Royal Wedding of the Century

I have always had a special place in my heart for anything related to royal matters. I strongly feel the sense of history and tradition in the lives of the monarchs from Marie Antoinette to Sisi, from King Philip to Queen Elizabeth I, and now the present day royal family.

April 29, 2011 Friday

This day is history in-the-making and I am truly privileged to have witnessed it along with the rest of the world.

I want this day to remain forever in my memory for today marks a wonderful turning point in royal world history since the loss of the late Princess of Wales, Diana, whom I have admired so much even at my tender age of ten at the time [of her passing away].

This truly momentous day celebrates the union of Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Catherine Elizabeth Middleton - now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Earl and Countess of Strathearn, & Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus.

May their wedding mark the beginning of the British monarchy's openness to the changing times and to the people who are changing with it. May they prove through the years to come that fairy tales do come true. While the old classics will never die, some of those classics might be on the brink of being born today.

Best wishes to the newly-weds!

Rise and rejoice!

The search is over.

I have found what I have been looking for all this time

...in Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 -

I pray for you to find in Christ that which will fill the hole, the gap, the emptiness in your life, your mind, your heart, and your soul. 

Christ has conquered death and has risen to give us a life renewed for the glory of God. Let's make the most out of this blessing by living life in grace and service of God and others.

Hallelujah!

Room Swap

My sister has been staying with me in my [our?] room for more than a week now since she began attending a ten-day culinary program less than half an hour away from where we live in the big city.

It is such a big change for me to have her in the house because I am not used to having my siblings around me all the time since I went to college in 2004 and since I started working in 2009. Most days, I have the condominium unit all to myself and my room is actually just big enough for one person even though it has a bunk bed.

I do not have before and after pictures but when I say we were cramped in my room, I'm talking when you enter the door the bed is two steps away going straight and the cabinet for clothes is only three steps away to the right and that is pretty much it.

So after much deliberation between my older brother, younger sister and me - we decided to switch rooms because it will be for the benefit of everybody concerned.

Farewell deep purple walls, goodbye wall flowers... adieu. Although I loved my old room to bits, it's time to move on and embrace change.

Out with the old, in with the new, I say.

Small but cozy.

A seemingly organized mess of books, footwear, unfinished to-dos and what-have-yous.

The new room, upon entrance.

I was just itching to get the move done the moment we finalized our decision about it, however, it was already past our bedtimes (making it too late to start) and there was work the following day. It was also impossible to have everybody in the unit and make them wait until the whole switcheroo was over. That would be too chaotic especially when I prefer to have something done alone.

So, even though the OC in me was kicking and screaming "Right now!", I had to quiet it down until April 15 Friday evening when I had the small window of time to be by myself in the unit. When I came home and realized that nobody was there but me, I began the gruesome task of moving everything around while cleaning both rooms at the same time from 9:00 PM to about 2:30 AM.

I know, I'm crazy that way sometimes.

I even had to wake up at 6:00 AM afterwards because I still have half a day at work and other activities for that Saturday. Thank God I still had strength to accomplish much in a full day.

It may have been literally exhausting doing all that much after a long day's work (not to mention the accumulation of stress after a week's worth of work!), the peace of mind was priceless.

The room is still a work in progress but I am proud to say: Happiness, at last. :)

P.S.
My Poladroid application went bonkers for reasons I cannot identify until now that is why my signature Polaroid photos are becoming very limited. I now use an application called Pola to substitute Poladroid but it results to a .png file extension, which makes conversions and editing very tedious. I'm thinking of getting a better camera to post higher quality pictures... and maybe a real Poladroid or Fuji Instax camera, too. :)

Love for Fashion and Writing

This is my first year to use the Belle de Jour Power Planner.

I have always been a pen-and-paper person and it is very reassuring to have something to get my every day more organized. I love the way the planner is designed - colorful and vibrant. The coupons are truly an added bonus because there is a treat to look forward to every now and then. :) More importantly, it emits a feeling of empowerment to the lady who makes use of it.

Besides using BDJ to make my life a bit more spic and span, it also serves as a daily journal or diary for me. I love to jot down events that made my day or to write down little things that made me smile. I know how a planner sometimes make a person appear too rigid but BDJ always leaves room for spontaneity and that's what makes it such a power planner.

As I was just beginning to get immersed in the many perks and activities being organized by the BDJ team, I was chosen to be one of the participants of Belle de Jour Passion Series by Bayo: Love for Fashion and Writing. This event was primarily opened to bloggers and, upon seeing the event poster, I just gave it try by submitting my entry and I got a spot.

The event was held at the Bayo store in Trinoma, a huge mall in Quezon City. I promptly arrived at the venue before one in the afternoon after spending the morning having an Easter celebration at the center where I work in Makati City.

Tricia Gosingtian on fashion blogging.

After registration, I went around the store to get two outfits that I could wear and get photographed in. I have to admit that I am not very good in time-pressured shopping and my eye for fashion isn't too sharp but it was fun trying on clothes. That is one of the reasons I was looking forward to the event - to learn more about fashion and writing.

The first talk was given by  Tricia Gosingtian, one of the Philippines' top fashion bloggers. She is a photographer, stylist and model who took up Bachelor in Fine Arts major in Information Design from the Ateneo de Manila University. She is also one of Forever 21's Brand Ambassadors.

Tricia began her talk by sharing her humble beginnings in deviantART and Lookbook. She shared the sources of her inspiration, which mostly came from Japanese fashion. Tricia also talked about how fashion bloggers like herself have made the world of clothes, shoes and accessories more real and down-to-earth for ordinary people [like myself]. It is true how everyday men and women who model, photograph, and publish their own wardrobes for the general public has more influence on fashion choices compared to celebrities nowadays. 

A moment with Tricia Gosingtian, who turns out to be the cousin of Mark Gosingtian, creator of the Hero t-shirts.

Later in the talk, Tricia went into a more technical side of fashion blogging by making mention of typefaces, designs, layouts, demographics, and more importantly, content. She also emphasized individuality, which is the core of having your own brand. On the lighter side of things, she told us about the perks she get from doing what she does best: having partnerships with clothing brands, attending fashion events and conferences, and meeting well-known people in the industry. Tricia ended her presentation by giving some fashion tips for this season.

Ana Santos, founder and editorial director of Sex and Sensibilities - a website that shares practical information about sex and sexuality.

The second talk was given by Ana Santos, a Journalism graduate of the University of the Philippines and a sexual health advocate who founded Sex and Sensibilities. She maintains a weekly column in the Manila Times called "The Single Files". When Ana Santos arrived, her presence was strongly felt and consequently, she revealed a fierce personality to match her brilliant talk.

She involved the audience straightaway by asking: "Why do you write?" After gathering several answers, she launched into the story of her personal journey into becoming a writer and how writing became her passion.

Ana presented the more technical side of writing [in general]. She discussed the ethics that guard the art and profession of writing. She said that before a writer even begins the tedious job of putting down his or her thoughts into words, he or she must first consider if the piece being written is worth the readers' time.

Moreover, Ana emphasized on finding one's writer's voice or individual writing style. She shared with the participants that the only way to find this unique writing style is to write, write, and write. And then, write some more. It is only with experimenting and letting the words flow from one's mind and heart into a blank sheet of paper or a computer document can a person unleash his or her true writer's voice.

Ms. Ana Santos with Belle de Jour creator, Darlyn Ty.

As the afternoon came to a close, I spent some time in conversation with other BDJ girls in the venue. Here is a shout out to two amazing young ladies, both co-bloggers, that I spent a good time chatting with: Iris Diaz and Angel Matociños. It was nice meeting both of you and I hope to see you in BDJ's other activities.

Post-event pictorials with participants, organizers, and speakers.

Job well done, Belle de Jour team! Grazie mille, bellas! :)

Never Forgotten

A glimpse into the life of one of the greatest storytellers of our time...

Manila Ocean Park Revisited

Today, ACC visits Manila Ocean Park as a culminating activity for our Water theme for the entire month of March. The kids and their families enjoy the sea lion show starring Vincent and Isabel, the Oceanarium exhibit and the dancing jellyfish. :)

I almost forgot how it feels to be out in the sunshine. :)

Deep in thought

I have been caught up in a very busy web of work, school, socio-civic activities, domestic duties, and serious life transitions this month that I could not quite find the time or energy to sit in front of my laptop and type away my sorrows and excitements. So as not to go over the edge of my sanity, I pursue time for a good night's sleep and moments of silence and solitude more than anything else lately.

To quote Katherine Whitehorn: "You cannot care about everything and stay sane. You cannot care about nothing and stay human." I empathize more with the first statement each day as I find my calling more and more evident but vague at the same time.

There are so many things and ideas running through my mind even as I share this, which amazes me because in spite of the strain I am currently feeling, my brain can still filter out what needs to be said and what needs to be silenced.

In 2008, I spent six months in the US practically without any gadget or form or technology except perhaps for the appliances in the house where I lived with my relatives. I had no mobile phone for calling or texting on regular basis except for the old beaten-up cellphone I had on roaming to get very short messages from my family from halfway around the world. I had my laptop but there was no internet connection (wireless or otherwise) so it was almost useless as a stand-alone computer save for viewing and tweaking photos I took during my stay. [Needless to say, I did not use it very much.] I only had my ever reliable point-and-shoot digital camera which became my constant companion everywhere I went...

...and, surprisingly, I liked it better that way than I thought I would.

Deep down inside of me, I have always dreamed of being in a time and place different from where I am in this lifetime. I think maybe all of us have wished for that at some point in our lives. Right now, I am beginning to feel a bit of technophobia creeping up on me which was probably just lying dormant in me all this time since those six months.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the many ways technology has helped us as a people. I am very much aware of how it has helped mankind move forward in small steps and in leaps and bounds. However, I feel as if the cycle of advancement is gaining too much momentum and is starting to have a life of its own - like a butterfly laying its egg and waiting for a new species to emerge. It scares me to think about it like that but the way I see it, it is us who have to keep up with technology instead of the other way around, otherwise, we are on the losing end.

Blogging on my online journal versus writing on my personal diary/scrapbook is like a war or worlds for me these past few months. My fingers itch to hold on to pen and paper more than a keyboard and a mouse each passing day. Sometimes, on worse days, I get this urge to run away from anything electronic.

I began blogging again in 2009 when I realized its potential to reach an audience who share the same thoughts and ideas that I have. I also realized that the cyberspace is a great avenue to make many people aware of important matters regarding faith, education, environment and so much more. On the other hand, being online is like finding myself in a room full of glass windows where I see everything all at once and it confuses me and overwhelms me. I recall my life before the internet and it is like finding myself in a room with different doors which entailed a certain air of mystery, a wonderful atmosphere of excitement wherein I take my time to go through one door, experience what is within, and go back and forth various doors if I needed to.

I've always had a thing with time - I need to take my time. So much of technology is the cause for a life lived on the fast lane with shallow breaths and I don't like it when I go into overdrive. It is when accidents happen - all sorts of accidents, which result to injury or even death. Metaphorically speaking, this can be injury to a part of one's self or death in being.

I do not want to feel the need for me to catch up with my writing; I need my writing to catch up with me.
I do not want to feel any of this 'technological advancement' take hold of me.
I need to actually live a life. We all do.

"He who breathes deepest lives most." 

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning -