Computer Fix

Finally got my hands on one of these from the office equipment pantry. So so so happy with this. I've never been happy with the distance between the laptop on the table and myself. If I bring my chair down, I feel like I'm squatting at my table. An office chair with adjustable height + this little table extension + mouse + extra keyboard are Godsend. No more placing my laptop ontop of a stack of books to get my laptop at a good level!

Yay!

Unsolicited

Multiple deadlines looming near - some planned, some out of no where. Necessary errands building up, loitering dangerously near D-day(s). Calls, emails, commitments threatening to spill out my ears and over my head. Every hour and minute necessarily accounted for. Heart's picking up its pace. Shallow breathing...then bam! A meeting is cancelled, a rendezvous postponed. Unplanned, achingly welcomed pocket of free time that snaps open into your rigid schedule. Light and air breath into day as you're hit with a free pass to address the eternal whiny lament of: THERE ISN'T ENOUGH TIIIIMMMMMMEEEEE. You breathe...

So what do you do with this free time? A smart choice would probably be to reshuffle your tasks for the day, stretch out the pile of of things you originally had to accomplish in so many hours, into a time frame that makes you more hopeful that you'll actually finish everything you had set out to do for the day.

Or you procrastinate relax. Breathe. Take a nap. Play. Drink a cup of coffee.

What would you do?

Subway Soliloquies

As dirty and annoying as the New York subway can get, I'll have to admit that it is both convenient and always an interesting experience.

I love how public transportation in New York is a perfect balance between commuting and walking (perfect for burning away all the yummy food available here!), and that you can pretty much get anywhere in the city on the subway. When I think about it actually, my commute from my house to work takes the same time as my commute from Brooklyn to the city, but Manila commuting seems so much more.. taxing. Perhaps the humidity, dusty air and constant transfer from MRT to jeep to bus is a big part of this. But wouldn't it be great if you could make your way from Makati to Marikina without ever having to leave the underground labyrinth that is the New York subway system. Manila MRT/LRT unfortunately is only limited to stops along the major traffic arteries of the city; Taft, Aurora and Edsa.

I also love the mix of people you always see riding the subway. Young mothers in tracksuits pushing a stroller in one hand and toting a gaggle of kids on the other, corporate yuppies sleek and coiffed, angsty emo tweens in the funkiest street wear. You also have your wandering musicians, sleeping homeless, sprinkle of crazies and thousands of other people in all shapes, colors and sizes.

What I also love about the New York subway is that each station carries such a unique personality. From the way the station name is tiled on the wall, to the artwork you find in many of the station stops. Definitely keeps my mind preoccupied while waiting for my train.

But what I love the MOST about public transportation that runs underneath bustling metropolis is emerging from the hot suffocating subway below into the airy world above. Yes, ala Persephone emerging from Hades' underworld, welcoming spring! An extra bonus is if you are exiting a station you've never come out of before. Sometimes you emerge into a boulevard lined with trees, or an avenue with towering with steel skyscrapers. Sometimes you pop up into nothing but blue skies above.

LRT art

Saw this a few weeks ago but only able to write about it now. Doing my usual route to Katipunan, via the CUBAO lrt station. Had a happy surprise waiting for me when I entered the terminal.

There was a roped off area with makeshift panels showcasing select entries from an LRT ART competition - I'm assuming the theme would be something like artwork inspired by the LRT? I saw promotional posters weeks before that but never bothered to stop and read it.

Needless to say, the work showcased is really good. Alot of different styles and a lot of different techniques. Some very modern in interpretation, others very stylized. I have no idea how they will choose a winner or if they've chosen one already.

Outside of it being a brighter unexpected moment in my day, it further emphasized the fact that Filipinos in general, are just so damn talented! It's really amazing. In general, I consider myself average in a lot of the different things I dabble in. It's so humbling to be blown away by people who REALLY excel in something.

I wish I was able to have gotten closer to the work to have gotten better shots. There was a lot of work I couldn't appreciate becasue I simply couldn't see it.

Never the less, wanted to share some...

chair love

while staying with friends in SFO last year, i fell in love with an IKEA chair they owned that sat quietly beside their silver-satin sheeted bed.

in true IKEA fashion, it was a simple chair with clean lines. didn't look like anything out of the ordinary. but once settling your tush into it, you would NEVER want to get up. firstly because you needed to exert extra effort to hoist yourself out of it due to its shape, but more importantly, because it was just so damn comfy. perfect for reading or typing away on a laptop (when i still had mine *sob*).

i was obsessed with getting one for myself and day dreamed about it. no need to punch-in-shape the tower of pillows supporting your back while reading in bed, or sweating up a storm (ew) in a plush leather lazy boy (though i'd like to get me one of those one day too) to icky for Manila weather, or tossing and turning on any other chair to get into the right position. i remember a night months ago where i scoured the net looking for it and figuring out ways to get it into Manila at a decent cost. i had let it drift away into my wishlist of "i-wants" and forgot about it as other curios and daydreams quickly replaced it in my head.

driving (ok.. not driving.. hitching) to rehearsals with a friend the other day, we drove by a small side shop where my friend said in passing "oh look.. a new store selling furniture...". i looked out her window as the stoplight turned green.. and saw an "IKEA furniture" sign stuck on the door. WITH MY BEAUTIFUL CHAIR SITTING PRETTILY IN THE DISPLAY WINDOW. i flipped!

needless to say, i stalked them online yesterday in hopes that they would have web presence and to my delight, they did! i got a response and pricequote from the sellers today and am pleased that it wasn't as extravegently priced as my interior designer friend had ceiling-ed, and much closer to the price i estimated.

i have since then, reshuffled my list of priorities of things to purchase when my income becomes steady and abundant.

excited!!!!

brewed in a bag

i was looking for something to give my mom as a small "pasalubong" from our trip to Japan. As she's an avid coffee drinker, a friend suggested this: brewed coffee in a "tea" (eh?!) bag! These Japanese brains really DO think of everything! Though it's a little tedious sitting there pouring hot water into the bag bit by bit and waiting for the water to seep into the cup - it smells and tastes the same ! Amazing! Bonus points for the "aliw" factor :)

nothing like some h20 on the go

i know a lot of major water drinkers who tote around water bottles with them, just in case! personally, i hate how a newly filled bottle of water from a cold water dispenser, gets your bag wet due to the moisture from the bottle. here is a fabulous way to keep your bagged items dry, and an even greater way to dress up your bottle :) this was a gift from a chorister friend in japan. cute huh?

meet coco & friend

while waiting for an appointment in the freak cool air of manila, i ran into these two cuties. i had to capture it on camera.

i stalked them for a while but could not get a great shot. eventually, i asked their "person" if i could take a quick snapshot of the two.

now i see a lot of dogs being walked around in booties & socks but this is the first time i've seen dogs in chuck look a likes!

too too cute! :)