For you who has taken flight

I remember the very first time I had an actual conversation with Alexis. It was at an Italian fast food joint across UA&P and I couldn’t believe it was happening.

It was the summer of 2006. I had recently graduated from university and had no idea what to do next. My life was at a standstill but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the fact that I was having lunch with a person who, prior to that meeting, I had only greatly admired from a distance.

I remember being quite taken with him. He was charming, witty, passionate, and immensely intelligent. But what stood out the most was his ability to make me feel at ease, joking around as if we had been lifelong friends when in fact we had only met a mere five minutes ago.

Alexis was the kind of person who was unhesitant to extend himself and sincerely connect with strangers. Those who had the pleasure of knowing him all recognize how welcoming he was. He had a refreshing quality of being genuinely interested in the opinions of others, no matter if the opinion had more “umms” and “uhhhs” than real insight.

That was how we met. And I’m incredibly glad that he listened beyond those ridiculous amounts of “umms” and “uhhs” and gave me the very exquisite pleasure of calling me his friend.

The very recent tragedy that had taken you and Nika away has a lot of us wounded and almost too tired to begin again. We may never be rid of the grief but trust that someday we will be dreaming outrageously again - just like you did, just like both of you did.

Thank you, Alexis and Nika.

Photo by Chris Yambing

Apologies

I'm so sorry, Blogger.

It seems I went ahead and took on another lover.

A Lesson in Buoyancy

Do you know what the ultimate gauge is to determine whether your weekend truly ruled? Your weekend truly ruled if your head is firmly convinced that it has metamorphosed into a helium balloon come Monday morning. No amount of pleading, coaxing or severe whacking is convincing this head that it isn’t made of rubber latex and filled with compressed air. (Hmm. That might be a point of contention.) So what’s a person to do? Why, sit back and enjoy the view from the clouds, of course.

Just like these gang of balloons did. (Now that is a magnificent use of The Segue.) I’ve noticed that there’s been a proliferation of balloon-themed visual gems floating around recently. From the Miss Dior Cherie commercial that Sofia Coppola helmed,



...to the incredibly charming engagement photos taken by this pretty awesome photographer named Max Wanger:


...and ultimately to this pretty amazing music video from Grizzly Bear:



Further clickage into the depths of the internet world brought me to the source of its greatness. If you’ve got 30 minutes to spare, watch The Red Balloon, a silent movie that made waves back in the 1950s. If this won't bring back childhood memories of grinning from ear-to-ear at the mere sight of a round red balloon, you're better off inhaling a whole tank of helium.

Friday's Fantastic Five (Lets Try This Again)

Yes, the delinquent blogger is back! The Corporation held me captive for the past months, you see. I’m out on parole for the time being. So lets enjoy my freedom by continuing Friday’s Fantastic Five!

1) This is a great example of the very elusive television commercial with heart."‘Television commercial’ and ‘with heart’ in one sentence?!” you scream in disbelief? Yes. It actually exists, though it is a rare breed. Extremely rare but not on the verge of extinction, yet.

Doodle Heart
Uploaded by realbao -

2) A French band that sings in English and makes you involuntarily tap your toes and shake your head - what’s not to love?



3)

Created by Spike Jonze and friends, this site documents the phenomenal journey their imagination has embarked on in the creation of a very marvelous spectacle called Where the Wild Things Are. You may have heard about it. In short, it’s a treasure trove of amazing things. I’ve had a really wild time going through the archives and I’m sort of heartbroken that I’m about to run out of pages to click “back” on. This, my friends, is definitely a keeper.

4) A delightfully strange talent is what Hal Hartley is. I love the man. He had me at hello. Click the mouse on your friendliest torrent site and download “Surviving Desire”.


5) And lets cap this list off with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Why? Why not?

Friday's Fanstastic Five

In salute to the glorious, glorious, glorious day that ushers in my favorite part of the week, I’ve decided to put up a weekly Top 5 list of awesome randomania, fittingly called Friday's Fantastic Five:

1) Norwegian electronica duo Röyksopp’s truly zap-tacular music video for “Happy Up Here” that collected inspiration from one of the most cherished old-school video games known to man, Space Invaders.


Happy Up Here from Röyksopp on Vimeo.

2) Two months back, I came across a couple of very curious photos of dapper chaps and dashing dames, all dressed up with a ton of panache whilst riding their bikes in merry ol’ England.

I immediately thought, “Oh golly gee, what could this be?” A couple of mouse-clicks later, I found out it was the first FGSS (Fixed-Gear and Single-Speed) Winter Dress Club Run or simply called, Tweed Run.

The idea was simple: all dapper gents and elegant ladies were welcome to join the leisurely bike ride through London, provided they show up in the spiffiest attire worn during the era of jaunty capes, cravats and tweed, tweed, tweed!

Simply put, it was “a social ride with a bit of style”.

(Photos: Source)

Here’s another dream to add to the already lengthy list of Will It Happen? Probably Nots: Move to London, buy a fixie and dress up like a dapper English gent.

3)

(Photo: Source)

4)

(Photo: Source)

5)


Goodbye, Manila! So long, Stress! Au revoir, Anxiety! Adieu, Apprehension! Farewell, Fuckaz!

I’ll just be with the monsters.

Any minute now and I’m about to croak from exhaustion, stress, and plain ol’ existential angst. How I long for days long gone, when all I had to worry about was devising a sneaky plan on how not to take my daily afternoon nap or a clever diversion to lure my nanny’s eyes away from the yucky warm milk that's about to be poured down the drain, or which nook, cranny or crevice would be the best place to hide away from scary, scary It.

I would truly give anything just to be able to live again as a child, when all the monsters in my head didn’t equate to the past, or with pressure, fear and anxiety – but more of the furry kind that carried me high up on their shoulders.



Anyway, allow me be a fangirl for a minute: Wasn't that an amazing trailer?! It's been so long since a trailer sent shivers running up and down my spine. Oh my god. This movie is gonna be amazing!!! (Yes, it deserves three exclamation marks.)

The Wait is Killing Me

Nothing can truly be as torturous as the dreary act of waiting. More so when you’ve foreseen the potential greatness of what’s to come. In this case, it’s the potential greatness of two prime examples of why pop culture truly is the most wonderful thing on this planet.

Case No. 1

“It’s about time!” I shouted out loud as the magical click of the button revealed one of these week’s greatest treasures to me. Mark your calendars, friends. May 25, 2009 is the day that the Phoenix will rise from the recording studio and reveal their highly anticipated fourth album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.


As a way to satiate us hungry followers, the band has made the first single, 1901, available for free download. Now isn’t that a sweet thing to do? I am smitten, oh yes, I am!

Case No. 2

Normally, any movie with Joseph Gordon Levitt in it will be called an instant favorite. But throw in Zooey Deschanel, a heart-wrenching break up and anti-romantic comedy into the mix, and you’ve got a rabid fangirl in me, who has to wait until Lord knows when for the worldwide theatrical release of 500 Days of Summer. (The movie’s opening in July for folks in the States.)

'500 Days Of Summer' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Additionally, here’s a pretty interesting story behind the inspiration for the trailer.

And now we can all heave a collective sigh over the prospect of the long wait.

The Inside Scoop from an Outsider

He’s done it again. Scott Sternberg has got me swooning over his Fall 2009 collections for Boy and Band of Outsiders. More than the clothes themselves, what truly got my eyes lighting up was Sternberg’s source of sartorial inspiration, Jean Luc Godard’s 1967 film, La Chinoise.


Heavily taking cues from the Parisian student uniform of blazers, jackets, and sweaters worn during the fashionable days of yore, Sternberg created what he does best – a smart, preppy look that will make those who don it pass any test of impeccable chicness with flying colors.







Intentionally veering away from the monotonous march of models up and down the catwalk, Sternberg, once again, looked towards the stimulating world of cinema for inspiration in presenting his collection. Taking cues from The Lars Von Trier (Dogville) and Charlie Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York) School of the Minimal Use of Props in an Enclosed Area to Symbolize the Outside World, Sternberg assembled a tableaux vivant or living picture by “constructing his own world out of a handful of French-ish props: a phone box, a lamp post, park benches on which models lounged playing cards or board games, existentially wasting time à la française.”

How I wish I had the good fortune to witness this in the flesh. For now, we thank the heavens for Vimeo.

Band of Outsiders, NYC fashion week collection presentation from Philip Gaedicke on Vimeo.

More than the finished products themselves, I believe that what’s sending me in a tizzy are the avenues of inspiration that Sternberg had chosen to take. The creative process really never ceases to astound me – from inspiration to a germ of an idea, to the earliest drafts, to the birthing pains, to the moments of disquiet and doubt, to the breathlessness from the final thrust and finally, to the smiles from ear-to-ear, there really isn’t anything like it. I know I may be waxing (pseudo)poetically about this but really, anything minutely connected to a beautiful man by the name of Jean Pierre Leaud would do that to anyone.



(Sources: Style.com, Fashionologie.com)

Answer Me This

Once in a while, something wonderful floats up to the surface to reveal its brilliance. When you ask Fifty People One Question, you're bound to get some very stirring responses.


Fifty People, One Question: London from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.

What would your answer be?

25 Random Examples of Too Much Information

1) I’m the kind of person who never ever remembers her dreams. Though every time I sleep with scotch in my bloodstream, I wake up with a very lucid recollection of a series of really bizarre dreams. It freaks me out a little bit. Now where’s the scotch?

2) My lolo died in the room I now sleep in. From time to time, I smell his scent around the house but it really doesn’t bother me. I actually find it very comforting. Thought it’d be a whole different story if I start detecting his scent in my room.

3) I brush my teeth in the shower. I started doing this because I thought it’d save me time and water. I was wrong but the habit remained.

4) I love train rides. Whether they’re rides on subways, skytrains, overnight trains, etc. I love the feeling of being in transit and of being cramped with people who you’ll never see again.

5) When I watch movies alone, I always watch them with subtitles. Even the American ones.

6) I tend to talk to myself a lot, in my head or out loud. It’s usually in the bathroom wherein I’m at my most talkative. I think it’s because I face the mirror while talking to myself, creating a semblance of conversing with another person.

7) I’m very awkward in social situations. Throw me in a room full of people, whether strangers or not then watch me make love to the wall.

8) If I could be of any nationality, I’d be half French, half Japanese.

9) It was only a year and a half ago that I started wearing sneakers. My middle name used to be “Tsinelas”.

10) I once went two whole days without uttering a single word to anyone.

11) As much as possible, I try not to fall asleep while watching movies in a theater. I think it’s a very offensive thing to do to directors, even though they’ll never know. But a couple of years ago, I found myself being lulled to sleep by Michael Moore’s voice in Fahrenheit 9/11. But then again, that wasn’t a movie.

12) I have a hard time committing phrases, quotes, and the like to memory. When friends start quoting lines from movies, watch my face change into an expression of a kid who’s just been told, “Honey, time for bed. The grown ups are gonna talk now.”

13) I’ve never eaten in a restaurant alone, ‘til last year. It was very therapeutic.

14) I want to go to Stockholm, Sweden. Now.

15) I’ve always secretly wished I were a poet. So much so that I’ve tried several stabs at “poetry” and well, all my attempts deserve to be stabbed.

16) I have a weakness for dorky guys. Trip, stammer, stutter in front of me and I will love you forever. Blather on and on about something I don’t fully understand and all I’d wanna do is plant a huge one on you mid-sentence. I will love you and all your obscure references.

17) I don’t like sleeping before midnight. Even though I’d be really sleepy at 10 pm, I’d feel the need to “rebel” and sleep after the clock strikes 12.

18) I’ve officially been an employee in the advertising agency I work in now for one year. And three days. Where did all that time go?

19) The advertising agency I’m working for now is actually my dream agency. Well waddaya know, dreams actually do come true.

20) I blush so easily. I hate it. I really do.

21) I can’t sleep without the help of a nightcap or sleep aid. And to think that I’m only 24. This is not good.

22) For a significant number of years, a friend’s dad had thought that my whole name was Kai Ty. It still cracks me up.

23) My old Powerbook’s name is Lou, named so after Lou Reed (pretensyosa ka!). My new Macbook’s name is Trent, named after that hot cartoon character in Daria.

24) Here’s a chronological rundown of all the professions I’ve wanted – Pediatrician, Business Woman, Fashion Designer, Rock Star, Advertising Whore, Photographer, Museum/Gallery Curator, Director, Cinematographer, Writer/Travel Writer, Fashion Merchandiser, Store Proprietor. One dream snagged out of 12. I think it’s time for a Life Assessment.

25) I once had a clear book bursting with Backstreet Boys posters, clippings, articles, etc. One day, it magically disappeared. Poof. Gone. Without a trace. Like rational thought when drink is drunk and you’re drunk from drink. My poor, teenybopper heart was inconsolable.

Woman Overboard!

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write more. This blog is a testament as to how that resolution has been ignored like an old wine-drenched rag, left to dry underneath the oppressive heat of the sun - abandoned, shriveled up, and ant-infested.

I refuse for this blog to be ridden by insects.

And so from now on, I shall do my very best to keep this clean, well-lighted digital place updated a couple of times each week.

Words, it seems, are my only salvation. It'd be a shame to not even try to save myself. Ironic indeed that the only thing that's preventing me from tossing the lifesaver is none other than little 'ol shiftless me.

Woman vs. Self

Borrowed Words (For mine are all gone)

“For the world is movement, and you cannot be stationary in your attitude towards something that is moving.” *

And so another year hangs limply on the rack like a well-worn overcoat.

2008 was a great year. It became all the more spectacular as it progressed because events kept on unfolding that kept knocking me over by surprise. The antidote to a seemingly incurable disease was found, a new job saved me from drowning in a pool of cold, dank misery, new bonds and old friendships were set in stone, the Absolut win, the trip to London, the chance encounters, the rushes to the head, the almosts, the not quites, the not yets, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Though the year that passed was truly one for the books, the lure of a clean slate is infinitely more alluring than breathing in the stale air of the past.

So 2009, c’mon and give me all you’ve got. Dip me, twirl me, fling me in any which way you want to. I’ve got my fancy shoes on and boy, are they made for dancing.

* Henri Cartier-Bresson