Piece of Serenity

If you could buy peace of mind, you would right? If nature calms you, why not have it break the mundane tone of your room or office? 

If you can't manage to plant or travel as often as you would want to, you may want to have a picture to comfort you at the very least... Or a picture that would remind you that you are but a mere speck in the greater scheme of things.

Martial Jeudy's "Humility" at Kulayara in San Juan reminds us of this. Our ocean of emotions, no matter how vast or complicated it may seem to us, is but a mere part of a greater whole. 

Showcasing the resilience of the bamboo and the gentle grace of the alps, it attempts to quiet our soul and aid us not to overthink in this great hullabaloo called life.

It suddenly reminded us of our recent art class in Glorietta. Leji and I couldn't help but be amused.

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ToFarm Film Fest!

The first ever filmfest showcasing the lives and stories of Filipino farmers opened last night at SM Megamall Cinema 7. Everything was fresh and green at the entrance and even the cocktails matched the theme.

Premier director Maryo J. Delos Reyes serves as ToFarm Festival's director. He says this is a unique project and he's happy to be part of it.

To stir about nostalgia, an exclusive screening of a LVN's 1959 classic "Biyaya ng Lupa" marked the opening of the festival. Produced by LVN Pictures and directed by Manuel Silos, it was the most nominated film in the 1960 FAMAS Awards where it won Best Picture and Best Original Story. It was nominated for Best Film in Berlin that same year, and bagged Best Supporting Actor (c/o Leroy Salvador) in the Asian Film Fest.

It was so cool Rosa Rosal, Marita Zobel, and their other co-stars were present for the mini-reunion. 

I hope the entries in this new festival could be as successful as "Biyaya ng Lupa" 

You may catch your favorite entries at SM North Edsa and SM Megamall at 11AM, 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:30 PM & 9:00 PM. You only have to pay 750 pesos if you want to see all the entries (via e-pass); you'll get to save around 500php.  

So take your pick! Vote for your favorite film for the Audience Choice Award on July 20th. Simply drop your movie tickets at drop boxes at SM Cinemas (bonus: 11am tickets are worth 2points! So it's better to watch the brunch show if you intend to vote. haha)

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Acupuncture Day

My little princess is now clingier and droolier (if there is such a word) than ever. I'll always cherish this stage. Two of her baby teeth popped up recently so she's testing how to soothe her itchy gums best. She chews on my clothes, my hair (yup, even when I tie it up in a ponytail), and even the floor puzzle. Strangely, she thinks the pacifier is a big joke; she just laughs and pokes at it while looking at my chest :/ Similarly, all silicone teethers land on the floor in less than 2 minutes. So much for the vain effort in keeping her toys sterilized and germ free :/ --I think antibacterial wipes and the Cradle spray are psychologically comforting. 

Recently, she expressed her dislike for bottled pumped milk. She would rather have it with cereals. She merely plays with the silicone nipple & spills gargled milk on her pillow. Then she turns to me with a face that says: "you insult me with that. I want it fresh!" She verbally adds: "Ma, miii (milk) De-de!"

She clings on to me as if her survival depended on my visibility. She would even watch me shower & poop. I used to carry her in a sling while doing chores, but now my back and arms suffer. People ask me how I lost all the baby weight--the answer is simple: we don't have a yaya.

To aid me in my plight, Doc Philip Tan-Gatue came to the rescue. As Leji watched close by, I had eleven needles today in Maginhawa. He avoided using too many needles on the sore parts; so I had some in my leg & hand. I need further treatment, but the procedure lessened the pain almost instantaneously.

Thank you, Lord.

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Little Lady in Little Tokyo

Leji had so much fun in her yukata the other day playing with her toy seal shinkanzen from Tokyo (thanks to her doting Tita Ninang Abby & Tita Lindsey)

So much so, we decided to take her to Little Tokyo.

She was amazed with all the colorful lanterns hanging outside highlighting the clear blue sky. When we went in one of the restaurants that opens early at 4:30 (most of the restaurants open at 6 or 6:30), she carefully observed how tempuras were battered and fried.

She's not yet allowed to eat shrimps so I ate the shrimps while she chomped on some breading. I'm happy she's not scared of chopsticks! hihi

After trying their sushi and yakitori, we capped off our meal with some ice cream in exotic flavors.

We tried Dojo Miso Sake (yes, it has a bit of a kick so I didn't allow Leji to try this one), Seaweed (it's like salted cream cheese; I wish it had more seaweed bits in it), and Black Sesame (our favorite!)

It was really one fine day; wish we can fly to Tokyo with her next time.

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