last night was the night that i finally got the taste of SaGuijo...after months and months of living at the other side of the world, Manila truly opened up her inner recesses of colors and natural high..and i happily drank it all in.

thankee to papa bear, for his fun fun presence and never ending charm...

so.

on to the pictures!


Sa-Gui-jo Entrance (Please Do not mind the Bald Man), The Many many advertisements, fliers and posters over flow their welcome.


Papa Bear at his most profound
Papa Bear is a former co-worker back in the old company i used to work for. one of the most esteemed and respected pencillers of the bunch, he is looked up as a father/older brother figure of the younger set. at the time of my stay, i was adopted in his ''clan'' as "the illegitmate daughter", claiming that i was a result of an affair he would rather forget...haha.

now that i left and came back, he now calls me his "prodigal daughter". :D


Owel-well...blinkies!

Owel and i met way way back at the time i worked on Fete dela Musique. he's the family friend of one of my co-workers that time and we gave no more than passing glances and a short exchange of hi's and hellos. it was only last year that we got to talk and bond...one of the people who kept me up to date on the months of my stay at the other side of the world.


Ean, ean, ean! Funky Eyeglasses Man..haha. I lav it!

Ean is another one of the peeps that i recently got to talk to..he popped up one day with a myspace message, reason that he wondered why he never saw me around the scene. he was surprised when i told him..

and from that day on, he kept me up to date with the manila music scene...among other things. but last year, the only form of acknowledging our presence with each other was a smile and a handshake. many people thought of him as a snob..suplado would be a better term. but seriously, even with our rare moments of seeing each other at the time, not once did it crossed my mind that he is such.


Armi-mo-mu flashes those pure pearly-whites. but nothing..as in nothing, justifies the pureness of her voice.

ohhh armi. i do admit that she could sing her way to heaven if she could. at the other side of the world, she was my constant character in all the sketches that involves anything cute and pretty...even some product developement first drafts that my boss and i would pitch, armi would somehow end up sketched in one of the fairies, dolls or a flowerhead...diyos ko, if anything, there could be an armi doll/plushie floating about somewhere.

*idea pops*

oops.


um...yes Ean. Me take picture for record.


Wall Art..by Team Manila "Papa Bear, project!"


Owel with his Happy Beer, Me with Happy Bear. :D

UpdharmaDown: Inside the Embryo.

Red does wonders for intimacy, and for heightening the performance level. after not hearing them live for months, i was refreshed with the way they re-arranged their old songs into something new...expectations run high for their sophomore album, i do hope all will be well with them when the time comes.


Paul Yap, Bassist. back then, i thought of him as brilliant...and i still do. i admire the way he pounces on each bass line and solos like a soul possessed...all while keeping his exterior self in a state of serenity.


Armi Millare, Vocalist/Keyboards. i've always imagined her as a Siren of sorts...with her long locks and powerful, haunting vocals. Her innate ability to transfix the audience with her voice alone, generating whoops of joy/appreciation/orgasmic admiration to long silences of respect, proves the saying, that she "got the whole world wrapped around her little finger".


Ean, Drummer. accompanied by his tech equipment (sorry for not finding a better term for it), he added spice to their sounds with impromptu beats and unusual mixings...not only that, his drumskills are much to be raved about. Each resonated with force, power and fleeting moments of intensity, as he closed his eyes in concentration and let his hands/drumsticks do the talking. the audience suddenly fades, and it is only him and his drums.


Carlos, Guitarist (Guy wearing hat, by the left). His riffs and solos are taken in a sort of ambient flow...and it reminded me of some rock bands in Japan who have at least one track in their albums dedicated for instrumentals and experimentations leading to ambient (think X Japan, Malice Mizer, Laruku and Luna Sea), and Carlos, with his own style and genius, molded according to the song's aura and taste.

......

first thing my mom said as soon as i met up with them at the arrival gate:

mom: (with eyes wide with disbelief)"anak, what did you do to your hair??!??"

me: (runs fingers across newly chopped hair)"um..you likey?"

mom: (squints) "likey? you look like a boy!"

(dad and younger bro started to snicker.)


after a 16 hour flight (inclusive of a stopover to taipei, taiwan) coupled with great conversation and in-flight movies, i finally landed home. in fact, i was so overwhelmed that i even welcomed the humidity...much to my friends and family's amazement.

i think it would be better if i let the pics do the talking:

introducing...

mi familia:

these pics were taken on the day i landed home. we went straight to my grandmother's (dad's side) house (yes, jetlag and all) and had a happy happy reunion...


my mom and dad


my dad


my younger brother, Cholo (but we're changing his nickname to Enzo...he is no longer a baby...)


my cousin lianne, her mom (tita christel), my mom, my grandma and me...


uncle carlo, my tita christel, my mom and dad, trying the mac photo booth feature


my cousin (model, host and businesswoman extrodinaire) jaylyn and me


another goof pic (with mom at her so-called "goofiest")

after a short rest, we went to edsa shangrila hotel and checked ourselves in...we met up with my mom's sister and her family...and had a mini reunion...prelude to the big one tomorrow. yikes.


my mom, tita janet and me (hidden)


this is what they call "goofing around"

see, my mom and tita's definition of goofing around is not by funny faces...but funny faces na may "poise"....i was suppose to be crossed eyed in this pic..but heck, i just decided to go with the flow. hehe.


mom took this pic as i was trying to write this entry.

i haven't had proper sleep yet...jet lag's pretty bad. but so far...i don't really mind the less sleep. i enjoy every waking moment...yes even the humidity.

i am so glad to be back home.

merry merry christmas everyone!

i stuffed myself with loads of cakes, cookies, lechon, pasta and fried chicken..plus 2 glasses of wine in represent to all for you guys.

i miss you all.

hope you had a wonderful christmas.

snow in vegas is a beautiful phenomenon.

yehey....

...pero they're from last weekend's trip to Frank and Sons Collectibles Center...30 minutes away from where im staying at the mo, it sells everything from movie paraphenalias, DVD boxed sets of your favorite series, japanese manga, artbooks to korean dramas..in just a fraction of their original prices.

introduction muna...

officemates kyle, brian and ahn decided to take me to a trip just for me to familiarize myself with the surrounding area besides cerritos, norwak, sta.ana and los angeles...and since they found out that im a anime and artbook geek, they excitedly invited me to come with them to Franks and Sons...

so the day started with me going to the cerritos library..spent 2 hours reading books and doing research for work..'research' for me, is plowing through artbooks that ranged from interior design to character designs from animation....so i did a bit of that before i met up with Ahn downstairs at 12nn, who brought lunch (sandwiches and coffee) and ate by the front courtyard of the library...met up with brian, then hitched a ride with Ahn while brian took a seperate car and picked up kyle at the Puente Hills Mall, then we finally headed out to Frank and Sons Collectibles Center....

wheeee.

so....

start na yun pics...


by losfeld
obvious ba na hindi ako sanay sa lamig? :D


by losfeld
getting ready to jump in..with officemates brian (with girlfriend in tow) and kyle (guy in grey vest and yellow shirt)


by losfeld
we are in aweeeeee....can't decide.


by losfeld
brian (left) is the IT person, while kyle (right) is the talentadong graphic designer...official members of the ''green room''. :D


by losfeld
i found one of Wilson Tortosa'a works! (Battle of the Planets aka Gatchaman)..


by losfeld
but too bad i already had that copy....


by losfeld
artbooks fanaticsssss! (kyle and i browsing through shelves of artbooks of Amano, Miyazaki and Oxidize (illustrator of Magnacarta)


by losfeld
trying to decide whether to get Vampire Hunter D Artbook (HUGE Book!) or the Tale of Genji Artbook (Iiyak na ko from happiness dahil sa ganda) both from Yoshitaka Amano...


by losfeld
*refer to black plastic bag underneath my arm)* nakabili sa wakas!!! (brian's gf still deciding whether to get all Ranma 1/2 mangas or the fushugi yuugi complete volumes.) kababalik lang ang wallet sa loob ng bag...


by losfeld
ayoko na tumingin baka gumastos ako ulit :D


by losfeld
kyle and i are thinking if we should buy more......


by losfeld
im in heaven.....si kyle nakabili din ng artbook. di lang in-angle ni ahn yun camera...tsk tsk.


by losfeld
ayann....that's brian flipping through it.


by losfeld
take a breather...nanlalamig pa rin ako...obvious na ako lang ang naka-scarf?


by losfeld
anak ng....


by losfeld
inaantok na ko...jet lag pa rin..


by losfeld
happy pa rin ako sa purchase ko...nilabas na si pookie...


by losfeld
nangigigil...i miss my teddy bear.


by losfeld
hala...someone miss someone....


by losfeld
cuddling while listening to master talentadong graphic designer...


by losfeld
getting ready for CPR...:D


by losfeld
outside...malamig...well, for me.


by losfeld
brian and me....malamigggg pa rin.

after Frank and Sons, we headed back to Puente Hills Mall, about 5 minutes away...where we had dinner at Oba Oba (Brazilian Barbeque) and some coffee-to-go..we stayed at the food court where we amused ourselves with tales from back home...as Ahn is the only none-filipino in our group, kyle entertained him by singing some tagalog folk songs and teaching him a few tagalog words to go with it. Ahn just clicked away with his camera all while laughing and struggling with his tagalog.


by losfeld
naku...nakajacket na dahil pag gabi..lumalamig to the max...


by losfeld
this is kyle. he's actually a singer, dancer and aspiring dj...back in manila, siya pala ang kumakanta ng mga commercial jingles from jollibee to 'the baby is now a lady'..yun. at siya pala yun isa sa mga guys yun sa nagaraya commercial dati..yun may long hair and they were doing headbanging...yunnnnn.


by losfeld
after coffee and conversation, we decided to head to TILT an arcade place..where kyle and i engaged in a ''friendly'' game of air hockey.


by losfeld
(kyle won..leche :D )


by losfeld
brian may be the quiet, brooding type..like my dad...but he's scary when he played this...hehehe..may tinatagong kulo ba? :D


by losfeld
ay....uwi na. pagod na eh...uwian na briannnn! :D :D

many thanks to Ahn..who took the pics..medyo shy siya by nature..and he would rather be the one taking pics than be in them...officemate ko siya sa work, graphic designer din. and he's vietnamese/french...kamukha niya si john lennon...and he draws really really well too...nakakainngit..i was warned on my first day that he's the quiet type..and would rather listen than talk..but these past days, he's been really talkative..even cracking up jokes and hirits to kyle...

anyway...hurray hurray..my first official longest post ever.....and with pics too..

hope all is well back in manila....

til the next update.

:)

by the way...miss ko pa rin sa-gui-jo.

i woke up at 4am to the sound of my clamshell ringing.

the number read 'unknown'..still sleepy, i managed to fumble my clamshell of a phone open and placed the reciever on my ear..half curious, half annoyed.

"camy?"

"nico?"

"I just have the most A-MAAAAAzing news!" *other end breathes heavily*

*i rolls eyes* "what's up?"

*another deep breath* "ijustgotacceptedforthesecondvtrforpinoybigbrotherisn'tthatsosogreatwhereareyouanyway?

*i sigh* "US, Los Angeles."

*pitch rises* "What!? Since when?"

*exhales tiredly "since last monday."

*silence*

*exhales again* "i couldn't reach you...so i didn't had any chance to tell you...you disappeared."

*silence then a small...* "oh."


not much people knew i was leaving pala...and when they did it wasn't a very good reaction. part of me wants to keep it a secret and the other to just burst it out. but yun nga...sensya na ah. when i left, it was also in haste and i did try inform, it was just too..i don't know, painful? it's not easy to say na you're leaving and you have no idea when you'll be coming back...ayoko naman din magsalita ng tapos. basta, babalik din ako...though i dunno if there are people who do. :)

basta basta.

ewan ewan.

malamig pa rin dito...

i looked up at the sky just now as i type this. i still see orion, the ursula minora and ursula majora...scorpio and hints of other constellations.

different continent, but the same sky...be it night or day

but manila is still manila.

...i think im starting to get homesick

good night muna.

-i am currently living in Norwalk. my relatives though are from Riverside. The travel from Norwalk to Riverside is like Manila to Tarlac..and since Norwalk is relatively nearer to where I'll be training/working, it's much more convenient to stay there. I am staying with a friend of my auntie and i help out by paying a bit of rent... :)

-i don't know how long i would be staying, but the longest would be six months...maybe a year..but, di ko pa kaya yun....yearssss. my auntie advised that it is better that i stay longer, but hey.....i will be nothing more than a popsicle when i return....or something.

-i would be spending christmas here. my mom and dad were suppose to come by for a visit..but in the end, they decided that they would wait out nalang the 6 months. :(

-and for others who asked: yes, i do have a plan...kaya ko to dinesisyon ng buong loob. yun na yun.

-masyadong malamig dito. nangyeyelo na ang mga daliri ko. seriously.

-please don't text me sa GLOBE line ko, mahal pala ang bawas to the both of us...kaya im going to try and update you guys as much as i can via here or YM...you can email me too sa stellardreamer_camy@yahoo.com that is until i can save up to buy a laptop...(macmacmacmacmac..sana)

-miss ko na sa-gui-jo at big-sky-mind :))

sigh.

sige...bye muna

til the next update.

November 25, 2006
Big Sky Mind Quezon City

*picture courtesy of mastah pong (http://ppagong.multiply.com)

salamat sa musika
sa chats on light/heavy subjects.
sa colors that reflects the present mood.
sa cheerleadEROtica
sa saguijo!
sa ang bandang shirley
sa free beer (cheers!!!!!)
sa supporta sa art ko! (inspired na ko mag-exhibit 'pre!)

owelwell....happy happy birthday!

I commuted the whole day yesterday. took the jeep to greenhills for errands and last minute shopping, met up with a friend..who decided to take me on an adventure...we couldn't find a taxi so we took the bus..which led to sta.mesa..where we took the LRT 2 purple line all the way to katipunan, a tricycle to a corner, then walked to mag:net and met up with the rest of my friends.

good laughs and nostalgia over chocolate martinis and liempo w/ garlic rice.

this friend of mine, had expressed that no matter which direction we would be walking onto, be it in some familiar path or blind within a fog, we would somehow end up in our destination..if it's really where we wanted to be.

this is the first time that i will be truly be standing on my own path. i would be walking on it alone.

but i see pinpoints of light.

sana ganito ako kaganda...as in. haha

pen-straight-to-paper quick sketch..continuation of the paul yap vector (total opposite...girl subject, cool hues monochrome).

an excerpt from "Split" by Suneohair

Mitsume tsuzukeru kimi no hitomi ni
Utsuru keshiki ga kawatta
Boku no shiranai atarashii HIKARI

When I continue to gaze at you
The seasons changed in your eyes
My new light which I’ve not known before

Sorezore ni michi wo yuku
Ima, wakaremichi
Mou nidoto furikaeranai
Kimochi ga hashiri sugiru

We will walk our separate paths
Now, at that crossroad
I can never look back again
My feelings are too overwhelming

Kiesou na yoru ni dakiatte
Hiekitta karada de motsuretatte
Nanika tarinai tte kanjiteru
Ittai itsu kara uso mo tameiki mo
Kakaekondanda sasaekirenai hodo

You embrace me in the night that is about to disappear
Entangling me with your body which has grown cold
I feel that something is lacking
Just how long have I been holding on to
Lies and sighs to the point of falling apart

the clairevoyant revealed just yesterday, beneath shuffles of tarot cards, that if i stayed, i wouldn't go anywhere. i wouldn't move...not while i am here. she took hold of my right hand and said that i should take away my fears..whatever they are, and just move. no matter how brave i try to project, she said that an inkling of fear still resides.

funny, i told that to someone a couple of weeks ago.

i never believed in those things till i actually sat down and think about it. for a year, i had tried to move at my own pace, thinking that i would be able to prove to myself that i could stand on my own, without having to depend so much on the people around me.

only to find out that it is much much harder than i thought.

today, i received something that shook my world. as i stated in an entry a few days before, something is bound to happen that will force me to take a step forward and make my decision. it is either do or die. no room for fear now.

i chose to 'do'.


CheerleadEROtica



happy birthday dude!

kung mayroon lang talaga akong madaming pera puwede ko makuha ng ganitong kagandang birthday pressie for you! ribbons and all...hehehe

this is actually a snippet of a poster art that i am doing for a company...but i feel that Owel deserves this more. Haha.

Paul Yap of Up Dharma Down

what's there to say about Up Dharma Down?

i think they're brilliant.

period.

my maternal grandfather used to write beautiful letters. letters of poetry and narratives filled of longing, love and melancholy. he used to write to my grandmother. despite that they only live minutes away from each other, he would still mail them to her via post office style, and anticipate each day until she receives them. grandfather rarely spoke unless necessary, so the letters were his only medium of expression, his speech, his microphone. he would once lament later that when he wrote to my grandmother, "every word written, my soul too is imbedded to the page.". grandfather was so deeply in love that the pen had to catch up with his heart. he wrote when he felt that the world is too heavy for him to carry, and when everything is light and beautiful. this was his medicine, his therapy, his so-called addiction.

and i'm one of the lucky few to have caught the bug.

Tegami 2

i heard tales of my grandfather that when he writes, his left hand is on his chest. it often signifies the level of intensity of who he writes to. he is an emotional being, but he tried hard to put his heart in a steel box. but moments like those are in rarity when anyone would first encounter him. he is a military man, so reputation played an important role. but once grandfather is home, strips off his militaristic facade and sits on his writing table, then all becomes loose, untangled and clear. one must not disturb him...except maybe when he needs to check up on what he had written so far. but then again, he believed that it would only hinder the "rawness" of the material...so he said.He was never interested in any form of technology, and prefered to write longhand.

again and again, he would emphasize the importance of "imbedding the soul and heart onto the page", and would stress that our handwriting must reflect our souls as well. so that any person who reads the letter, can feel the warmth from a piece of paper.

Back in Manila.

I felt a tad bit heavier when the plane touched down. I suddenly realized that being in Boracay/Iloilo made me gain at least 3 pounds from all the food my auntie stuffed me.

Never a day passed when she would insist that we should grab a bite to eat, even when it is not the scheduled time to do so. Everywhere we went, it was (my stomach turned over as I recall):

-buffet lunches (when we meet up with some of my uncle and auntie's friends and aquiantances)

-ala carte dinners (they wanted to make sure that I taste every single resto in the area)

-stop over snacks (when visiting a district/province somewhere, we would always have a stop over munch)

-marathon breakfasts (I tried skipping, but to no avail...)

-after-swimming munchies (The beach, after swimming...can work up a hefty appetite.)

-dessert tripping (Blue Jay Coffee's [Iloilo's local Starbucks] Petite Au Chocolat, Emilion's Banana Langka Turon topped with Vanilla Ice Cream, Green Tea Gulaman!)

-drinking breaks (Boracay Pier 1...nuff said. didn't get drunk. i couldn't...they (the relatives) watch me over like a hawk..)


**My Auntie and Uncle's kids are marathon eaters by nature. So they often insist that I should have the same portion as everyone else. So much Carbs and calories all in one....I didn't even believe in myself when I managed to wolf down 10 scallops, 5 servings of rice, half a chicken inasal, endless lechon, sinagang...ay diyos mio...i am making myself hungry and sick at the same time.

**partly the reason for my weight gain is I don't do my usual walk after breakfast/lunch/dinner, the Iloilo/Bora heat can get to you and will entice to slumber. I often fell asleep right after a hefty heavy meal...

yikes....

but nevertheless it was...fuuunnn.

Camy

i just had to contribute something for the yahoo elctronic time capsule thingy.

clicky clicky.

1. What does your name mean?
Camille - Virginal, Unblemished

2. What's your current problem?
me being in limbo.

3. What's your middle name?
Diquiatco

4. What is your current relationship status?
Single and well, dating around.

5.Honestly, does your crush like you back?
I think so. but don't want to make it too difficult by being bothered whether he does or not.

6. What is your current mood?
Fuzzy and sleepy...just got out of bed.

7. What do you love most?
walking while having a great conversation with someone, recieving a cool, touching email, warm hugs, creativity, colors, sunsets

8. What makes you happy?
sunsets, star constellations, black ink, writing, making new friends/meeting new people, painting, sketching, being underwater, reading a great book.

9. Are you musically inclined?
i guess. i can play a decent piano and guitar by ear...but cannot read notes for shit.

10. If you could go back in time, and change something, what would it be and why?
i don't think i would want to change anything. well, except my grades.

11. If you had to be an animal for one day, what would you be?
a cat. a flexible, cute pampered cat.

12. Ever have a near death experience?
2 times, one is an asthma attack and another i almost drowned.

13. Name something you do a lot?
i doodle.

14. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now?
Mugen Glider (Infinite Glider) by Asian Kung fu Generation

15. Who did you copy and paste this from?
tala_hiding

16. Name someone with the same b-day as you.
Chris Squire - British Bassist of YES (a 60-70's Rock Band)

18. Have you ever sang in front of a large audience?
um..alone? noope

20. What's the first thing you notice about the OPPOSITE sex?
Hands...eyes and his aura.

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
ooohhh yes yes

26. Do you have braces?
6 years. from high school to 2nd year college.

27. Are you comfortable with your weight?
Yep. Though i want to get back in my normal weight...people say i look siiiick. haha

28. Do you speak any other languages?
English, Filipino, Japanese and sprinkles of Fookien.

29. What's your favorite smell?
garlic (on food), someone's scent, clinique happy, rain

30. who do you think will re-post this?
people who read this...ha


You

As i type this, the breeze carried your scent...for a moment, i thought you were beside me.

**going back to manila tonight. see you all soon.

so.

i'm currently residing in an internet cafe by the sea, the sand settle in between my toessss. after a crazy day of decisions and last minute checks, i am finally here.

yes yes.

i am in boracay now.

a short sort-of summary:

other day (tuesday):

-brother decided to back out from the trip, so i thought it would be just me and mom.
-then mom decided to back out too. so i thought the trip is off.
-then mom suggested that i alone should go. and i was like: "Huh?" (but i danced a secret jig)
-was dropped off at the airport and boarded the plane all by meself. (yehii)
-first destination is iloilo.
-was picked up from the airport by my wonderful aunt, who then gave me a rundown tour of iloilo. who then treated me to dinner, who then took me to their 'hotspots' and finally, acommodated me to their home to freshen up and rest before we depart for boracay.

phew.

still with me?

yesterday(wednesday):

-woke up at 4am to pack what i need for the trip.
-did whatever morning rituals that one must do (bath, dress up, breakfast, do last minute packing/checking)
-road trip....from iloilo proper, we passed the antique route...which took foreverrrrrr...pass antique we went to catiklan...where we took a boat to boracay...but my ass was huuuuuu....sore from sitting almost 6 hours straight in the damn car.
-settled in. auntie told me to put on my bathing suit asap.
-met up with rest of the cousins.
-swam
-took a lot of pictures.
-walked...we did a lot of walking
-barhopping
-food trip
-stargazed and wrote till 12mn
-slept...(sorry to a certain someone, i didn't get to text you back...was asleep... :( )

today (thursday):

-woke up at 5am (went to the beach, wrote and walked along the shore.)
-went shopping
-bonded with auntie
-learned more about boracay.

....and that's about it so far.


no pictures yet, as i have to download them from my digicam. but i will soon...

will be in bora til tomorrow....and then back to iloilo for more bonding and writing.

will be back in manila by monday evening.

goodness, this is giving me creativity diarrhea!

*skitters back to the sea*

:)

happy birthday, energy drink.

you have no idea how back in college, you made me laugh, cry and jig all at the same time.
you blended in to our kada like water is to powdered chocolate.
true to your name, you are our energy drink.
back then, you were ''holier'' than me. but thanks to our dearest friends, you are now ''wiser''.

haha.

girl, for an energy drink, you procastinate a lot, that you have to admit. i had to drag your ass to school from the dorm, because you couldn't wake up without a holler from me or from the rest of the kada with enough willpower to shake you. you get awfully distracted by a lot of things, but the funny part is, i get distracted with those things you're into...they're that interesting..and you're that interesting. (you have yet to lend me those damn 'The L Word' DVDs.)

but when you get your mind on a task, you deliver with such stellar results.

2 years ago, we spent the night at Makati Shangrila just to shoot the bathtub scene for your thesis, and yet it ended up as a sleepover, ate chips, watched bad movies, jumped on the bed, smoked, drank and talked about everything..forgetting the whole thesis bull even for just a couple of hours. i was going through a rough patch with the elbert at that time, and you helped me get through it...

that was the best fun i had at that time.

we were seatmates, groupmates, carpool mates, line buddies, roommates and bathroom partner.

may you have all the greatness and luck in the world.

energy drink, happy birthday.

kanpai!