Forgetting

(photo from lelove)

And then suddenly, you’ve become an echo
in a faraway valley in my mind,
Have you really been reduced to a
a fraction, a figment, a forgotten reminder of the past?

But noted is your absence
And your silence
So perhaps not all is lost in oblivion
Or in the velvety shroud of slumber

The only thing missing, is the thing that isn’t there.

===

What’s that they say about forgetting? That it should happen without you knowing it’s happening. And that you only notice it when suddenly, you realize that you have forgotten. It’s done. It’s over. It’s now all just a memory of distant past.

Sometimes, I notice how he hardly crosses my mind anymore. Then I look for it, for the thought of him, for that familiar skip of a heartbeat, or for the weary wonder about how he is. And then I get lost in the moment of that thought— in that search for physiological signs of heartbreak and psychological signs of a loss—and forget that I was trying to remember him.

ps. or could i also be convincing myself?

Tree Sculptures

Wow, Axel Erlandson is a genius. He dabbles in arbosculture so that would make him an arbosculturalist…? Anyway, it’s something similar to Bonsai in that where Bonsai has dwarfed trees, arbosculpture has trees looking like (doh) sculptures.

So the self-taught Axel Erlandson sculptured some 70 trees to make for Tree Circus, theme park of his lovely works of art. Then life took over in the form of bad health so he had to sell the Tree Circus. Some were neglected, some were—whatever, the point is, life continued to take over for the new owners until only 20 tree sculptures were saved. They were then preserved in another theme park, this time in California.

They’re awesome, see:

(photos from staro-novo)

Can’t say I’m a a solid tree-hugger but I am quite concerned with the state of environmental affairs. I don’t know how all this arbosculture fits in the green of things but maybe if all of us gave a fraction of Axel’s TLC to trees and plants and our environment, maybe the world wouldn’t be as sick as it is today.

I mean, I was just telling you how cruel it’s been in my part of the world for the past three months and what do you know, it’s suddenly overcast today. Boo, because I was warming up to hell already, preparing for a beach trip this weekend. Alas, alas.

Happy

It’s summer in Manila right now and it’s been ridiculously hot. hawt. It’s the kind of hot that makes you irritable and sticky and…never mind. At least, I’m at the office where the AC is thankfully available.

Been feeling like of bleh. I’ve been looking at my life, at my life’s to-do list, and I don’t know. While I take refuge in those words I’ve previously shared here—we all go our own pace—I can’t help but feel like I’m nearer failure than success, nearer failure than happy.

I try not to indulge in these gloomy thoughts because a) maybe I should look into old to-do lists; perhaps a few items have been crossed out? maybe my dreams are changing. maybe I feel I haven’t done anything noteworthy relative to my present to-do list, but relative to my old one…siguro naman, diba?

and b) I am doing all I can to be able to say at least I tried, or at least I finished with that little life dream. So, a few photos that have been successful in keeping the gloom at bay.

If only Philippine summers aren’t as cruel, then we can all hang out like this:

But Philippine summers are cruel so let’s just sit indoors, shall we?

All photos from the brilliant skonahem.

Ps. I love skonahem! If only I can read swedish. Sigh.

Yay, Another Cover Story

Wrote the cover story for the May 2010 issue of FHM Philippines. This means that, yes, I got to talk with cover star Angel Locsin.

For folks not familiar with Angel Locsin, she’s a big television star in the Philippines. Looking like that, you know that she has a lot of guy fans. She entered Philippine consciousness in 2003, when she first graced the cover of FHM Philippines. This is her fourth appearance in the magazine but her first—first!—wearing a bikini. When you think about it, that’s pretty big. Guys love her even without revealing too much skin.

Anyway, this is the not the first time I was able to interview the pretty young thing; I interviewed her three years ago for a cover appearance on Cosmo Philippines. But this is the first time that I got to talk, really talk with the actress. The girl is as real as real can be. She won’t mince her words, she won’t pretend to be your friend or reduce herself to being the  subject of a story, and she won’t hide her displeasure or her delight with things.

I like her attitude. She was able to keep things in perspective. Forget the interviewer-interviewee dynamics; she took the interview as a conversation, which is always how I like my interviews to be. “Baliktarin mo lang yung tanong mo,” she answered (invert your question), when I asked what it was she’d rather not be asked. “Diba, may mga bagay na nakaka-offend i-tanong? Ganun lang din yun.” (There are things you’d find offensive to ask, right? That’s just how it is for me.)

Which doesn’t mean the interview was any easier than others. Because in keeping it real, Angel knew she was a celebrity and as a celebrity, she knew she had to keep the pleasantries rolling along, even if she already seemed uncomfortable. Remember, she won’t hide her displeasure. Which I like very much.

This is a cover story I am proud of (nax!). I interviewed her on a Thursday, and then turned the story in Friday. I browsed through the magazine and saw that my article met minimal editing. Yay!

So, as shameless (or shameful?) pluggings go: Please get a copy of FHM Philippines May 2010 issue. It’s worth it.

Crush

Let’s quote Poe: “Johnny, angry Johnny this is Jezebel in hell…” and then, of course, I won’t transcribe the lyrics that  follow because fo’sho,  you already know them. How hot is Johnny Depp?!

(photo from here)

mmm.mmm.

(photo from fanpop)

I say as hot as Philippine summer!!!

(photo from here)