par ♫ avion

The First

2012-01-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

It's the first month of the new year so firstly, I'd like to share the rule above. I haven't quite let go of some things from the past year and, so far, this rule seems to be helping me detach and release. So, here's to the new year (I'm a few weeks late but better late than never!) and my wish to everyone is to find serenity and courage throughout the changes in their lives. Happy new year, folks!

Snapshots From A Recent Trip

2011-11-19T03:19:00.000-08:00

Korea

Bangkok

What's my next adventure?

Boo!

2011-10-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

Happy halloween! I dressed up as a 1920's flapper! What about you?

The Truth

2011-10-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

"To often we do not say what we are feeling in our hearts and we hold back our true words of love, courage and compassion that should be said. When you become courageous enough to express the Truth of how you are really feeling you set yourself free and align with the vibration of your Truth. This is when miracles, synchronicities and amazing things begin to happen. At first it might be a little rough because you are clearing out everything that isn't true for you. But it's my promise to you dear friend that once you've reached a clean slate, your Truth will set you free, your Truth will make you happy and your Truth will always provide for you. My biggest promise to you is that your Truth will deliver a life greater than you have imagined. All you have to do is let go of what is not true for you and let it in what is." -Jackson Kiddard

The Day We Grew Our Mustache

2011-09-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

Aishite Imasu（愛しています）

2011-08-28T05:46:00.001-07:00

Ordered these at one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Manila: Nihonbashitei. Can't wait to visit the country! Soon...

PS. "Aishite Imasu" is the Japanese phrase for "I love you" :-)

Nom Nom

2011-08-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school and college, and the first few years as a fashion assistant in one of Manila's local publishing houses, diet was my religion. And man, I missed out on a lot of good stuff. Three years have passed since I left the first publishing house I've worked at, and I have gained 9 pounds. That's like three pounds a year of weight gain! So what? The real issue though is: where the freak do I get some warm apple pie with ice cream on top at this hour? :-)

Moon River

2011-08-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

There is just something about this scene. Perhaps the sadness? I could watch it over and over, and over again.

Austria & Korea

2011-07-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

I Love...

2011-06-11T05:07:00.001-07:00

My growing polaroid postcard collection.

Cute and comfy chairs from this furniture store called Space Encounters in Ortigas.

The Manila sunset taken at Midas Hotel along Roxas Boulevard.

Tea and lemon squares from Mary Grace Cafe.

And of course, munching on Edamame. This batch is from Little Tokyo in Chino Roces Avenue.

Venice, Italy

2011-05-16T01:37:00.001-07:00

I remember the first ever postcard I received from Venice was sent by my mother way back in 1997. It's one of her favorite towns in Italy. I was 14 years old. Last September, I turned 27... and I received another postcard from the city of water sent by, none other than my favorite former editorial assistant, Regina Aquino! ♥

All The Way From Boracay

2011-04-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

This one's from my good friend, Eric. It was his first time to go to the Island as well. I can't wait for our "Five in Five" travel adventures together!

Snapshots from Korea

2011-03-17T05:59:00.001-07:00

Getting Ready For Kimchi Land

2011-03-04T06:21:00.001-08:00

I'm going to Seoul, Korea this coming Monday for business... and geeky 'ole me had cue cards (or idiot cards, really) made for the trip. I don't want to be too lost in translation. I can't wait to use phrases like "I-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?" (How much is this?) or "Kkakkajuseyo" (Please give me discount). But before I use those phrases, I just want to say "Kam sa ham ni da" to life! :)

Doodles I Can't Understand

2011-03-01T05:13:00.000-08:00

I met this kid named Lester at The Collective. I think he's cool, especially his doodle version of Wild Mutt (whoever that is).

I particularly loved this scene

2011-02-28T07:27:00.000-08:00

Didn't you?

Carey Mulligan in An Education

I Wish You Were Here

2011-02-18T16:46:00.001-08:00

Or I wish I were there. ♥ This made my day, Kat! Polaroid snapshots are love.

"The desert never ceases to amaze me. It's very unpredictable." she writes about Death Valley.

What I Do Every Saturday

2011-02-13T01:41:00.000-08:00

After a hard work week, I deserve to be crazy. This is my therapy every Saturday at Skitzo, The Collective. So here's my routine: make random conversation with customers, make some good sales, order the ridiculously good ramen at Wabi Sabi, and then play with the wigs come mid afternoon. Fun!

I Want One

2011-01-21T00:34:00.001-08:00

I flew to Bohol a few days ago and it was my first time to see this stinky little wonder! I am so in love with this brown furball and I want one as a pet. Wouldn't you fall in love with this cuddly looking thing, too? Look at those sleepy eyes! I want to hold it like a ball and throw it up in the air. Don't worry, I think I'll be able to catch it of course!

New York, I Love You

2011-01-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

A fresh batch of postcards from

The MoMA (Museum of Modern Art).

♥♥♥

My Favorite Child Prodigy

2011-01-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

The young Margot Tenenbaum. I like her typewriter! ♥

I Like Her

2011-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

Even if people say she has fangs!

Our Lives Shouldn't Be In Instamatic

2011-01-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

Because there's always time to pause, y'know!

(The culprits of instant-busting busters: Kach, Sica, Cesca and myself at Spiral, Sofitel. We like to take it slow.)

My work station at home...

2010-12-28T23:42:00.001-08:00

...can be really messy! :)

Camille's Boyfriend

2010-12-24T02:08:00.000-08:00

I did not hibernate for the past two months. I worked, went on a few sidetracks, and then worked some more. I often tell myself that life shouldn't be just about work but I always find myself (more often than not) buried in the deep, dark, muddy hole of corporate whore-dom (in my case, publishing whore-dom). But this entry isn't about my rant over writing nor editing, handling logistics, proofreading and even the tedious task of paginating... as the title says, it's about Camille's boyfriend.

His name is Francis. I've known him (and not known him) since 2006. A man of few words, I tell you. He's often quiet, an observer and a listener perhaps, and quite the gentleman, especially to dear Camille. What else... tech savvy, food enthusiast, Camille's loyal sidekick in dinners, shoots and what not.

And so, this quiet man has caught me by surprise one December morning and little did he know (and Camille, too), he reminded me of a lesson I've long forgotten when (through Camille) he had given me four rolls of expired film with a note:

I've forgotten that life is all about perspective... that good can be found in bad, that play can be found in work, and that life itself is one great art show.

Merry Christmas, folks!

When Life Is Crap

2010-10-25T21:15:00.001-07:00

"You have fish n' chips," says Eric Salta.

"Burp!"

♥ Kawaii ♥

2010-10-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

The four postcards above were from Bamsamkinbyul's collection that was given to me by Maia Reyes for my birthday last September. I think they're very cute and pretty. You should see the rest of the 46 postcards included. Really inspiring! That's why I'm totally saving up for Japan now! Who wants to go with me? ♥

I really like her!

2010-09-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Guess who!

Birthday Wish

2010-09-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

One day, I'm going to get myself drunk, ride a bump car for fun and perhaps, after, ride a gigantic teacup with the boy I love.

5 more days to go.

Girls On Film

2010-08-26T23:02:00.001-07:00

Sue Lyon in Lolita

Ludivine Sagnier and Charlotte Rampling in Swimming Pool

Juliet Lewis in Cape Fear

Hanna Hall in The Virgin Suicides

Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy

Samantha Morton in Control

From Hongkong with Love

2010-08-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

My last trip to Hongkong was July 2008 with Maia Reyes. Man, do I miss that city... the scent of duck and noodles, Central district, and the spit of Chinese people on the sidewalk... and the shopping! Oh, the shopping!

Here are a few postcards from Maia's latest trip this year. Thanks for this, Maister! And I hope we can go back together soon.

I want to Rock And Roll all night...

2010-07-18T02:19:00.000-07:00

...and party everyday!!! A postcard from London from my ex-intern, Nikki Rocha! :)

Oh, Spain!

2010-06-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Spain (or any country in Europe for that matter), but I'd like to go to someday. My ex-intern, Nikki Rocha, at my previous company Inquirer, is in Europe right now, sending me wonderful postcards. So sweet! These make me want to go there even more! Oh, someday, one day...

The Bavarian Sugar Cookies

2010-06-27T05:48:00.001-07:00

"Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true." -Kay Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction

Photo Booth

2010-06-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

There's always something addicting about these one-times-four camera booths :) here's the evidence.

Salivating for Gyoza

2010-06-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

The quesadilla kind... Yummm!!

The Lady

2010-05-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

Bea Misa sends me this "tamang creepy lang" (as she would describe it) postcard from San Francisco...

"The city is my friend but not my home. But beautiful! I've been tripping out on Mexican bodegas, restos, stores, and music." she writes.

...

2010-05-08T00:57:00.000-07:00

These Girls

2010-04-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

Gotta love 'em and the sound of their voices.

MoMA E-Card from Paul & Kat

2010-03-20T02:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the fastest way to make someone's day better is thru an email. Paul and Kat turns my day around with this e-card from the Museum of Modern Art. They've picked one by Joan Miro titled, "The Beautiful Bird Revealing the Unknown to a Pair of Lovers". Thanks for this one, guys! :)

"About to see Tim Burton... wheeeeee!"

I can almost feel their excitement! :)

First of Summer

2010-03-04T03:45:00.001-08:00

This is the first postcard I received in the hottest month of the year! Thanks for this, Kat! :)

"Went up that lil bridge there & that was enough to stiffen my bottoms," she says.

Before The Love Month Ends...

2010-02-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

...I just want to say that I fall for this guy every single time I watch Paris Je T'aime.

Ramen Garu

2010-01-11T23:37:00.001-08:00

"Somewhere along the way I just forgot what I wanted to do with my life..." -The Ramen Girl

Joyeux Noël

2009-12-27T01:23:00.001-08:00

I'm actually going to miss these people in the office when I leave next year! Thanks for the cards, girls! I coudln't have survived the past 10 months in the corporation without you three! Now, I'm off to 2010!

A Wood Plank from Kat Gangoso

2009-11-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Camping is imminent for this adventurer! She sends me news from one of her trips, and it surely is one to be framed...

"It was snowing in higher elevations, too. The trees are beautiful, all ready for Fall. And my hands are freezing. Wish you were here!"

Wish I were there freezing my ass off with you. :)

Post It

2009-11-02T01:41:00.001-08:00

Someone left me a little something on my table at work!

So... this is where the Enemy sleeps.

2009-10-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

From my jetsetting Editorial Assistant

2009-09-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

So my trusty, ever so reliable EA, Regina Aquino, left for 2 weeks to travel and explore four cities around the world... my only requirement from her was to send me a postcard from each city. Too bad she failed to write anything in Paris... but I still love every card she sent me and Im so happy she's back in Manila... to work! Haha!

1. New York - The Museum of Modern Art

"I saw this colored pencil print and thought the guy looked like your type!"

2. Virginia

"I never thought finding a postcard in Virginia would be so hard. Finally found this in a kid's store."

3. Paris

3. London

"Eating some fish and chips as I write this! Yummy but very oily."

Now isn't she the sweetest!

August was Fast

2009-09-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Let me give you a recap of my August cards!

Some doodling from Kat Gangoso! :) with a little something included from The Renegade Craft Fair to keep me entertained in my hellish cube at work! Sweet!!

You can find inspiration in everything.
I found this one in the Paul Smith store! It looks like vanilla cupcake to me! Yum!

"Keep me updated with Manila Lfe."
Leona writes before leaving for New York! I'll miss her.

Now, I wonder what adventures September holds for me. Oh, suprise me!!!

We All Know

2009-08-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

that we're going to be...

no matter where life takes us.

http://wemakewords.blogspot.com/

Escape

2009-07-15T19:26:00.001-07:00

Can We? Shall We?
By Rob Ryan

One day very soon.
Let us go away together just you and me.
Can we? Shall we?
Call in sick one day and travel to the sea
and hold hands all day.
Can we? Shall we?
Eat sandwiches on the train.
Get drunk on fresh air and
come home tired and never tell anyone...
ever.

Framed

2009-07-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

When I move out, I'll frame and hang all my postcards so I can have a wall that looks just like these:

All neat and modern or...

crooked and completely haphazard!

Suprise, surprise!

2009-06-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

To mark my 3rd month with The Company, I got into a fiasco by printing the magazine with the wrong tagline. A FIASCO.

But despite all that... hmmm... bludgeoning blunder, I'm still kicking, learning, trying... and definitely sticking around with a big overly curved smile on my face all thanks to these drawings left on my table, and a surprise postcard from Mr. Postman himself:

"From Paris to Tokyo..."

That's me in the middle...Eds' Japanese-y rendition!

"Random greetings from Lovine, Kat and Nickel"

These surprises just make me feel so good despite of...

Will not break down and fall

2009-05-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Just because I love the work that I do doesn't mean I'm going to kill myself on overtime. Fuck overtime! And Leona's postals to me from Australia and New York prove just that...

"Here's a postcard to help you deal with work! But seriously, hope you don't take crap from anyone--you deserve so much better!"

"Cheers to being bohemians and living for our art."

So it's time to live my weeknights again! Let's play!

I want to be a little seahorse

2009-04-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

I received a wonderful, handmade suprise in the mail yesterday. I love it! This is surely going to be included in my Favorite Postcards bunch :)

"Hooray for Sunshine," Kat says.

Oh I dream of dipping my feet in the ocean, getting a nice tan, doing nothing, and just being lazy all day!

This calls for an escape!

All I have to do is Dream

2009-03-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

When my officemate found out I was drop dead madly interested in the Sandman, she gave me this postcard:

There's just something oddly attractive about Dream's dark and brooding personality, don't you think?

Siigghh.

Hello, summer

2009-03-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

I'm waving hello to two things as the hot and balmy weather slowly kicks in.

The first wave goes to my sister who just got back from Australia last night. We were separated for four long months. I missed our mindless bickering over the most shallow circumstances--like the failure or returning a borrowed item in her closet. We both missed each other's company dearly that it led us both to lie side by side on her twin-sized bed that evening, both of us blindly staring at the ceiling while faking an Australian accent as we talk about random adventures we both had while apart. One of her Australian escapades included a trip to the National Museum... she brought me home a little souvenir from the place:

Everyday creatures reveal their structure in this household display of domestic bliss.

The Bone Ranger rides again.

I'd say, everybody's got skeletons in their closet... right? These postcards were such a treat aside from the Russian Dolls she gave me.

The second wave (and I wave with all my might as I shout, "HEEELLLOOO!!") goes to my new job at Hinge Inquirer Publications. Yes! I am, again, part of the work force. And as I welcome this employment opportunity this summer, my friend Sica hands me a card over the last February weekend:

"I just wish we are able to do something we love to do. That way, our only problem will be how to be grateful..."

I think I'm going to like this job, then perhaps eventually fall in love with it. And I'm grateful for this opportunity that begins this Summer. Yay!

The fine art of letter writing

2009-02-28T04:29:00.000-08:00

Old school runs through me. So I find emails boring. Hand written and personalized postcards are always intriguing. One can only write so much with such little space--making all those who engage in it a tad bit mysterious making the reader and the writer wonder what's really happening on each side.

One day, I'll have a wall filled with framed postcards... but for now, it's best to hang a few here. I've chosen the top 5 from my collection of postcards sent to me and I'm placing it in no particular order:

Isn't this postcard the sweetest? In a grim kind of way.

Long story.

From my friend Kat, who I haven't seen in 4 years since she moved to the States. Yet we continue this extraordinary correspondence. I like how the paint smears outside the traces of her black pen making it look wet and fresh.

This one's from Spain. I think I'm one of these girls drawn here.

Nick Bantock made this postcard and was given to me by a copywriter. She knew I was a fan of his novels and on the last day of my short stint in the advertising world, she handed this to me with the note written: "less in life's shit and more on sweetness"

More to come. Im waiting by the door for someone to slip me a note.