photograph each day 29 December 2006
words and abstract thoughts will be defined
2006 has been a wonderful year for me. Sometimes I wonder why I still keep this blog since I don't write here as much as I used to (some things you just have to keep to yourself), but whenever I'd want to remember what happened throughout the year, I go to my archives and read.
There's a certain magic in remembering things. It's like placing your heart back to who you were once, where you were that very moment, who you were with, what time of day that was, how you felt. Maybe you were happier then, maybe you were miserable, but then here we are right. Each day was a step of faith, and we've come this far.
Year-end posts have a way of releasing our sentimental side. You wonder what happened to you this year, if you've changed, if you've achieved something, if you've gained or lost. But then again, we can never claim to have gone through our lives in mediocrity. Friends made you laugh and heard you cry, helped you through some rough patches. Your family has always been by your side and never thought you a failure, even when it feels like it at times; you felt like nothing to the world, but you were the world to them. People have shown you love is real, you're just refusing to grasp its entirety; you restored your faith in love in the most unexpected places, and in the most unexpected people. There is a blessing in each year, we just have to learn how to single them out like a rose among thorns.
So I'll be writing a comprehensive post about this past year when we get back tomorrow. Persons, memories, places, experiences --- they'll simply be words until we write about them. Then they come alive and live forever.
Much like love. It will always be an abstract thought until we say it. And for me, it translates to YOU. That one exception to the rule.
There's a certain magic in remembering things. It's like placing your heart back to who you were once, where you were that very moment, who you were with, what time of day that was, how you felt. Maybe you were happier then, maybe you were miserable, but then here we are right. Each day was a step of faith, and we've come this far.
Year-end posts have a way of releasing our sentimental side. You wonder what happened to you this year, if you've changed, if you've achieved something, if you've gained or lost. But then again, we can never claim to have gone through our lives in mediocrity. Friends made you laugh and heard you cry, helped you through some rough patches. Your family has always been by your side and never thought you a failure, even when it feels like it at times; you felt like nothing to the world, but you were the world to them. People have shown you love is real, you're just refusing to grasp its entirety; you restored your faith in love in the most unexpected places, and in the most unexpected people. There is a blessing in each year, we just have to learn how to single them out like a rose among thorns.
So I'll be writing a comprehensive post about this past year when we get back tomorrow. Persons, memories, places, experiences --- they'll simply be words until we write about them. Then they come alive and live forever.
Much like love. It will always be an abstract thought until we say it. And for me, it translates to YOU. That one exception to the rule.
14 December 2006
back from China
So hey hey, we're back from China. I was hoping we'd get to roam Hongkong when we get there, and possibly take advantage of the wonderful lights by Nathan Road for photo ops hahaha, but alas the bus leaves early and we had to get to the China border before the Immigration closes at midnight. Papa Glenn and his driver Paul were waiting for us there and it's a 2-hour drive down to Guangzhou.
It's still as fascinating as I remember. Well yeah it's always great to go anywhere outside the country, to travel a bit. I can still remember the places near Papa Glenn's place, the shops scattered around Taojin Beilu. We just had two whole days to do everything so we were out by around 9am and have dinner 9pm, and we still go shopping after that hahaha. Unfortunately though, it's really cold there and the clothes are all for winter so we didn't get to buy a lot of them. Anyway it was high time for layering so we donned these clothes which was really fun, like when will I ever get to wear cowboy boots in here right? Language barriers are so uncool, we saw really cute Chinese boys but all they did was smile hahaha. Okay Levina sweetie, I'm gonna tell you I'm kidding because it's not like we're going to talk to strangers and you know I only like one guy (hahaha don't comment here about it I think he reads this! And it's not even the one I was talking about before --- that's nada).
Anyway so. We squeezed in everything in those two days. And Kate and I have tons of pictures because during moments wherein the adults (Papa Glenn, Mommy and Tita Agnes, or just the last two) are discussing or busy with stuff, we pose hahaha. The last night we headed to the spa and had a two-hour massage which was really good. Last day we took the bus to the China border (there's a visa for China so we went thru all that trouble of filling in immigration forms, a bit of questioning from the officers like purpose of stay and such, and dragging the luggage). Then we went straight to the Hongkong airport and waited for the check-in.
click here for more China pictures!!!
Kate was sweating in fear when our hand-carried stuff went through the x-ray because she bought a fox fur thing, complete with a head and tail. I don't know if it's real but I think it is, and I was telling her I saw this sign where exotic animals/animal skins were prohibited. I thought she was gonna faint went her bag came out and the officers there did not question her hahahaha. We bought tons of stuff, mostly bags AND gifts for friends this Christmas. I hope they like them, we spent an insane amount of time trying to choose between prints and stuff hahaha. Our creed: give personalized gifts (like we base them on their personality or preferences, so it takes time to choose) and wrap them well.
TomTom couldn't wait because we bought him a Gameboy. China is the ultimate source for everything, I was telling Levs that we should start another business. Oh-kay, here we go again hahaha. But no really, we bought materials there for a new batch of jewelry we're going to put up. We're supposed to sell a lot of them but we end up wearing what we make so there's nothing left to for the consumers hahaha.
I missed a number of people, China was fun but I can't imagine living there, it would be so lonely.
goodbye to midnight love, midnight music
to all that is the scene
and since I took a step away
i'll head over to you
where the scene will merely be
a voice on the radio
though I haven't told you
this is still honesty
when music has long faded
you're my infinity
That's what I scribbled when I was in China, when I missed you much too much and I just had to put it in words. (to my friends in the know: no, this is NOT cheesecake guy).
It's still as fascinating as I remember. Well yeah it's always great to go anywhere outside the country, to travel a bit. I can still remember the places near Papa Glenn's place, the shops scattered around Taojin Beilu. We just had two whole days to do everything so we were out by around 9am and have dinner 9pm, and we still go shopping after that hahaha. Unfortunately though, it's really cold there and the clothes are all for winter so we didn't get to buy a lot of them. Anyway it was high time for layering so we donned these clothes which was really fun, like when will I ever get to wear cowboy boots in here right? Language barriers are so uncool, we saw really cute Chinese boys but all they did was smile hahaha. Okay Levina sweetie, I'm gonna tell you I'm kidding because it's not like we're going to talk to strangers and you know I only like one guy (hahaha don't comment here about it I think he reads this! And it's not even the one I was talking about before --- that's nada).
Anyway so. We squeezed in everything in those two days. And Kate and I have tons of pictures because during moments wherein the adults (Papa Glenn, Mommy and Tita Agnes, or just the last two) are discussing or busy with stuff, we pose hahaha. The last night we headed to the spa and had a two-hour massage which was really good. Last day we took the bus to the China border (there's a visa for China so we went thru all that trouble of filling in immigration forms, a bit of questioning from the officers like purpose of stay and such, and dragging the luggage). Then we went straight to the Hongkong airport and waited for the check-in.
click here for more China pictures!!!
Kate was sweating in fear when our hand-carried stuff went through the x-ray because she bought a fox fur thing, complete with a head and tail. I don't know if it's real but I think it is, and I was telling her I saw this sign where exotic animals/animal skins were prohibited. I thought she was gonna faint went her bag came out and the officers there did not question her hahahaha. We bought tons of stuff, mostly bags AND gifts for friends this Christmas. I hope they like them, we spent an insane amount of time trying to choose between prints and stuff hahaha. Our creed: give personalized gifts (like we base them on their personality or preferences, so it takes time to choose) and wrap them well.
TomTom couldn't wait because we bought him a Gameboy. China is the ultimate source for everything, I was telling Levs that we should start another business. Oh-kay, here we go again hahaha. But no really, we bought materials there for a new batch of jewelry we're going to put up. We're supposed to sell a lot of them but we end up wearing what we make so there's nothing left to for the consumers hahaha.
I missed a number of people, China was fun but I can't imagine living there, it would be so lonely.
goodbye to midnight love, midnight music
to all that is the scene
and since I took a step away
i'll head over to you
where the scene will merely be
a voice on the radio
though I haven't told you
this is still honesty
when music has long faded
you're my infinity
That's what I scribbled when I was in China, when I missed you much too much and I just had to put it in words. (to my friends in the know: no, this is NOT cheesecake guy).
06 December 2006
don't evoke the spark
Joni Mitchell-esque moment. Of course it could only be defined as melancholic, but more of a relief actually. I've been scribbling phrases in notepads and only Kate can understand --- who, what, where, when. After all is said and done, he was merely my split second. A lost memory in between transitions.
When you try to evoke the spark
You delve into the dark
* * * * * * * * * *
We're leaving for Hongkong and China on Saturday afternoon. A bazillion photos when we get back hahaha. Hopefully we can buy all the gifts for our friends there, we're done with the list --- specifically, what we're going to give each one. And we've thought of the colors for the wraps this year --- purple and gold. Hahaha.
Lots of things lined up: Conspiracy gig on the 15th, Christmas Cantata and SAYA Christmas costume party on the 17th, dinner with friends probably every single night the week after that, then Christmas party with friends (and Kuya Grif's birthday) on the 22nd, then parties with relatives etc. I love the Christmas season, eveything lights up and you get to see people whom you haven't seen in a long time. And this year is very special because of several reasons which I won't go into now. Let's save it for a year-end post hahaha.
Oh and yes Kate and I are so proud of Tomtom last Sunday when he performed in the Hallelujah Christmas Cruise. He's usually so shy and he slurs when he reads, but surprisingly he can speak well and sing too haha.
Tomtom the Top Dog
I didn't realize old songs could make me so sad. I heard It Might Be You at the drugstore last night and I wanted to cry for no apparent reason. Or maybe I just thought of someone. And the leaving part. Yeah that's it.
When you try to evoke the spark
You delve into the dark
* * * * * * * * * *
We're leaving for Hongkong and China on Saturday afternoon. A bazillion photos when we get back hahaha. Hopefully we can buy all the gifts for our friends there, we're done with the list --- specifically, what we're going to give each one. And we've thought of the colors for the wraps this year --- purple and gold. Hahaha.
Lots of things lined up: Conspiracy gig on the 15th, Christmas Cantata and SAYA Christmas costume party on the 17th, dinner with friends probably every single night the week after that, then Christmas party with friends (and Kuya Grif's birthday) on the 22nd, then parties with relatives etc. I love the Christmas season, eveything lights up and you get to see people whom you haven't seen in a long time. And this year is very special because of several reasons which I won't go into now. Let's save it for a year-end post hahaha.
Oh and yes Kate and I are so proud of Tomtom last Sunday when he performed in the Hallelujah Christmas Cruise. He's usually so shy and he slurs when he reads, but surprisingly he can speak well and sing too haha.
Tomtom the Top Dog
I didn't realize old songs could make me so sad. I heard It Might Be You at the drugstore last night and I wanted to cry for no apparent reason. Or maybe I just thought of someone. And the leaving part. Yeah that's it.