My Life's Benchmark 1: Elizabeth Holmes

One of my life's benchmarks: Elizabeth Holmes, age 30
image from http://www.fortunegreece.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/26/holmes-fortune.jpg

Today as I was browsing through news feeds on Facebook, I came across an article on Fortune about Elizabeth Holmes, CEO and Founder of Theranos. What I read about her was astounding: At 19 years old she was able to patent a new medical technology that can run 30 diagnostic tests on very small amounts of blood. She then decided to drop out of Stanford to put up her own company in 2003 and her brainchild has started growing and is now worth more than nine billion dollars. Wow. Here is the link to the beautifully written article by Roger Parloff:

Elizabeth Holmes's Story and her Theranos

I was overwhelmed and astounded to have learned about her. Aside from her superdupermega advanced brain, she also has a very strong passion for her endeavor and a clear vision of what she wants to achieve. I am so inspired by her. I will try to emulate her as much as I can, especially on the aspect that Parloff wrote:

As soon as she got back to the U.S., Holmes started writing a patent application embodying the ideas set in motion by that experience. “I saw her sit down at the computer, and for five to six days she barely got up,” recalls her mother, Noel. “I would bring her food occasionally, and she slept maybe one or two hours a night for five nights.”

Wow. I wish I could do the same thing for my thesis. I marvel at her ability to stay focused and write for hours on end; streamlining, directing, putting it all out for five to six days and producing something that could radically change the way we handle healthcare. WOW. I. AM. AWED. Another paragraph that struck we was this:

Still, he balked at seeing her start a company before finishing her degree. “I said, ‘Why do you want to do this?’ And she said, ‘Because systems like this could completely revolutionize how effective health care is delivered. And this is what I want to do. I don’t want to make an incremental change in some technology in my life. I want to create a whole new technology, and one that is aimed at helping humanity at all levels regardless of geography or ethnicity or age or gender.’ ”

To say something like this, you know that the person is not just after the money. It goes beyond that. To hear this, alam mong may paninindigan yung tao, may patutunguhan. At alam mong alam niya ang gagawin niya at ginagwa niya. Wow. Naiiyak ako kapag binabasa ko ito. Such passion, such determination! I remember watching a show at CNN wherein all the Nobel Laureates for 2014 were seated at a round table having discussions on a myriad of topics. And one of them said, when the question, "What makes you do what you do?" was raised --- I remember her name was May-Britt Moser --- she said, "Passion." And she went on explaining that it's passion that makes her go on with her research; everything else just didn't matter. And the Nobel Laureates concurred with her. PASSION. Somewhere in me, I know I have passion. But there has to be other ingredients. And that, in my opinion, is DISCIPLINE and LOGIC. My professor in grad school told us in his class that the error of some non-government organizations (NGOs) is that they all have passion. ONLY passion. This is what causes NGOs to do all those empty rah-rah-rahs without any substance, producing only pandemonium and failing to deliver substantial results. Haha. I agree with him to some extent on that. Right now I know I have passion and logic. Perhaps I need to build on my discipline. Very much needed discipline. Another paragraph that moved me was this:

Whether it grew out of her father’s experiences at Tenneco or family lore–they are descendants of a founder of the Fleischmann’s Yeast company–Elizabeth grew up admiring private industry. “At a relatively early age I began to believe that building a business was perhaps the greatest opportunity for making an impact,” she says, “because it’s a tool for making a change in the world.”

"Business... a tool for making a change in the world." I could just cry with that statement. "Making a change in the world." I remember prior to entering college --- I entered college at 16 years old --- I also had the same dream: to do something great that will make an impact on humanity. I dreamed of finding a cure for AIDS. And until now, I still dream about it. Perhaps that's also one of the reasons why I chose to take biochemistry as an undergraduate course. I wanted to do something. Something great. Something that will surprise humankind. Surprise in a good and beneficial way though, haha. Sigh. I want to dream of lofty dreams because someday, I will become those dreams. I remember I put that as one of my favorite quotes in my Facebook page. The quote by James Allen goes like this:

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

Such desire, such fervor lives in my heart that my soul will burst into flames and become reborn, like the mythical Phoenix in the Arabian desert....

Hay ang sarap managinip. Kung hindi lang a las dies na ng gabi rito sa office eh, hahaha. Hello Edz knock knock gising na, kung gusto mo maging a la Elizabeth Holmes e umalis ka na dyan sa opisina at umuwi ng dorm at matulog para maaga ka bukas. At sana, kaysa sinulat mo itong blog entry mo e nagsulat ka na lang sana ng thesis mo...

Hahahahaha! And there goes my alter ego scolding me for somewhat wasting effort and energy to write this entry. Hahaha. Well, I decided to write it down so it will serve as an anchor for me in the bright future that is to come. :)

'ika nga, Law of Attraction. ;)

My Favorite Style Icon 1: Jackie O.

If there's one thing I have to pluck from Jackie O.'s style, that has got to be her PEARLS!

When I was a young girl, we had reading material in our living room ranging from coffee table books to Time magazine. After eating lunch or brunch, I would usually wander around our house; play the piano, play with the cats, or read. Usually when I read, I would get one of these magazines and lie in our very formal living room sofa with my pambahay outfit, totally disgracing the whole formal living room ensemble. I was able to chance upon Time Magazine with Jackie O. as the cover. As reading paragraphs would easily bore me, I would immediately jump to looking at the photos. Little did I realize that Jackie O.'s style has been stored in my long term memory. And every time I would wear pearls with my outfits, it's HER that I remember, haha! Yun pala yun! Aside from getting this style from my mom, I would remember Jackie O.'s famous three-tiered pearl necklace!

Below are some photos of one of my favorite fashion icons and I hope someday that I can emulate her style.

This photo of Jackie O. evokes memories of my childhood. This is one of the photos I saw in the magazine that made
me realize, "wow, she embodies the word classy".

Her famous three-tiered pearl necklace. Her beauty and grace is just so effortless!

I think this iconic photo of Jackie O. was shot when JFK was already assassinated. OMG we have the same
watch style!!! I have one exactly like that! Now that I'm going to Benguet tomorrow, I brought with me a black
turtle neck top. Might as well pose like Jackie O.! Haha!

And who could forget the iconic Jackie O. sunnies??? Need I say more? The only problem with me is I cannot wear
sunglasses because my eyesight is poor! I don't wear contact lenses because I'm just too lazy to put them on
and remove them after a day's toil.

Angelo's 4th birthday celebration

This is a long overdue post! My handsome nephew celebrated his 4th birthday at Enchanted Kingdom (EK) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna last July 7, 2014. Just like the kids, it was Martin's first time at EK. I remember having a lot of fun because of Martin and the Kids. We rode the more thrilling rides such as Space Shuttle, the Jungle Log Jam, and that thing wherein you do a free fall drop from X number of feet, haha. The most memorable part of the day was when Kuya won a basketball shoot out in one of the game kiosks. Grabe! Hindi tumigil si Kuya kakakwento ng pagkapanalo niya even in the succeeding games! Hahaha! He won the crocodile stuffed toy for the kids. :)

Eating at Cha Time before going to EK. We were also with Mike, Laurice's older brother,
and CJ, Mike's very young (relative to his age) girlfriend, haha.

At EK's facade and other rides.

The kids having a fun time at the rubber boat thingy. Haha.

This boy makes me VERY HAPPY! He's so cute and sweet and charming!

In the morning of July 7, of course our family had mass and ate at Big Plate to celebrate the birthday proper of Angelo. Below are happy photos of our family with the charming and handsome celebrant!

The Lolo and the Lola with the grandson! :) plus Martin and I in one of the collage pics.

THE BIRTHDAY BOY ON HIS 4TH BIRTHDAY WITH HIS ATE ON HIS SHOULDER! :)

Celebrations like these in the family are very much treasured. Thank you Lord for these wonderful, wonderful blessings!!! :)

Wedding Day Save and Splurge Items

During lull times at the bazaar recently held at PCJ, Martin and I got to discuss about wedding plans for next year. It was funny and at the same time we were getting this is-this-really-happening-to-us? feeling inside us (or probably just me? Martin always assures me his certainty about this). So we wrote it down on pretty notebook that I bought from the bookstore. It had a nice peacock print in the front and at the back. I love cute notebooks. And being a person who likes to write, I somewhat hoard pretty/cute/sturdy notebooks in my stash. Haha. Anyway, enough about notebooks.

So we were somewhat computing our expenses and what were the MAJOR stuff that we need to save up on and what are those that we need to splurge on. Well, I think the major stuff has somewhat to be in between save and splurge. I think it depends of what type of wedding you want to have. Would it be something grand and avante garde; or something simple yet memorable? Or can it be just in between? Anyway, here are our notes during the discussion. 

The MAJOR expenses:

1. Reception (Elegant and classy) - We plan to do it in a nice hotel, if our budget permits. We already have a peg, it will be in Manila and the website shows a nice package for 150 guests. However, we think that this amount can be lowered if we cut down on the number of guests to invite. This will be the biggest portion of our expenses and something that the guests will remember after the reception has ended. So Martin and I are thinking that this item should have CLASS and ELEGANCE spelled onto it. Of course, the food's palatability should also match the place.

2. Church + priest (Simple yet meaningful) - The church that Martin and I are serving is at our village. Aside from that, this is the church/community where our love grew, together with our choir and parishioners. However, if we hold our wedding ceremony at the JDHP in Tahanan, chances are, we need to invite a whole lot more of other guests. To limit our guests, we just decided to look for a church somewhere in Manila, near our hotel of choice. This chapel is perfect for our needs. It can only hold at most 80 guests, it's air-conditioned, plus the grounds are nice. AND! This church can allow Sunday weddings. Sunday is our favored day to wed.

3. Photography and Videography (Quirky and creative) - Thank goodness for FRIENDS! I have already "kinontrata" friends of mine to be our photographers/videographers for the wedding, long before Martin and I have planned this, ahaha! I told my friends back in 2012 and 2013 that if I get married in the future, they should keep their rates of 2012/2013 for me! :)

4.  Wedding rings (Simple and of good quality) - I overlooked this expense in the beginning but at least now I was able to put it here. Wedding bands are not cheap. A good set of wedding rings can cost at least PhP25k. I was told by my friend who just got married that having a good set of wedding bands is an investment. I couldn't agree more!

The MINOR expenses:

1. Gowns  and suits (Elegant and classy but need not be expensive) - To save up on these, Martin has the suits thing down pat because of his family's business. As for me, I plan to buy the cloth for my bridesmaids and secondary sponsors while they be the one to spend for the modiste's sewing. Instead of them giving Martin and me gifts, I prefer that they'd help me out with the wedding preps by doing dutch treat with the gown expenses. For my wedding gown, I think I'll just borrow from a close friend or rent from a bridal store.

2. Flowers (Simple yet elegant) - Since flowers are ephemeral, pwedeng tipirin itong expense na ito. 

3. Souvenirs (Simple but meaningful) - There are plenty of souvenir ideas out there that can be meaningful yet inexpensive.

4. Wedding invitations (Simple yet elegant) - Yes, it's true that wedding invitations are a bit passe since social networks are there to do the inviting to your friends. However, I still want the old-fashioned way of sending invites to your guests because that's how I was raised. Personally, I find it nakakahuya to attend a party if I don't receive an invitation from the celebrants/party coordinators.

5. Reception host (Splurge!) - I believe that for the wedding reception to be memorable, you have to choose an emcee that can carry the party well. I've been a witness to weddings who had great emcees and emcees who are just nagkakalat. I've been to a very beautiful wedding of a friend of mine, but the emcee was VERY BLAND and to add to that, she wore a very ugly outfit. Omigad may higad. Hindi ko kinaya yung emcee! Ang sarap agawin ng microphone at sana ako na lang nagsalita sa harap. On one hand, I attended a wedding that was also pretty but the emcee who made the wedding nore memorable! Ganun pala kapag magaling ang emcee, mas nagiging memorable ang wedding reception. This may be a minor expense but I think this should be splurged on.

The we-can-do-without-this expenses:

1. Wedding quartet - There's canned music anyway.

2. Over-the-top table settings/display - Nowadays people succumb to IG Worthy catchphrases, but I don't. Table displays are perhaps one of the overlooked items for a guest. Though it creates a more "themed" atmosphere for the people, the couple can do away with this expense because it's the reception's substance that will count in the long run.

3. Wedding coordinator/planner - We have eager friends who can volunteer for us.

4. Fireworks - Nice to have but it's something we can do without.

So having listed these, I think it's really the BUDGET THAT WILL DICTATE how grand or simple your wedding will be. And since Martin and I are not uberly rich, we will do something in between grand and simple. We can do away with the frills and just stick with the basics. After all, the wisdom of the old always tells us to prepare for MARRIAGE and not for the wedding. But of course, if you, dear reader, have a lot of money to burn, by all means, splurge away!

Braiser Catering's PCJ Bazaar

Last November 21-23, Martin and I were fortunate to have partnered with friends (para hati-hati kami sa gastos sa booth, wehehe) for the Presentation of the Child Jesus's Annual Christmas Bazaar. This is our second Braiser Catering bazaar, first is our parish's Marian Bazaar in Tahanan Village. We are selling our famous bazaar dishes: Fish n' Chips and Shepherd's Pie. Each costs 100 pesos and 120 pesos, respectively. Together with Hubert's Buko, Prutas, Atbp. and Trina's Dessert First, we will be at PCJ until December 7.

Below are some photos of our set-up and of course Martin and I during the bazaar. It is sweltering hot in the afternoons but is manageable come night time. Thank goodness Martin has the right tools for a bearable stay throughout the 10-hour ordeal, haha!

This is one of Braiser's best-sellers: the crunchy and delectable
Fish and Chips! Served with Heinz ketchup and
tartar sauce. Yum!

My love sweating it out at the booth! Haha!
Don't you think our little booth is cute? :) And
most especially, filled with yummy-tasting food!

And here we are smiling even if it was
hot in the booth. Pogi ng boyfriend ko, yes!
Pogi na, ang galing pa magluto! :)

Ralph Waldo Emerson's definition of success

How do we know if we have succeeded? Emerson tells it so.

Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

I was first introduced to this poem of Robert Frost by my intellectual father at the age of 12. At first I could not understand why he was being emphatic and passionate about it, as if his own life's conviction is reeking out of his pores while reciting the lines of this poem, especially the last stanza . I couldn't understand. I didn't understand.

For years I have come across the same poem occasionally. Now that I'm 28, as I traveled more uncharted roads than the normal office-based 28-year old, I am learning to appreciate more this poem. Perhaps with the kind of exposure I have in terms of traveling around the country, meeting and seeing different tribes/people... I am blessed to have seen, touched, heard, smelled, and tasted a lot. A LOT. A lot of people, places, food, feelings, emotions, plights, battles, conflicts, politicking, pakikisama, pakikitungo, illness, diarrhea, dehydration, bad accommodations, surots, ill-fitting boots, rain, cold weather, burning sun, harassment, taunts, saltwater, freshwater, seafood, exotic animals... You name it, more or less I've experienced it. But if there's one thing I have not experienced, that is being left by the plane! I may be late in many things but I haven't been left behind by a plane... YET. Hahaha.

I find these experiences rewarding because not everyone gets to experience this kind of "raw-ness" when it comes to work. I am very fortunate that my job lets me do things that I love while being paid for it. It's like being a rock star or an actor/actress: getting paid to do the things you love doing. Though not all the time it's oh-i-love-my-job feeling. I also get stuck in many problems concerning work. But I believe with the right set of people management skills and time management, many things become manageable. Difficult yes, but still manageable.

Anyway, here's the poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.

image from http://marksrichardson.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/road-less-traveled.jpg

My early loves

I guess I am one of those kids who, at an early age, had been subjected to many summer classes. I had taken classes on music, dance, art, and sports. My parents believed in cultivating the latent talent of a child and honing it to become a full-blown feat. I am thankful to my parents for all the summer schools they sent me to. I learned a lot and it made me develop my personality and character.

My ultimate love was, and still is, DANCING. I loooove ballet! I excelled in it! I started dancing at the age of seven, wherein I was categorized under Grade 1 level in Academy One. After some time, I reached Grade 3 level in the same dance school. Unfortunately, ballet is such an expensive lesson to learn and my family needed to focus its financial gains on things that really mattered to me and my brothers' development. Hence, I stopped. However, as I matured, I went back to dancing and learned the styles of Latin Jazz, Modern Jazz, Pole Dancing, Hip Hop, and Ballroom. I also had some occasional Belly Dancing lessons. But dancing caught up with my schedule and forced me to stop. Again.

My second love was painting. I learned painting at the Luna Art Workshop at the age of 11. I first started with pastel painting and have completed the course. Next summer, I dabbled in oil painting. Again, I finished it but I wasn't able to continue it because I became busy with other stuff and I started to lose interest in the arts. Though I still appreciate beautiful art greatly, having been trained in the sciences for more than a decade now, my right brain suddenly forgot how to draw and paint, haha! No, REALLY, as in!

My third love, and surprisingly the thing I'm still good at, aside from sports, is MUSIC!!! I took up piano lessons at a tender age of four and continued it again at the age of ten. We have a very nice piano at home, we have two actually: a Roland music synthesizer with keyboard and a Roland electric piano, like the Clavinova model of Yamaha. Prior to this we had a Trebel upright piano at home. So, having access to these wonderful instruments, my piano playing was cultivated. I may not be a super expert on it, but I can get by with my pieces. I took up voice lessons too at  the age of eight. And my talent was further cultivated when I joined our church choir in 2000 and I am still part of our church choir until now.

When we moved out of Tahanan, the Roland clavinova was neglected for almost three years as the space in the condo did not allow the piano to be accessible for playing. And so it just sat there not being used. It was sad. But just recently, when Diko flew to UAE for a nice work opportunity, the condo acquired a vacant space that allowed the piano to be accessible!! And I am so HAPPY that after three years I can tickle the ivories again!! Yehey! Just to show you what our Roland looks like:

Oh I missed you so much Roland!!!

Now, I am able to play my classical and jazz pieces again!!! Wheee!!! It gave me such joy and that feeling of nostalgia when I sat there, reading my pieces. Gosh, I'm really very thankful to my parents for their passion and capability to send me to summer art classes! Thank you Ma and Pa! I love you both. :)

Mabuhay ang musika!

Some Wedding Gown Information

So being an eager beaver about the biggest event to take place in my life, even if it's more than ten months away, I've collated some information I've found over the internet. This will serve as one of my references when THE DAY comes.

Some reminders to consider before buying a wedding gown.
But personally, to save up on our budget, I am SERIOUSLY considering either renting or borrowing or buying a second-hand wedding gown. Since I'll just use it once and I don't have any younger siblings, perhaps my idea will be that of a sound judgment.

The different necklines of a wedding gown. I don't think I'll have a problem with choosing a neckline since I already have a long neck and nice (or so I think) shoulders. The problem I'm foreseeing is my lower torso. I'm a pear-shape type of body so a ball gown might be the best cut for me.

This is so 2013. Haha! Regardless, wedding gown cuts/styles have rarely changed over the years. The important part is to choose what is the BEST style and cut for you.

Martin and I are going for the lilac/lavender/purple/violet and grey hues for our motif. This may be a good peg. But it's still incomplete. Will look for more pegs.

Less than 11 months to go...

This may be somewhat premature to write about and it's my first time to open it in public but I just want to document my experience on how it feels like to think/discuss about settling down with the person you love in the entire universe!

Anyway, here's how it started:

i love this man!

A couple of months back, I found Martin to be WEIRD. Why? Because he suddenly transformed into this SUPER SWEET, SUPER CARING, REALLY MATURED --- from a snotty perspiring boy to a well-dressed GQ-type of man (take note: MAN) --- person that can't seem to stop expressing his love for me in various ways. He constantly calls me when I'm on field work and in in the office, he texts me more often now compared before, the way he expresses his love is overwhelming to the point I even doubt his actions! Haha! I keep on asking Martin, "ano bang nakain mo? may sakit ka ba? what's with the sudden change?" And he told me in a simple manner, "wala, tumanda lang ako, naging mature." And true enough the boy matured! Because the boy is now a man ang peg! Hahaha!

And so while I was basking in my Love's incandescent love, he suddenly broached the idea of getting MARRIED! And can you just imagine the look on my face, with my mouth gaping wide open with my chin dropping to the floor and my eyes becoming dilated like a cat's pupil in the dark!!! Homaygad may higad! As in NGANGA na lang! 

So after ten hours, 14 minutes, 52 seconds of being kilig, we started talking about our future life and plans together! Haaaaay, pag-ibig. And of course the most important part was letting our parents know! Well, it's short of being super formal like pamamanhikan ang peg but both of us have pitched the idea to our parents and they seem to have accepted it, DOUBLE YEY!!! :)

Now, we just have to wait and plan for the remaining 10 months and be formally engaged with the diamond ring on my left ring finger and the asking permission from the tatay and nanay of the bride-to-be. Wow! I can't believe I am already talking about this! Haha! This is perhaps one of my life's wildest dreams: getting married! Yeheeeeey! :) :) :)

I am very thankful to God because He has greatly blessed me to be marrying the man who loves me deeply and genuinely cares for me. I was really shocked with the way how Martin improved in the past months! He has grown into a mature person despite his relatively young age (relative to my age! :-\ ) and has started to discuss with me how he sees our future together, imagine that! Eto talaga somewhat hard for me to believe and accept sometimes, 'yung tingin kong mas mature pa sa akin si Martin sa ibang aspeto ng buhay! Trulagen iyan! Hindi ako makapaniwala, I cannot and do not accept! Hahaha!

Our relationship has indeed evolved through the years. Hindi ako makapaniwala. It was a real struggle in the beginning: Martin and I had multiple BIG, as in BIIIIIG, fights in the early years of our relationship that resulted in MANY, "o ano, break na tayo??" scenarios; our first nine months together, the formative years, were spent being in a long-distance relationship; our age gap issue got magnified ten times that resulted in many more fights. It was difficult. Really.

But in the end, all our fights and arguments paid off. I believe that for a relationship to become stronger, couples should engage in arguments and discuss the root cause/s of relational issues. Problems should not be swept under the rug but rather, like cards, be put out on the table and see whether your hand (the relationship) will win or not. Some couples tend to dismiss their "petty" issues with each other with a shoulder shrug and bottle them all up. Chances are, this so-called petty issues will fester and eventually poison the relationship. Hence, COMMUNICATION IS VITAL in any relationship.

I am very happy that Martin and I have a THRIVING communication with each other. Aside from being boyfriend/girlfriend, we are also each other's sounding board, best friend, deepest-darkest-secret keeper, confidante, teacher, and critic. But of course, before achieving this level in the relatinoship, it needed copious amounts of patience, understanding, sincerity, humility, and love. We tried to work on these traits and true enough, it paid off. :)

To my life's partner, we have less than 11 months to go before we truly say, "I do". I love you!!! :)

Fun time with the kids! :)

My niece, Audrina, and nephew, Angelo, would AAAAAAALWAAAAAAYS love to play with me and their Tito Martin. Here are some photos of our roughhousing. :)

They love making funny faces and wacky poses for the camera!

Me thinks I need to buy a monopod for us. Haha!

My first try on the Black and Decker EM1 Espresso Maker

Just recently, I bought an espresso maker from my graduate school professor for a song. The moment he asked if I were interested in purchasing an espresso maker, in a heartbeat, I said yes.

When it was delivered to me at the office, one look at it and I was lost. I did not know what were the parts of an espresso machine and its uses. It did not come with a manual since my professor was still looking for it in his files. So, I kept on tinkering with it and trying to figure out the different components of an espresso maker. What intrigued me was the frother on the side and the coffee beans holder, haha! My office mates and I thought that the frother was some sort of lock/switch for the machine. 

After a good 30 minutes of figuring it out by myself (yes, I wanted to know first if I can crack the uses of the espresso machine components), I gave up and started researching about this Black and Decker EM 1 espresso maker. Thank goodness I was able to download a manual about it, which was difficult to find. So I studied the manual and when I got home, I started making espresso and other coffee drinks such as cappuccino and latte. And researching about it made me realize you would only need one type of coffee machine to make all those Starbucks-like drink in your entire life. It's not a coffee maker, but an ESPRESSO MACHINE. Yes, all those coffees served in cafes are made with an espresso machine. 

So I was so excited upon knowing all these, haha. Call me a naivete in making coffee, but I believe it's never too late to learn anything new. So here's a photo of the latte I made for my family using ground arabica coffee beans. 

p.s. to the reader: I have a soft copy of the Black and Decker EM1 espresso maker manual if you want. just leave your email in the comment box. :)

Photography experiments

I took these photos during those instances when I feel like being creative.

So my family was to bring me to work in Quezon City and this was around 9 a.m. I hopped in the car and put my bag on my lap and I suddenly saw this macro shot opportunity with my bag. Our car's seat cover was black and sunlight was streaming in through the tinted windows. So I took out my Starmobile camera phone with a 12MP back camera (but settings were at 8MP) and started shooting away.

When I looked at the photos, it made me think that they were taken at a studio by a high quality camera with the expensive umbrella Klieg lights. But actually it was just a phone camera. What made it more dramatic were the background, lighting effects, focus point, and shot angle. Ang galing nga e. Mundane as it may seem, all it takes is the proper LIGHTING effect, more than the other two ingredients. 

At first I didn't want to use filters but since it was a photo experiment, I went for it. So here were the shots. The photos on the right are the non-filtered pictures. 

For this picture, I decided to use a black and white filter of my camera. The app came with the phone I bought. Notice how the filter greatly alters the mood and the texture of the photo.

I forgot what kind of filter I used for this but notice how the shadows, texture, and highlights were accentuated. It gave the bag a more dramatic and elegant look. Plus, it enhanced the gold color of the bag.

Again, I forgot what filter I used for this photo (hay naku!) but see how more defined the bag seemed on the left. The shadows became more distinct and made the bag appear silver when it's actually pale gold. The filtered photo appeared vivid and sharp compared to the original one on the right. 

These are just random creative moments for me. You see, I rarely get artistic since I was trained in the sciences ever since high school. My artistic tendencies just disappeared all of a sudden. And I partly blame being scientific for that, haha. The part of my brain that controls my artistry has been reduced to a munggo-sized portion. But I think creativity is different from being artistic. I am creative but I am not artistic. In Filipino, I believe the translation for creativity is, more than malikhain, is being madiskarte. Like you find different ways how to solve a problem.

Having a supportive and encouraging thesis adviser/mentor can help you graduate

I am eternally grateful and thankful to my supportive and encouraging thesis adviser/mentor, Dr. Sandra G. Catane. Despite my shortcomings and mistakes as a master's student and research associate, she doesn't make me feel humiliated nor embarrassed every time I fall short of her expectations. I greatly admire her for that.

Just recently, I submitted the first draft of my master's thesis to her and I was getting ready to be showered with litanies because of my incoherent and lackluster technical writing. But lo and behold, she delivered her "litany" to me in a manner that I would not be offended nor belittled. She actually helped me correct my mistakes and encouraged me enough to not lose hope and continue on with my journey in writing the thesis manuscript.

Grabe, nakaka-humble and nakaka-inspire yung ginagawa niya. More than the scientific skills I am learning from her, I also learn values and principles inherent to an encouraging and inspiring mentor. And I believe that if your thesis adviser is someone who embody these traits, then no matter how "inadequate" and "ill-equipped" the student may be, given the right motivation and treatment, the student can hurdle the obstacles prior to graduating.

And eventually the student graduates--- with a stronger yet humble and persevering spirit. That, to me, is what it means to be a great mentor.

Transformers 4 + The Fault in our Stars @ SM City BF Director's Club and other shindigs

Just recently, Martin and I watched the movies Transformers 4 and The Fault in our Stars. We loooove watching movies; it's our favorite past time. Ever since SM City BF Parañaque opened, it has been much easier for us to watch movies however, it was more difficult on the pocket. An ordinary 2D movie would cost PhP220 and the Director's Club Cinema (DCC) would cost PhP350. GRABE LANG. Pero pinapatulan pa rin namin ni Martin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, hindi naman ganun karami pera namin pero ang SARAP lang kasi talaga manood sa DCC. 

The DCC has only less than 50 seats inside the theater, fully reclining La-Z-Boy chairs, a free bowl of popcorn, a doorbell to call your butler in case you get thirsty/hungry in the middle of the movie, a cinema lobby where you can relax before the movie starts. VIP treatment talaga! And that's what you pay extra for the PhP350 you shelled out. Masaya and malamig, mabango, maluwag and the staff are friendlier.It's a far cry from your average PhP220 movie theater. If you have the extra money to spend and if the movie is worthwhile to see in the DCC, then go! :)

I remember the first movie that Martin and I watched in the DCC is Ender's Game. Grabe sulit! Super nag-enjoy kami! What's not to enjoy in the DCC aside from its hefty price tag? But some movies such as The Fault in our Stars, yan, medyo sayang panoorin dyan. Grabe. ANG BADUY ng The Fault in our Stars! I find it boring and the acting was not stellar. Perhaps because the script didn't call for challenging acting. And another reason I disliked it was because I found the movie too teeny bopper. Blech. Nagpicture picture na lang kami ni Martin sa lobby ng SM BF.

In the center of this booth was a CANDY TREE where lollipops of different sizes and colors hung. I thought they were cute and decided to take photos. One lollipop was even bigger than my face! I hid my face  behind it while tip toeing with my small feet (I'm a size 6 with a height of 5'2.5")!

 

 It's nice to watch colossal movies in the DCC, such as X-Men, The Edge of Tomorrow, and Transformers 4. Yan, magandang panoorin talaga sa big screen kasi feel na feel lahat ng scene at ng sounds! Woohoo! But I cannot say that Transformers 4 was something WHOA e. Ang daming butas na maiinis ka lang panoorin. It was visually stimulating though because of the volume and quality of visual effects put into it. Pero the story fell short. Ito na naman ang example ng magandang effects pero kulang-kulang na storya, katulad na lang ng Maleficent. Sayang talaga yun. Martin and I watched it in the DCC but it failed miserably. Hay. Ang ganda at galing lang ni Angelina Jolie kaya bumawi sa aspeto na yun.

Before watching, we ate at Zabo Chicken. Guys, MASARAP dito sa Zabo! The chicken is JUICY and TASTY! You can really taste the oomph in the chicken, even if the part you're eating is the chicken breast (i.e., white meat). Then watched Transformers 4, a three-hour long movie of clashing metals. After this, nagutom kami! Haha! Since we didn't want to spend more money, we decided to eat at SM Hypermarket. There were food stalls there and you can have your fill of feel-good food such as siomai, siopao, rice in a box, corn on a cob, lumpiang ubod, etc.

We ordered from Paotsin, one of Martin's favorite dimsum stores, and Hen Lin, my favorite dimsum restaurant. And we parked ourselves in the eating area where tall tables are placed and you have to stand while eating. Simple joys for a simple couple! :) Ayun, ang saya namin, haha! Masayahin kami ni Martin kasi pareho lang mababaw kaligayahan namin at simple lang kami. And the most important thing is, we are not a pretentious couple, unlike some. We'd just like to keep it real. If we have more money than usual, we treat ourselves with a bit of luxury. If we only have little, we don't force ourselves to buy or avail of over-the-top things. And we try to make God the center of our relationship. God first before anything else. :)

At the food area of SM Hypermarket. We were standing up as we ate and I think this helped in making us not feel bloated.

One more week before thesis manuscript submission!

For the past two nights I have been restless in my bed. My eyes are closed but I cannot sleep.

The thought of FINALLY submitting the first draft (first draft pa lang naman) of my completed thesis manuscript AFTER FOUR YEARS of constantly having it at the back of my brain makes me so...



EXCITEDanxiousSCAREDnervousGIDDYelectrifiedBOTHEREDagitatedALIVEthrilledEXHILARATEDworriedJUMPYpanickyJOYFULhopefulFEARFULedgyDRIVENsensitiveELATEDstimulatedOVERWROUGHTenlivenedUNEASYrestlessTENSE...




A myriad of emotions overwhelm me so much I can't sleep!

Pero ito na yun e, the semi-culmination of my research and my master's degree!!! RAWR!!!




LET'S GO EDZ!!! MALAPIT NA ANG FINISH LINE!!!

FINISH STRONG!!!

Austolia Jewelry Arts: A Tribute

I came across Austolia Jewelry Arts at the Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila. There was an exhibit of various wares ranging from native delicacies to house furniture to jewelry. Being the accessory lover that I am (yes, very much! It's one of my life's weaknesses!), I was automatically drawn to that booth with glittering, golden/silver chains with stones. Upon reaching it, my interest was piqued even more! There were these bangles that clasped rocks (stones) and MINERALS (in layman's terms, precious stones) in its large crystalline form! Of course, having worked and studied for four years at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) in UP Diliman, I am able to identify minerals.

There was a bangle that held a big hematite in its center, wow! Other bangles centered an agate, red coral, Paua/Paui shell, Capiz shells,carabao horns, and the like. Some agates I noticed still had the geode intact. Some were infused with artificial colors for it to look better; though I would prefer the natural agates than the colored ones.

So as my mouth started to slaver over the trinkets, I asked for the prices of the magnificent pieces. Well, they weren't THAT expensive, but they are pricey. Their cheapest was the ring I bought which costs PhP200. I bought a bangle too that costs PhP500. It contained a shell, a bone (though I'm not sure if that was really a bone; i think it may be resin), and a turquoise stone. These were the only items that I can afford at the moment. See photos below:

I placed a filter on this photo so as to highlight the ring's colors. It fascinated me because I remembered an ammonite (an extinct cephalopod that existed during the Mesozoic Age) that I have encountered while working at NIGS. Though upon closer inspection, I hypothesized that this could be a citrus fruit's endocarp (the pulp) which was pressed and tainted with artificial colors and trapped in resin.

This was the bangle I was describing above. There were other more exquisite designs to procure however, ganito lang kalayo kayang abutin ng pera ko, haha! But it's still nice! This bangle would go well while wearing a plain colored t-shirt or rolled up button down dress shirt and paired with jeans! Sosyal!

Filters on to highlight the grooves on the bracelet. 

Their price ranged from Php200 to approximately PhP5,000, depending on the materials used and design. The pieces are definitely exquisite! If only I had more money OR if they had a CREDIT CARD TERMINAL I would've bought necklaces too! They ranged from PhP800 to PhP2,500. The one that was affordable for me was a long necklace that had turquoise stones and a polished red coral dangling at the end. That one cost PhP800. But it was expensive for me at that time because I had limited cash, argh! Sayang talaga, sana may credit card terminal!!! Here are more photos of their bangles which I downloaded from the Austolia Jewelry Arts Facebook Page (I was so happy to see their FB page!!!):

Look at this bangle!!! NGANGA!!! Ang ganda!!!

What a unique design

But their most expensive pieces I saw during the exhibit were the clutch bags. It ranged from PhP4,000 and up. I cannot describe in words how mighty-fine they look. I'd leave the photos to speak for themselves.

Look at that design!!!

Real sleek and classy

Look at the PAUA SHELL facade!!!

Grabe naglaway na lang ako nung nakita ko ito sa FB page nila! Waaaaaaah!!! How I would LOOOOOVE to own one!!! Even just one! It'll be my clutch for all the sosyal events I'll go to! Well, I rarely go to sosyal events anyway so I guess this will be parked most of the time in my "accessories museum" (aka: glass cabinet), haha!

How their booth looks like during exhibits (again, downloaded from their FB page):

A full Paua shell clutch! And look at that turquoise stone bangle!!!

Their necklaces are absolute beauties!!!

These statement pieces definitely are conversation starters!

I will be travelling to Cebu and Bohol this August with Martin and HOPEFULLY I'll be able to visit their showroom there! I asked during the exhibit if they had a branch here in Manila and I was answered with a "no" then I asked if they had a store in Cebu City and again I was answered with a "no" but they have a showroom though in Lapu-Lapu City. They only do exhibits here in Manila. Oh and I was also told that their jewelry is exported to other parts of the world such as Australia and Spain. Wow, world-class talaga ang Pinoy!

To those who read this entry and would like to get in touch with the creators of these amazing jewelry pieces, fear not for I have obtained a calling card, woohoo! So here are the details:

Call now! :)

I hope that every person who read this entry have realized how talented and gifted the Filipinos are in designing and crafting jewelry.

Mabuhay ang Pinoy! 

???

I didn't know how this happened but my article on Strip vs. Lay Bare was used (recommended as they said) on someone else's website!! What???

Should I be flattered or should I be angry???

Someone's earning off from my post! And to think this is supposed to be a Christian book barn website! Aaaaargh!

Family Time

Yesterday, I was fortunate to have spent my morning with my parents, brother, niece, and nephew. They all brought me to my office, at PHIVOLCS, in C.P. Garcia Avenue. We stopped by McDonald's in the Katipunan Extension and ate a lot of fast food, haha. Here are our photos below:

Look at my nephew and niece at the left side of this photo! So cute!!! And they celebrate Hakuna Matata EVERY SINGLE DAY! Ang sarap maging bata muli!

Again, my niece and nephew. The jewels of our family. Since all of us in my immediate family are "of age" (I am the youngest in our family, aged 28), these kiddos are the center of our attention. It's such a treat to be with them and everyone gets excited if these two tag along with us in whatever trip our family makes. :)

Then after working for more than eight hours at the office, instead of Papa picking me up at PHIVOLCS, I decided to take the MRT and head down to Ayala since his eyesight while driving at night is  poor. We met at Rustan's Makati and from there we headed back to Sucat. Mama and Papa decided to treat me to dinner at Icebergs and they ordered a halo-halo each while I had tofu steak with spinach rice (pa-healthy effect kuno e ang dami ko namang nakain).

I feel so blessed every time I spend precious, and even mundane, moments with my family. Especially now that my brothers and I are already adults and my parents are both senior citizens, iba na ang pagsasama naming pamilya. We talk about things on a different plane now compared to when we were younger. Our parents welcome our contributions during decision-making family meetings; they welcome our arguments/logical rebuttals when a point needs to be explained; they don't scold anymore at us compared when we were younger. It's different. We have all grown up.

And that kind of pagsasama right now is truly refreshing and energizing. Hindi ko ma-explain e. Parang kung kailan kami tumanda, doon luminaw lahat. Ang sarap at ang saya na kasama ng parents namin ngayon, especially during intellectual discussions. I thought I already knew a lot and apparently, iba talaga ang alam ng magulang. That's why every single day, I thank God for giving me such wonderful and intellectual parents. Buti na lang mga magulang ko may maaaring maituro sa amin at hindi kami kailanman pinabayaan. Thank you Lord so much. My parents are my life's treasure and stronghold. Everything will fall into ruin but family stays with you FOREVER.

Thank you very much Lord for my wonderful family and for my ever-strong, ever-loving parents. :)

An open birthday and love letter to my life's meaning

Grabe ha, title pa lang ang cheesy na. Haha!

My dearest Mahal,

Wow. Time flies when you're having fun. We started our relationship together when you were still 20 years old (okay, I now feel like a cradle snatcher here) and now, you're 24. Ang bilis 'no? And after being together for three and a half years last June 14, I cannot stop thanking God for giving you to me. You are my life's joy and meaning. Everything about you makes me happy and content with what I have. You never cease to amaze me with your ways and for that, I am thankful. You have evolved (napaka-scientific naman nito), rather, developed into a man who's God-fearing, patient, kind, understanding, and loving towards me. I am forever grateful for that.

I know that sometimes, or perhaps most of the time, we have our arguments--- big or small--- due to my short temper and my raging hormones (pagbigyan mo na ako rito sa mga rason ko). But you have been that person who is ever so patient to deal with me. I pray that your patience for me NEVER runs out. I have my flaws, I know, but please bear with it. Our fights make us stronger as a couple. Konting taon na lang, mapupunta rin tayo sa lugar na ating minimithi: and that is to be side-by-side, together, forever. (grabe ang cheeeeesy! and all in public!!! kinikulabutan akoooooooh!!!)

It has been a roller coaster ride for us; in our careers, family life, being with friends, our emotions. But aren't you glad that after all these years we're still together? You survived me!! Hahahaha! (aylabyuuuu!) I thank God for everything that He has given us: all the small blessings like being able to afford somewhat luxurious dates, travel to different places, eat in good restaurants, watch movies, buy each other gifts... All that. Ang saya 'no? We should always be thankful to God and pray to him unceasingly.

Eto na naman tong ka-cheesyhan natin! Hahaha!

My life would have taken a different path if you didn't come around and swept me off my feet. I am truly, incandescently happy that I am with you. And I am excited what the future has in store for us. Together, we can make our dreams come true! :) Yehey! Cheers to more years of love!

I love you most, Mahal! Happy, happy birthday!

yours forever,
mahal

Our pre-celebration of Martin's 24th birthday + our 3.5-year anniversary

Yeeeeeesssss!

It feels so good to go back to writing. And what better way to start again than to write about my one true love, Martin. :)

Martin's birthday is on the 17th of June and we sort of celebrated his name day (omg it's so GoT) on the 14th. We also celebrated our relationship of three and a half years! Yey! And still going strong.

To celebrate these two meaningful occasions, first, we watched How to train your Dragon 2 3D at SM BF with my super cute niece and nephew, Audrina and Angelo! Yey! Laurice, my sister-in-law, was with us too. The movie was great! Ang galing nung graphics and maganda yung pagka-execute ng story and yung overall flow of the movie. It's not fragmented and the viewer can easily understand the story. Super cute ni Toothless!!! Waaaah! Makes me want to own a pet dragon!!! Haha! Here are our photos with the kids:

Ang pogi ng boyfriend ko! :)

We were posing against the Maleficent advertisement, which we also watched, but not with the kids.

Audrina and Angelo so cutie patootie!

Second, I decided to take Martin to Resorts World Manila's Newport Performing Arts Theater and watch the musical, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. It starred Jon Santos, Leo Valdez, and Red Concepcion. It was Martin's FIRST Philippine major production musical to watch and I'm so happy I was with him. It was an enjoyable show, with music coming mostly from the Retro 70s: It's Raining Men, Hotstuff, I Will Survive, Shake Your Groove Thang, Say a Little Prayer, and the like. At the near-end of the show, the chorus w started to dance and invite the audience to dance with them. Of course, being the let's-go-I'm-game person that I am, I stood up and started singing and dancing too. Martin's more on the reserved side, he just held onto my bag and shawl and watched everyone dance.

It was a fun musical to watch. The performances of the two seasoned actors, Leo Valdez (BRAVO!) and Jon Santos were stellar. But the dark horse of the group was Red Concepcion, being able to deliver his role stupendously and he was the most enjoyable to watch. Inisip ko nga, "ang galing naman ni Red, kaya niyang makipagsabayan kina Leo at Jon".

Posing outside the Priscilla wall of the theater's lobby

Inside the theater in our "upgraded" seats. We took this AFTER the show. We didn't have any photos DURING since we're not a photographing couple much. Jusme! Sayang!

 

I twisted Martin's arm to take a photo of me here. Haha! Grabe ha, ang ayos lang naman ng shawl ko!

Fooling around at the theater's elevator lobby: posing with the life-size boards of the main characters. L-R: Jon Santos, Leo Valdez, Red Concepcion

 Anyway, Martin and I were lucky because we got "upgraded" to better house seats in the theater so we were able to see the actors better from a nearer view.

And third, after the show we went around the mall and decided to have dinner at Cafe Mediterranean. Again, it was Martin's FIRST time to eat in this restaurant. I'm so happy whenever it is a first time for him kasi gusto makita yung reaction niya every time he tries out something new. I feel like a mom seeing my child try out things the first time. Omigulay ako na ang nanay sa boyfriend ko! We ordered the kebab platter and super sulit siya. Here's our photo:

Eating is our favorite pastime

It was a FUN-FILLED day with my love. :) Actually ngayon lang kami uli nakalabas ng ganito because I'm under house arrest due to thesis writing. This whole month of June I am depriving myself of gimmicks and dates because I have to get my manuscript out by the end of June! Nyak!

So today, June 17, the real birthday of Martin and his twin,  I am writing this post to celebrate Martin's 24th year on this earth and for being with me, patiently and lovingly, for three and a half years! Yey!!

I love you very much, Mahal! Happy birthday!! :)