Day 345: Beautiful Mess

It was a busy day.  I'm happy to report that the Christmas Ball was a resounding success!  I ran around for the most part, with about ten people stepping on my train the entire night.  Which was funny.  I did not trip all over my face like I feared, though, so it was all good.  I realize that  during events like these, as much as it's a great opportunity to take photos, I never really find time in the middle of it all, nor do I have the inclination to do so.  Aside from the fact that I'm horrible with portraits.  So, let's just not try.  I'm often busy running around as an usherette or something else, anyway.  I think, these are moments that I prefer to live in, rather than capture.  That's probably a weird thing to say for someone who likes photography.  That's also probably why I prefer doing landscapes.  Capturing a moment in landscape is the same as living in it.  So, I don't really miss anything.  Yes, I'm selfish that way.

I took a picture of the worktable of our make-up artist, though.  It looked dramatic, and I liked how it turned out.  So, when I got this shot, I left the camera alone.

Beautiful Mess (Jason Mraz), isn't it?

Day 281: Gelato on a Rainy Saturday

Met up with a friend to have dinner and watch a movie.  We finished dinner early, so we decided to get gelato while waiting for the film to start.  My friend had Amarena (the pink one) and I had Straciatella (blurry one in foreground).  I love ice cream while it's raining.

There was an event at the store in front of Gelatone, and we sat eating our gelato while watching young folks in their party clothes looking savvy and cool.  I realized that I used to be one of those kids.  Not that I'm saying I'm old, but I somehow feel that I don't belong in that scene.  I guess, there will be a time when you will outgrow certain things.  I can't say it's getting old, because I don't feel old.  It's more of moving on.  You somehow get to a point where you realize, there's a lot more to life than this.  So, you go out and search for it.

Day 268: Conversations Over Coffee at UCC

I spent a humid Sunday afternoon with a friend at UCC, drinking blended coffee while watching the light of the sky change.  We talked about major life changes, quarter-life crisis, living a healthier lifestyle, trying out new things, getting over bad habits and learning new ones.  I told her about getting into boxing and running, and she shared about wanting to take language classes.  There were so many things we wanted to do, and so many places we wanted to see.  I guess, it does prove that this is the age of restlessness.  I do not know why our generation seem to think that we do not have enough time to do everything we want.  It's as if we have somehow projected our mortality to be shorter than the rest, so we have to do everything now.  Which isn't really the case.

There were several things we talked about and some things we decided on.  It was an enriching discussion.  The conversation somehow inspired me to plan for several things.  Things I really want to do, and places I really want to visit.  Overall, it was a satisfying way to spend a laid back Sunday.

Wouldn't it be nice to have more Beautiful Days (Arashi) like this?

Day 267: Garden Tomato Toner

Lazy Saturday.  I had nothing interesting to take a picture of.  This is my toner, then.  A daily necessity.  I like it because unlike other toners I have tried, it doesn't sting.  In fact, it kind of cools down the face after use.

Day 240: Food and Love

An old friend and I met up for a light dinner.  We decided to eat at Banana Leaf because it's been so long since we've dined there.  This is the last one left of the prawn balls with cheese I ordered.  I love Asian cuisine!  The taste, the texture, and the aroma is really something very distinct.  We also had roti and curry, which I also love.

I cannot end this post without saying that we watched Crazy, Stupid, Love.  It was ridiculously funny!  I can't get over it.  Sure, Ryan Gosling was a real eye candy here, but the rest of the cast was just hilarious.  I highly recommend it.  I had such a good laugh, I felt good after leaving the theater.  This is one of those films I'd like to watch when I'm stressed or depressed.  In fact, I want to get a copy of the video just for that.

Day 226: French Macaroons

I love macaroons!  Their lovely pastel colors and sweet fillings.  I think, majority of what makes these things so appealing is the fact that they look absolutely delectable.  They're so pretty, you almost do not want to eat them.  Almost.

I bought a box from Bizu on the way home from doing my grocery.  Since it's Sunday, I spent most of the day indoors watching past seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (my all-time favorite pair is Katee and Joshua of Season 4) and doing my laundry while at it.

Day 191: Lengua de Gato

Snacking on lengua de gato in between highlighting and calculating.  Not that I did a lot of it.  I spent more time watching movies, really.  It's too nice of a Sunday to spend studying.

Day 190: Studying on a Weekend

I took home work for the weekend.  Now, this is something completely unlike me.  I do not bring home work, you see.  I will stay for as long as I can at work, but I will not bring work home.  My downtime is my downtime.

This work I took home, however, is more like studying.  I mentioned about going through payroll and tax class, and next week is the last week.  Meaning, it's the assessment week.  Since, I have a feeling that I am going to be required to go through certification for it in a few months, if not weeks, I decided to nip it in the bud.  Mind you, taking work home is just an intent.  I did not even bring the entire manual, which much too heavy.  I haven't really started yet, since the bed is just so much more inviting.  I need to get at least a chapter done, though, just so I don't waste the effort.

Playing Ocean Drive (The Lighthouse Family) to get my groove on.  Wish me luck!

Day 170: Chilled

Rainy Sunday is best served indoors with chilled wine.

I had my first adjustment today.  It was interesting.  After the visit to the dentist, I figured I could do my groceries as well.  I love grocery shopping.  Particularly now that I have a fridge.  I can store milk, wine and all those great things you put in the fridge.  I get to chill my wine glasses, too.  After groceries, I went back to my state of dolce far niente.  Cue Aguas de Marco (Elis Regina).  It's so relaxing, I think I should do this more often.

Day 169: Dolce Far Niente

The sweetness of doing nothing.  

I spent most of Saturday just lounging.  All I did was set territory on my couch and watch movies until my eyes hurt.  Even then I didn't turn the TV off.  These were light movies, anyway.  Not much thinking required.  I got to watch some favorite classics, like Amelie and Funny Face, and some new ones I haven't seen.  Like Eat, Pray, Love.  

I read Eat, Pray, Love a couple of years back.  This was the book that launched a thousand soul searches through travel.  I thought it was lovely book, really.  I enjoyed reading Elizabeth Gilbert's chronicle of her year eating, praying and loving.  I remember also looking forward to watching the film, but somehow never got around to doing so.  I think the movie did well, considering.  I have learned to accept that there will always be missing pieces in an adaptation.  One of my favorite things, both from the book and the movie, was her interlude in Italy.  It's one of the places I have always dreamed of seeing.  Someday, I know I'm going to see and experience it.  For the time being, at least as far as my weekends are concerned, I try to emulate the Italian art of doing nothing.  Dolce far niente. 

Day 113: Spring Cleaning

The last few weekends I haven't felt totally productive.  I have planned on cleaning my apartment and unloading some of the junk I have accumulated through the years.  It's funny that I do not have some of the basic necessities of a household (like a fridge, for example), yet I have tons of useless things lying around.  I promised myself that I will clean up this weekend since there wasn't any planned activity that should take me out of the apartment, and I was also beginning to feel better (less coughing fits happening).

The trouble with spring cleaning, though, is that it's when my separation anxiety attacks.  For example, I wanted to clean out my closet of the clothes I do not get to use.  Some of them I have never used at all.  I had a firm resolve when I started with the task, but my resolve got weaker as I tried to decide which pile to put an item on.  I look at an article of clothing and I keep thinking I might need it at some obscure distant future.  Or, if I bought the perfect shoes for it, I'd eventually get to wear it.  Or if I alter it a bit, it would be perfect again.  To keep or not to keep, that is the question.  Hamlet didn't stand a chance.  What makes me think I do?

Well, unlike dear Hamlet, I'm not going to get suicidal over spring cleaning.  I have decided to let go of some of the non-valuable things I've kept, because I want to have enough space for new things.  If an event comes that I may need something I've already let go of, I'm sure I'll figure out a way to find something perfect for it.  It's symbolic of a whole lot of things, if you ask me.  Now, what do I do with all these clothes?

Clean-up music: Tell Me What To Do (Metro Station)