Parallel Universe

Let's just assume for a moment that in a parallel universe there's the more diligent and responsible version of myself. She does all the things that she's supposed to do on time and she doesn't make excuses to avoid getting caught.

Hello everyone!!! I am now updating my page as it has dawned on me that it's already the end of February. It feels as though January has just passed. If not for the wake up call, aka Midterm Week, I wouldn't have thought that March is approaching! Whew talk about living under a rock. Anyway, since I've a major catching up to do, I decided to just upload some of the photos that were supposed to be in separate posts had I followed my self-made rule to post every three days. Sorry, I'm the best slacker in the world. (I would never tell my future boss about this blog as s/he might see this Hahaha) Oh! I suggest you listen to Justin Timberlake's old school songs, i.e LoveStoned, Cry Me a River, What Goes Around Comes Around, Sexy Back, My Love, while reading everything in this post, just like what I'm doing as I'm typing now. Good vibes, good vibes.

December 2012 - inside Zara's dressing room. A month later, I found the perfect event where to wear this -my birthday dinner with my family. Check it out HERE.

January 2013 - after watching Les Mis with my Lala Ester. Look at those Chucks she's wearing. Very bagets talaga diba!


December 2012 - last day of my 8th term. Hannah and I visited DLSU's newest building and in the evening, I met up with my best friend Karen for a few pizza and drinks.

December 2012 - inside Zara's dressing room. I was looking for a good dress to wear to my Tito's wedding when I saw this. It was love at first sight. Check out the post HERE.


Christmas 2012's homily was by far the coolest homily I've witnessed. Instead of delivering the usual talk, Fernbrook Garden's officiating priest sang with his choir. He's just that cool :)

In time for our celebration of New Year, Dad, Gio and I went to all the way to the factory place to buy plenty of fireworks and firecrackers.

December 2012 - the family went to Caliraya for a quick weekend getaway. Here I am inside the zorb ball.

January 2013 - first day of my 9th term in college. This has also been the first time I attended a class at its first day. The verdict? Never attend a first day class again. Never. Haha!

December 2012 - with my super duper close friend Barbs :)

February 2013 - the family went to Callos Spa for a much deserved spa weekend getaway and also to serve as the 2nd send-off celebration for my Lala who's left for the US weeks ago.

December 2012 - inside Zara's dressing room. I am yet to attend an event where I best deem this fits.

December 2012 - with TRIBO. Meet my best friends from HS: Vary Jonson, Karen Soledad, Jerone Malangen, and Jana Medel.

February 2013 - at the Callos Spa.

February 2013 - in Laffline Comedy Bar. Check out the rest of the post HERE.

Later! :)

The Irony of It All

These pictures were taken a few days before Christmas and though it's supposed to be cold and chilly, weather in Manila was the exact opposite. The blazing heat from the sun felt like that of the heat emanating every summer time. It was ridiculous. I decided to wear this seemingly hot wool dress for that Christmas-prefect vibe and intentionally left my pants at home (my dad kept on commenting that I looked as if I've forgotten to wear pants) to lessen the discomfort brought about by the weather. Extra point for the dress for its polka dots which as we all know is a sign for good luck. Maybe this is why my 2013 is by far proving to be a good one :)

Dress: hand-me-down| Shoes: Aldo| Belt: The Ramp| Hat: from Bangkok

And the irony of it all is that, the weather now is what I've been asking for since the Christmas season kicked in - it's perfectly chilly now! 

Son of the Terrorist

There are a lot of books lined up for me to read this holiday season. Somehow, there seems to be a theme but let it be said that I’m not wishing to ‘alter the face of the world’ in any way that deviates from peace and harmony among all nations nor have I a death wish of some sort even if the books I’m deeply attached to at the moment include a few eyebrow-raising topics, namely: 

Only a few books have the power to evoke such strong emotion in me that I feel the need to share my newly conceived thoughts with others. When I entered the book store and proceeded to my favorite sections which are History and Politics, and Non-fiction, it caught my attention at once. I’ve never thought that such a book could ever be published. I wanted to buy it and immediately read it but I knew I had to think things over first. There were a lot of things that had to be considered at that moment, on top of which was my tendency to empathize with the writer so much so that sometimes, I overlook what I already know and arrange my concepts in accordance with what I’ve read. I’m an adult yet I am still very malleable. And so I was afraid that after reading it, I might find a way to justify what happened in our history, at least in my mind. But I knew I had to read it, if only for my love of deepening what I know of our rich history. And I did. I’ve finished reading GROWING UP BIN LADEN.

As what stories have told us, there would always be three points of view: the protagonist’s, the antagonist’s, and that of the truth. The only things I knew of Osama bin Laden were those coming from the vantage point of the Western countries. I’ve never known the side of bin Laden nor the underlying motivations of the actions that came from both the Western countries and the world-known terrorist. I wonder though, in which part would the story of OBL’s wives and children fit? Where would the lives who have witnessed directly his emergence to power fall? The book was written by his first and most important wife Najwa Ghanem bin Laden and his fourth son Omar bin Laden, with the aid of Jean Sasson. I thought I would know the motivations behind OBL’s deep-rooted hatred towards United States and Israel. I thought that the two bin Ladens would, in layman’s term, betray the man of the house by giving away confidential accounts. In a way, I was disappointed for I didn’t find any of these. In another way, I thought both mother and son were honorable. They recounted how difficult their lives have been while they were still in OBL’s guidance. I couldn’t fathom why they had to be free of modern convenience when the bin Ladens are known for being one of the wealthiest families in all of Saudi Arabia. Even more, I couldn’t fathom the unwavering devotion and loyalty Najwa showed to her husband. She gave him 11 children and though OBL had 5 more wives, 1 of which was said to be annulled shortly after the marriage, I think it was Najwa who held his husband’s adoration the most. After all, she was told over and over again before she left Afghanistan “I will never divorce you, Najwa” despite his declaration that he will allow any of his wives divorce him. Anyone, but Najwa. Besides, there were instances in the book where she said that she can’t fully disclose all information about her husband for she believed that they were family matters. She never once said that she was dissatisfied with the life her husband made her live. To think that she was forced to live uncomfortably.  She chose to stay with him in spite of Omar’s pleas for them to leave his father. She loved her husband and she knew that he will always play a part in her life beginning from the moment she was born until her last days for he was her first cousin, then her husband, then the father of her 11 children.  There was more to Osama bin Laden than being the head of the al-Qaeda. “The West knows him as a terrorist. Najwa bin Laden knows the man”.

The fruit never falls far from the tree, they say. But what happened between Osama bin Laden and his multitude of children is a direct contradiction to this adage. It was bravery on the part of Omar bin Laden for having the guts to leave his father and voice out his non-acceptance of the life his well-revered father forced upon him, especially in a culture that puts fathers on a high pedestal. Omar epitomizes the existence of choice in every situation. He grew up having high respect for his father, had diligently obeyed his father’s orders, never questioned his father’s decision, and yet his mindset took a different path. He opted for peace rather than violence. He chose to be his own man rather than an extension of his father, which was unusual for a son in his culture. He eventually left his father and fled to Jeddah where he assumed a normal life, the life he had been craving for since his troubled childhood. He, along with his brothers, might have suffered because of his father but he never lost faith in him. Though he was groomed to succeed his father’s position in al-Qaeda, he was never a part of the organization for he never shared the same violent beliefs. “My father’s proclamation had been given: His love for his sons did not sink further than the outer layer of his flesh. At least I knew exactly where I stood. My father hated his enemies more than he loved his sons”. Yet he didn’t believe that it was his father who was behind the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. He waited for his father to clean his name but all hopes had vanished when he heard OBL took credit for what is considered the worst terrorist attack USA has ever experienced. The way I see it though, despite their differences Omar would forever be the young boy who did all the tricks just to get his father’s attention. 
“I am not ashamed to admit that I loved my father with the usual passion of a young boy for his father.”

I don’t mean to offend anyone with my outright opinions. The book has been published in 2009 and as we all know, the world’s No. 1 terrorist was killed by the CIA in 2011. Who knew what happened with the bin Laden sons during that time gap? I didn’t make further researches so I am not claiming that the sons nor anyone belonging in the big bin Laden family is whether purely good or bad.  Again, my intention is not to offend other people’s sensibilities, especially those who have been directly affected by his terrorist attacks. I am merely responding to the messages of one of the books I consider highly emotive. I have nothing good to say about Osama bin Laden for up to this day, I know only little of what shaped him into becoming the Public Enemy that he was. But I have high regard towards Najwa Ghanem bin Laden and Omar bin Laden. They may be carrying the name bin Laden but it does not mean that they are representation of the ideologies of Osama bin Laden.

“My father was not always a man who hated. My father was not always a man hated by others. History shows that he was once loved by many people”.

“As the son of Osama bin Laden, I am truly sorry for all the terrible things that have happened, the innocent lives that have been destroyed, the grief that still lingers in many hearts.”

All quoted sentences were directly copied from Growing Up Bin Laden.

All the books can be found in Fully Booked.
All the pictures were via Google

Past The Point of No Return

Past the point of no return, no backward glances

The games we played 'til now are at an end

Past all thought of 'If' or 'When', no use resisting

Abandon thought and let the dream descend

 I'm still on high! Along with my Lala Ester, who has just arrived in the country from her half a year 'babysitting vacation', my classmate Kim, and her sister Bea, I watched The Phantom of the Opera at the CCP Theater last 6 October. It was such a heart-warming production and was beautifully orchestrated that I want to convince everyone around me to catch the remaining shows before it finally conclude on the 14th. Every penny you'll spend on it, absolutely down to the last nickel, will be worth it, I assure you. Very worth it, in fact, that even if you catch only the Act II and a few minutes of Act I, you still won't consider it a waste. Take it from me, someone who was 40 minutes late! I wasn't able to anticipate the traffic build-up and knowing CCP, I knew they wouldn't budge even if majority of their audience are not there. Lo and behold, we were allowed to enter the theater when Act I was almost over and were asked to stay on the stairs on the sides cause should we proceed to our assigned seats, it would be highly disruptive as ours seats were only two rows away from the front and center. If there's anything I learned from this experience, it would be: Never trust Manila traffic. Seriously.

 



Dress used as top: Topshop| Skirt: Greenhills| Flower brooch: Forever21| Shoes: Mango

I love watching plays. I love the drama, the costume, the set design, the characters, the orchestra, and even the simple opening and closing of the curtain. Above all, I love dressing for plays. I seldom get to wear fancy dresses so when there's an opportunity for me to do so, I grab it wholeheartedly. For this day's event, I chose to wear my almost forgotten embellished dress from Topshop but since the show was at 3PM, I had to tune down the formality. What better way to do that but to add this frilly skirt I found in Greenhills. Added a flower brooch and I was good to go.

Lala's back in the country, yahoo!


Thanks to the Sta. Rita sisters for being so patient and understanding of my tardiness. Hihi

The end of Act I wherein the chandelier crashed on the floor.

I guess you could say that floral is our theme of the day.


Couldn't resist not asking my Lala to buy me the Phantom's mask.

Think of me, think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me once in a while

Please promise me, you'll try

- Think of Me

Say you'll love me every waking moment

Turn my head with talk of summer time

Say you need me with you now and always

Promise me that all you say is true

That's all I ask of you

- All I Ask of You

See, this is exactly why I couldn't tell all my friends about this blog. I keep on posting all my psychobabble bullshits (I credit the term to Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult na naman? Wala na bang katapusan yan? Well, remember the fanmail I sent her that I storied here? She replied! She freaking replied to me. So kilig!!!)

Thanks to Lala Ester  for all the photos

I am Tinman

Everything around me seems to be contradicting each other. Just like the sun. It seems to be playing a "Now you see me, Now you don't" trick on us, so relying on it in deciding what to wear is like taking the first step of outfit failure. So I just decided to trust whatever color would pop into my mind and work with it, not considering if it'll be weather appropriate or not. Everyone in the household went to the mall over the weekend to catch the movie Brave and while I was waiting for them to settle down, I gallivanted on my own, trusting the pocketmoney my mom gave me. Hah! This girl knows how to survive on her own, for your information you doubters. Of course, only if the mom supplies her with tools for survival.

There's a difference between being downright heartless and not having the capacity to feel anything at all. Just like Tinman.

 

 

 Black Raincoat: from Migliore Mall, Korea| Red knitted top: from my favorite overrun store in Paseo de Sta. Rosa| Sunnies: Aldo| watch: gift from my best friend

 I am so fascinated with the story of Tinman from the story of The Wizard of Oz. I guess his character is the amalgam of all the feelings of pain, betrayal, hurt, loss, apostasy, and suffering. There came a point when it was either continuous suffering or death. But then along the way, he found out that there's another option: numbness. Not everyone has the ability to shy away from whatever is agonizing them so when you've developed such ability, treasure it. Hone it. Exercise it. Life throws us in different situations. It depends solely on each of us how we'll react on these things. I choose to be like the Tinman. I am Tinman.

August Inspirations

1. Florence Welch - She's like the darker version of fairies. I love her!

 "Appearing in ethereal swaths of Gucci silk and Valentino lace because “they feel like they’re doing a performance of their own,” she enthralls devotees with her theatrical wardrobe as well as her soulful voice. The Pre-Raphaelite beauty credits “growing up around art history” (her mother is a Renaissance-studies professor) for her sense of artful drama, while Welch’s blend of British eccentricity—a mash-up of every era from the eighteenth century through the 1970s—flaunts a romantic unconventionality. “I like to imagine I’ll wear the things I’m buying now when I’m old and mad!” she says."

2. Ricardo Tisci and Rooney Mara

"She was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, who has since turned heads on the red carpet. He is The Boy with the Heart of Romantic Darkness, who has dramatically transformed Givenchy. One may act, the other design, but each never fails to remind us of why less obvious forms of beauty, not to mention the gritty and heady thrill of urban life, matter so very much."

 3. The Social Slashers - Or for me, the living goddesses

"These ladies—left to right, Vanessa Traina, Jenna Courtin-Clarins, Prisca Courtin-Clarins, Virginie Courtin-Clarins, Claire Courtin-Clarins, Lauren Santo Domingo, Shala Monroque, Alexia Niedzielski, Lily Kwong, and Elizabeth von Guttman—may look good sitting next to the runway, but they’re not just sitting pretty. Enter the new breed of social slasher: Editors, entrepreneurs, artists, eco-warriors, models, advocates for social change, these women do it all and do it with style, inspiring the designers with their original approach to fashion, from the immaculate to the irreverent."

 4. Jacquetta Wheeler - Her wedding pictures are so inspiring to look at. It has this elegant vintage feel and the drama I've always wanted for my own wedding.

"The bride, in Temperley London, at Chilham Castle, her family’s home in Kent, England."

 5. The gowns made for the Wheeler-Allsopp nuptial

"The lace on the veil incorporated themes from the gardens and plasterwork of the castle, as well as the groom’s monogram." 

 6. Keith Richards' Family - Seeing all of them made me wish that my cousins all over the world will be home this Christmas. Whenever we're together in my grandmom's house, the neighbors report us to the guards saying that we're disturbing them. It's really a riot when they're around.

 "The Richards clan at home on Parrot Cay."

 7. Keith Richards' Family

"“You come back feeling like you’ve actually had a vacation—rather than feeling like you need a vacation,” says Lucie. Ella, with family, wears a Diane von Furstenberg bikini top and Louis Vuitton sunglasses."

8. Keith Richards' Family

9. Angelina Jolie as featured in Vogue January 2007 - my older brother's license in flying has been released already and I can't wait to ride in his first ever flight! 

10. The Olsen Twins - Lately, my outfit choices are greatly influenced by theirs. These duo makes me wish that I have a twin too. Imagine all the crazy stuff we can do.

All pictures are from vogue.com