Shoes of a Dancer

Viewed from the side,
Their arcs reveal
The dancer’s countless
Pointing and flexing
For the art called dance.

They are soiled.
No longer the immaculate
Pink that they used to be.
Stained and dirtied by the
Stages she has danced on.

They’re tied above
Her strong ankles,
Firm around
Her calloused feet,
And worn out by friction.

But when the dance is over,
And they’re untied,
They’re kept or tossed aside.
Her feet, again flat on the floor,
Just like everybody else.

-Katherine Lopez
(29 August 2010)

My Short Visit to My Org

Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to visit my college org when my teammates and I brought back issues to the UP Shopping Center for binding. It was nice to be back in our tambayan (hangout) and see a few of my orgmates.

Nandy and Achel. Cute pose! :)

Luka, busy working on something.

Edzel Tabing. You were just in time for the picture-taking. Hehehe.

With my buddy, Ging.

Another buddy pic. Let's catch up soon. :)

I enjoyed my approximately 20-minute stay at out tambayan. Another orgmate, Richard, was there, but he already left before I started taking photos.

Thanks guys! Until my next visit. :)

Thank you, Jingle!

Thank you,  Jingle, for this award, and to the other awards you gave which I failed to post here. :) Have a great weekend!

The Afternoon Light

This afternoon, my teammates in the magazine and I went to a compound of old houses which function as art galleries. And because the afternoon light looked so beautiful as it entered through the window, I couldn't take help but take photos of where the light landed. Too bad I left my camera at home, so I used my phone camera instead.

(I love how the dried weeds were turned into decor.)

(This is my favorite shot. The lighting seems perfect, adding just the right amount of drama in the photo.)

(This is just the landscape orientation of the previous one.)

(The living area.)

(Stairs. I don't know if my shot is any good, but I like the afternoon light's glare on the wooden floor.)

I enjoyed taking those photos. Maybe I should take more photos of anything that looks interesting, no matter how mundane it may seem. Who knows? Those mundane photos might be just what someone need to brighten up his or her day.

Opportunities

I found another inspiring photo from Album de Fotos.

(Click here to view source)

It speaks about opportunities, for us not to miss a beautiful one when it lands on our lap. For us to recognize them even in the most mundane challenges life throws our way. That whenever life doesn't proceed according to how we planned it, an opportunity awaits for it to be seized.

"Never miss a chance to dance." It also tells us not to miss out on life's simple pleasures. That in today's fast-paced world, a chance to dance is a chance to set aside, even just for a while, the things that burden us and simply enjoy life.

Cheesy, but I like it

Let me share with you a beautiful photo I found in the Internet.

(Click here to see source)

I got it from Album de Fotos, which I think got it from another Tumblr account. I like the way the message, "You captured my heart", was delivered through the use of the camera and the heart. The faded look of the photo adds to its charm, and I like the photo so much that I made it desktop wallpaper in my office computer.

"You captured my heart." Has anyone said that to you? Or has someone made you feel that you captured his/her heart? It's probably one of life's beautiful miracles. You'll never know when and how you will capture someone's heart, and whose heart will it be. And in the same way, you'll never know who will capture yours, until you meet that one person whom you will choose to share your life with. And yes, it's called love.

Cheesy, isn't it? Cheesy but beautiful, and may we always believe in it. :)

My Little Box of Secrets

Well, not really secrets, but more of precious little things, some of which I wish to keep secret. And I'm keeping them inside this pretty, little box.

I first saw one of that on my managing editor's desk. Pretty, isn't it? It's a simple box, but the design seems to say something, like it can keep precious little things, little secrets, little memories.

And that's what I'm doing with it. When I saw it (and bought it on sale! Yehey!) in a store which is a mere walking distance from my office, I originally planned to store my calling cards there. But they didn't fit. The calling cards were centimeters wider than the box. So I decided to keep my little memories there, since I like keeping small mementos but I'm too lazy not artsy enough to put them in a scrapbook. Haha!

Years from now, when I'm already old and with gray hair (and hopefully, without Alzheimer's or any other disease associated with old age), I wish I could just open this pretty little box and correctly identify where I got those mementos and get nostalgic as I look back at the happy times I've had.

10 Hours

Ten hours of working daily
Is not easy.
We do not log in
As early as the others,
But we face daunting tasks
That require all our energy
And creativity.

Some days, we finish early
Just in time for dinner
And a pleasant talk
At a nearby fastfood joint
Or a quick stroll at the mall
Connected to the train station
Where we get off.

Some days extend beyond
Our usual 10 hours.
They go on and on and on
Until midnight or way past that.
We sit in front of our computers
Trying to get the work done
In time for the deadlines.

We log in, then log out
After 10 hours or more,
Or earlier if time allows.
But we always end our day
Holding each other’s hands,
Wrapped in each other’s arms,
As we bid each other good night.

-Katherine Lopez
(21 August 2010)

Late nights at work

It's 10:39 p.m. here and we're still in the office. We're finishing our magazine tonight and turning over the pages to our Production Department for proofing. We're all tired, yes, but none of us are grumpy. In fact, we still have the energy to laugh whenever one of us says something crazy. We're like this every time we finish our monthly issues.

Staying late at night working in the office is stressful, but it becomes fun when you have co-workers who are pleasant to work with. We usually finish around midnight and go home at around that time. And when we come to work the next day (or on Monday when we turn over on a Friday), we're just relieved that the issue is over, and it's time to start a new one.

Working in a magazine is difficult but enjoyable. Creative juices just keep on flowing, and there isn't a day when I don't smile. With all the creative outputs I see everyday and with the wonderful people I meet and work with, there's always a reason for me to smile. :)

Lovin' These Old Songs

Since I've added new songs to my phone last weekend, I thought of sharing them with you here in my blog. I love old songs, and I love listening to different versions of them. Here's a list of what I'm playing this week while in transit, either on the way to work or on the way home:

1. Can't Help Falling In Love
Love songs never fail to put a smile on my face, being the romantic that I am. I love ATeens' version of this song because it is young and lively. Its upbeat tempo makes you feel that falling in love is indeed a happy experience. But the original slow version is beautiful, too. It's one of those songs you can slow dance to at a wedding.

2. Someone To Watch Over Me
This Gershwin classic tops my list of favorite songs. The lyrics and melody are simple yet sweet and full of meaning - they speak of one's longing for someone special, may he or she be a close friend, a significant other, or somebody you haven't found yet. I love Monique Wilson's version of the song because of the simplicity and innocence in the way she sang it - without all those vocal exhibitions which sometimes destroys the meaning of the song. But since I can't find an audio streaming thingy of Wilson's version to embed in my blog, I'm sharing you Allison Iraheta's instead. It's also a beautiful rendition you wouldn't want to miss.

3. Walking On Sunshine
Like "Can't Help Falling in Love", "Walking on Sunshine" exudes that happy, you're-on-cloud-nine feeling about being in love. Indeed, I can say that when you're in love, you feel like you're "walking on sunshine." Haha! Add to that is this song's energy that will surely paint a smile on your face even as you step inside a crowded train.

4. Somebody to Love
I love this Queen original, as well "Bohemian Rhapsody", because it speaks about living and life in general. It's just so easy to relate to. And the Glee cast made an awesome rendition of song. All I can say is... I love it!

5. When I Fall in Love
The list of old songs that I love is not complete without this beautiful love song. It's been sung by so many singers at so many occasions, but it still hasn't lost its appeal to me. My favorite version is the Philippine Madrigal Singers'. It's so majestic but doesn't fail to sing straight to the heart.

My Life As A Musical

Being a music lover, I always have a tune or two playing in my head. When I was in college and it's the -ber months already, I hum, either literally or just in my head, the Christmas carols we practice in our org's choir as I walk from one class to another, from one building to another. And whenever I have a severe case of the so-called last song syndrome (LSS) of whatever song, expect me to burst into a tune any moment.

When I was in college, my friends and I labeled Legally Blonde the Musical as the musical that put us through college. Almost all, if not all, the LBTM songs were applicable to whatever we were facing or feeling at the moment - whether we are stressed because of our never ending academic requirements, pissed at a certain professor, or nursing a broken heart because of unrequited love.

Until now, LBTM songs are still my songs. But since March, when I had the chance to watch the re-staging of Avenue Q, new songs were added to my list of songs that describe my life. The main character int he musical is an idealistic fresh graduate who brims with optimism as he faces life, and he lands on Avenue Q, where everyone's life "sucks." Being a recent college graduate working in her first job, I can't help but relate to the lyrics of the songs in the musical.

One such song is "I Wish I Could Go Back to College." All of us, I believe, have been in college, not just the university sense of the word but more so a phase in our lives when we were so sure of who we are and what we want to do in life. And when we step out into the real world, we find ourselves throwing out certain plans out the window because what's out there is not exactly what we imagined. I wish I could go back to college / In college you know who you are, so goes a couple of verses in the song.

I wish I could go back to college. No, I don't want a second round of my thesis and the exams I failed and the other things that caused me so much stress. :) But I wish I could relive the moments when my friends and I were so idealistic, hanging out at our building's parking lot, walking under the shade of the trees lining up the Academic Oval, being in my org's spot and exchanging jokes, singing, or simply having fun with my orgmates. Those were the days when I felt I'm ready to take on the world. That I'm prepared for everything. But when I graduated and started working, some things were just... different.

But don't get me wrong. I'm so thankful for where I am right now. I'm happy with what I'm experiencing. And I get to reflect on this almost everyday as I play Avenue Q's "For Now" in my cellphone. As the song goes, "Life may be scary / But it's only temporary." Sure. My life is just beginning. So much lies ahead. And I'm facing them with a big smile on my face. :D