Because It Wasn't a Bird, and It Wasn't a Plane...

Sorry for all the redundancy guys, I was THAT amazed. Haha!

Cabanas. More Fun in the Philippines.

Sunny getaway with Jovie last September. 

Peachy Beach Weekend with Friends

Waimea Bay, North Shore, Hawaii

A weekend's night under the stars. :) Sharing stories with friends and meeting new ones, chilling with our Heinies and pupus, and for the best part: touchdown-throwing crazy people into the ocean just for entertainment. Not bad at all. :)

The Little Heart Thief

Waimea Beach, North Shore, HI

Jedda is the best morning hugger-kisser-licker of all time--ALL TIME. Kanye will vouch for that in a heartbeat.

Eclipses Like Ellipses

This morning, I got to see the lunar eclipse that was scheduled to take place before 5am. Luckily I had to  work today so it was a win-win for me. It's amazing how these things happen on occasion and that my goosebumps had goosebumps looking at a hugigantinormous moon peeking through my venetians. It was alsmost like an overdressed tween at a frat party, waiting to be recognized. Being alone on this freakishly cold and freakishly quiet December dawn, I have fallen conducively into a pensive state of mind. Imagine how meager we are and how small of a people we are trying in vain to make sense of the Universe. Observing this huge cosmic happenstance unfolding before me, making me feel so little, so clueless, so...human,  the chill (and the thrill) of a second-grader found me grasping at straws on the purpose of these things. Why do they happen?  Eclipses were in existence way before the Incas, and before the earliest, oldest Sumerian dogmas of the world and the laws that passed as "scientific". Mind you, even  before the suggestion of "ancient aliens" in existence as frequent visitors of the early civilizations. Imagine this phenomenon (eclipse) as a constant witness to all events infinite on Earth, through billions and billions of years before water was sparked the first sign of life, and before it became the basis of all life forms 4.2 billion years in the making. I'm puzzled, in awe, confused, and really just marveling all at the same time. Why is this happening? What is its purpose, in relation to our Earth and the current civilization we have? But more so, what is the significance of an eclipse? Beyond science, beyond fiction? Could ancient tribes have had used them as insignias to interpret certain influences on their culture, like cycles and rhythms and celebrations? I mean, the moon, especially during a lunar eclipse looks so elusive, so mysterious and since it has been a long-standing witness to the events on Earth, it does have that certain secrecy to it, which at the same rate brings that impression of infinity. Parang alam niya lahat ng sagot, alam niya lahat ng sikreto na nangyayari at nangyari na noon. I'm curious. Kaya ba sinasabi nilang "Itanong mo sa buwan?" Ha-ha!

Image has been almost entirely downscaled by my camera phone, cause you know BB's don't take the prettiest/most precise pictures, but that moon was hecka gigantic this morning. 

Back when I was still in college, one of my UP Professors in Broadcasting always reminded us that it was stupid to question a property [of nature]. So much so that to ask why the sun sets and rises is in fact a futile attempt at arriving at knowledge. "Because it IS a property. You don't question why it does that," he argued. But I think there's more to a phenomenon than a when, a how and a what. I think that all things both earthly and cosmic are synced, linked and conjoined to fit a bigger piece of mechanism that runs like clockwork. And maybe we're only looking at a measly portion of the puzzle. To anyone who could ever give me a hunch, an uneducated guess, kahit usapang lasing at hirit-space cookies, hit me up. I'm 401-friendly. Ha-ha.

I believe in reason, and that reason itself may just be perception, trying to own a part of your brain. But the Greeks were pretty progressive in using what "reason" they knew of in their age, interpreting meteor showers as Zeus' way of copulating with mortal women to produce demi-gods or demi-goddesses that gave birth to valiant heroes.I guess this hunger for interpretation is just the Greek in me (na sumobra sa yoghurt). It haunts me consistently, the fact that history may have answers to our present queries. That maybe to move forward we have to look back--and all that's left with me is an insatiable need for enlightenment. Of why things are, beyond science fiction, and science fact.

Take Perseus. The constellation of Perseus is depicted by the Greek as a figure of him in battle, victoriously owning Medusa's head in an outstretched arm. Part of the constellation is a really bright star, close to Medusa's head. The Greeks accounted this to represent the story of the Grey Sisters--the three old witches who Perseus had outwitted in order to get ahead in his game towards destroying Medusa. This star has a categorically unique "twinkling" in an off-set, rhythmic variation. Scientists say sometimes you see it shining ever so brightly, but then it goes out for several seconds, before you see it again. See, the Grey Sisters were all blind. They were only able to see by passing among them an eyeball and taking turns in "seeing". Since they have the vital  information that Perseus needed but they wouldn't volunteer it unsolicitedly, Perseus stole this "eyeball" of theirs for a brief moment until he had them give the information he needed, and then returned the eye just the same, ending their struggle for vision. Matching fact and fiction, the Greeks appointed the momentary loss of light from this bright star to the time of the legend, when Perseus stole their "eye" and they couldn't see. Naturally, they also attributed the shining of the star to when they were finally able see again, as Perseus surrendered possession of it. In other oral traditions, this off-set rhythmic "twinkling" was otherwise attributed to the general "sharing" of the eye among the three sisters. In other words, "now they see, now they don't."

Fable, folklore, fiction or farce, I know this is just an approximation to explain a certain phenomena that no one really knew how to explain. Still, what's the deal with an eclipse?        

Cause the freaky immortality of the moon is a matter of huge question to me. It knows all the secrets of the past, the present, and just histories we have left in the past, it will still stay on to see the secrets in our future.

Dot, dot, dot.

Things I Fancy'd Today

Spaceman-inspired lightbulb, gramophone Ipod dock, invisible speakers, vintage leather motorcycle jacket

Height Chart with famous celebrities' real height per measurement, the Book Chair, Badass Fastfood Characters, Elvis hoodie

Vintage shades a la Patty Hewes, "Wooden logs" bolster infant pillows

Land "art", man made pool, fire tree, my favorite street in the world (I never wanted to leave it when I stood there)--Lombard St. or what we called as "Crooked Street" in sunny San Fran :)

All images are from www.thefancy.com (or click on the link from my Silly List on the right of my blog page)

Yoga Schmoga

This is my third week of Yoga practice and so far I am loving it. I enrolled myself in a month-long Yoga project with my good friend, Shiela, in the beautiful and quaint "wellness capital" of Oahu--Kailua. Not only is this place brimming with peace, it's literally very spiritual as almost every corner of the village has either a Yoga, Capoeira, Tai Chi and other martial arts/spiritual practice center designed for self-renewal and improvement. Kailua welcomes you to a picturesque, quiet little town with the most pristine beaches you may ever see in your lifetime, from Kailua Beach to Lanikai Beach--which are both constantly recognized among the ranks of the Best, Most Beautiful Beaches in the World found in the South Pacific.

The beautiful beaches of Lanikai and Kailua (Google Images)

By this natural occurrence, it only follows that people come here for their personal practices aligned with Nature and the Divine--that including Yoga, or in more specific terms, Beach Yoga. 

My early commitment to Yoga was warmly introduced to me by the passionate people and spiritual conductors of the Mindful Matters Wellness Clinic (more popularly known as a Yoga center in Kailua) conveniently located inside the Kailua Medical arts Building. I was lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of Yin and Vinyasa Yoga, as well as the Yang Yoga--all of these in smooth, transitory variations that relaxed my mind and body while I focused on my breathing, bringing at the end of the day, an overwhelming sense of gratitude, of simplicity, or appreciation, for the Divinity that made me, as well as the connecting elements that complete me--the earth below, the air around, the sky above, and the water that quenches. 

I love doing Yoga because it creates a complete attunement of my senses with essential points of my body without the complications of an overload of academic proportions and jargons only a medical degree could suffice for. It also tunes out all the negativity, tension, stress I have succumbed to at work, (I AM a workaholic) or have experienced across the inevitable occurrences between daily relationships.

I enjoy doing both Vinyasa Yoga and Yin Yoga, particularly because the former makes you do effortful exercises almost slowly and effortlessly, while the latter normally restores your strength from the strain of these exertions through relaxation. It is by far the most relaxing thing I have ever done in my life--with a purpose. I feel like a CLOUD! (Seriously, it tops any kind of pool wading, stargazing, or even 401 activities!--well, at least from my experience. Haha! ) 

Vinyasa is mainly composed of breath-synchronised movements that aligns your thoughts, spiritual release and  physical body exertions in one whole cohesive effort that comes full circle with your focal point--the mantra that ties these all together. (my mantra was "love")--walang maisip! Bahaaa.

This technique can also be referred to as Vinyasa Flow, or Flow attributed to the smooth way that transitions the poses into a  fluidity that almost resembles a dance.More commonly used movements herewith are Sun Salutations, Warrior poses, Planks, Chaturanga, and the Upward Facing Dog. And these we did, among others. In addition, most Yoga styles that employ the Vinyasa is the Ashtanga and Power Yoga. 

What I loved the most about doing Vinyasa is the fact that I feel my poor posture corrected. In essence, the base component of Vinyasa is always alignment--there are main points in your body to check alignments with and all these are supposed to be intact--making sure your poses are correctly symmetrical with such points--and these help stretch my body in a healthy way, making sure my posture stands straight, corrected and at the same time it allows me to move gracefully into the right balance of the pose and be able to sustain it for the provided time frame. Endurance is also the key here, which I find as the factor mostly contributing to my sweating. 

The very first session of Vinyasa Yoga I had was with my brilliant trainer, Heather Martz. (Oo, as in "Anuna, Martz?) Hahaha, cornyyy! But seriously, this chick is awesome. (wow, Tung moment) The first thing I noticed about her is that she has an incredibly cute tattoo on her right foot that spans just the top of her ankle to the beginning of her toes--and man, was I jealous. If my memory serves me right, it was of a fairly-sized paisley print, with an Aum inside it, with which the whole design was made up of bright, neon colors of floral and sun prints. Huhu, I only have one tattoo of an Aum on the upper part of my back, and already I thought it was "profound" enough, speaking of various faces of Divinity. Haha! but this one, man, is probably the most beautiful tat I have ever admired. :) 

Heather Martz, Vinyasa Yoga
(www.mindfulmatterskailua.com)

Aside from her ink, Heather has an amazing story to tell of her journey through Yoga. As a native from Idaho, she started her commitment to Yoga after an unfortunate running injury that left damage enough to make her discontinue the sport once and for all. While no longer able to run, she found Yoga as a gentler exercise that helped restore and heal that damage that her previous accident had caused. 

Come '08, Heather flew to The Bahamas to live on an Ashram for a month and learn the ways of Sivananda Yoga.  Sivananda is a traditional yoga that makes use of lot of breath work (Pranayama) and chanting into its Asana classes. Shortly after her certification, she then began her career as a yoga instructor. In '10, she moved here in Hawaii and received a second certificate in yoga which gave her a stronger focus on alignment and adjustments, that which also was an integration of Iyengar and Vinyasa styles of yoga.

In our Yoga studios, different Yoga and relaxation practices bring balance of the mind, body and spirit 

(www.mindfulmatterskailua.com)

Yin Yoga on the other hand, balances and neutralizes the tension within muscles from the daily grind of work, strenuous workouts and other powered movements. True to its name, Yin is what I call that white cloud of gentle relaxation that balances the Yang, which is its other Yoga counterpart that characterizes more exertions in movements--thus affirming the infamous balance of the Yin and Yang forces. 

I love Yin Yoga because it reminds me that there is a time and space to relax the mind. As opposed to Vinyasa, Yin is all about gentle, slow, healing movements that justify for Yin's pseudonym, "Restorative Yoga." Restorative/Yin yoga is essentially practiced by people who have been through physical injuries, as it helps renew and restore muscle movement, and heals previous joint and ligament damage, if any. I am thankful for Yin Yoga because it makes me feel endowed with such a magnificent presence of relaxation, making you feel like you are a person very much deserving of a certain, precious space in time to reward your body with the rest, healing and peace it deserves. I literally feel my body stretch in impossible angles, but at the same time feel all my joints, ligaments and muscles lengthen in a way that I know is healthy for me.

During this practice, we normally do simple Inversions, Tree poses, Sleeping Swan and Crane poses.Yin employs poses that are held for a longer time frame (5 mins) compared to Vinyasa poses which can last at most, until a 45-second stretch. But all things kept in balance, Yin Yoga has less exertion and muscle strain that Vinyasa. 

Overall, I love how Yoga is an exercise that inspires you rather than discourages you or strains you to move and exert too much pain for something that feels so unnatural. It's nice to know you're putting work into something that is actually purposeful beneficial, and spiritual, unlike the mundane, monotonous task of running on a Stairmaster everyday without your room changing views, except of the views you see upon surfing the telly while at it. While I find this too boring and unnatural, Yoga is nothing but natural and healthy, and it employs no expensive exercise machines that require regular preventive maintenance and replacement, but rather easy, useful props of light bricks, bolsters, blankets and a yoga mat. How low-maint could that be?

Yoga is all about attunement. Of life and the spiritual healing of breath, the art of bodily praise, the awareness of nature and the alignment of the consciousness to the Universe. When used with the right passion, these are devices for self-renewal, for spiritual enrichment, and ultimately--for PEACE. 

I can't wait for my next session. 

Upper left: Dr. Thomas Cummings, founder of the Mindful Matters Wellness Clinic, along with other instructors; Upper right: Dr. Cummings and his Tai Chi class; Lower left: Kids Yoga; Lower Left: Dr, Cummings, Yoga instructors and kids who practice Yoga. (www.mindfulmatterskailua.com)

Namaste for Yoga. Namaste to Nature.  

Kailua Medical Arts Bldg

407 Uluniu St Ste 412

Kailua, HI 96734

www.mindfulmatterskailua.com

(808) 230-2476 

I am a Rightie.

Oh Poor Kitty Cat!

Aww! :( I almost adopted this Lilac Point Himalayan today, but the owner who had to leave the island already left it in the pound :( My co-worker said he was already probably put to sleep. I sad.

Quick! Hold My Hand Beneath this Purple Sky

image from www.thefancy.com

"All men fear death. It's a natural fear that consumes us all. We fear death because we feel that we haven't loved well enough or loved at all, which ultimately are one and the same. However, when you make love with a truly great woman, one that deserves the utmost respect in this world and one that makes you feel truly powerful, that fear of death completely disappears. Because when you are sharing your body and heart with a great woman the world fades away. You two are the only ones in the entire universe. You conquer what most lesser men have never conquered before, you have conquered a great woman's heart, the most vulnerable thing she can offer to another. Death no longer lingers in the mind. Fear no longer clouds your heart. Only passion for living, and for loving, become your sole reality. This is no easy task for it takes insurmountable courage. But remember this, for that moment when you are making love with a woman of true greatness you will feel immortal."

-Ernest Hemingway 

Everyone Needs A Vacation Every Once In A While.

Right now, with all the hustle and bustle of my mind, I just want to be right here.

Tap Into Your Musical Genius...and Pinoy Pride!

Aldrin Guerrero is a full-blooded Pinoy  based in Honolulu, who packs a punch (of musical notes!) when it comes to his Ukulele playing prowess. It was an honor to feature him in one of my episodes, not only because he's sky-high talented but because he has taken himself to vast and various parts of the world with his feet never leaving his deep roots--underground--oo, as in UKULELE UNDERGROUND, a place where he shares his talent and the love for Ukulele music with the world--for FREE. as in ZERO CHARGES! Imagine that! Ako nga when I was learning how to braid my hair at eight years old, I was charging my younger cousins for me to teach them--at 25c per session! And then ipapambili ko yun ng dragonflies at gagawing business--in sandwich bags! GRABE! Disgustingly greedy! Tsk tsk tsk. Haha!

But anyway, aside from the fact that Mr. Guerrero here is a die hard fan of OPM geniuses like Gary V., Parokya ni Edgar, the late Francis M and the E-heads, his passion is to promote this Hawaiian art and culture worlwide and to someday produce Filipino music with it. (Thumbs up!) With both the music of the Ukulele practically racing through his bloodstream and being naturally born talented (Pinoy eh haha!) Aldrin is a one of a kind music master who does what he loves and is rewarded sevenfold. So, my musical friends, amateurs and pros alike,  I present to you, Mr. Aldrin Guerrero on Chika HI! Only on TFC's Adobo Nation. :)   




If you're musical enthusiasts or just want to learn how to play the Ukulele,  Catch more of the this awesome artist on http://ukuleleunderground.com/. :)

Ahh, The Wise Words of Bob Marley

Ikaw na ang Mark Twain at Teddy Roosevelt ng Modern Revolution. :)

I AM Home. :)

Thank you, my Kooka for waiting for me all this time. And for unexpectedly showing up with more than just an umbrella. Hihi :)