I Now Believe

I bought True Believer because:
1) It's YA literature
2) It has the National Book Award gold seal and the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature silver seal, which rarely happens!
3) It was only 75 pesos!

Even though:
1) I didn't like the cover art
2) The story didn't seem that interesting
3) It was a second novel in the Make Lemonade Trilogy, meaning, I have to look for the first book and read it before I could start reading this ('cause I'm OC like that).

So I...
1) Kept it in my pile (I'm a recovering Tsundoku)
2) Never attempted to read it and...
3) Eventually forgot about it.

Cover art; Discounted price; An even more discounted price; Date I bought it (yup, it's been on the shelf for that long!)

Buuuut
I had just finished reading two John Green books and craved for stories similar to those, so I started reading Why We Broke Up on the Mini. But because the Mini isn't my sole property and can't use it as I please, I picked up True Believer as my last resort.

Long story short
I checked the first and third books of the trilogy and was relieved that they didn't look like something I would enjoy. Unlike this one, both books had no awards, although the cover art (for the first book, especially) looked better. Because if it weren't for the awards of this particular book, I wouldn't keep going.

Lesson Learned
I chanced upon a rather beautiful book but ignored it and kept looking for something I thought would make me understand the story better. But I digress. 'Meant to be'-ness isn't exclusive (Yeah, I really just had to use that non-word), it happens to even the littlest of things (including books) and if the Universe hands you a second novel in a trilogy with double major awards and costs only one-fourth of its original price, ask no questions and read the crap out of it.

Late Bloomers United

I'm MissFlytulip, 20-something, and I'm an Enchanted Kingdom newbie.

That would've been funnier (or I would've sounded lamer, which is what I'm gunning for (I don't know why either), btw) if I actually said my actual age. But girl's gotta protect her fresh grad image! Haha!

So anyway, my first (ever!) trip to EK was on a holiday. Naturally, the place was packed and we waited for more than an hour before we were able to finally experience the rides (we spent half of our time uliterally watching and waiting from the sidelines). We went for the Flying Fiesta (only because it was the first non-kiddie ride we saw) and had a grand time.

Wheel of Fate. Whatever that means.

Next up was the Wheel of Fate, only because not a lot of people were waiting. (I know, I should stop settling and using 'only because' as an excuse) After this rather boring but somehow relaxing (I took a lot of snaps!) ride, we went for Anchors Away, in which we spent more than 2 hours just standing and waiting in line! I'm not a daredevil but because this didn't seem like a threat, I went for it. It was nothing like scary at first but towards the end, I was literally holding my chest because my heart fell every time we swooshed. I am not exaggerating!

While waiting for our turn and while sunset was happening.

I was so close to hurling so...I ordered food (I know, I don't understand my logic either)! We bought hotdogs and popcorn and guess what? We had to fall in line for a good 30 minutes too!

Photo I took from the Wheel. This one's my favorite EK photo. Taken using my 1.3 megapixel cam, so, #nofilter

After eating two batches of sandwiches each, my sister and I went for the perya rides next---the kiddie version of the roller coaster, Roller Skater and the balloon ride Up, Up and Away. We checked out the perya games too but were too kuripot cynical to try (we convinced ourselves that the games had daya so only a few people would win! haha!).

This one, I never dared. 

I secretly didn't wanna ride the Jungle Log Jam but because I didn't want to look or sound like a wimp, I fell and stayed in line even if I had an hour and a half to back out. I had mixed emotions while waiting because the ride didn't seem too frightening but the squeals of the people riding it scared me. Little had I known that there were NO SEAT BELTS or any safety gear in the "log" we had to ride. I had to literally hang on and scream my heart out for my dear life! Thankfully though, it was a good ride (shaky knees aside).

And just before the the Rio Grande Rapids officer declared "Sorry, closed na po" my sister and I managed to join the last batch! Talk about so much win!

So, there. My first Enchanted Kingdom trip in a cool, teal nutshell. :)

Gotta stop putting "random" in my titles.

Out of the blue, my fresh-from-college officemate asked me if my 18-year-old self would be proud of where I am right now and what I've achieved so far. I told her "yes" but had she asked me two or three years ago, my answer would have been different. I used to be so desperate about wanting to be more and do more, which I think is why I started so many attempts at "hobbies" (hello, d.i.y.!). Now, I'm still hungry, I still wanna do more but it's a different kind of hunger and definitely, not the desperate kind.

The following photos have no relation to my realization. I just thought it'd be fun to put in some "visuals".

My PBB+J breakfast (peanut butter, banana and jam). 

I guess I never got over my grade school days. I'm still a sucker for stickers and paper!

It's alarming that I'm confident that I can finish a box of this by myself.

Freebies from the Taylah Swift album launch. One of the button pins, I D.I.Y.ed into a magnet.

I wanted to include some photos of my very first Enchanted Kingdom adventure but I think that deserves a separate post. Till the next five years! Haha!

My “Tidy” Desk—emphasis on “”

Because I'm someone who can't work properly when my desk is cluttered and I can't "spring clean" in the middle of working, I make it a point to clear at least the part of my desk where my mouse is and shove all of my stuff in one corner. Sadly, it piles up and never gets my attention unless I need something from that pile.

My messy corner. And yes, that's a young Harry Styles on my wall. 

I've always been O.C. about my things--cute folders, colored organizers, labels and stuff--but because I told myself to wait for at least a few more months before I "settle in", this is what happened. It's gone pretty messy to the point that I'm now planning to go to work on a weekend or a holiday to just clean the hell out of my desk and overhead cabinet (yes, it's that messy). Basically, my cube's full of papers that I think I might use at some point. I guess that's where hoarders start, eh? Anyway, I dunno when I'll ever get the chance to finally sit down and clean my mess but for now, the piling game continues!

VansPh x Hello Kitty

I'm all for work-life balance (not working on weekends and holidays and grabbing as much "life" outside work!) but when you get invited to a launch of the two things you've grown up with (I've been sporting Vans since my college days, back when it wasn't as fashionable as the ones we have now), work on a Sunday is suddenly bearable exciting! What Sunday? :)

The "welcome" display; HK x Vans backpacks; pink lemonade; and Vans hi-cuts

We were invited to the Vans x Hello Kitty launch a few Sundays ago and since my EIC couldn't make it, I brought along my sister (who is also a huge HK fan) with me. The Vans store in Glorietta 3 was turned into a Hello Kittylandia of some sort with a make-your-own-ice-cream, pink lemonade, The Candy Corner, and Waffle Time stands. As with every event/launch, there was photobooth!

There wasn't a program so we just sat there, ate, fumeeling blogger (iz why I haz pictures!) and people-watched. But it wasn't the people who got our attention but the cash register ringing like crazy! The merch (shoes, bags, belts, tees, and accessories) were tons cute they were selling like pancakes! We even thought they were giving everyone a free item 'cause people had at least one Vans item on hand.

We left after an hour before the Party Pilipinas stars arrived (photos at Vans PH Manila and @VansPhManila) and invaded the store.

Thanks for the lovely treat, Vans!

Planner Rants

I consider last year my year of notebooks and planners. There were too many cute stuff to resist so I ended up buying a lot! Apparently, it was the same year I ended it. The culprit? I finally got my Starbucks planner (after too much convincing my sister to force her classmates to go have coffee) by the end of the year.

Late last year was also when I resigned from my last job so I had all the time in the world to write every single detail that was happening in my life. I even had notes on books to read, subjects to blog about, and even money to expect (I did freelance work at that time)! Heck, I even had time to put stickers on important dates! :)

Notice the dates? The before and the not-so-after.

After a few months of working, my planner has turned into a wild book full of to-do's but I'm glad that I don't have think too hard just to have something scribbled on it. I can barely put stickers (I did once but it was a "Time Out" sticker as it was a holiday!) but I'm happy that my work's keeping me (and my planner) busy.

Hair Story

It’s the time of the month when I am inspired to write "creatively" and just let it all out. In my head, I’m like this mad writer typing away all my pa-deep thoughts, but in reality, all I really do is think about what’s in my head. Crazy cycle, I know. I’m all for writing my second play (and getting my MA done, Ma!) but I am overcome with fear and my wanting it to come out great.
 
So what I do with this creative energy is channel it into something else and write about something different. Most of the time, I write something without pressure and the fear of not being (ahem) staged--like notebooks or cute stuff. HAHA! Fail ang pa-deep level! It’s been a while since I posted about cutesy stuff so just let me be, okay?

We planned to go to Lucky Chinatown Mall expecting that it'd be a newer version of the 168 mall, only to find out that it was yet another conventional mall in the middle of bustling Binondo. So after we had lunch, we left the mall and headed to 168. My sister was in search for the perfect twisty headband and believe it or not, we've spent ridiculous number of hours just looking for it. We've spent so much on snacks because we were too tired looking for it (and she doesn't even wear it, I've never seen her wear it!) but it was fun stopping for cute finds (that we never bought) here and there. 

**I know, you're probably wondering why I set you up for something you'd think was gonna be a long post and end up with this.

Stuff...

...that no one will probably care about but me. That I shall share anyway. I never really put too much thought into it but just recently, I figured that being shy isn't tantamount to being a sick ass dependent person. This, I found out through my course of being unemployed for almost two months. BS aside, being a bum was the greatest thing that ever happened to my stressed-like-hell state at that time. It allowed me to recuperate and get my creative juices flowing again. It also opened up a lot of possibilities: meet friends at any given time, sleep late, wake up later, watch TV, read, think of stories and concepts for my play, do freelance work...it was quite refreshing for the zombie I have become.  

First night of Eyeball

Because I personally want to broaden my knowledge in Playwriting and Plays in general, I am always on the lookout for shows in CCP. I'm used to dragging my friend Mark into watching with me and most of the time, he gladly obliges. We watched two out of four plays, and because I felt that he did not like it so much, I watched the third and fourth installments all by myself. I was confident in going alone mostly because the lights were dimmed and I wouldn't chance upon someone I know, thus, no small talk (I'm an awkward person so small talk makes me cringe!). For a shy person like me, watching and finishing the play alone was fun, liberating, and gave me a different kind of high. 

Taken after the show: props for Bakit Wala Nang Nagtatagpo sa Philcoa Oberpas

Having come from a successful alone time, I tried to take it a notch higher by going to an interactive play where crowd participation was welcome. Unlike before, the play wasn't in a dimly lit area and viewers had to go around the grounds in groups (and I had none!) to witness the show. While I mustered the courage to go to the venue to watch alone, I chickened out when I found out how the set-up was and went home. I consoled myself by assuring that I was brave enough to watch alone, and that, maybe next time, I'll feel differently about it.

As Pasinaya volunteers, we got to watch some shows for free! (That's Lourd de Veyra's performance)

My "AHA!" moment though, happened at a festival held in CCP where I enlisted as a volunteer. ALL. BY. MYSELF. I am so gutsy and ballsy and idealistic when it comes to these kind of things, but when the day comes, I start thinking otherwise.So there I was, working my way through throngs of people exercising in the CCP complex, basking in the Sunday sunrise, and getting ready to volunteer, even if I didn't attend any orientation whatsoever. I entered the building and asked around but for some reason, I felt the urge to just have breakfast elsewhere and go back home and sleep (our call time was at 6AM!). To convince myself that chickening out wasn't an option, I surveyed the place to look for fellow volunteers but found myself outside the building and ready to scat! I swear, it was like the worst case schizophrenic scenario because as I was outside and ready to leave, I stopped, stood still, and thought about my "quitting" for at least 15 minutes or so, deliberating as to whether or not I'll leave or stay. After thinking about it, I went back inside again where I met the rest of the volunteers, made new friends, and enjoyed my decision to stay. 

From sunrise to sunset

Long story short, going out of your comfort zone isn't easy but it can damn right make you feel really good! 

Paco Park

The Saint Pancratius Chapel in Ermita, also popularly known as Paco Park or libingan ni Rizal or madaming libingan (haha!), is where we hear mass every Sunday. After the mass, we lounge around a bit and sometimes, we take photos. This day is one of those sometimes.

Manila Dreams

As soon as my friend Cielo and I found out that Katy Perry was going to perform in Manila again, we instantly decided that we were going to watch her concert live. And being the cool sister that I am, I bought another ticket for my sister Mielle, who was going to celebrate her 17th birthday a few days before the concert. Cie's boyf, JP, joined in on the fun and proved that ang tunay na lalake, nanonood ng Katy Perry by going with her. Unfortunately, because of the suck-y signal, Cie and I did not see each other there. Nevertheless, we both had a stupendous time!

We waited for Katy Perry for two hours!

For a more detailed and beki account of the event, visit Divine Lee's blog. Her photos are what she calls kita panty levels!