sandunes

"life's smells"

im an absentee blogger - but now, i suddenyly find myself having the urge (and the time) to write about one of the things that fascinate me now - just to see if anyone shares the same fetish, and if it is not utterly insane to be happily obessesing about what i like to call the  "life's smells."  living alone does make you think a lot, and i have realized that i usually equate things, people, place, memories and feelings - to what else, but scents?!?

strongest on my olfactory senses and most prominent are the scents of my family - whenever i smell tobacco, the strong kind, i remember my dad.  cigarettes i equate to my brother.  spanish cologne to my sister.  and pungent, overly sweet floral scents and red lipstick to my mom.   

old boyfriends have distinct smells as well and accompanying good and bad memories attached -  safeguard and soap with paolo cui, a pleasant smell i equate to growing up.  cigarettes and soft batch cookies with brian, a patient -southern lay-back smell. axe cologne with mias - a scent which i found myself growingly irritated with (it stinks of the scent immature, annoying, short pre-pubescent boys wear).  pio smells like freshly warmed bagels and dove soap.

and there are my favorites...smells that make me smile, make me laugh..gives me an endorphin rush on a very, very, very bad day.  freshly brewed coffee, tangy, sharp...freshly peeled oranges...the smell of the rain, heavy, breathy, suffocating...milk...coconuts, reminscent of the sea, heady, strong...vanilla, cloy, irritatingly sweet and the scent i wear...melted chocolate...creamed butter and sugar over a low fire...donuts...aunti anne's pretzels...yellow stargazers in bloom...dove soap.. "november rain" the perfume of my hair conditioner...warmed whole wheat bagels...honey...and my favorite smell in the world...the milk scent found on babies, like sniffing new life, the smell of innocence.

and oh...nothing beats falling asleep to the scent of freshly baked cookies wafting through your apartment after a hard day's work. hmmmm...how amazing is that?

neil gaiman rocks

Neil Gaiman rocks. This is the epitome of my total "dorkdom" of being a Sandman fanatic. I lined-up at 9am in the morning, July 7 with my friend Mel and my brother to get a number (for the autograph signing) at Rockwell Tent.  Got number 107.  Lined-up again in the afternoon to get to "The Gathering" (haha!  we all sound like lunatics) where Neil Gaiman talked and showed us a few clips of his movie "Mirror Mask".  This guy is so undoubtedly cool.  He looks like a normal dad, (sans his leather jacket) and longish hair.  My favorite part was when he read part of his book "Anansi" boys --- complete with vocal intonations, accents.

Then the event we were all waiting for- the autograph signing.  I was bored out of my wits waiting . But when my time came I got absoultely giddy with excitement.  Since I was having my Delirium doll signed i had brought a felt top pen, which I eventually lost.  I panicked, but thank God my ever-trusty boyfriend Mias* (thanks buh) rushed and bought me a pen.  When I got to the top of the stairs I was so star-struck that I turned absolutely dorky! Jumping up and down, hyper-ventilating a bit... having cold hands and feet.  And when I got there I was just grinning madly, holding my thumbs-up, with my mouth wide-open (while my friends cheered and videotaped the horribly geeky moment of my life).  Then I went up to him, placed down my doll and a paper with a big fat "peewee" on it.  I awkwardly asked him if he could have a picture taken with me, and he did.  After he began to write something really cute at the back of my doll's head....Delirium's infamous "Ummmmm...." line in a thought bubble and my name in Delirium's pink shirt...

haha! he was incredibly nice, and when I had asked for a hug after, he said something like "Why I think you'll really be getting a hug!" in an amused-"I think this girl is crazy-tone"  He smelled pretty good too.  This guy literally shaped whatever artistic mind I have now.  My brother lent me a comic when I was twelve (it was so hard to get comics like Sandman then, which was like 14 years ago) and things were just never the same. This has made my year!  Neil Gaiman is so cool. I'll be grinning for a month from now since I've met the original DreamKing*

Tri Makasi

Just came from a week-long trip in Indonesia - and my, it looked exactly like the Philippines.  It's been awhile since I've been away that long from the country- and only then did I begin to appreciate my homeland again.   True , Indonesians are very much like Pinoy's culturally- very accomodating, very friendly (our Indonesian friend who we've known for only a week immediately sent us gifts 2 days upon coming home)...but the Philippines to me is much easier to love still.

Only then did I realize, that our country has beautiful people.  Men and women alike in the Philippines, due to the hundreds of years of occupation, are actually so much more pleasant to look at.  our mixed blood and pooling of the best genes has resulted to physically evry beautiful people.  I know, I know might sound superficial but I am proud Pinoy's are so beautiful....haha, movie star quality dun ang most Pinoy's.

The weather here is also so much better, less humid, a bit less polluted.  Also saw pictures of Bali, the sands in Bali dont even come close as to that in Bora.  I eventually got literally "sick" there despite the fun I had.  Nothing beats the Philippines...

Back in the roda!

It feels good to be back in the roda.  "Roda" is the portuguese/capoiera name for "circle".  Capoiera is a brazilian martial art I've been doing for a little over two years (on and off). I've been out of commission from my game though for almost 6 months that I was scared I didnt even know how to do the jingga anymore when I came back.

Haha, true enough my muscles began to ache stretching palang. But it was all well-worth it because towards the end of training we had a GREAT 30-minute roda.  In a roda all capoieristas form a circle with the bateriya (capoeiristas with the bermibau, drums, tambourine,etc).  The songs starts and everyone starts clapping as you invite your fellow capoierista to "play" in the roda.  We started off slow - with low, elongated movements wherein I played with Bisqui (a girl about my size). We had a fun game as we vainly tried to push our weight around and put each other down.   Later it progresses to the regional, which is a fast rapid game -  - - alas, when I played I was quite a bit slow as I was scared to get into an accident, hitting someone or being hit.  I was also staying mostly in a corner, unable to remember all the combos I learned before.  Hay * back to square ONE! 

WHY I LOVE IT

But no matter how long I've been out of it, for reasons of time, money, etc - I always come back.  I can't seem to get enough of the energy, the songs and the people - - -  There is just so much positive energy in the room you tend to forget about work, about stress.  The songs are wonderful and inspiring.  And the people - they're just really uber interesting and uber nice.  I am definetely training again -  Wednesday for maculele night!   

To Bora and Back

I just came from a 4 day 3-night work/vacation weekend in Boracay.  So much has changed from when I was there last about 8 years ago, then last year, then now.  Some good some bad - - - but all essentially will make you want to go back.

There are 4 things I watch out for there whenever I visit this little island: 1) the sun & the sand; 2) the sea; 3) interesting people and : 4) interesting events.  All four I enjoyed immensely.

THE SUN and SAND- The sun was brightly shining, and even if I could not stay out and burn myself (had a small operation on my face which I have to take care of) it was still good to see its jolly rays reflecting on the sand, the people and streaming through ripples of leaves amidst coconut trees.  It was also fun to see i reflecting on the different colored beads on the sidewalk and on the color of people's different skin tones.  What a delight!  The sands were as fine as ever, never have I really enjoyed burying my feet in the cool, fine powder like sand but in Boracay! 

THE SEA - Although it had a lot of algae, the sea was blue and clear.  Nothing brought me more joy than just looking at it and seeing the horizon...enough said.

THE PEOPLE -  Now this is THE most interesting part.  Because I had so much time by myself, watching, walking and observing that I met so many interesting people. I met society and fashion a-listers there because of work.  I call them the "flair squad" - the likes of Robbie Carmona,Rajo Laurel, Jenni Epperson and Tim Yap.  These people are larger than life - they embody fun, fun, and fun. they usually are invited to Bora for free because wherever they are the party is happening.  They can't help but stand out even in a long stretch of beach because they're burtsing with energy, charisma and character.  They are the ones who get to swim in the morning and party till the wee hours in the morning at night.  They are not afraid to get a tan because its fun, and they will remember your name once they've been introduced to you.

There are the some who I like to call "waterproofs " they  who have matching, color coordinated outifts from head to toe.  Airport palang they will dress up na and wear their best slip-ons or havaianas but will daintily take-them off when they have to wade the water.  They are the ones who need to pay extra 300 P beccause their luggage is overweight.  They have the best bikinis & boardshoarts in the beach but will NEVER EVER MAKE their outfits WET.  They will only probably get wet and dirty in their worst bikini and change to something else right after.  They are fashion savants - highly fashionable but impractical.  Madaming ganito sa Boracay and most of them will leave the island without a tan. Hehe, cute.

There are some water-babies naman from Manila who never left the island na.  I forget what you call them, but to a certain effect they are "imported natives."  Bartenders in Plazo Leta are all from Manila who never went home.  They have very tan skin but there is still something in their gait or perhaps tagalog-english accents that give them away.  These people are friendly fun and very laid back & most probably will never go back home. Bora is their home...

These three groups are the ones I found most interesting, the rest I just passed by.

INTERESTING EVENTS - I also learned something new in Boracay - how to play the Bonggos.  One evening, a writer who I just had met called me over as she was interviewing "apoy dancers." Funnily it was like zips pero mas low-tech.  Island version nila iyon.  Their contraption was two heavy metal chains and a squarish flammable weight which they twirl to the sound of drums.

I met Cisco, a balikbayan who opted to stay in Boracay for the last 3-years, Sean a Canadian native and Ate Ching (a Bacolodian who also never left) who partly comprise of ths group.  We started listening to them play, and a tiny crowd gathered - later they taught me how to play drums which I had to sit on.  Some people started to dance and we played on until it became too dark to see.  It was pure magic* with the sunset and the sea lapping behind me and the beats of the drum as bass.

They invited me back the following day and I found a more interesting sight.  I was invited to play the drums with Ate Ching and a Manila chorale group couldnt resist and started to sing accapella. Sean started to do a fire dance and in classic bohemian fashion started to pass a money bowl around after (he didnt share the money with me though, hehe).

Only in Boracay.  Now Im nursing a bad flu and fever, probably from all the walking and the cold sea air.  But I'll be back, definitely.

The Beach Bandaid

This "blogging" really interests me.  It interests me to know two things: 1) how long I'll have the patience to write here; 2) who will read it?  So here I am writing my thoughts, and editing it just enough, to be readable to others; disclosing information, but not really. 

BEACH BAND-AID 

I think for my first official entry I'll write about the art of being a "beach band-aid.'  Being a beach band-aid is a term I have coined for myself, derived from the term "band-aid" in the movie Almost Famous.  A beach band-aid by my definition is a "beach spectator."  That's what I do in the beach - I'm not a water- baby, I don't swim, I don't tan, I don't play frisbee, I don't surf, scuba dive or snorkell - but whenever there's a beach trip I want to go.  I stay in the cabana, listening to the sounds, eating chips and dozing off - I love the beach and I am the water and sand's best spectator.

I went to san Juan Batangas last Sunday, and there I have discovered a sport for beach band-aids such as myself. You dont need to be in the water, but can stay in the cool shade of coconut trees by the shoreline doing this - Zipping.  Im not sure if that's the term, but these two terrific nylon strings with weights and colorful ribbon danced and grooved to your best beach sounds is the bomb. According to my friend scuba, its a "skill sport" - your muscles tend to remember the movements so dont get frustrated if in the first day of trying you dont get it.  You can just wake-up and find out you actually can, because your muscles have remembered the movements already.  Ang galing talaga nito it's really addicting.  Doing it with lights & fire is another thing - - - haha, I'll try that next time.