters out to us. How they tortured him with electricity. How they used an iron bar rolled on his shins. How they used snakes with the women. Put snakes inside the women's bodies. He was released after five years, and then he died."

--------

My thoughts tonight are with the Burmese people. Watching the evening news I am reminded of how easily our country could have gone down the same road as Myanmar. My hope is that we cherish and honor our current freedoms, and stand with those who still struggle for it in their own nations.

And, really. If you are now killing monks and unarmed civilians, ON TOP of raping your citizens, forcing your children to become soldiers, provide no health care for the people while your daughter gets heaps of diamonds for her obscenely lavish wedding -- break out that old adage: "The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small."

This Is Living

2007-08-21T18:32:00.001+08:00

Meet me in the morning
I'll have the motor running
Down icy lanes, under a glass blue sky
This is living
This is living
I haven't come to be a stranger
I haven't come to break your home
I haven't come to harm your children
I've come to be your love
Don't let the grass grow under your feet
The sands of times keep running
For now at last I'm down on the street
With the engine running
Meet me in the evening
I'll have the log fire burning
Down frosty lanes, under a darkening sky
This is living
This is living
I haven't come to be a stranger
I haven't come to break your home
I haven't come to harm your children
I've come to be your love

Meet Me In The Morning,
Everything But The Girl

A Thousand Days At Sea

2007-08-21T18:25:00.000+08:00

It’s hard to believe I am in the middle of a lull at work. I’m hard-pressed to remember the last time I had a free moment like this. It will be short-lived though, I am sure, as I’m waiting for (hopefully) the last round of revisions to a thorny, protracted project that needs to go off to press tomorrow morning (finally!). What better way to spend the next few minutes than to update this blog, to let you know I am still alive and well and happy.

Heard today about the amazing 1000-day voyage of Captain Reid Stowe. Stowe (together with a young photographer called Soanya Ahmed) is today on his 121st day at sea. The goal is to sail a 70-foot schooner called Anne (in honor of Stowe’s mother) for a thousand days, circumnavigating the world three times, without re-entering any harbor, refuelling or re-supplying. I think it is absolutely, absolutely fascinating. I’ve read up on their mission statement, checked out their blog, and have become an instant fan. I have always wanted to learn how to sail, and maybe this is a little reminder for me to not put the dream on hold for so long. There were/are a number of boat-builders and sailors in my family, which must explain my own inclinations.

“The mere act of setting sail can send knowledge of the daily misdeeds of politicians and other scoundrels to simply disappear in the welcome wind. I daresay that Peace can be found on the water far more easily than when on the land, while keeping track of the daily news of man.”

Hello, Monday

2007-07-16T11:44:00.000+08:00

11am. My N70 has been officially “out of service” for 4 hours.

I broke the power switch on this thing back in February, and this morning it has given way again. I am delaying bringing it in for repair for as long as I can (realistically, one more hour), because I am enjoying..no, loving..the (false) quiet. Obviously, no calls or messages will get through as long as this baby’s off, so even for a while I can pretend that the workweek hasn’t begun, that there are no deadlines looming, and that everything has just mercifully..stopped. Including those canned, cloying, feel-good messages that always seem to come in on Mondays.

So. Off I go to get this damned thing fixed.

Fair Vanity

2007-06-08T14:56:00.000+08:00

It's always a beautiful thing when people come together on an altruistic goal. Sometimes, it can also be oh-so visually gorgeous.

I'm not convinced George Bush should be among the 20, but nevertheless, I can't wait to see this issue, with Bono as its guest editor.

I’m Stalling

2006-11-13T00:08:00.000+08:00

Now let us turn our attention to the Dull Men’s Club, a website where self-proclaimed “dull men” can interact, “free from pressures to be in and trendy.” You’ll discover that November is “National Fig Month” in the UK, see photos of garden sheds across England, check out the Pylon of the Month, and find out which airport baggage carousels in the world run clockwise or counter- (all data submitted by eager members). My favorite entry: “How does a dull man manage to survive all the cold beer, warm waters, and hot women of Santa Catarina, Brazil?” (in a nutshell: cricket-spotting).

“Dear sirs..I would like to apply as honorary member...”

Thanks!...I think

2006-11-12T23:46:00.000+08:00

Nick Bracegirdle, aka Chicane, says one of his most memorable live gigs was in Moscow’s Red Square. He recounts that lots of vodka was being passed around and the whole atmosphere was just crazy. But that audience was “positively sane” compared to the crowd Chicane played to in Manila, he continues. “They’ve all completely lost the plot over there.”

Thanks!...I think. Someone help me out -- did he mean this in a good, cheeky sort of way, or what? I was genuinely sad to have missed Chicane both times they were in Manila, each time over a different reason that makes for an interesting story. No, I shall not recount them here, suffice it to say that I mean to haul my rapidly aging ass down if they ever visit again.

So. Break’s over. I just HATE working on a Sunday night :(

Fun!

2006-11-07T02:11:00.000+08:00

C’s love for Nike has definitely started rubbing off on me. I let out a squeal when I saw that the Nike Running Wagon had made a stop at the Alabang Town Center yesterday. A VW van had been converted into a museum on wheels, swoosh on the front, the old-leather and faux wood interior crammed full of (reproductions of) sport memorabilia from the days of Steve “Pre” Prefontaine -- the young American distance runner who first signed a contract with Nike in 1973. Prefontaine’s running shoe was designed for him by his Oregon coach Bill Bowerman (he used his wife's waffle iron to mould the soles), who later became the co-founder of Nike.

With über-slick just everywhere these days, it’s clever that the Nike marketing folk finally stepped back and went old-school for this particular campaign. Though I’d never profess a desire to be living in the 70s, this nod to the past is actually refreshing. I am sure I wouldn’t have paid as much attention if it were just another polished mall set-up. Plus I think it’s great they’re hitting the schools (Wonder how they get the van there. Does it really run? Is it trucked to its next destination?). I was so delighted with the whole thing, seemed even the Nike guys at the venue were delighted I was so delighted.

The vintage TV was housing for a more modern monitor that had Pre racing footage and interviews on a loop.

Halloween Snackies

2006-10-31T23:52:00.000+08:00

A Lady Finger (butter cookie with almond "nail") and Iced Spider Cookie from the Palms Deli takeout. Olivia was amused.

In Sympathy

2006-10-30T11:12:00.000+08:00

"There is no death, only a change of worlds."
Duwamish Proverb

Carlo's grandfather passed away two days ago at age 97. His greatest adventure was his family and his legacy was love.

See..

2006-10-20T18:51:00.000+08:00

..Reuters' The State Of The World "Patterns of Belief". So beautiful, you may just momentarily forget that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

"A Seriously Small and Light Place"

2006-10-18T20:41:00.000+08:00

The Wallpaper* Design Awards 2006 has selected the iPod Nano as “Best Gadget”. Their explanation, via Nick Compton, is amusing, if not a bit effusive:

"In the Nano, Apple chief designer Jonathan Ive has created an object so small and perfectly formed that there is an odd disjoint between what it does and what it looks like it can do. It looks like it would disappear on the tongue, but there is nothing confectionery about the Nano--it just squeezes all that sound and fury into a seriously small and light place. Our advice? Suck it and see."

The Most Wonderful Time of the Yeeeaaaarrr

2006-10-12T22:30:00.000+08:00

To celebrate my favorite holiday we have produced a limited number of halloween windsocks. It was fun doing personal design work for a change, I only wish we had more time to spend on our little experiment. Who is your favorite Halloweenie?

Starting this weekend they will be available in Maxitoylab Alabang Town Center, and Maxiworks Powerplant Mall in Rockwell. They’re made of nylon, are 2.5 feet in length and 18 inches in diameter, and cost P150 each. Happy Halloween!

Sea

2006-09-09T00:19:00.000+08:00

While speaking about Steve Irwin, with whom he was working on a documentary at the time of Irwin's death, Philippe Cousteau remarks: "Human beings are by far (still) the deadliest creatures in the ocean." Sad, but true.

Godspeed and thanks to a conservationist gone home too soon.

Friday, Continued

2006-09-03T13:25:00.000+08:00

From school we went to the Town Center for some sister fun. O. got an academic award for the quarter at school that morning, AND she got 2 stars for good behavior that day. She was endlessly proud.

From Maxitoylab we got her a couple of Feltkids boards which she loves. A few more errands, and then it was lunch at her favorite fastfood, Burger King. We sat on a bench in the plaza, sharing a snowcone for dessert. She insisted we take a photo of the tree canopy. My little environmentalist.
She also tried her hand at taking photos. Hooray for phone cameras. This is her work:

Friday

2006-09-03T11:40:00.000+08:00

While waiting to pick up O. from kinder school last Friday, I got into conversation with a man waiting for his grandchild. After a bit of small talk he told me that they lived much closer to another school, but his grandchild was denied enrollment there -- the school was catholic, and the child was not.

We stood there, eyes fixed on the entry hall from where the kids would emerge any minute now. “How intolerant those nuns are,” he lamented. I commented that it was indeed a sad state, when a child is denied education because of religion. He seemed to agree, but then proceeded to criticize the catholics with what really seemed like a bizarre glee. This was the same guy who seconds before was complaining about intolerance. “Their pope said, ‘The Catholic Church will survive all trials!’” he continued in an incredulous tone, as if it were the most unthinkable thing in the world.

I wanted to weep.

We both kept looking straight ahead. I told him I went to a Christian church myself, but in my heart believed that whatever happens, there will always be people who will remain Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish. This wasn’t a “Survivor” contest. “It’s bigotry and narrow-mindedness that’s causing the wars,” I said quietly. He snorted.

The kids came running out through the hall.

Twenty-Four

2006-08-16T22:38:00.000+08:00

Composition with receipt, fruit wrapper, money envelope, and chinese checkers board.

Tsk tsk tsk

2006-07-21T01:29:00.000+08:00

A week ago, I bought a beautiful silk dress from a local store called Apple and Eve. I thought the store had a nice, lean and clean look to it, and I particularly appreciated their faux-leather shopping bag, with its silver foil-stamped logo.

Then, yesterday, the store “Anthropologie” came up in conversation with a friend. A look at its website turned up something... curious. Observe:

Anthropologie’s logo:

A shot of Apple and Eve’s packaging:

Someone's designer has been lazy...

Sigur Ros

2006-07-06T23:11:00.000+08:00

Friend Jason sent me this. Glosoli, beautiful and dreamlike.

Windmills

2006-06-17T17:24:00.000+08:00

These photos were taken in Bangui Bay, Ilocos Norte, about half an hour away from Pagudpud. It was meant to be the last stop on a 4-day road trip we took in April, and we wound up totally in love with the place -- the preternatural light, the strong surf, the surreal emptiness of this stretch of beach, the 70-m. high wind turbines hugging a shoreline made entirely of smooth, black pebbles. It was sensory overload of a different kind: our ears were filled with the sound of breaking waves, the periodic whoosh of the windmill blades slicing air, and we stood, quietly giddy, as long shadows swept across the shore. A friend who had been there for the inauguration of the wind farm said it well: Who knew something man-made could pair up so poetically with nature?

In the distance we could see that a few more wind turbines were being erected. Upon completion there should be 15 in all, supposedly generating electricity to meet 30% of the Ilocos region’s power requirement. A small step but it’s in the right direction, definitely. Three cheers for alternative energy sources.

22

2006-05-23T21:42:00.000+08:00

In love with the boy and the bay.

1 Giant Leap

2006-04-26T10:43:00.000+08:00

My first trip to Hongkong was as an adult, and for work, only a few years ago. I remember having very little free time, and even less money for shopping. I swore though that I would look for this album, because it wasn’t available in Manila at the time. I flew home with new memories (oh, how cliché), a few store-bought things, and this gem.

The album is years old now, but I still love it. The first time I saw the documentary on television, I could not stop crying, and to this day still cannot sufficiently explain why it moved me so. Nowadays I listen to the album only very occasionally, and while some of the selections slowly lean towards the dated, on the whole it is still marvelous. I still get a lump in my throat, and certain passages still get me teary-eyed.

I sure would like to know what Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman are up to now. If they ever work on a sequel, I do hope they revisit Asia and spend some time in the Philippines. A trip here would yield a lot of material, I am sure. We have been described as a people who “sing through the skin”, and I have to agree. Our lives are set to music here, for good or ill.

A sudden, unceremonious return this is, considering I haven't been posting for a number of months now. A bit of what I've been up to next time.

Sunday In The Park With

2006-02-21T13:12:00.000+08:00

Manila Bay
Originally uploaded by gpherman.

Carlo took this lovely photo of Manila Bay on our sunday out.

Network

2006-02-06T13:53:00.000+08:00

Shame on you.

Did I Ever Say I Was Reasonable?

2006-02-06T13:46:00.000+08:00

I went to my bank’s ATM this morning to pay a few bills. I had to access separate accounts for each, and since no one was lining up behind me I went through my transactions carefully, a little more methodically than usual. After paying the second bill, I noticed a woman about my age, standing almost completely behind the corner wall, barely visible. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead since I was about to do a third payment. She walked past me toward the machine, saying she just wanted to check her balance. “I’m sorry,” I said, “I didn’t see you. Were you waiting long?” A few seconds passed as she started punching in her numbers. With her back to me she responded in monotone, “Kinda.”

The answer annoyed me. I suddenly had visions of tackling her, and for added effect, flinging her across the bank’s marble floor via the sweater she had wrapped around her waist. My fantasies lasted just long enough for her to complete her business and walk out. After which I returned to the machine and finished up the last of my bills.

Zero points for mental equanimity today.

For My Birthday Guy

2006-01-17T09:13:00.000+08:00

Wishing you your very own Irving Berlin day today.

Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
All day long

Never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you’re in love, my how they fly

Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on

I should care if the wind blows east or west
I should fret if the worst looks like the best
I should mind if they say it can’t be true
I should smile, that’s exactly what I do

Irving Berlin, "Blue Skies" (1927?)

Happy Birthday Dearest!

2006-01-17T09:05:00.000+08:00

Morning Minutiae

2006-01-13T10:44:00.000+08:00

On ANC this morning, a reporter named Alvin Bacolodan (sp?) while reporting on former president Fidel Ramos, pronounces the word "senile" as if it rhymed with "chenille".

And this, kids, is what happens when you don't read.

Go Toward The Liiiight..

2006-01-12T15:31:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year everyone.
I am blogging instead of diligently working on personal deadlines because, strange but true, I cannot see my monitor.
Chalking it up to strange January weather phenomena -- the sun is so blindingly bright this afternoon that I can hardly see anything, much less attempt to design anything remotely detailed. Our little studio is awash with light, it's almost cinematic. Think bombs exploding over Hiroshima. And it isn't that warm, golden afternoon sun, either. I'm talking white light here, "like shining from shook foil".

(moment's pause)

Okay. Satisfied that this is not a near-death experience, I shall now don sunglasses and return to my regular programming.

2006

2006-01-12T15:15:00.000+08:00

God's name in Hebrew (or its English pronunciation Jehovah) is sometimes appended with other words, each meant to describe an aspect of His character:

Jireh (provider)
Nissi (victor)
Shalom (peace)
Rapha (healer)
Shama (always with me)
Sabaoth (strong deliverer)

May God and His infinite names shine in your life this year.

Michael Ondaatje

2005-12-15T18:30:00.000+08:00

listen in the end
the pivot from angel to witch
depends on small things
this animal, the question
are you happy?

No I am not happy

lucky though

-- from "The Cinammon Peeler", 1991

I'm happy and lucky.

Auntie Yzma

2005-12-14T12:02:00.000+08:00

Hands down my forever favorite Disney Character.

Maybe next Halloween I should finally dress as her.

Fish

2005-12-07T13:20:00.000+08:00

Do you remember this multi-awarded Johnnie Walker ad directed by James Holt? It is still one of my all-time favorite television commercials. I recall the embarrassing squeal I let out the first time I saw it. My other favorite is that UNHCR commercial with Marlene Dietrich singing “Where Have All The Flowers Gone”. I’m still combing the internet, and when I finally find a quicktime of it I will post some screencaps.

Snowflakes

2005-12-07T13:14:00.000+08:00

Still happily busy this December. The last few months have been good for our little studio. We are on the cusp of a new project and are racing to get all our Christmas shopping done before all the material starts to come in. I love Christmas for what it stands for, but personally think Halloween has more fun design possibilities. C. thinks I am just taking all of the Christmas holiday visuals for granted, and I am close to agreeing.

Yesterday we cut snowflakes out of parchment and architect’s tracing paper, and taped them to our office windows while our decidedly limited selection of Christmas songs played on a (very short) loop. I loved every minute of it. When I was little we had procured a can of spray snow (which back then was not easy to find locally) and began gleefully spraying the glass doors at home. My dad walked in, snorted and said something about the foolishness of simulating December frost in a tropical country. Since then I have shied away from snowflake and snow-related décor altogether, not because I agreed with him, but because it reminded me of how embarrassed his remark made me feel. Fast forward to Nini’s adulthood: she notices that Philippine shops have continued to dress their windows with snow, snowflakes, snowmen and frost, and so she decides to go easy on herself. Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely, truly love the parol and the million design permutations it goes through every holiday season. But this year, finally, I have paper snowflakes on the window and a snowflake screensaver because they make me happy too.

I Looove It

2005-11-29T21:38:00.000+08:00

Los Angeles Times writer Carina Chocano on "Rent" the movie:

"Rent" is commodified faux bohemia on a platter, eliciting the same kind of numbing soul-sadness as children's beauty pageants, tiny dogs in expensive boots, Mahatma Gandhi in Apple ads."

Read the rest of her hilariously scathing review here.

Bats

2005-11-14T17:50:00.000+08:00

While doing research for work, here's something I discovered:
Every track on the Batman Begins OST is named after a kind of bat, or pertains to the same.
Myotis, Artibeus, Macrotus, Vespertilio, etc.
Nice touch.

Friday

2005-11-10T17:15:00.000+08:00

Use The Dictionary As A Last Spa

2005-11-10T17:00:00.000+08:00

My freshman brother probably made it to class a wee bit too early today. He sent me a number of texts this morning:

“What is a stock of special skills of a particular person or field of endeavor? Ten letters, French.”

“A sudden, ignominious defeat?”

“A state of turbulence or confusion. Nine letters, Dutch. Starts with m, ends with m.”

Repertoire, Debacle, and I still don’t know. I suggested Mayhem, but that’s only six, never mind provenance*.

My little brother into crosswords, how about that. I’m happy nevertheless that he has this habit of asking me all sorts of questions, confident that I’ll have answers whether for puzzles, politics, printers or pizzas. The truth is that I’ll only manage an answer eight times out of ten (and yeah, sometimes that’s a generous estimate), but he continues to ask anyway, and I feel like the lovable sage every time he does. It’s incentive to keep educating myself.

Methinks that I should start doing crosswords as I often have trouble finding the right word/phrase at the right time. My vocabulary is fairly decent but it seems my card-filing system is a tad..uh..special. I’ll come up with “peripheral vision” when I mean “lateral thinking”, say something tedious like "take-off point" when I mean "springboard". I balk at word options like “turbid” and “turgid”, “sensuous” and “sensual”. “Spendthrift” confuses me. I am in awe of people who are able to draw the appropriate card seemingly without effort. In conversation once, someone casually remarked, “Not bad for a sophomore effort.” I was an instant fan.

*Ooh! I got it..."maelstrom"!

Hollywood Lives

2005-10-25T16:39:00.000+08:00

I am taking a tiny break from a tedious layout job.

It's been a while since my last real vacation, the kind where one languorous day melts into the next. Replayed in my own head, my fondest holiday memories are always sun-drenched, golden-lit. Sigh.

If I were to choose a movie lifestyle to be happily trapped in, it would be this film's, definitely:

Or this, but with less of that chick-flick vibe:

But because by nature I do believe I need very little, I don't think I'd mind this either. But with better dental care, please.

Ah well. The nurse is here to wheel me back to the day room.

Sunday's Slippers

2005-10-18T13:44:00.000+08:00

A few Sundays ago, after a hearty walk around the Makati shopping district (do they still call it that?), C. once again treated me to another pair o' these (thank you!):

At first I thought I was imagining it in order to justify the cost (>10 x the cost of a pair of Spartans?), but heck, they really are loads comfy.

Which brings me to the next stage of my experiment. Let's put a tiny Philippine flag decal on our local slippers and start exporting them to Europe.

The Tutus of Damocles and Hokusai's Jeans

2005-10-18T13:20:00.000+08:00

Models sit on the stage below ballet costumes at the end of the showing of the Antonio Marras fashion collection for Spring/Summer 2006, in Milan, Italy.

From Cool Hunting: "Hokusai's famous wave got a new medium when Levi's exec and surfer Caroline Calvin handcrafted a 22 foot by 12 foot jeans mosaic that depicts a detail of the 'The Great Wave.'" More details from Cool Hunting here.

Last September...

2005-10-03T19:53:00.001+08:00

Our plates have been pretty full the last few weeks and it looks like it will be this way for at least a few more. But I have been having “blog withdrawal” and so here I am. As Rex and his Mrs. Scott put it, “Without further ado-do”, bits of September, in no particular order:

1. Youth, Fitness and Fear-of-Embarrassment-As-Motivator Went Running.
My brother Mikki, Carlo and I, along with friends Juliet and Abe, joined a fund-raising run one bright Saturday. The results: 12km. for C, 16km. for me, and my brother -Youth Personified- a very impressive 32km. Pasta nights, gummy worms and cornflakes make very good fuel.

2. My favourite dining partner and I discovered a good Vietnamese restaurant.

3. SEC became our friend. Sort of.
We finally have our business registration papers from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You’d think they would be a little more efficient and keen to help you with your queries, considering you are bringing in business. But no. Nevertheless, know that this process can be done on your own (as we did). Also, the people on the ground floor are much nicer than the people on the upper floor (and yes, you will have to go through both). After all the rude, brash, and annoying people both in the queues and behind the counters, you’d want to sing praises to anyone remotely polite. We kept each others’ spirits up and rewarded ourselves with Malacca Desserts (for Carlo) and this for me:

4. We fell neck-deep in fabric.
Costume Season collides with a rather unexpected production project. Will post whatever photos we manage to take when all’s done.

5. We fell in love with Manila.

6. 9/11 Terrier Attacks
The Herman family’s beloved toy fox terrier, Yoda, fell ill this month. Their long-time vet chalked up the dog’s aches and pains to “old age” (the dog is just 7 years old), and quite brusquely told them to “accept the inevitable”. A second opinion with a more sensitive vet had Yoda on medication and feeling much better. So much so that after a nice dinner at the Herman home, she decided to bite me. Her little jaws though, simply couldn’t make any kind of contact with my shin, so instead she tried to rip my pant leg. No luck there either, so she zipped back to her basket and sat there prettily. The whole thing took about 3 seconds. The Hermans, while overjoyed that the dog had so obviously sprung back to life, graciously held back their smiles while attending to their shaken guest. Glad I could help.

7. I had a ton of Chinese food.
With my brother on a Sunday night; with talented friends Monica and Chelle on a rainy Saturday lunch; with C’s family for dinner; with friends in Binondo.

8. We had a ton of Vegetarian food.
Carlo has fallen in love with Bodhi. It’s such an interesting concept-- vegetables disguised as meat.

9. I enjoyed the company of new friends.

10. I belatedly realized that some old friends aren’t really good friends at all :(

11. We attended The Mythology Class.
Our friend Arnold Arre launched a special edition of his graphic novel, The Mythology Class. During his booklaunch at Powerplant, he recounted his brush with Marvel-dom, and suggested that things turned out the way they did for a reason, one of them being this book. I must agree, and say success couldn’t have happened to a nicer or more talented human being.

12. My bathroom got an update.
For whatever reason, my darling yaya mistook a can of Pylox for Lysol, and “disinfected the loo" with it. I am currently enjoying my metallic silver toilet seat.

13. I realized yet again that I cannot control other people’s attitudes, and stopped caring so much. It was liberating.

14. We took a lot of nice drives.

15. We had dinner with a bunch of talented designers.

16. Over coffee I heard a couple of real-life love stories with happy endings. One was Cynthia and Arnold's, and the other was our own.

Knee-Jerk Response

2005-09-08T14:42:00.000+08:00

Many years ago, a friend of mine was dying of cancer while another tried to commit suicide. My sick friend sadly noted the irony – here was someone trying to end life, while she fought desperately to keep hers.

----

For a long time after I experienced a great loss of my own, my own life went into a tail-spin. Grief, like great love, sometimes manifests itself in the most unrecognizable ways. You miss things, except in hindsight. Loss takes you to some really ugly places, but at a certain point (“when” I suppose is different for everyone) it simply stops, turns around and catapults you into the opposite direction.

I can’t wax Dalai Lama-esque. I’m guilty of whining and complaining, too. Any given day something will still annoy, upset me; the tiny pebble in my shoe becomes all-consuming, things grow dark. But, we are all offered up a corollary that I am just beginning to embrace myself: any given day there is also something ridiculously good; there is always something sitting on the cusp of perfection.

Nothing brings you joy. You have no idea what to do. You're simply oh-so-bored with the planet, and you think it's stylish. Look in the other direction, please. If nothing else, you’re BREATHING. Show some respect for what’s been given you. Live with some gratitude.

Whee!

2005-09-06T14:45:00.000+08:00

Our tiny design studio got very little sleep last night as we finished up more of our SEC papers. What started out as a relatively “moderne electronick yeah-yeah” task slowly turned into a blast from the past, complete with manual typewriter, correction fluid and yes, carbon paper. It seems these pre-sold forms refuse to behave consistently in any desktop printer and our nerves were getting frayed as sheet after sheet got jammed. 3 am, wind howling and the rain pouring outside, dear C. sat hunched over this charmingly antiquated appliance as wide as a suitcase, tapping away with the concentration of a surgeon…

All this and you can type, too? I’m smitten.

Here’s a goodie from the children’s activity column I finished today:

This, fuelled by a couple of hours’ sleep, some jellybeans and the movie soundtrack of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). I just found out that C. had it, and so I have been listening to it all morning. I suspect I spooked some of the other folks at work today.

Coppola’s version is still one of my favorite movies of all time – the lush story-telling, the gorgeous production design and the beautiful, beautiful costumes by Eiko Ishioka. It was one of the movies that made me realize how much i love design. I’ll gush about this more sometime.

After brief deliberation with my darling design partner it’s been decided that I get the rest of the day off! So home I go. A nap and then I think I’ll watch the dvd!

2005-09-02T16:08:00.000+08:00

Flamingo Yoyo

2005-08-26T17:11:00.000+08:00

If I were to have an avatar, this would be it:

I just looove that yoyo-ing flamingo from Fantasia 2000. This image in particular cracks me up, with that raised eyebrow and heavy-lidded "bird-of-the world" look.

Impossibilities

2005-08-04T14:58:00.000+08:00

Alice laughed.
"There's no use trying," she said, "One can't believe impossible things."
"I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen,
"When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day.
Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

From "Through The Looking Glass", Lewis Carroll

Congratulate Me..

2005-07-27T14:57:00.000+08:00

I have been resisting the urge to buy a donut all day.
It is not so easy to do, considering the donut shop is probably less than 30 feet away.

It has been a quiet day without Carlo at the office (yo te echo de menos). Just me and the tree outside the window. Bjørk is on, sounding as wired as ever. What is this woman on?

I visited wearyellow.com today, which was updated after Lance Armstrong's victory in the Tour de France and his retirement from competitive cycling. I was moved. I took a deep breath today and was grateful again. And this is my prayer -- may it always be so with me.

Methinks I'll wear my yellow livestrong band again.

More Old Funnies

2005-07-26T17:36:00.000+08:00

For a couple of dear friends who've been having a tough time at work. Maybe you could hire this guy.

Olivia, Age 3, Draws Carlo

2005-07-26T17:33:00.000+08:00

Again and Again

2005-07-26T10:22:00.000+08:00

Log

2005-07-21T17:52:00.000+08:00

I had one of those (increasingly) rare mornings when everything just bugged me.

Of course “bad” mornings are a matter of perception anyway, but I just couldn’t shake it off today. So to help myself I took a break at 4pm and had myself a Country Style® Chocolate Log – their version of an éclair that is about the length of a size 5 shoe, pumped obscenely full of custard, and topped with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. Objectively speaking, it was lovely.

Do I feel better now?

I feel fat.

I have not had the pleasure of posting in a while. I have been occupied with moving and settling in – C. and I have been a month in our new office. While we are still having to iron out a number of kinks with our scatter-brained landlord, it hasn’t been all tedious ticking off of lists or the fighting of fires – we’re having a lot of fun as well. We have so far managed to introduce “Armi Ja Danny” and “Apache Boy” to a number of appreciative friends who work next to us (check out this classic here). Talk about a captive audience.

Our next halloween costume idea.

Alphabet Soup

2005-07-11T14:32:00.000+08:00

A - Age you got your first kiss?
Early teens.
B - Band I’m listening to right now:
None in particular.
C - Crush:
I’ve always thought Jeremy Irons is sexy.
D - Dad's name:
Louis.
E - Easiest person to talk to:
I do not find talking easy.
F - Favorite music artist at the moment:
Sting forever.
G - Gummy worms or gummy bears?
Worms are more fun.
H - Hometown:
Manila
I - Instruments:
No musical instruments. For writing, I actually enjoy my ancient 0.7 technical pen.
J - Junior High:
This is so ‘kano. If you mean high school, I was from La Salle Zobel.
K - Kids:
I am crazy about my 3 year old sister.
L - Longest car ride ever:
In recent memory, a drive to La Union on a holiday. I think it must have taken 10 hours.
M - Mom's name:
Remedios.
N - Nicknames:
Katie is my favorite.
O - One wish:
To see my loved ones happy.
P- Phobia[s]:
I am deathly frightened by cockroaches.
Q - Quote:
Did Leonardo da Vinci really say, “Time stays long enough for those who use it.”?
R - Reason to smile:
My darling Aragones.
S - Song you last heard:
Breathe You In, by Stabbing Westward
T - Time you woke up[today]:
7.30 am.
U - Unknown fact about yourself:
(1) I am overly, irrationally affected by meanness, and (2) I like writing letters.
V - Vegetable(s) you hate:
Have you ever tried puso ng saging? Eww.
W - Worst habit(s):
Reticence. It might also be my best, depending on how you look at it.
X - X-rays you've had:
Chest, Dental, Head (after being struck by a board)
Y - Yummy food:
I don’t think I will ever refuse Nacho® BBQ chips.
Z - Zodiac sign:
Aries. I hear we all like to throw things when we’re angry. Is this true?

Dispatch From Under A Rock

2005-06-30T19:57:00.000+08:00

Augh.
There's only SO much I can get done in a day.
It's 8pm and I still need to go to the mall to check on some work, but I don't think I will make it in time.
Today I just feel like everybody needs everything done NOW.
Don't you guys have other people you can bother??

I will leave you with The iPod of Whales.
The whale's my own. One guess who added in the gadget.

Here's A Thought

2005-06-24T15:54:00.000+08:00

Arthur C. Clarke, inventor and science fiction author:

"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all. It's this: 'Don't do unto anybody else what you wouldn't like to be done to you.' It seems to me that that's all there is to it."

You Can't See It...

2005-06-23T11:04:00.000+08:00

...but this dog's tail is wagging.

Old Funnies

2005-06-08T15:30:00.000+08:00

Good Old George

2005-06-01T17:07:00.000+08:00

Okay, so i'm a *little* behind, considering this has been out over a year. But I am currently enjoying this album.

Tee Hee

2005-06-01T17:03:00.000+08:00

Your Sexy Brazilian Name Is

Renata Melo

What's Your Sexy Brazilian Name?

Remedios' Photos

2005-05-30T12:00:00.000+08:00

I've been cleaning out over the last 3 weeks, and in the process found a stack of documents that belonged to my maternal grandmother. She passed away in the mid 1990s and I regret that she didn't live longer, so that I could have enjoyed her company as an adult.

When we were little, she would pull out her slide projector and show us photographs of her and the places that she'd visited. I remember photos of Hong Kong, Spain, Egypt, Israel. She liked to travel, and no doubt inspired my own desire for the offbeat and exotic. I wonder though if she is disappointed that I haven't traveled more at my age. Or does she forgive me, knowing that my problem is currently just the lack of means, more than longing, which I'd like to think is intact from my childhood?

I don't remember if she ever went to Japan. These two beautiful photos look like store-bought souvenir prints, maybe someone had given them to her. Or maybe she did go see Fujiyama after all. She raised 6 children on her own, did a lot of things people thought were too difficult for a single parent during her time.

This one has no inscription on the back, so I don't know where or when it was taken.

It reminds me of Carlo's own photo, taken in Intramuros last year.

I miss this strong woman.

Counter 6

2005-05-18T10:31:00.000+08:00

No malice intended, but the lady at the Meralco office where I pay bears a striking resemblance to Ross of Monsters Inc. I'm happy to tell you though that she's considerably more charming than her animated look-alike. Plus her glasses aren't that pointy.

On Fear, Sci-fi Nuns And Lobsters

2005-05-17T16:30:00.000+08:00

I was doing research for my latest issue of the Lunch Box, my children’s activity column that appears in the Junior Inquirer. I wanted to do something about phobias, and was looking for materials on fear and whatnot. Among what turned up were these little gems. While I can’t use these for the kids, I will hang onto them if only to share them with you here. Hooray for blogging!

First, the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” (I haven’t read this book and have seen approximately 20 minutes of the Hallmark movie. I know, I know…how crude of me. Aren’t the Bene Gesserits those cool scheming nuns?):

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

Nice. But don’t the French call something else “The Little Death”? Never mind, I like this next one even better. Dave Barry writes:

"All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears--of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, or speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words "Some Assembly Required."

Tee hee.

Meanwhile...

2005-05-17T16:18:00.000+08:00

It's so pretty and as sharp as a knife -- I am ABSOLUTELY enjoying our new little wonder.

Alfonso Cuarón And Patrick Doyle

2005-05-12T13:14:00.001+08:00

I only recently learned that aside from the soundtrack album of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Great Expectations” (one of my favorite movies), there is a second, separate album for the film score, composed by Patrick Doyle. It’s beautiful.

Cuarón skips the usual format of thank yous in the album sleeve. To thank Patrick Doyle, he writes this very cinematic anecdote instead. I don’t think any other kind of acknowledgement could have been more flattering:

“Walking the streets of Amsterdam with Patrick can be a major pain, he is worse than a little child who needs constant care, he crosses the streets unaware of cars, bicycles and trams.

We walked by a large piano shop and Patrick decided we should take a look. As we strolled around the crowded place, laughing out loud at some stupid joke, a snobbish piano salesman started to follow our every move.

Finally Patrick found what he was looking for, a beautiful grand piano that, of course, had a sign saying ‘DO NOT TOUCH’. The salesman promptly approached, lifting his arm as if about to ask us to leave, when Patrick played the first chord.

The notes lingered in the space as Patrick smiled. I’ve seen that smile before, it happens just before the music flows and his eyes get wet. He started to play and everybody froze. The music from ‘Great Expectations’ came to life as the notes swept through the shop.

Patrick finished playing and smiled again. As we walked out everyone stood still, as if afraid that any move would break the magic spell; the snobbish salesman still had his arm up in the air!

Patrick left as unaware of this as he is of cars, bicycles and trams.”

More Graphic Designer Practical Jokes

2005-04-27T12:28:00.000+08:00

Carlo has surreptitiously taken my file

and turned it into Polka Fish.

(*snort) I'm off to lunch.

Weekend

2005-04-22T17:28:00.000+08:00

On our way to Subic two weekends ago, C. and I took a detour to visit the Bacolor Church in Pampanga. I had never seen it before and was amazed. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted, lahar flowed through the town, burying homes and cutting in half the church's original height of almost 40 feet. There was a mass when we visited so we could only peek into the church. What was once most likely an airy interior now looked like a one-story church with unusually low rafters.

How little of the church was left unburied in lahar becomes more apparent when you visit the back of the structure.

Even creepier is the cemetery directly behind it.

I love our weekend trips.

No More Mr. Meltdown

2005-04-22T17:20:00.000+08:00

I finally completed my illustration work. I am happy.

Everything's been approved, I will see these things in print, how exciting! I am now going to clean up the office, and go to sleep.

(*humming)

What Has Two Stomachs...

2005-04-22T16:48:00.000+08:00

Yes, I do stuff like this for a living.

Meltdown

2005-04-21T17:47:00.000+08:00

I just spent more than 3 hours on an illustration, and nothing worked.
I need to submit an entire batch of these things tomorrow.
I am running out of ideas and time.
I am in a panic.

I can't breathe...

Brevity

2005-04-19T11:46:00.000+08:00

My friend Ross just emailed me this one:

"A college class was told they had to write a short story in as few words as possible. The story had to contain the following three things:
(1) religion
(2) sexuality
(3) mystery

There was only one A+ paper in the entire class. It read as follows:
Good God, I'm pregnant. I wonder who did it."

No More Spiced Fruit

2005-04-19T10:29:00.000+08:00

Things got a little hairy last night when a snack C. bought from an Indonesian deli disagreed with his otherwise steely tummy. One minute we were designing a wedding invitation for friend Kris, and then it was hello Sucarlo.

I hope you are feeling better today :(

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

Two weekends ago we went to the movies and saw this:

We were half-expecting something as funny as the Pixar films, but it seems Spongebob the Movie was really written for the young audience that is its original market. Which is totally okay – I appreciate Nickelodeon’s decision to keep it simple. And it doesn’t mean there weren’t any hilarious moments. Watch it with your little loved ones and wait for The Patty Wagon (“...steel-belted pickles…”) and a very strange image of Patrick Star in fishnet stockings and high heels.

All else said I love Spongebob--charmingly naive, disarmingly enthusiastic. And let's not forget those cute little briefs, kneesocks and shiny shoes.

Monday

2005-04-18T10:50:00.000+08:00

Richard Bode, "Beachcombing in Miramar":

"I believe the desire for beauty is built into me, as it is built into everyone, and that out lifelong quest for it is our greatest and most important morality play. Beauty is the antonym of violence, the antidote for all the pent-up rage in the world. We have this choice--we can opt for beauty or we can opt for violence. If we choose violence, then death and destruction will be our reward. If we choose beauty, we will create a bower of quiet for our children, and for ourselves a sleep full of sweet dreams."

Wishing you all a good week.

Dakota And Samara

2005-04-17T19:41:00.001+08:00

My brother is my scary-movie partner. We skip the slasher and gore festivals, but do get excited about the good-ol' horror films that turn up every so often. What we've seen lately:

This movie will never make us look at deer the same way again. The Ring 2 is sufficiently scary, though it gets a little stale. The first one was more dramatically-lit, with all those memorable green tones and eerie visuals. The original Japanese version did not make a dent on me at all. Sorry. The Asian Horror Flick is an acquired taste, I guess.

I don't think this movie would have gone anywhere had it not been for the big-name celebrities attached to it. But really, Robert de Niro as the father of Dakota Fanning? It would have helped if the actor who played his wife was young, but Amy Irving was just as wrinkly as he was. Nothing remarkable about the story or writing, though it was a bit disturbing. Hang on for the M. Knight Shymalan-style twist at the end.

Graphic Designer Practical Jokes

2005-04-17T19:22:00.000+08:00

I asked Carlo for help with this file:

He e-mails back what I need, with this in the corner of the document. Meet Señor Carroto:

What moves him to do things like this, I may never know. But I love the gilagid. (*snicker)

Where Have I Been?

2005-04-14T19:20:00.000+08:00

It’s been almost a month since I last posted.

For weeks now I have been wanting to write, but just have not found the opportunity to sit and do so. Blog-writing is an indulgence, really. If you knew how long it takes me just to write one of these entries you would be appalled. I have a task list for work that I have put aside, and admittedly it wasn’t difficult, even though I was stressing myself out this morning about the stuff I needed to get done.

Carlo is laughing at my sudden compulsion to post.

Two weeks ago I celebrated my birthday. Took a couple of days off with family in a resthouse in Lake Caliraya. For reasons I will not go into here, I was at the start slightly (okay, very) disappointed with the plans and to cope, I began mentally scrounging around for potential to-dos while I was there. There was windsurfing, wakeboarding, angry hiking, spiteful camping, crazed driving down to Pagsanjan, feigning drowning in the lake, etc.

The trip turned out better than I anticipated (possible lesson here: you may also benefit from occasionally lowering your expectations). Instead of the hectic itinerary I had in mind I ended up having two of the laziest days in recent memory.

Day One: My cousin Gio managed to borrow a rundown banca that belonged to a carpenter doing repairs on one of the guesthouses. We paddled around the lake for hours, sidling up to shore where we could, or dropping a makeshift anchor when we wanted. We found a small “lagoon”-like pocket near the house, where the water was extra-calm and it looked and sounded like you were the only people around for kms. A huge ipil tree had fallen in unknown seasons past but managed to survive, its roots eventually finding their way back into the soil while the rest of it leaned at a very odd angle over the water. The tree looked like it was sipping water from the lake, or it had become enamored by its own reflection and wanted a closer look. Cousin and I paddled directly under its branches, planted the anchor (a heavy rock tied with blue rope) and talked away the afternoon. Nothing profound, just bits of news and ideas. Fingers in the water, fishing out interesting leaves that would float by. The boat was so tiny and narrow that we had to take turns lying in it, arms folded under our heads, to look up through the trees and at the sky. We rowed back at sunset, and in the evening we had a good dinner, wine and cake to celebrate.

Day Two: The entire morning I spent on a covered raft, lying on pillows and reading Sting’s autobiography Broken Music (a birthday gift from Carlo) I could not put it down. Then in the afternoon a brief walk on the shore with my cousin again, and in the early evening a visit with more of the family to the Japanese Garden, not 5 minutes from the house. The last time I’d been there was probably 10 years ago, and I noticed how big the trees had become. And sadly, while there was still evident care for the grounds I could tell that they were suffering from a real lack of financial resources and manpower. It is still worth visiting, if only to recall how it looked before. And there are still charming little corners there, the kind that feed the imagination and make you quietly happy.

"All These Pages Are Burning...

2005-04-14T19:08:00.000+08:00

...and all that's left is you."

C. gave me a bunch of wonderful presents for my birthday. I was totally thrilled opening each individually-wrapped goodie. One of his gifts, this book which I absolutely enjoyed (because I am a fan, and objectively speaking, it was very well-written).

“Perhaps it is the scarcity of vocabulary that is the root of the problem. Love seems like such a deeply inadequate word for a concept with so many complex shades and shapes and degrees of intensity. If the Inuit have twenty words for the concept of snow, then perhaps it is because they live in a realm where the differences between each type of snow are of vital importance to them, and the minutiae of their specific vocabulary reflects that central importance. Yet we, who spend vast amounts of our time, energy, and ingenuity thinking about love, being loved, loving, longing for love, living for love, even dying for love, have no more than this paltry, troublesome word that is no more descriptive than the word fuck is for expressing the wonderful and infinite varieties of sexual congress. It’s rather like a city dweller looking at the jungle and dumbly grunting the word trees for the manifold diversity that faces him. There are plants out there that can feed him, plants that can cure him, and plants that can kill him, and the sooner he identifies them and names them, the safer he will be.”

Skeptic-Cynic Rears Ugly Head

2005-04-14T18:38:00.000+08:00

There are predictions flying around of a massive earthquake or some other natural disaster due to hit manila today at 5pm. Whatever seismic extravaganza’s supposed to happen it is an hour and forty minutes late now. I am strangely annoyed by this vibe of impending doom. My mom phoned to tell me to “take care”. It’s very sweet of her, but really, if indeed some wall of water or huge chasm opens up to deliver you back to the dark ages as the nuns or psychics say, what kind of care would you need to take in order to survive it? If you survive, they’ll say it’s a miracle. If you don’t, they’ll say it was your “time to go”. What’s with this: “I don’t believe it, but it’s best to be safe”. Oh and always, the disclaimer: “If you pray hard enough, you may be able to avert it.” So, if it doesn’t happen, everyone’s prayers are answered. If it happens, you didn’t pray hard enough. Some days, I can’t stand this kind of logic.

Ephemera

2005-04-14T16:24:00.000+08:00

A tag that came with one of the Venetian masks I own:

When Carlo went to Shanghai, I asked him to bring back interesting bits of paper and packaging. Here’s a wrapper for oranges and a coffee receipt:

Below are things we found in a stall in Robinsons Ermita some months back. Paper money -- I'm not sure if it is meant to be burned, or hung somewhere. I also got a larger sheet and the salesperson said you are supposed to write your prayers or wishes on the back – you’ll see a detail of it. If you are familiar with the mechanics of these things post a comment please, I would like to know more.

Picture Pack Rat

2005-03-16T16:49:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago I did more sorting and cleaning in the office. I went through so much stuff that I just KNOW i kept for a reason -- mostly for reference, sometimes (though very rarely) for posterity. But looking through them I realized I didn't really need or want to keep anything anymore. I ended up throwing out practically everything.

Online photo storage though is a great idea. Now I can be a pack rat without feeling guilty -- all I have to do is turn digital. Here are some beautiful pictures (ordinary deskjet printouts actually) that were given to me as placeholders for a project I worked on eons ago:

Are these Ifugao? T'boli? Something else entirely? Shame how little I know of my own country's cultural groups. Aren't those costumes just lovely? I remember how I drooled over a T'boli jacket in a tiny, stuffy antique shop in Robinson's Ermita. It was being sold for P6,000. The shopkeeper said it was for an adult, but it was so small. It looked more like a child's garment, except it was covered with embroidery and intricate mother-of-pearl beadwork. It took my breath away.

Adventures In Medication

2005-03-10T11:31:00.000+08:00

I know exactly what to do today. For work, I mean. So I know I can afford a few minutes to blog -- I have missed it so. This Great Time-Suck Of A Hobby can be addicting.

My brain has been working overtime lately. So many things to think about, I imagine I can hear it creaking. After an initial blunder with Xanor® last night, enter Iterax®. Originally prescribed to me by my flawless-skinned dermatologist (her name is Loverne) for my own less-than-immaculate complexion, I have discovered (lo and behold!) that it is an anti-anxiety drug on top of being an antihistamine. How clever! What an interesting dual-purpose! Never mind that she forgot to tell me this bit of info when she wrote out the prescription.

I feel justified in having taken one last night since my allergies are flaring up again. It just so happens that I am maiming two birds with one stone. Twelve hours later, I can still feel Iterax's soothing effects. Is my skin better this morning? A little. And am I less anxious? I think so. Either that, or I'm just fretting in slow motion. Woooo-hooooo.

Why I Love The AAVA Newsletter 2

2005-02-25T12:37:00.000+08:00

...visions of household mice and other vermin being shampooed and pampered.

This one is just plain mangled:

I have the closing theme of Spongebob Squarepants playing on a loop right now (thank you Carlo, my purveyor of the obscure and silly). I think it is helping to enhance the off-tangent-ness of the day.

Branding

2005-02-22T14:55:00.000+08:00

I came across this and thought it was funny. "Smack My Ass And Call Me Sally" is supposed to be one of the hottest hotsauces in the world. They also tell you to scratch the handprint on the guy's butt ("use a coin!"). Wonder why.

They could use some design help, though.

Movie Night

2005-02-17T13:58:00.000+08:00

After two back-to-back meetings yesterday, we went to see Constantine.

I liked it the way I like most comic book-to-film adaptations I've seen-- I don't expect much and so I enjoy what comes up. I guess it helps that I don't actually read graphic novels, so I have no pre-conceived notions about the film.

Both costume and production design were good, though. I liked his flat (suspiciously-clean tub and bath tiles, though), and that workspace-library-thing behind the bowling lanes owned by Constantine's purveyor-friend (too bad I couldn't find a good still of this with the lane gears and the colored jars seemingly screwed to the low ceiling). I particularly enjoyed the Alhambra-inspired "backroom":

What fun, eh? Production design was by someone named Naomi Shohan (Training Day, American Beauty). Interestingly, when they asked director Francis Lawrence what his influences were in defining the mood and look for film, he cited Training Day. Cinematography is by Philippe Rousselot, one of my favourites. He lit A River Runs Through It, Interview With A Vampire, and this really strange 80's French film Diva (if you totally get that one, I'd say you're lying). Anyone from UP Film, raise your hand.

Before the movie Carlo, Ron and I were talking about animated and sci-fi films we'd seen. I mentioned The Quay Brothers and Streets of Crocodiles, whose imagery is truly haunting.

What Am I Doing?

2005-02-15T13:32:00.000+08:00

Really, what am I doing?
I'm up to my eyeballs with work I need to get done, and here I am blogging.
I'm stalling again.

Just Finished Working

2005-02-11T22:38:00.000+08:00

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Living in a gorgeous seaside house with the person I love the most.

What is your greatest fear?
Genetic Manifest Destiny, or turning into a hideous little ball of nothing but my family's ugliest traits.

Which living person do you most admire?
I can’t choose just one. I admire many people for many different things.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Meanness of spirit.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Uh, flowers? I have not been extravagant in some time.

On what occasion do you lie?
When it keeps the peace among the natives.

Which living person do you most despise?
I don’t want to despise. There are a few people who totally annoy me, though, but let’s not go there.

When and where were you happiest?
Again, I can’t name one thing above all else. But I was ecstatic walking the streets of Florence, and visiting the Louvre.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I would like to be able to draw and paint like a fiend.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Self-preservation. With style.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
To be dead while one is still alive.

Where would you like to live?
By the sea.

What is your favorite occupation?
Art.

What do you most value in your friends?
Their sense of humor and intelligence.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
I adore Count Ladislaus De Almasy in Ondaatje’s English Patient. He’s tragic and crazy and utterly romantic.

I also think Lara Croft is cool, and wish she were around when I was a kid.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Carlo.

Ellen McArthur, who now holds the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the world.

What is it that you most dislike?
Rudeness and arrogance.

How would you like to die?
Under the direction of the guys who conceptualized the Athens Olympics Opening Ceremony.

What is your motto?
Cultivate personal pleasures. Do not live small. Be happy.

Adios Ayer

2005-02-10T17:22:00.000+08:00

Este es mi momento. Ahora. Aqui. Adios ayer.

The weeks from my last entry have been full and busy. I just completed my first project for February, an ADB-funded publication. Carlo patiently walked me through the many wonders of InDesign, something I was long overdue to learn (thank you!). The files went off to the printers on Tuesday but I was still taking care of residual concerns ‘til yesterday morning. Two new jobs are lined up. So far today, I’ve just been trying to organize my thoughts, making notes, picking up materials. Every time I finish a project, I find myself a bit disoriented. It’s as if I am still running on the momentum of a previous creative process, and it takes a bit of calming down and “switching” before I can start work on something else. It must have something to do with my preference for personal ceremony (as opposed to the social kind). I worry that I am sometimes inhumanly slow, and that I am enamored with detail.

After Jose Padilla, it's the soundtrack of Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind now playing. Just skipped the Polyphonic Spree track. I can’t explain it, but their music makes me nervous.

Yesterday afternoon I was in Panay Avenue for my first viewing of the full-length film I designed for in December last year. It was the third edit – no music and sound design yet, but there is always a real pleasure in seeing the story finally put together. You straddle a line between getting lost in the tale, and remembering what was happening off-camera. In one scene for example, the actors were gathered around the family patriarch’s hospital bed, grieving at the prospect of his death. While watching it, I suddenly thought, “And there we were, crouched behind the screen divider watching the monitor…” There were also some frustrating moments. Because of framing or camera movement, design details I had layered the room with would disappear, leaving shots that (to me) looked horribly bare despite my best effort. Interestingly enough, one of the sequences that charmed me the most was one I hadn’t been there to see during filming – Eddie Garcia’s character, tired of being cooped up at his daughter’s house and being treated like an invalid, commandeers the family van and spends the day out in the city on his own. Mr. Garcia was given a single instruction – to do exactly what he wanted – and the camera would follow. Our little art department had advance-partied to the next location while they shot that sequence, so seeing what came out of that was a real surprise for me. I thought it poignant, and hope that the addition of a musical score or any further editing only serves to keep it so. The Cinemalaya Film Festival is in June or July. It’s beginning to look as if ours is the most “family-oriented” offer. No sex, no nudity, hardly any violence. Not even an on-screen kiss. Oh god, we will be ostracized by our fellow indie filmmakers. But at least, as the joke went yesterday, our work doesn’t look like a thesis project.

C. is away on holiday, tearing through Shanghai with his family. Shades of National Lampoon, I’m sure. He has been sending phone messages, slices of exotica to one “marooned” in working Manila—sleet at the airport, a visit to Su Zhou (the birth place of Xiao Long Bao, is it?), live music at lunchtime: a woman singing Chinese Richard Clayderman-ish kitsch pop, the kind he knows I can’t stand. I haven’t been to China, and wouldn't mind seeing it one day. However, I’ve always imagined that after I do, I would cross into Mongolia and spend some time happily freezing my ass off in the desert.

If money were no object, where would you travel to this year?

Back From The Beach

2005-01-12T11:22:00.000+08:00

Just spent five glorious days on holiday, what a FABULOUS way to begin the year! And yes, now how we miss it. I thought of my new years past and seriously asked myself, why didn't this brilliant idea occur to me sooner?

From now on, I shall begin every year on holiday with those I love.

2005

2005-01-01T17:19:00.000+08:00

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things."

Peace to you this new year.