33 Ways To Stay Creative

1 Make lists
2 Carry a notebook everywhere
3 Try free writing
4 Get away from the computer
5 Be otherworldly
6 Quit beating yourself up
7 Take breaks
8 Sing in the shower
9 Drink coffee/tea
10 Know your roots
11 Listen to new music
12 Be open
13 Surround yourself with creative people
14 Get feedback
15 Collaborate
16 Don't give up
17 Practice, practice, practice
18 Allow yourself to make mistakes
19 Go somewhere new
20 Watch foreign films
21 Count your blessings
22 Get lots of rest
23 Take risks
24 BREAK THE RULES
25 Do more of what makes you happy
26 Don't force it
27 Read a page of the dictionary
28 Create a framework
29 Stop trying to be someone else's perfect
30 Got an idea? Write it down
31 Clean your workspace
32 Have fun
33 Finish something

grabbed from designcrushblog.com via tumblr

Godchildren

I just realized that in a span of 18 years, I have already acquired 19 godchildren. Averaging 1 godchild a year must be quite a feat, considering I’m not a politician.

1. Tetet
2. Kirby
3. Jolas
4. Angela
5. Noning
6. Diether
7. Xyxy
8. Maica
9. Dominic
10. Julia
11. Denden
12. Janray
13. Liam
14. Cassandra
15. Daniel
16. Moymoy
17. Rubie
18. Fifi
19. Xanti

Advanced merry christmas to all of you!

Assuming?

During my last job interview, the ex-future boss curiously asked what my zodiac sign was. I promptly replied with “Leo” and he excitedly said in the vernacular “Ayay, hait!” and we had a good laugh at it. Yet he never called back. Was I taken in for another good time? I have been in this particular situation exactly 3 years ago and I seem to be taken in for another ride this time. Sad. People say awful stuff usually come in threes. Well if they’re really true, oh please let the 3rd one come quick so I can finally find or settle with a decent (and permanent) job soon.

World Teachers' Day

Just so I won’t forget them, these are the teachers I have spent half my life with:

Sr. Lina
Sr. Mary Jean
Mdm. Erguero
Mdm. Lim
Ms. Aris
Ms. Sanchez
Mdm. Estillore
Ms. Serquiña
Mrs. Legaspi
Ms. Agasid
Ms. Tiempo
Sr. Doria
Teacher Noble
Teacher Obed
Ms. Cubillas
Ms. Basilgo
Mdm. Paras
Mdm. Daiz
Ms. Famador
Ms. D. Perez
Ms. Alcantara
Ms. Ang
Ms. Imbong
Ms. Villacrucis
Ms. Ranile
Ms. Mahinay
Ms. Bongo
Brod. Alex
Ms. Salvacion
Sr. Gemma
Ms. B. Perez
Mr. Tamayo
Sirmund
JV Villacin
History and Philosophy Professor ?
Mrs. Yap
Mdm. Cabanda
Ms. Bartolo
Karl Roque
Biko
Ms. Generalao
Dr. Vaño
Mr. Mayo
Mdm. Bañez
Mrs. Ramirez
Mdm. Lastimosa
Mrs. Etemadi – my favorite
Ms. Kangleon
Mrs. Manuel
Prof. Gotiangco
Dr. Jadloc

Apologies to the rest of you whom I could no longer recall. Nevertheless, thank you for molding me into what I have become today.

Happy Teachers' Day!

Anonymous

With my random thoughts hardly seeing print these days, I have indolently been posting stuff from my long-abandoned Tumblr account directly into my FB account, which promptly alarms my blog’s one and only follower (generically named Anonymous) who immediately texts me the moment she feels being left out from my blog’s updates!

Thank you Lord for people (or just one person, at least) like my good friend Anonymous who diligently takes time to scan my written thoughts every now and then. How I wish this head can finally come up with something, or anything at all, to write about you. Or your trees, perhaps?

Life is a Verb

Walk. Alone and away.
Laugh. Really, really hard.
Run. Chased dragonflies in 4th grade.
Work. 19 years.
Read. @ 5 years old.
Swim. 20-something feet, deep seas of Olango, sans life vest!
Listen. EBTG's Rollercoaster over and over again.
Learn. How to drive.
Travel. Leaves me sleepless in excitement.
Jog. UP Jogathon.
Love. Love, love, love!
Pray. When things are just so hard to take.
Cook. Even hot water gets burnt!
Plan. Hate being asked what my plans are. Do I look like a freakin' garden?
Dream. Most nights.
Do. Beating deadlines.
Enjoy. Dipping in the beach.
Teach. Was once an Art tutor. Ha!
Grow. Fingernails. On a weekly basis.
Eat. 3 times a day or more.
Plant. Your own garden and decorate your soul, instead of waiting for someone to give you flowers.
Make. Love not war.
Nurture. Cherish.
Sing. To my heart's desire.
Write. When thoughts flow out.
Play. To kill time.
Create. Something worthwhile.
Celebrate. Small things.
Smile. When the paycheck comes on time.
Climb. Mt. Tapyas' 700+ steps.
Row. To paddle or to line up?
Sip. Sweet brewed coffee.
Craft. SuperCat.
Nourish. Feed the hungry.
Add. Calculator please!
Use. Tinker me please, says my D5000.
Fix. Arrange me please, says my room.
Call. When the bill’s not overdue.
Hug. Atom hugs me!
Imagine. Till you drool.
Look. Before crossing the street.
Be. Kind for everyone is fighting a hard battle.
Daydream. Dream on.
Feel. The rain.
Taste. Ate durian just for the heck of it and found it, well, overrated.
Give. Sure!
Prove. No need.
Grow. My own jackfruit tree.
Get. I don’t care how you get here, just get here quick!
Accept. It’s always either the sweetest or the hardest part.
Become. Just what I have imagined to become.
Cheer. For every goal the Azkals make.
Design. As the need arises.
Do. Again?
Breathe. All the time.
Draw. Pretend.
Build. Relationships.
Know. Bike.
Juggle. ATM cards.
Increase. Lose weight.
Let. Me Be The One by Mathew Sweet.
Move. Read it as “mo-vie” in 1st grade.
Think. Out of the Box.
Relax. Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Shoot. Loved the feeling but don't feel like doing it again. Ever.
Share. Even the last piece.
Risk. Dare me not.
Succeed. To the next level.
Win. End of the battle.
Uphold. Keep up!
Wonder. ???
Connect. Once in a while.
Attract. Takes time.
Surprise. !!!
Battle. If it’s worth it.
Believe. Yeah, I do.
Dance. Wish I could moonwalk.
Dare. Too cold to be challenged.
Reserve. More like it.
Go. I would, if I can.
Greet. With a smile.
Hop. Feeling giddy.
Lead. Who’s in charge?
Follow. After you.
Prepare. When you’re prepared, you get lucky.
Protect. Bahala na si Batman.
Talk. When I feel like it.
Wait. Half my life.
Hold. My breath while I put an end to this.

Poor Shamcey

Some people's idea of winning doesn't seem to be such a winner at all.

After successfully placing 3rd runner up in the world’s most prestigious beauty (and brains) pageant, this is how a local paper present the country’s currently most beautiful lady.

How sad.

Daily Amusing Facts: Half-py Birthday!

My cousin’s ever dependable yaya have spent the first half of her life celebrating her birthdays every June 12th. On her 25th year, she claimed her baptismal certificate and only then did she find out that her original birth date was actually June 19!

Mang Larry

When Mr. Larry Alcala held an exhibit at SM City Cebu Art Center back in the late 90s, I bought 3 of his comic books and had them autographed one by one. The first time I asked for his signature, he asked me “What’s your name, iha?” I said “It’s Leslie, Sir!”. Then on to the second book, “What’s your name, iha?” “Leslie, Sir!”. Until I handed him the last one for his priceless autograph and again he asked – “What’s your name, iha? Ikaw na naman?!!!”

Happy 85th birthday, Sir!

Lefties

All polar bears are left-handed, and so are Leonardo Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Raphael. Nope, Donatello isn’t one of them, and he ain’t no polar bear either!

Tears

I wonder if other people do this too – pretend to yawn when they’re actually about to cry. Because it’s what I usually do whenever tears are hard to hold back. And since it’s rather uncomfortable for me to let my tears fall in any one’s view, I have to endure the pain of waiting for my bedtime when I could finally cry to my heart’s and eyes’ content. I shed those damn tears away till they put me to sleep.

a repost from 23 November 2009

Coffee

For the last 4 years, I have been in and out of different offices of then prospective new employers. Since becoming “technically unemployed” in 2007, I must have flipped the classified pages and explored the net more than a million times, eternally searching for that elusive career break. The whole experience was fun, albeit frustrating from time to time. Confusing IQ tests have become a routine (too bad I never got to ask anyone of them what my IQ really was.) Offers too, came in diverse setups – spoon fed, ego boosters, practical haggling, name it, I must have gone through it. Having gone through all these customary process of job-hunting, there is only one thing that I relatively dislike – the steaming coffee that usually comes with the interviews! I am not a coffee-hater but neither am I a coffee-lover, perhaps for caffeine-intolerance reasons, and so it really makes me cringe whenever the future-boss offers “Coffee?” to which most of the time I counter with an artificial yet enthusiastic smile that goes with “Yeah, sure!”. I wonder what is it with coffee that usually, almost takes me to the final stages of negotiations. Does it make me give out sensible answers to their questions or does it give them the impression that I easily take orders from them? I’ll never know.

Last week, I got another unexpected (but much prayed for) offer from a friend and as predicted, the new future-boss invites me over for a cup of coffee. The meeting went quite well that resulted to another meeting, and of course, another cup of coffee. The negotiation was fairly becoming vivid and when asked what my chances were, the future-boss assures me of being already “on-board”, with just one more meeting with the company president for formality purposes. Uh-oh, there goes another cup of coffee! I just hope the 3rd cup seals the deal this time. Wish me luck!

Condolence

We used to call each other “Condolence”.

The story behind this odd endearment took place during a lull in our Speech class at UP Cebu back in the late 80s. Sal (Salvador Malto), then a junior BM student was animatedly chatting with a sophomore classmate about their respective batches’ intrams muses. My friend Leilah and I just silently listened to them until Sal finally turned to us and asked who our Fine Arts muse was going to be. Caught off guard, we shyly told him it was a freshie from Davao whose name I can’t recall by now. “Is she pretty?” he bluntly asked. “Well yeah”, we modestly admitted, “but the thing is, she’s kinda fat, as in FAT (Fine Arts Tambok!)” And without batting an eyelash, he laughed so hard and blurted out “Condolence na lang gyud sa Fine Arts!” We had such a good laugh and have been calling each other “Hoy, Condolence!” whenever we’d cross paths in school since then. And so that was how our amusing endearment came to be.

Years after our UP days and still with our small world, Sal, already a budding fashion designer, became my eldest sister’s barkada (my sister has a bunch of gay friends whom we consider as her honorary sisters and Sal happened to be one of them), designed and created my sister’s and sister in law’s wedding gowns, custom-made my mother’s favorite slacks, made my nephew’s cool Chinese-collared barong, etc. But somehow after school, where my 4-walled friendship with Sal took off, and despite his closeness with my sister, we hardly saw each other anymore and we just sort of grew tired of calling each other “Condolence”. In fact, I have already forgotten it until I heard Sal’s untimely battle with aneurysm last night. I still couldn’t believe our ever bubbly friend has gone way, way ahead of his time. I wonder how my sister is taking it right now. Out of terrible shock from the sudden news, I can’t even shed a tear yet. I don’t know what else to say. The only thing that comes to my mind right now is our weird endearment.

Condolence Sal. We will miss you.


(In photo: Sal, Joey, Richie, my sister Marites and Rudy)

Istik

si leslie namatay
si leslie nabanhaw
siya mobalik
nga gituhog
sa istik

Grrr

The curious nephew asks which phone is better – Cherry Mobile or Blackberry? Trying to be modest on the subject, I tell the boy they’re all just the same – as they’re both fruits. And the household help butts in with “Mas nindot gyud ang Blackberry!”

Porbida!

My Daily Bread

Having been hired by a friend to work on a special project for a month, I drop by the Carmelite Monastery every day before reporting for work. Jobless for the last 6 months, I have also been seriously asking God for a permanent source of my daily bread – not realizing that after every visit at the chapel, I literally (unconsciously though) “claim” (buy actually) bread at a nearby bakeshop for breakfast. Hmmm, daily bread indeed!

Disenchanted

Look at you now, you’re disenchanted, can’t believe how things can change. Take a little out of life and things get strange. And now you find the wishes you were granted, things you thought were in your hands, have slipped away. How much can you withstand? The wasted time, the money spent, a sign that reads “For Sale or Rent”. And everything is at a standstill, and where’s someone who’ll be on hand till you’re no longer disenchanted, thinking everything is wrong? You know you’re not the only one to wait so long. I wonder, can you try again? Are you that strong?

Everything But The Girl, Amplified Heart

Batman

When beleaguered with life’s inevitable tribulations, the simple and happy-go-lucky Cebuanos rely on “Bahala na!” while the superior Tagalogs, more often call on their superhero by saying “Bahala na si Batman!”.

Times are really hard all I could wish right now is for somebody (or anybody at all) to assure me “Ako’y bahala nimo!” (translated to Tagalog: “Ako’ng bahala sa ‘yo!”)

Oh Batman, where art thou?

Crying Ladies

Read from a Sunstar column earlier today – an unseen woman in somebody’s office is always heard crying. Cries that literally disrupt anybody’s lonesomeness. Why and what she’s crying for, nobody ever knows. The columnist wonders if the intangible woman ever tires of crying, and through her (the columnist’s) thoughts, even coaxes her (the lady ghost) to “leave the unwashed dishes on the pantry, the unflushed toilet, the desk with the unfinished deadlines.” And further tells her to “Go out. Have a life. There’s more than one reason to cry.”

I totally agree.

---

While hearing mass this morning, an elderly couple sat beside me. When we were about to sing “The Lord’s Prayer”, the old lady reached out for my left hand and held it. In the middle of the song, the lady breaks into a sob loud enough for my nosy nephew X to stare at her. The young boy’s reaction rather embarrassed me I had to give him a stern look. During the sign of peace, I saw the old woman still in tears but somehow managed to smile at me. I was so moved I secretly prayed to God to go on and help her first with whatever it is she’s asking for. That I can always wait for mine some other time.

Honest.

---

Crying has become a daily exercise for me lately. I cry over being unemployed for the last 4 months; over missing my immigrant sisters; each time I pray the rosary, tears just voluntarily fall on their own; I cry over uncomplicated tv and movie plots; reading the news whether real or fabricated ones, makes me cry; even the Azkals' recent victory over Mongolia made me teary-eyed! I’m worried my tears are beginning to get uncontrollable. They’re starting to become idiotic and insensible.

Oh dear, can somebody please help me?

Fleeting Farewells

If I were to save up all the tears I’ve shed for the last 2 weeks, I would have probably filled up a glass by now. I don’t know what exactly am I crying for – Could it be the coincidental passing away of my 2 good friends Ralph and Litly? Or my best friend Glocel’s unexpected relocation? How about my being unemployed for the last 3 months? Or imminently becoming broke for the next few days? I could also even blame it on PMS, that monthly issue that we women have to go through half our lives. But for whatever it is, all I know is that the feeling is as painful and excruciating as a root canal, as awful as hitting your shins onto your bed frame, and perhaps, as horrible as jamming your knuckles in a car door!

Losing friends physically and geographically, becoming unproductive, these are such a depressing way to start the new year. I wonder why I have to go through this desolation. Surely, separation pay does not pay much of the separation anxiety. But then, everything else in this world is just temporary. I may still be at a loss but life must go on, as dead people also have to go on with their eternal lives.

Ralph and Litly, may you find true happiness in God’s loving arms. See you soon my friends (much later, I mean).

Glocel, I will miss you on a daily basis (though I’m sure you’ll miss me even more). But I will definitely still see you around, come high tide or low.

On the brighter side, I know I’ll get hold of that elusive job sooner than I think. I may never get rid of being broke, but I know I’ll be able to get by. And all these transitory goodbyes will just fade away as I weave myself back into my normal life.