where the moon shines

Sunday was All Souls’ Day.  On this day, as well as November 1st, Filipinos remember the faithfully departed and flock to cemeteries and columbariums to spend the day with their family and friends. 

It has often been wondered why the living seem to always feast during this festival for the dead. Some people don’t understand the need for a celebration. 

In truth, I didn’t fully appreciate it either, until recently. 

Since as far back as I could remember, my family and I would go to Caloocan to my paternal grandmother’s house in on November 1st so my Dad could visit his dad’s grave. The next day, we would all go with the rest of the family on my mom’s side, along with other families in our community, to South Cemetery to pray at my older brother’s grave.

My dad never really brought me to the cemetery where my grandfather was buried – it was always packed full of people and it would have been easy to lose kids amidst the chaos that the cemetery was on November 1st. When his remains were moved to my grandmother’s gravesite, I was already in highschool then, that was the only time that I was really able to say I visited his grave. 

The visits to the South Cemetery were always solemn. Since the plot where my older brother (who died when he was just eleven days old) is buried in is leased by the Church, his neighbors there are also other Church members (some of whom are probably distant relatives of ours). We would always have a priest along with us for those visits. The priest would lead the prayers, and we would sing a hymn or two. Some of the families (and probably my Lola too) would bring cold water/juice and light snacks that we all could partake of before we leave and head back home. 

It was an outing definitely, a commemoration of life. (more…)

Here are two layouts I made earlier this week:

[Photos are clickable for the credits but please leave comments about the layouts in this post ]

These are still going into the mini-album of my girlfriends’ day out back in August. Hopefully I’ll be done before Christmas! Haha.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Scrapbook Saturday gang, starting at Mammadawg’s place. Also checkout my previous SS posts here if you haven’t seem them yet

Oh, it is Digital Scrapbooking Day (DSD) in digital scrapbooking land! Visit digiscrapping sites to get a huge fixing of DSD goodness, there are many links in this page, but not all may have goodies up okay. A good place to start though would be the Sunshine Blog for their Halloween Blog Train.

Halloween Night Ramblings

Last night, I logged on thinking of posting about the Halloween Party we had for the kids in this compound (plus some of their friends).  But no matter how much fun we had at the party – both kids and adults alike – the fun isn’t what’s foremost in my mind to blog about. 

(more…)

And I’m not just talking about a simple reluctance to get up everything and go to work. No, this isn’t just because I am lazy (because I am lazy). And it isn’t because I hate my job, boss or co-workers either – because I don’t. I enjoy my job too, it’s just that, I’d really rather prefer to stay at home where there are a million and one ways I can be more productive.

Funny how I used to think that I wasn’t that kind of girl. For Twilight fans, you know how Bella thinks she’s not the kind of small town girl to get married right out of highschool? I had thoughts like that too – about not being the kind to stay home while the hubby went out to bring home the bacon. And it’s not just about earning money for the family – it was more of the idea of really doing something that I was passionate about. For a time I fantasized about being a communist rebel (not exactly a glamorous career); then I also dreamed of working in a top corporation and making it big. When my life revolved around working with children’s NGOs, I knew that was my place in the sun.

But as I grew older, things changed and my perceptions changed along with it. I know now that when it came time build my own family, when it was time to have babies, I would not be able to keep myself away from home on a regular basis. Not even for an eight hour shift.

Lately, this idea of just staying at home has been occupying my mind and it isn’t just for when I had babies anymore. Why should I have to wait? Why can’t I just start now?

Thus the theme for this week’s 13: things I’d rather do than go to work.

+ Blog about so many other things that matter to me and the world (sheesh I’m still not done with the Bohol posts) and bloghop like crazy.

+ Watch DVDs

+ Read (I’m down to 11 books from last week’s list, but really there are several more that didn’t go up there)

+ Workout. Swim. Learn Tennis again.

+ Finish my digital Scrapbook project for the girls. Start scrapping our Bohol vacation.

+ Find online freelance article writing opportunities.

+ Fulfill Truffles orders

+ Bake (for family, and also to sell) and/or go to baking school.

+ Spoil my dog (so he would look more to me as his owner/mommy, than to my mom and dad)

+ Spend time with my nephews (read them books, for one, but there are so many other things we’d be happy to get busy with after school)

+ Learn other things – design stuff, like digital signage or even cards or whatever. I’d love to learn the ins and outs of Photoshop (if only that course I wanted to sign up for wasn’t out of my budget range).

+ Get involved with Sunday School at Church.

+ Find part time involvement with the NGOs I worked with in the past – I’d love to setup a new website for Asia ACTs or write stuff for them. And I’d love to facilitate workshops for ECPAT and the young people.

This seems a merry mix of things and I’m aware it all sounds like stuff I already can do while still working a regular job. The thing is, these are all distractions for me at work and I don’t want to be like that. When I’m at work, I want to be focused. That’s the only way I can be really productive. When I’m at home doing any or all these things – you won’t believe how focused I could get. Hehe.

Or, I really am just lazy. Haha

As always, checkout my previous TT’s here and here. Also don’t forget to sign Mr Linky, and leave a comment so I can go visit you too.

I have joined yet another of Dette’s clubs – the Online Book and Movie Club or BAM. If you enjoy reading books or watching movies, then you will most probably enjoy being part of this group

Here’s my belated first ever BAM post and yes, I am posting on a Saturday early morning rather than Friday. But, you don’t mind do you?

First off, I had a friend asking me about James Frey’s first novel that I may have mentioned in my previous post. The novel’s title is A Million Little Pieces and it’s James’ retelling of his experience recovering from his addictions in a drug treatment center. But it isn’t just about drug treatment really, it’s about so much more. It’s a brutal story and well embellished, but worth the read.

Now, on to the book I’ve been wanting to tell you guys about since last week:

Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends. I’ve got a very old and worn copy of the book that has Chris O’Donnell and Minnie Driver on the cover. I didn’t see the movie version but I am definitely going to hunt it down one of these days.

This has only been my second Maeve Binchy title, the first being Tara Road, but I’ve decided that I like her as an author. I think I’ll fit in in 1950s/60s Ireland.

I brought this book with me to Bohol thinking that this may be the first book I’ll be giving away or reselling on my blog -  but because I liked it so much, I don’t think I’d actually be parting with it anytime soon.

I liked it so much that I was compelled to relay the story to Alfred. I gave him updates as the story progressed. I enjoyed that too.

The story revolves around the friendship and coming of age of two girls Eve and Benny, and the circle of friends that they have built to surround and support them.  For years it was just the two of them, until all of a sudden, an accident throws them together with a merry mix of other young people from Dublin.

Oh I remember too my first day at University, even if it wasn’t as eventful as theirs was… 

In a way I related to Benny, being a big girl (though I am plump, and she seems to just be big), and having a family that was always there for her. No, my parents were never too strict and didn’t baby me as a teenage girl. Neither am I an only child. Still, I kinda identified with Benny.

I’ve always thought that I could get any boy/man I like.  Growing up, I’ve had my fair share of admirers. But because I gained weight as I grew older, I guess I started thinking that pretty boys won’t look at me and think that they want me. I was resigned to the fact that the only way I could get Mr Popularity was if he really got to know me. I knew I was sexy, but they had to see beyond my body. I don’t resent the Nan Mahons of the world, because I always believed that the Benny Hogans and the Eve Malones could achieve anything they wanted – including getting the men of their dreams. Haha.

Though I grew up in a city, living within the St. Andrew’s Seminary Compound is somehow like growing up in a small town like Knockglen where Benny and Eve were born and raised. I wouldn’t mind going home to Knockglen on weekends and holidays.

So what did Circle of Friends speak of to me?

Women and the different ways we behave.

Friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Family. Relationships, and what really matters.

It’s about dreaming and what people do to make them happen. Embracing change while still staying true to one’s nature.

It’s about growing up. Finding strength within. And conquering the odds.

Clicking through Project Wonderful ads (I carry those too, please check them out if you’re so inclined) has led me to wonderful discoveries tonight. I am now reading Comics online!

The first one that caught my fancy is Xylia Tales. The graphics are really awesome. I clicked on the Archives link and read from when it all began. I’ve only reached the beginning of Chapter 2, so far. I’ve got plenty of pages more to go.

They also just updated their website (as in just now) and now I see that the author/artist has a second story up. That should be interesting too. Maybe when I have some earnings from my ads I’ll donate to the site, I do want to see more from them!

The second comic I started reading (at the same time, I go back and forth between the two) is Sore Thumbs. While Xylia is high fantasy, Sore Thumbs, for me, is satirical. One has to have an open mind to be able to appreciate it. I’ve gone back to the first issue which dates back to 2004!

Anyway, these artists are awesome and they publish their work on the web for free. Counting on donations and income from ads, I guess. I bet Alfred would be interested in these as well. I can’t wait to tell him.

When I was a little girl, my dad would buy me local comic books when he goes to the market. Both he and my mom really encouraged me to read, and comics was among the varied materials I got. What made it more meaningful for me was how he would tell me stories of him sneaking comics when he was a kid. His father didn’t approve of them and thought they were good for nothing. He would save his school money though, buy comics, and hideout under the house just to read. I felt like I was privileged because I could read them openly. Of course I understood too that maybe not all comics are fit for young minds.

Anyway, I stopped reading local comics a long time ago, except the dailies published in the broadsheets. I’d be delighted to see the comics of old published on the web too – along with the younger artists.