ABCD

#3 Postcards. I must admit that my days have gotten better compared to the past few weeks which is probably because that dreaded long test is finally over, I got to talk and eat with friends, I got my first call, I got to watch Revenge and sleep in peace. Though stressful days are still coming up (that’s life), I shall strive to choose happiness. And so, another addition to my list of little joys: postcards!

Signed, sealed, delivered and they’re mine! I want mooore! I edited it through Lightroom because the quality of the photo taken from my phone sucked. Thank you Cel, Kat, Edz, Jihed, Melissa, Eric, Dong for these!

A week ago, I received two postcards. One from Penang, Malaysia from a friend I badly miss: Eric. He sent it while he was vacationing there instead of attending his classes in HK (Eric, Eric, Eric). The other one is from my bestpeeegh who lives just a few kilometers from my house. Yaay for pleasant surprises.

I think my first postcard ever came from Cel while she was doing her AIESEC Internship in Malaysia (also in Penang). I think she got back before I got the postcard but I was still very much happy when I  found it wedged through our window. It’s not the person’s absence that makes it special, I think. More than that, what makes it special is the distance that pretty little card travelled just to deliver a short message. No one really writes anything mind-blowing or specifically life-changing in a postcard. Aside from the fact that anyone could read it (if it’s not in an envelope of course), the space for the message is so small that makes it seem that it’s not really the point. The pictures are great, of course, especially since they remind me of the dream of seeing the world. The stamps are pretty interesting too because they look so old-fashioned and I love almost everything old-fashioned. But, I guess what makes me really happy in getting postcards is that I feel like I have a part of that person delivered to me. Chos, but true.

The beauty of postcards is that it’s something concrete. You can touch it, smell it, taste it even. The messages are always handwritten and I hope that never changes. Letters from friends are always better when handwritten, no matter how bad the handwriting is. You are assured that the card left their hands, passed on through different people and placed in different places until it finally reaches your hands. Unlike email or chat or even skype, you can creatively imagine how the message eventually arrived at your door. I guess sending through post makes a message so much more dramatic that a simple “I miss you” written on the back of a touristic photograph beats a long email telling me in detail what I’ve missed. I appreciate the long emails too, of course, I’m just saying that there’s something different about getting postcards. I guess living in a world where many things can be done in just a few seconds, clinging on to “ancient” things that almost lose their meaning makes holding on to them all the more meaningful and special. Cheesy but I just really love getting them – justified. Haha.

 First postcard in history according to Wikipedia.

 Leap Day. Today is February 29! I don’t know why all of a sudden this day means so much to me. I care about it more than 11.11.11 day. So strange, it suddenly made me think what I did last leap day. Well, I really can’t remember except that it was four years ago. Duy. What happened in the past four years? Mmhmm. I left Pisay with a repaired heart (chos), tried wakeboarding, entered college, got hurt, turned eighteen, lived in Hong Kong, forgave and somehow I find myself now in a very familiar place – the same place I was in four years ago. And so, I pray to God that I don’t make the same mistake twice and hope for the best. Here’s to learning from the past and moving forward!

 Haay, life.

Gives me hope

The couple: Frances & Kevin. It’s Kevin’s birthday today! To one of the best ones out there, Happy Birthday! Kevin is one half of the poster couple of happy beginnings, middles, endings. Chos. The other half is Frances my very good amazona friend. She made this cute cute video for Kevin. Seriously, for a first time, the video is very good. Or maybe it’s just because I’m cheesy and I love anything that offers lots of kilig but whatever, I enjoyed it so much I had to share it.

Calvin already had a blog post about this couple before but as he made his blog private, linking it now would be pointless, so I shall make my short and sweet version since the video is inspiring. I feel strange doing this because people only write about couples when they get engaged or married or something but why not now? Haha. I don’t need a ring to prove that their relationship gives me muuuch hope for luuurve.

Kevin and Frances are both very beautiful people, inside and out. They’re both so smart, so caring, so faithful and so incredibly nice. I found myself talking about them last Friday over lunch and it reminded me of all those things Kevin did (still does) for Frances. My favorite one is when Kevin brought fish and others prepared my his mom to Frances’ house. Who does that these days? I remember laughing about it with Calvin but really, it’s just too sweet and thoughtful. Who would mind getting homecooked fish, especially when it’s prepared by the guy’s mom? I certainly wouldn’t. Inggitera, haha. They’re also always so giving of each other. They would always support each other, when Frances models for a party far far away from Kevin’s house or when Kevin is about to take a test that will determine a lot of things. Really, it’s awesome. They always adjust for each other when they need to. I’m sure not everyday’s perfect for them but they have always made it work. Their ability to make each other happy is always inspiring.

I wish that this couple continue to grow and all that shizz. I learned in Theo that genuine love should push each other to grow and I believe that they are really growing because of each other. I think I’ve witnessed it happen at least once. Being able to know a couple like Frances and Kevin and even act as third wheel at times, make me an even cheesier person. A relationship based on love and not on other things is possible, my friends! Now it makes me think that to have a relationship like theirs, I need to be at least as nice as them. Gosh, I have got a long way to go. Seeing them happy together though makes striving to be incredibly nice seem very much worth it. Noted.

Imagine a future moment in your life where all your dreams come true. You know it’s the greatest moment of your life and you get to experience it with one person. Who’s standing next to you?

Again

 

 

Please just don’t play with me
My paper heart will bleed
This wait for destiny won’t do
Be with me, please, I beseech you
Simple things, that make you run away
Catch you if I can

 

-My Paper Heart, The All American Rejects

 

I met you again for a reason.

Reminder

#2 Small Victories. Still enumerating the things I’m thankful for to shoo away bad vibes. (It’s actually working.)The second for this week is about my two mini-victories. I’m equally proud of both of them.

P&G Consumer is Boss Game. February 11, 2012. I joined this game P&G hosted last Saturday. (Yes, by all means laugh at my face. I was ecstatic. Haha.) The game was like a strategy game where you had many options for each phase and each option leads to the next set of options and so on. It was very interesting and surprisingly fun. I had a great team: Lea, Anj, Pao and John. We had to present for 2 minutes explaining why we chose the strategies, I think we did a pretty good job. I prefer to think it was concise. Haha. I was pleasantly surprised when they announced we won third (!!!) which meant P5000 gift certificate for Ayala Malls = P1000 gift certificate for me!!! The best things in life are free. Happiness.

SOM Games: Bataille. February 14, 2012. And this is how I ended up spending my Valentines – with a lot of intense girl action. I wasn’t supposed to play that day but just so we wouldn’t default, I played anyway. You can observe that three of us were wearing skirts. This is how we roll. Again, surprisingly, we won. The game was intense, I didn’t cause the team to lose (unexpectedly because I suck at sports) and I walked away from that three rounds of intense girl fights  with no wounds and sandals still intact. Happiness.

I’ve been jumping from the tops of buildings. For the thrill of the fall. Ignoring sound advice.

P.S. In the midst of all my frustrations and bitterness (I know I could be very annoying when I spiral into this ranting and blabbering and overthinking and jealous me), my friend Lea just said: Tiwala lang yan. And I suddenly realized that I forgot to just trust that everything will be fine. It’s actually one of those things I’ve always strongly believed in but somehow I lost sight of it. Chos. But really, thanks for that reminder Bb. Pilipinas 2013. So now everytime I get frustrated or bitter or anything, I just remind myself: Tiwala lang yan.

With every single word I withhold. With every single word you say. Again.

Happy Hearts

Happy Valentines Day everyone! (Though the day is about to end. I know I’m late). I wanted to post these notes stuck on roses I received today. They’re not from romantic someones, but they are from special someones – two awesome people in my life: Aiko and Keith! Though I would’ve loved to feel kilig kilig and all today, no worries, because I gotzz myself awesome friends. We promised each other during first year that we would give each other roses every Valentines Day. I know it’s just been three years but it’s been three years! Times does fly really fast. I know we haven’t been spending much time together lately (I am now officially dying from school and upcoming tests and all) but it’s still really cool that we still remembered. Yaay for us. And so I just want to share the looove with everyone and anyone out there who’s looking for it. Chos. As long as you have the best-est friends, you’ll never run out of love to share and I think that’s what really matters anyway.

Also, Cha suggested that I take a picture of the note so that one day when I finally meet my one true luuurve I get to show him this. Though it’s actually from Keith (I think), the idea is still pretty cute. So future dude, thanks for the rose. And I cannot wait to meet you.

Cheesy.

On a different note, I’ve been feeling really down lately because of school. So I thought I would post random things that make me happy from time to time. Just so I don’t go completely crazy. Here’s the first:

#1 Sweet gifts from sweet friends Lea  saw this bracelet in some H&M in France and got it because she felt it was so “me”. It made me very happy and giddy, so thaaank you Leapaard! You have made me really happy! Cha also got a floral headband from Cotton On in Singapore. I haven’t gotten the chance to wear it because my hair is not artificially straight anymore. Haha. I will soon. She also got it because she said I always wear floral things. More than the gifts girls, I appreciate that you notice these little things. And since we’re enumerating gifts already, thanks Calvin for treating me that red velvet cake in jsec. It was really really good. Hang out tayo soon, promise. Thank you people for making me smile. I know I need to keep remembering happy things in the coming days. Happiness.

Open

White Beach, Puerto Galera. January 21-23, 2012. Melissa and Jihed came to visit us here in the Philippines! They pinky-promised us back in HK and they kept that promise. For the weekend, we decided to go to Puerto Galera since it is the nicest nearest beach (I think). Titi and Dom tagged along with us. Titi, a French exchange student in my university, is practically a local and he arranged the place for us since he’s been to White Beach already (and all the rest of the beaches in the Philippines!). Dom has just been here for a month since he’s part of a special foreign program which starts halfway through the semester. And so, together, we had a blast riding the banana boat (where Kathleen and Melissa fell before we were supposed to fall), island-hopping, snorkeling, taking pictures inside the cave, eating, swimming, stargazing on the shore, playing luksong-baka on the beach (I don’t know what they call it), and singing karaoke. Doing great things in a great place with the best company. What more is there?

United Colors of Benetton.  Before riding the banana boat, Jihed asked me “Is it okay that people are staring?” I told her, “Of course, they’re staring because you look different.” Then she said, “But they’re staring at you two.” I hadn’t really noticed but she was right. People were staring at us. And I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised because it was indeed an unusual sight – two Filipino girls who look like little kids (or so they say), with an Austrian guy with green eyes, a very tall Portuguese guy (who’s actually French), a Tunisian girl (who’s also actually French) with curly hair and a French girl with light brown hair. What could explain such different-looking people sticking together and having fun on the beach? I can’t really imagine what everyone who stared at us were thinking. But when we were island hopping, Manong asked us if we met in school and we explained our part. And I felt really happy explaining. I was hoping that while I shared, I could be a concrete example that yes,  people who look very different (Asians and Westerners) could very much like each other and get along well together. We were not tourist guides but we were friends.

 

My mom told me before that some guy told her that our society is converging into one big community – a world without borders. And I believe I like the idea of that. And if that’s the case, then we’re not heading to a such a bad place (maybe the place might have lesser trees, but we’re working on that as well). During my first two weeks in my exchange semester, I told Kathleen that it’s starting to sink in that cultural differences were indeed significant and it’s a little hard to talk to these different people. This completely dissolved away when I actually got to know these people (especially Jihed and Melissa), how their lives are back in HK and what they think about things. We don’t agree on everything (such as divorce and religion) but this never clouded our friendship. Not once. We shared our sides and views, respected them and sometimes just laugh at each other’s disbelief. These girls helped us a lot, I trust them completely and I know we’ll be friends forever (cheesy). I guess you can guess what I’m driving at. I believe in this world without borders because I have experienced it first hand. I know I’ve only met a very small fraction of the world outside my country, but this experience is still evidence that it is possible.

And so next time, when you see a diverse group of people (like my mom said we looked like an ad for United Colors of Benetton), maybe the first reason you should think is that they are just a group of friends having fun. It doesn’t matter that we don’t look alike and we probably didn’t grow up in the same place, because really, it doesn’t. They might call luksong baka in some other language and some other name that doesn’t involve cows but what simply matters is that we were enjoying doing it. Language, skin and eye colors don’t really matter. It is interesting , yes, but what matters, in the end, is that you respect each other’s differences and you appreciate this world even more because of them. And with that, world peace everyone!

On our last day while singing karaoke, Dom sang “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2. He explained that the song is about the situation in Ireland (I think), where people discriminate against each other (based on religion, if I remember correctly). And he said, you will know which side one is on just knowing his street name. And so U2 writes and sings about a place where the streets have no name. I think the song is worth sharing. World peace na talaga ito.

I wish I could bake a cake at of rainbows and smiles.