I absolutely love, love, love this strip from Calm Blue Oceans --
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Say you put makeup on every morning and never bothered to take it off at the end of the day for a year, what do you think you'd look like?
Never mind what you'd look like, but how do you think would it feel?? Talk about slapping stuff into your face.
If you're really curious, two Dutch filmmakers have decided to show us how it may look like.
Lernert & Sander: Natural Beauty on Nowness.com.
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Amy Winehouse. What a character, eh?
Although the cause of her death last Saturday is still unconfirmed, I doubt that anybody was surprised by the news. She had been on self-destruct mode for goodness knows how long. People weren't shocked... they were saddened.
She's a very talented woman and like many other people who've got immense musical talent, she didn't have the strength to wrestle her demons. Instead, she tried to escape them. I'm certain it wasn't her intention, but by the time Amy Winehouse' body gave up, she unknowingly signed up for the infamous 27 Club -- the group of musicians who died at the very young age of 27. The member list includes Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Kurt Cobain and many other high-profile names in music.
What a shame she had to die so young. Was your life really so bad, Amy? I hope your tears really do dry on their own where you are now.
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Note: The Australia trip happened several months ago. This is the second to the last post in this series.
You know how some people attach stories to a particular place? That's what I try to do now that I've started to get around so much. I have realised that if I don't have any photos or anything to remind of where I've been, I seem to forget them. I usually use happy stories, but I've given Darling Harbour a sad one.
If you know Paulo Coelho's book By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept , my story reminded me of that. I'm not going to go into details, because it's too personal. However, the lessons are universal.
By Darling Harbour, I sat down and wept... after I took noisy nightscape photos that I didn't know how to shoot in the first place.
Life is like a river. No matter how hard you try to keep things from changing, they will. And life will change you -- in little ways that you'd hardly notice or in such a big way that you'd hardly recognise yourself. Darling Harbour is definitely not a river, but any body of water is ever-changing, and this reminds me of that.
Hold on to your insecurities and wallow in your miseries, but only for a short while. There is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small. Cherish them and let them inspire you.
If you're lonely, you can find love anywhere -- you just have know where to look. <3
Nothing is certain in life. Know that what you have now may be taken away from you at any given time. Make the most of them.
Have dreams -- at least one. That is the beacon of light that you will need to guide you through this crazy world.
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There's no denying that Megan Fox is beautiful. Anyone who says otherwise needs to go have his or her eyes (or mind) checked. Of course, some would say that her beauty is too good to be true, so the rumour mills have been busy and there are claim that the actress had used plastic surgery. In an effort to disprove these accusations, she posted some photos via her Facebook page.
Doctors claim those wrinkles are anatomically impossible and that the last image was photoshopped.
What do you guys think?
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I've read an article about Bagelheads' popularity rising in Japan and I seriously get migraines just by looking at the photos. These guys apparently sit down for 2 hours while a medical saline solution is pumped into their foreheads to get this alien look.
I could think of at least a dozen better things to do in those 2 hours, if you ask me.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Good Lord, here come the Brides of Chucky.
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Note: The Australia trip happened several months ago.
If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I'd say that I really had no idea why I decided to go on a trip to Sydney. It seemed like a very expensive spur-of-the-moment decision (although wanting to see U2 so badly convinced me to make that foolish decision). A friend asked if I wanted to see the place and I said yes after a U2 concert was dangled in front of my face, like a carrot to a horse. Sheesh.
If there ever was an award for Lost Soul of 2010, I would have won it hands down.
Does one ever need a better reason for traveling other than just simply wanting to be in that particular place? I say, yes and no. If it involves visas and a large chunk of one's savings, then I guess the answer should be "yes."
For most of the year, I was all over the place -- literally! If someone asked me if I wanted to go anywhere, I was already there loooong before they'd even finished the sentence. I felt as if I was flailing about, not knowing where exactly I wanted to be, like some kind of homeless person.
Walking towards the Sydney Opera House along Circular Quay
Walking towards the sea-facing end of the opera house
You can see the Botanic Gardens from this side
Harbour Bridge
I'd taken moody photos, haven't I? hahahaha
When night has fallen...
Looking at the Harbour Bridge and Opera House photos now, they seem very sad to me...
And when I noticed that all three of us were facing the sea, it's given me a profound revelation. The sea symbolises an unknown future, which is a predicament I had suddenly found myself in. The thought was overwhelmingly daunting and scary. I had been traveling to literally escape thinking about it...
... Or maybe I was simply heartbroken.
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I've come across some statistics about how people handle romantic relationships. I'm not going to talk about all of them (there are a lot of them), but there are quite a few numbers there that have caught my eye.
I, therefore, need to curb my cougaristic tendencies, should I want to live longer.
But as guys my age are mostly married or in a serious relationship, the other option becomes unlikely. So I must be destined for spinsterhood. Now, where are the statistics for the life expectancy of single women compared to married ones??
Meanwhile....
There is simply no justice.
So a warning to those women who want to marry rich, dirty, old men in the hopes of becoming a wealthy young widow -- THE BASTARD WILL LIVE LONGER, so don't get your hopes up.
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One of my ex-colleagues got hitched a few weeks ago after nearly 10 years of being together -- a very long engagement, indeed! It's so nice to finally see them walk down that aisle, as I thought that the engagement would never end. Hahaha! Never mind, they got there in the end.
Seeing this photo, I do declare that I'd gained quite a bit of weight while I was in the UK (I'm the one on the far right, in case you're wondering). It's quite hard to refuse rich food, really. *sigh*
It was great to catch up with the old office mates and finding out what everybody's been up to after leaving the company and all that general stuff. People keep taking the mickey out of my lack of lovelife, to which I said I'll be booking my wedding next year and will just hope that a groom turns up for the occasion!
I hailed a taxi on the way home and the driver kept telling me
Ma'am, di kayo mukhang taga-(Manila suburb), mukha kayong taga-Dasmariñas Village!
Naman!! Ako na'ng shushal!! Hahahaha!
I never would've thought that I looked like a resident of a posh village in my outfit, but then again, maybe the damn driver just wanted a bigger tip -- do I really look like an idiot??
At least it seems I really live up to the nickname I gave myself.
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So Lady Gaga's armpits are green.. It's hilarious!!!
They look stuck-on, but at least they match the hair on her head. Colour-coordination to the highest level!! XD
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As if I don't have enough pairs of shoes that I don't wear, I want to get more! And because it's not bloody likely that I'd get my credit card out for a a pair of Jeffrey Campbells, I thought I might as well try winning a pair. If you want to do the same, here's how --
1. Join AVA -- an invitation-only shopping community where you can shop designer brands (i.e. Rajo Laurel, Aranaz, Jeffrey Campbell, Victoria Beckham, etc.) at up to 70% off the retail prices. Click here to sign up.
2. Invite your friends. Whoever invites the most friends to join AVA by 8th July (that's this Friday, in case you forget) will win a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes of their choice. This should be easy enough, right?
Whoever wins gets to choose a pair from any of the following styles --
Foxy
(not sure if this is the exact one, ok?haha!)
So Crazy
So Much
Lita Woven
Be Well
Whatchudoin' oglin' them shoes, for?? Get crackin' and get invitin'!
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I keep doing this to myself, seriously.
I hate shopping, but when I see something I like and I go home still thinking about it and can't sleep, then I go back for it asap. It's not exactly a practical thing, it's an emotional thing. I always end up suffering buyer's remorse and this is the latest casualty --
I love, love, LOVE this new pair of shoes, which I bought WEEKS ago and haven't worn yet. Nor is there any prospect of me wearing it any time soon. Why?! Because I don't drive to go anywhere and I do a considerable amount of walking every time I leave my house. So I always end up choosing my other, more comfortable shoes.
So why buy killer platform heels, then?? Because it's purrrrr-ty, that's why! If I want to murder my feet, I'll use it, but I'm still thinking about it. This is why I call myself a Frustrated Sosyalera -- my inner vanity is always battling with my sensible, comfort-loving mind.
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Note: The Australia trip happened several months ago.
Unlike my recent UK trip, I have no relatives in Sydney who have homes I could crash into while doing my touristy things. Therefore, I had to book myself into a hotel for a few days.
Travel sites are ideal for doing these kinds of things because they usually cut a good deal. When I'd decided to stay 4 nights in Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, I shelled out less than P18,000. I checked the rates again just before I wrote this post and found that it's over P5,000 /night to book now, but you may get it cheaper if you stay longer than 3 nights. That's an excellent bargain, when you know that Hyde Park is just one block away and that it'll only take you 2 minutes to walk to the nearest train station. You can't get any central than that, unless you want the Opera House just outside your hotel.
Castlereagh is in the same building as the New South Wales Masonic Club. Incidentally, it is a listed heritage building -- a fact about it that I absolutely love. Expect it to be somewhat traditional.
I nearly missed the lobby door when walking down Castlereagh St! It was just a small door from the pavement, so it pays to watch out for the signs above when looking for your hotel, shops, etc.
When I said to expect something traditional, it means you need to insert your hotel room key into the elevator to get to your room floor. I was beside myself the first time I had to do it!
My flight landed at about 7am and was dreading that I would have to wait until 10am for an early check-in. Thank God a room was immediately available, so I had been able to freshen up after flying in a plane overnight (incidentally, there was nobody sitting next to me in that flight also -- am I on a streak here?)
I booked a single room with a double bed and an en-suite bathroom. I had experienced staying in a hotel in London before where I had to share a bathroom with other residents on my floor and I absolutely hated it. So I didn't mind paying extra for the privacy.
The room is really clean (very, very important). The only issues I have about it is that really old-fashioned bedspread (reminds me of lola/grandma) and that frosted window. I love being able to see the world from my room, but here, I don't even know if it's morning or afternoon. What a pity.
The bathroom is modern and spotless!!! Considering that it's a very old building and I expected some kind of medieval plumbing system with the price I got the room in, I was very pleased!
Would I stay there again?Absolutely!! It's clean, the staff are friendly and most of all -- it's a really good bargain!
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It's the first day of July, meaning that we're about halfway into the year -- which makes me wonder how I've managed so far. I drafted a list of goals during the New Year, so maybe I'll revisit that first.
I've certainly ticked off most of the things on my list, which makes me feel quite good.
Addressing my fear of heights, advocacy and swimming still look like they're going to take a while. But I do have a bit more courage than I used to. The magic place, I've still yet to find -- I've only been back for 3 weeks, though.
There are also quite a few things that I believe really made for an eventful first half of 2011 --
- Flying off to the UK for almost 3 months
- Traveling all over Scotland for a week
- A 22-hour drive to and from the Franco-German border
- A funeral I won't ever forget
- Re-discovering myself and what really matters to me
After all of that, I feel like I've matured 5 more years! I just hope it doesn't show on my face. Tsk. With a first 6 months as hectic as this, I wonder what the rest of this holi-year has in store for me?
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