Creative Juice #15: Photography

Photos borrowed from bryllerelevophotography

Truly inspirational, these images caught my eye while going over my dashboard in Facebook. Apparently, one friend of mine is practicing his photography with his cool new DSLR camera and posting them online for everyone to see. It's been quite a while since I feasted my hungry eyes for some real visual gratification and seeing these cool photographs makes me want to buy my own (curse you green eyed-monster!). But I guess that's gonna have to wait for now.

Anyway, I think Photography is such a beautiful field I'd love to explore with all my might someday. The creative process you go through and even the end product has a sense of liminality in it that overwhelms my very being.

*sigh* All of sudden I missed my old Kodak C613 that suffered a horrendous death in our last college week. I long for that day when I could pepper my blog with my very own shutterbuggie goodness.

Philippine History of Architecture

Image borrowed here

Never in my almost two decades of learning I swore that I had a liking for History or anything whatsoever that has to do with memorizing dates, regions and provinces or platforms and accomplishments of previous presidents yet here I am quenching my appetite for some pure learning juice of the yesteryears. I guess when you look at your nation’s history from an architectural vantage point everything starts to make sense.

For our fourth History of Architecture subject course, we will be focusing on our very own Philippine History after studying two previous subjects that focused on Western architecture and one that centred on Asian architecture. We will go over the historical eras and architectural styles of the Pre-Spanish Period, the Spanish Period, the American Period and the Post-War Period. I had already done some preliminary readings on the age before the Spanish colonization and was surprised to find out that there have been existing Rajahnate kingdoms and a separate independent state in the very land we stand on.

I never had this bit of insatiable interest in History before so I was quite surprised. Another factor perhaps was Ms. Professor whose intellect was something I find quite attracting. I’ll ace her subject just like I did in her Planning I class last semester. Goodluck on my studies!

MadMusic#022 - Canta per Me by Kajiura Yuki

I think this is the nth time I'm going to blog about Kajiura Yuki and her music. I just can't get enough of her I'm actually anticipating the completion of a discography I just downloaded from uTorrent. Her compositions on the 26-episode Japanese anime series Noir has become my favorite and this particular track along with Salva Nos and Melody are my ultimate favorite eargasms!

ArchInspire#006: Space Frames

Image borrowed here

My inspiration for today is this photo I stumbled while searching for an article about Space Frames in the Web. It was our first topic in Building Technology 5 and we were supposed to submit example details of it due next week. It's been a while since I unfolded my drafting table and I'm telling you I'm quite hyped putting oil on my rusty fingers to get my hands dirty on manual drafting again. Boy, I hope this does not signal the start of my zombie sleepless nights for this semester. I'm going to garner a cheekful of pimples again. Pft!

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If there ever such a thing as 'bitter management' I'd definitely apply in one. I have been wallowing in bitterness this past few days. I have a lot of issues and it has become apparent in my mood swings and unpredictable annoyance over the smallest things. Don't you just hate being pushed over something you don't want and you can't do anything but compromise? I am yearning for that day when all this would end. Because truly, I have had enough of it. It's tearing me apart :(

Newspaper Boy 3

Image borrowed here

My dad's newspaper business stands right in the corner of a clothing tiangge along a busy public jeepney station. It was a typical dusty old open area, barely 4 meters long and 2 meters wide crammed with stacked piles of soft drink bottle cases, a table used as a counter top and a news stand brimming with half-folded daily tabloids.The partitions were made out of chicken wires lined with old greasy tarpaulins and calendars given by different city political personalities. On the left are rusty improvised shelves and on the right displayed are more tabloids on rusty metal clothes hanger. It was the sight I have to endure and get used to since my father's trusted worker took a leave to seek medical attention from years of late night drinks. And until my father found another employee to man our microbusiness, that meant we, at our household, have to take turns operating the store on our own.

I have seen enough heated arguments between jeepney chauffers to presume that place to be a breeding ground for negative energy and I have inhaled enough jeepney exhaust and second-hand smoke to call myself hypocrite for selling cigarettes labeled dangerous for my health. These are only some of the things that I have come to hate aside from killing precious time and staring blankly at the countless passersby envying them from not getting stuck in a dusty roach-infested store trying to make a living.

Sometimes I wander whether these strangers perceive me as just another newspaper boy handing out changes and living my life in complete frustration. Well, I have dreams too. This job may have made me bitter but I have dreams too, you know.

ArchInspire#005: Thirty Conversations on Design

I started this day early but got stuck tending to our business. I just finished having my preliminary reading on History of Architecture and Professional Practice while handing out changes as I sell newspapers, cigarettes and candies. *sighs*

Anyway, check out this cool site I stumbled while reading Anna Caroline's Blog. It’s a collection/video series of the thoughts of 30 of the world’s most inspired creative professionals - architects, designers, authors and leaders of iconic brands. If your into Design, you might find this page a great resource of ideas. I particularly loved what Jennifer Morla said. :)

*sigh*

I've had enough of drama for one day. Maybe a good uninhibited outpour of emotion is what I needed all along. May everything fall into their righteous places in time.

MadMusic#021: Himeboshi & Mezame - Kajiura Yuki

The most epic live songs I've listened and liked so far. Kajiura Yuki is truly a genius. Got goosebumps all over the whole 8 minutes I was listening to it. No dice understanding the lyrics but the music in itself will creep every bit of your nerves.

19th Birthday

And I thought saying 'Happy Birthday' to a celebrant was a cliche, I have never used that familiar greeting in the most ironic and sarcastic voice so many times in just one day. My 8-year-old sister could feel when she told me that she reads sadness in my eyes. I'm not happy on my 19th birthday. I am never happy on my birthdays. No amount of cake or ice cream or any other known sweet treat could put out the bitterness I am feeling right now.

Happy Birthday to me :'(

On Getting Tipsy

Image borrowed here

Yes, it’s that proverbial matter again with boys drinking. I have made an unofficial pact with myself when I was in high school that I will never drink or smoke seeing those stereotypical Filipino jeepney chauffeurs on the streets half-naked while swaggering their oversized beer belly and coughing their precious air passageways out. Smoking may have been a rare sight in our family but drinkers are quite common. It wasn’t really in my intention to join that bandwagon but perhaps I owe it to my older brother and father always hinting that I should at least take a sip to make my gut au fait with different kinds of alcoholic beverages.

Drinking isn’t a forbidden deed in our household. In fact, my father always keeps his best liquors around for important occasions or just in case a surprise compadre came up. Having established that freedom in my mind, I deliberately choose to drink only with the consent of my mother or in special events where my family is around. That way I could trust myself that I don’t just go around wasting myself all over the place.

Last night was one of them, I guess. There were no special events but it’s just that an uncle and a cousin of my mine were present. My father brought out a bottle of imported tequila (40% alcohol) – I had five shots - and after that another bottle of Gran Matador Brandy (32.8% alcohol) – I had three shots. As seen on television where boys are huddled at one corner exchanging conquests and other stories while drinking, I wasn’t really comfortable enough to sit in front of my father. So what I did was as I help my mom finish some chores (we do the laundry at night), I at times drop by on the session to take my shot.

Well, it wasn’t until my mom and I were hanging clothes that I felt the familiar light feeling. Then suddenly everything felt so good. I was laughing and singing and bugging my mom. And I was totally speaking in proficient English instead of my native tongue. Those are the clear and distinguished indications that I was already tipsy.

I was happy enough to go to bed last night putting up a mocking face on insomnia because he can’t bother me this time. When I woke up this morning I feel already fine. No sign of any hangover but with a large and itching red rash (allergy?) on my chest. My mom says it’s because of alcohol. Oh boy.

MadMusic#020: Hear Our Prayer by Kajiura Yuki

Image borrowed here

I first heard Kajiura Yuki's compositions in the hit Japanese animation series Tsubasa Chronicles and I have fell in love with her sincere music since. Totally my kind of sentimental ear sensation. Anyway, above is a wonderful piano cover of one of my faves.

*sigh*

Image borrowed here

Gotta pull myself up. I need your slap in my face. I'm slipping away. Again :(

ArchInspire #004: SketchUp

I was approached by a friend from high school who was assigned by her coordinator in their ministry to design a cubicle that will house the computer and projectors that will be operated by MACE members during the celebration of the Holy Mass. I am just thankful that she approached me with this one because this is another opportunity for me to oil up those rusty brain cells I haven't been using lately in design. Of course, I'm also particularly driven since this project will be used during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. I'm just enthralled to see the finished product.

Where for art thou, Goatee?

Image borrowed here

Yesterday, after a long hot afternoon of non-stop karaoke and belting on top of our lungs, I decided to take a break, have a long cool bath which everyone deserves in this kind of temperature - and shave. Mind you, it wasn't just a shave. It was my first shave. Ever.

I was excited to show every one of the new clean and neat look I have. But when I looked in the mirror minus the shaving cream and all that, I was shocked. I felt empty inside. As if something is missing in the big picture that is a part of me. Was it because of the shaver? Was it because of the shaving cream? Or perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me again?

Sure, I looked young. But I'd flatly describe it as if I had a lower lip augmentation slash chin elongation surgery. Ugh. I'm not used to this at all. I missed my goatee. Oh, where for art thou, Goatee?