friday's 10 happy things

What a tough, tough week it was for me. I was spiraling down with the blues again, and it has gotten worse because I have a tendency to sulk even more and bathe myself in my own misery. The last time I made FTHT was still October of last year. When 2015 ended, I thought I was just going to leave it at that because I honestly did not see the need anymore to be as committed to this blog as I was before.

If you know me, you'd also know how often I cut my presence from social media, come back, and then do it all again – I'm admittedly notorious at it. My friends know this too much of me. Some understand, some don't. But my true friends have never taken it against me – this I know. After all, real friends don't worry about following or not following each other in social media because there's much more in real-life interactions.

But I digress.

My anxiety was off the charts this week that I'm compelled to share happy things just to knock the foggy mood away.

1. The shoes that I've been eyeing on for months had a 40% off the tag. I thought it was too good to be true and anticipated that the store wouldn't have my size. But they did. Oh, luck!
2. After all the hassle in preparing the requirements, inducing unnecessary worries and waiting at the edge of my life for a week, I've finally got my Korean visa!! God. I can't remember the last time I've wanted something so bad as I've wanted this.
3. New pens :)
4. I haven't lost my streak in committing to filling up my 2016 planner! I'm usually just good at the start, and then eventually losing my way even before a month is finished, but this year looks promising (I hope this does not jinx it though).
5. Leona's Banana Nut Cake from Cebu
6. Writing.
7. Cutting and designing letter envelopes :)
8. Stumbled upon some decent tops that I'm comfortable with, for only Php200 each ($5). I'm so cheap when it comes to clothing because they have never been a priority. Most of my clothes now were still bought 3-5 years ago. I'm that cheap, I know. I hardly bat an eyelash when buying film, but I could never say the same to clothes. I can't stomach buying a $20 blouse. Hahaha.
9. Watched The Intern and loved it. It's funny to see how Meryll Streep's assistant before, in The Devil Wears Prada, is now the CEO 10 years later. 
10. My obsession, as you know.

Friday's 10 Happy Things Blog Link-up

how many times?

How many times have you said: "This is it. I've finally found my one true love?"

And how many times has the reality turned out differently?

~Haruki Murakami

LIFE AFTER FILM

I am not sure if it ever was obvious enough, but I honestly feel detached from this blog for the past weeks. I have thought about it, and it is probably because of my inability to write when I want to, which practically made me months delayed with updates. Imagine, we are days away from December and I am still stuck with my photos from May (wow, a May-December affair?). It is nice to be reminded of past experiences and travels whenever I update with a 6-month delayed post, but as I do it longer, I kind of grow this feeling of irrelevance between what I am trying to re-live and with what I am currently going through in daily life.

Adding to this, I have undeniably found it so difficult to write about my thoughts. I am perfectly aware that what I think or do is not essential to anyone's consciousness; but to me, it is quite what I am clinging to, for a chance of maintaining sanity and hope in this life. I don't think I am a blogger per se, but I have learned to know myself well that no matter how mundane/sentimental it sounds, writing about things keeps me going. Probably why I feel in disorder is because I was in distress last October and did not get to express any of it out of me, the first part of November brought me a bit of calmness and surprise, and now something cradled me into a disappointment again. It is a fluctuating line, really.

But I am not here now to express forlorn. I am still in the middle of things, I guess. Some of it may have fell apart, but I can only try to pick up the morsels of this whole cookie crumble.

So here's a short list of what transpired in life lately:

• Bought a journal (it is nowhere near a creative one, but writing on it helps my brain from imploding)
• Caught up with my TV shows (aside from my usual Grey's Anatomy/Scandal/Homeland, I have reconnected with Suits and started a new show How to Get Away with Murder)
• Been emotionally affected by Downton Abbey (hahaha, I love the characters so much)
• Got an office recognition (i might have inwardly fainted from shock, but am oh so grateful)
• Traveled to Coron, Palawan (one of my most beautiful trips so far, location/experience-wise)
• Squeezed in some precious alone time in coffee shops
• Tried to draw
• Enjoying train and bus trips no matter how bad the traffic is (by daydreaming, imagining scenes like in the movies, mentally guessing each person's life story from afar haha)
• Have not read books (because I'm busy watching aforementioned TV shows, what a shame)
• Purchased a lot, and different kinds of stationery (it's a therapy)

It's a wonder how quickly November has flown.

KIMI LATELY x CHASING LIGHT

CHASING LIGHT

NEIGHBOR WALK

It's end of the weekend again and I just want to lay still until the end of time. Like photographs.

GOLDEN HOUR AT SAMONTE PARK

One Sunday morning. I woke up, slung my camera on shoulder, hopped on a bike and made my way to Samonte Park. This is what greeted me good morning at 7AM.

Posting sunny photos (sort of) because it has been stormy and cloudy for the last four days. Glenda (the typhoon) came with very strong winds, we had power blackout until last night.

Sending light to you wherever you are, dear reader :)

BOUGAINVILLEA

 Love this thorny vine/tree especially when the flowers are abundant.

A BUDDING HOPE

Patiently waiting, figuratively..

CHASING LIGHT

There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.

 ~Leonard Cohen

GRAY RAIN

Took the opportunity to snap shots of my brother's racing pigeons while they were out after a rain. This platform outside their birdhouse is their version of a veranda :)

The gloom mood seemed to have blended with their black and gray-colored feathers in contrast to the platform. Love the glassy effect of the water on them :)

BLOOM

It's always refreshing to see when some of the plants my mum keep in our roof bear flowers :) Yes, a little garden in the roof. My mum likes to think she has a green thumb, but because we lack the space for a real garden, she kept and let them grow in our roof. Over time, three pots became five, five became seven, seven became ten. There are probably less than twenty pots in our roof to date :)

I'm really not in particular to the seasons when flowers bloom, but I'm always pleased when they do :)