Life in Autumn » Wa(o)nderings

Beauty is Skin Deep (?)

Myla — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:18:48 +0000

I haven’t taken notice of my skin till a few weeks ago. Somehow I feel I’ve gotten older in the past four years. My pores have become bigger and my skin blotchier than ever. One good thing though is that my skin have had enough of pimples. I used to think I wouldn’t get rid of those pesky breakouts. I’m 24 now so I guess it’s all kind of a downhill from now.

Unlike most people I know, I’ve never had a facial in my entire life. I’m not too keen on letting a total stranger prick my pores. But I’m reconsidering it now. Who knows, years from now I could probably consider a New Jersey facelift. Nah, just kidding.

The Best Things in Life are Cheap

Myla — Fri, 12 May 2006 08:19:23 +0000

Okay, I confess. I am, unabashedly, a cheapskate. BUT I think I�m more than generous to people I adore. I�m just stingy when it comes to things that I consider luxury, things that my 9 to sawa job couldn�t afford after paying all those bills. I�m writing this down because I noticed that most of the books I have lying around are from book sales all over. E and I just couldn�t resist their calls. You know, buying those books is like adopting unwanted mutts. You just couldn�t say no.

Here�s some recent and not so recent purchases:

I’m currently reading this book. I bought it for P200 at a book sale in UP. It’s not that cheap for my standards but it was never used. There’s just a small dog ear on the bottom part of the cover that’s why they gave it away at that price. My friend said it sells for 400 bucks in bookstores.

I got this for P50 brand new last December from a National Bookstore warehouse sale. We went nuts over bargain books. We were supposed to see a movie in Shangri-La but ended up hauling bags and bags of books.

Another Book Sale find. I think I got it for P40.

Last night, E and I were looking to buy a knife to peel the mangoes we bought. We found a knife worth P15 plus 5 books worth P10 each at a thrift shop near our place. These are two of the ten peso books I picked.

So you see, the best things in life may not come for free but they can come cheap.

Life’s a Beach!*

Myla — Thu, 11 May 2006 08:20:23 +0000

I just got back from a brief getaway to Puerto Galera with some of my college buddies last weekend. With the sun,the beach and some great laughs, one could could never go wrong. I’ll leave the photos to tell you all about my awesome weekend.

* Pasintabi kay beach bum Kat for using her tagline.

Bleak Christmas

Myla — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:27:06 +0000

My grandma died a few days ago. I never grew up with her but she was a c0nstant force in our family. She was a little grumpy from what I remember but when it came to me and her other apos, she was always kind and gentle and you know very lola-like.

It’s odd to lose someone so close when you’re too far away to grieve. I’m not as sad as I was when I heard about her passing but I still get misty eyed when I think about not being able to see her anymore during vacations.

I guess things will be quite different without her. It’s going to be a bleak Christmas after all.

Pasko Nanaman?

Myla — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 02:12:03 +0000

So it’s true. Habang tumatanda ka kumukupas ang kulay ng pasko.

Pero bumalik man si Garci, akusahan man tayo ng pandaraya sa SEA games, maipit man ang bonus, mahuli man sa pagsa-shopping, hinding-hindi na mapipigilan ang pagdating ni Santa o ni baby Jesus.

Sana naniniwala pa rin ako kay Santa. Mas masaya ang pasko noong mga panahong yun.

Sa lahat, happy holidays in advance. Wish ko lang may holiday din kami.

Bat(hala) Caves

Myla — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:46:26 +0000

Communing with nature can be fun but extremely exhausting. Here’s some of our photos from the Bathala caves of Marinduque.

Inside Simbahan cave. From the name, you can pretty much imagine the look inside. It has a large dome with huge stalactites like images of the Virgin Mary in the altar.

See that python above? Residents believe it is enchanted. Its owner brought it to the US but somehow found its way back to the cave.

After a tedious task of going up and through the caves, this is the breathtaking view from the top.

Our young guide doing his version of that flick.

It’s amazing how you really feel like a part of this earth when you’re a thousand feet above.

And all good things must end, including this vacation.

Sojourn

Myla — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 02:23:02 +0000

Changes

Myla — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 06:48:59 +0000

“I’m a big fan of change. But I’ve come to realize that the hardest part about moving forward is not looking back.” -Sally

Byahe

Myla — Wed, 18 May 2005 05:43:28 +0000

Pakiramdam ko palagi na lang akong bumabyahe. Mula bata pa talagang makati na ang mga paa ko. Ilang oras din sa bus ang tinitiis ko kasama ang usok, pawis, init, libag, lagkit, pagod at gutom para lang makarating sa patutunguhan, kung saan man yun.

Kahapon, bumiyahe na naman kami ni Ederic. Tila sinuyod naming dalawa ang buong Luzon sa tagal ng byahe. Mula Norte tumungo kami sa Taal, Batangas. Pakiramdam ko tuloy tinubuan na ako ng kulani sa puwet sa tagal ng pagkakaupo sa bus.

Sa pagkakataong ito, hindi pasyal o kasiyahan ang pakay namin. Bibisitahin namin ang tiya niyang may sakit. Pero siyempre, tipikal na pinoy, di pa rin namin matiis hindi mag-feeling dayuhan sa lugar na iyon lalo pa�t ang gaganda ng mga bahay sa paligid. Yung mga tipong mga nakikita mo lang sa libro o kaya sa horror movie gaya ng Bahay ni Lola. Parang na-time warp ang lugar na iyon. Kulang na lang makasalubong namin ang mga gwardya sibil.

Hindi biro ang bumyahe lalo na’t madalas hindi mo alam ang lugar na pinupuntahan mo. Pero kahit ganito, masarap pa ring bumyahe dahil alam mong nuknukan man ng layo, makakarating ka rin.

A Narcissistic Post

Myla — Thu, 12 May 2005 21:03:42 +0000

What the world does not understand is that there are a lot of MEs.

I, the evermore bigoted, neurotic, stringy yet utterly perceptive worker who goes to the office earlier than the usual nine to fivers. While everyone is still busy snoring their way to dreamland, I go to work, with a heavy heart and butt to boot. Clock goes cuckoo and I jerk awake, take a bath, brush my teeth, pick what bag goes to these shoes, hail a jeep, swipe my card, eat breakfast and say hi to everyone with a huge smile on my face. Everyday, I grumble and whine about this stupid reporter, this arrogant sonofabitch cameraman, the haughty, self-important superiors. Everyday I pass by a family living on the streets and I interrupt myself from feeling crappy about my own life. Everyday, the cycle continues and I wonder how much I aged since I started this job.

Then there�s me, the unwavering friend, sister, daughter, lover. Most of the time, I do the work then grumble at how others could be so weak and how I�d do their work for them. Then guilt sticks in, eating me away entirely. And then I hear my editor saying, �This is our curse, our destiny.� Perhaps, I suppose this is mine entirely.

Most of the time, I resign to myself. An introvert, bitching about everyday life and writing about it. Taxes. Fare hikes. Bills. Upheavals. Disgruntled dreams. An uncertain future. Longing for the past.

A book once asked “Have you met yourself today?� Quite frankly, I�m not really sure.