Office Bear

This bear is waiting in a cold office lobby one day, for the girl of his dreams.

Too bad bears can’t simply walk up to the person it likes, and tell that person so.

Maybe she’s incredibly passionately busy with work. Probably she might even thing think she’s hallucinating out of stress to see a stuffed toy parading in her face, proclaiming love all over its naked fluffy glory.

Corporate / Bookworm Aleli?

 

I meant it when I said that a career in publishing is something I was willing to have someday.

However, if it involves merely sitting for hours straight, never mind.

This shot was taken at one of my freelance stints. Sure, I was surrounded with all the beautiful art books I could hardly afford or keep in our apartment; I was almost “ordering” people around to get things done; I could have all the coffee and airconditioning I want. BUT, as the sunset rays sliced through the blinds I raised up to get natural light, I realized that I was bored doing all this.

I have nothing against offices and business suits and briefcases. It’s just that I grew up seeing family working in places that blended with the home. It’s me. That’s why I’d prefer freelance and contractual work over a “stable job” if possible. I will toil to the extreme for a week or two and then get to control the rest of my time, and the place where I want to be working in!

This is the second OJT-like-work I’ve done in a corporate place. There’s something cold and monotonous there, and I feel white walls sapping out all the kiddyness and me..that would make a not so happy Aei..^^;

Realization Drama Alert: I’m lucky I get to discover these RL scenaries as early as now. At least I don’t have to hop around or experiment listlessly with jobs/offices after graduation just because work doesn’t satisfy me.

 

Hallow Birthday Man

Birthday Man’s hands. Even if my dad celebrates his birthday with the souls of the world, he doesn’t seem to have ghastly encounters with any ghouls.

He has witnessed a Banahaw sighting in his high school days though.

The night before his birthday (Nov 1), we visited my grandfather whose memorial lot looks unusually prim and trimmed. Somehow I don’t think it suits my image of my super kalog and kengkoy and happy-go-lucky grandfather. I can’t imagine him buried underneath the pretty grass, or the sliding marble slate. I can’t recall his essence properly when I’m in the cemetery because it’s just not him. I don’t believe in cemeteries anyway. The only things I can remember about it is its pretty grass and lovely wire-free skies.

 

(Himlayang Pilipino, Tandang Sora Quezon City)

Happy! Meal!

 

Remember the high school days when McDo used to be our favorite hangout, and when we bought Happy Meal for the sake of the toy? This day was one for me! I lusted over any new toy or thing as I was crossing a street and saw a gigantic Happy Meal banner waving at me.

So we went in and actually bought Happy Meal. For the toy.

This one below is a dance beat game! Or a tamagotchi! You try to follow the dance moves of the robot thingy until you reach the highest level.

This one is a drum simulation game. You have to press either “drum” buttons as soon as a stick comes flying down from the sky of the screen.

Sadly, after 5 minutes of playing, I think I’ve finished up to the top levels of both toys ;_;

 

Note: Yes, I’m in college already, and yes, I have been a rhythm simulation game “master” until my brother sold our PS2, my only access to gaming. No, computers are not part of my gaming paraphernalia; they’re for work. Completely different medium and experience!

I haven’t touched a gaming console since my freshman college year and it has both been liberating (of the RPG/music game addiction) and depressing (of my having no visual stimulation for real world escapism). I want a gaming console now! Kahit ba maraming work to do! HAHA!

As for these McDo babies, they’re either going to end up in another kid’s treasure box soon, or be screwed off to pieces for my crafty-tripping purposes. ^^; Post of you want to salvage them instead!

 

(McDonald’s Anonas)

 

Trip the Light Fantastic!

This pink-light flashing mouse amused me at day’s length as I learned CSS and fangirl-ed Japanese Male Pop Idols (Arashi’s Sho Sakurai! He’s hot and he graduated from an Economics undergraduate degree in Japan!)

We are Staple-Happy Poster People

 

I sigh at welcoming the barangay elections.

-

There is too much commotion in the Philippines again: Gloria’s disgusting tactic of “diverting” Filipino’s attention by freeing one of the most unfair people of all time, the obviously hyped and still unresolved Glorietta Ayala mall “terrorist” bombing, the almost-pegged ZTE @#$% (but is probably getting away), the environmental-polluting and corruption-encouraging barangay elections..then the upcoming Halloween “long” vacation.

My future, as well as most of us in the country, has just been gravely endangered. I really have no idea what I can do for everyone else anymore. Amidst this brewing chaos, I can still study and work hard for the benefit of myself and those immediately around me, but not for everyone else. I feel guilty, selfish, lost, definitely profoundly confused.

I wonder how fresh we students will be in time for second semester.

 

Hello FOOT!

When I was crying and wincing in pain because of my stupid toe, my mother said that I looked cute.

My dimples always give me away whenever I try to look emo. Pfft.

Hello FOOT!

 

When I was crying and wincing in pain because of my stupid toe, my mother said that I looked cute.

My dimples always give me away whenever I try to look emo. Pfft.

 

Bottoms Up, Toe (mate)!

Despite the gore and my inexplainable fear and sudden weakness in seeing my newly-operated right toe, I still was able to go out with my family in Greenbelt. Limping, with a bandaged piso-sized hole on the bottom surface of my left toe.

In my attempt to forget the throbbing, shooting pain of my toe, I drank a spiked smoothie which actually failed. Well I was able to sleep peacefully that night.

(Gonuts Donuts, Fruit Magic, Greenbelt III, Makati)

In Surgery Costume

 

Some days back, after a check up with a doctor about a small wound on my foot that never healed, I realized that I had going to have my left toe operated. The splinter got infected. I’m a commuter who walks distances; OH NO! Good thing it’s the sembreak.

The process is simple: Surgeon Doctor’s will have to slice the bottom surface of my toe. It might bleed, but I can completely avoid looking at it because it’s all on my foot; I don’t stare at my feet much.

Surface-slicing day: the most excruciating part of my so-called surgery was the anaesthesia! Add to it the idea that my sembreak will fly by with me limping around the house, instead of exploring someone’s neighborhood taking photos or shopping around for ideas!

Well, at least I can say now that in my lifetime I experienced a walking-handicap, and that I can write about it. Charge it to experience as my mom said!

 

“Kalyo”

One of the stupidest things that can ever happen to somebody are accidents on body parts that might as well hinder that person from doing the things s/he loves.

I had a callus on my right toe. I think I welcomed viruses in the party when I poked it some days ago. The doctor said it has to be operated.

I wouldn’t be able to wear my nice shoes for a while..!!! @#$%!

World Without Photoshop

 

Amateur photographers in the seventies/eighties are amazing. I realize that every time I look at my dad’s old photos and every time I study the “old-school” photography books he passed on to Kuya and me.

Photographers back then feel the preciousness and price of a film.

They feel that “hatak” or the slight budge in rotating the said film in the camera.

They feel the excitement of being handed out a neat, thick envelope, filled with their freshly developed sets of pictures.

If their pictures turn out ugly, they don’t have this annoying voice in their heads that always remind them “Well, there’s always Photoshop!”

And they don’t have nagging feelings of guilt or remorse every time neglect to upload said photos in a Multiply/Flickr/Yahoo/Friendster account because they are simply too tired or too busy to do so.

 

(spread: John Hedgecoe’s Complete Course in Photographing Children, 1980 book)

 

Elay Doodle!

 

Happy Birthday Elay (the other third of the photobloggers in SunnyHillTrio)!

What can be more fun for a girl stuck in the midst of flash animating and programming, business feasibility studies, some number of final exams, and babysitting jobs? A (surprise) happy birthay doodling party with the high school friends, home-cooked food, banana-peach-vanilla crepes, and spiked Tiramisu (c/o a recent Culinary Arts graduate in the barkada)!

Never believe someone who says “Sorry…(busy ako e) wag nalang kaya..” in the afternoon before her birthday.

And what could be the more perfect gift (besides a shiny laptop) for a chronic pencil-doodler than a personalized colored poster that she was part of making!

Funny how our true ages shows when we could label events like these as “this is so high school!”

 

(someone’s house in Quezon City)

 

My Idea of a “fun” career

 

…is this: doing something equally technical, brain-nagging, and creativity-splashing. Maybe like taking product shots, designing products, and figuring out a way to deal with (or find) potential customers of a business I was born to be part of.

Like this morning maybe, when I was bribed to happily photograph my relatives’ product sets with Starbucks, airconditioning, a chance to practice with my camera and a pass to a World-Trade-wide trades/art/fashion/design exhibit.

(October 20. 2007; Manila F.A.M.E., World Trade Center, Manila)