Maybe Relevant To Your Interest: WATERCOLOR PAINTING

To fight my seemingly eternal/perpetual boredom, I have decided right at the end of January 2014 that I was going to start rekindling my penchant for art. So, after my IELTS exam last February 1, I went directly to National Bookstore to acquire the necessary materials for me to start on my little hobby. A month and a half later, I’m still here painting the hell out of it almost everyday. Seriously, I get bored easily. I remember the first things that I bought were my A4 size watercolor pad which cost me a fortune (like P250 for 24 sheets), my crappy brushes, a Pentel 18 color watercolor set and my two flower pallets. At present, there are quite a number of materials added to the bunch. So, if you are interested in watercolor painting and you are a beginner in it, you might find this entry worth reading.

That’s my work table right there. I don’t have a formal atelier since I am an amateur and I cannot afford one (because I’m always going to be broke, way to live a Bohemian life, Nyms) and this certain area of my brother’s room will, therefore, greatly suffice. My brother only comes home during the weekends since he works in another city if you’re wondering why he’s allowing me to pop a squat in his room (yey for me). To date, I have three sizes of watercolor pads, masking tape, three pallets, two cans of colored pencils, a box of soft pastels, 18 colors of watercolor tubes, a container of brushes and a jug of water. Of course, you don’t have to have as many materials as I have to start off smooth, I’m just an addict like that. Teehee.


My first pad was that A4 size one, cost me P250 (or something, I think it was actually more than that) which was quite expensive for me since it has 24 sheets ONLY. I bought this from Goldcrest at Pabayo St., Cagayan de Oro. My second pad was the biggest one, a 12”x18”, acid free, white finish, 200gsm that is just utterly GORGEOUS. I bought this from National Bookstore at SM Cagayan de Oro. It is my favorite, so far, because it is easy to work with and I can put a bunch of colors in it because of its size. This cost nearly P300, with 24 sheets, definitely worth it. The third one was actually bought by my brother from National Bookstore, Mall of Asia branch. The size is definitely twice the A4 size, acid free, 180gsm, cost the same as the biggest pad I have with 24 sheets but what irked me the most about this is that it is CREAM COLORED. I am not really keen on not-so-pure-white paper. All of these pads perform good, they absorb watercolor well and are just utterly lovely.

I went a little bit crazy with my pallets. Honestly, there is not a decent number of decent watercolor pallets here in Cagayan de Oro. It was quite difficult for me to find one for a beginner like me. So, I bought three. Haha. The first two pallets that I have are those flower pallets on the right. I think each of them cost around P15 from the school supplies section of Gaisano Mall. I love that they can hold a lot of colors. On the other hand, I hate that they have wells in the middle that are impossible to work with because of the short partitions. Seriously, screw the one who designed this. Functionality = IMPOSSIBLE. The one on the left was a great find for me. I bought this at National Bookstore, Centrio branch. Cost around P35 and is worth every penny. I fell in love with this pallet because of its six deep wells which are always great for mixing. However, the downside to this is that it can only house seven colors. Boo hoo. That’s why I use all pallets instead to make my life convenient (because I hate mixing colors where a pure viridian ends up a light green or whatever).

I kind of went a little berserk with my brushes because there aren’t a lot of seriously good brushes here in this small city. Most of brushes are crap, I use them for applying poster color or Chinese ink (therefore lessening my guilt when these brushes get destroyed, mwahahaha). These crappy brushes can be bought at Gaisano Mall and National Bookstore. My favorite brushes, though, can be bought at Goldcrest, Pabayo St. Seriously, they have such a great selection of brushes but their best ones cost SO MUCH. So, I bought the less expensive ones, the BERKELEY brushes which have a distinctive quality of having black barrels and white bristles. I guarantee they are not THAT expensive. My absolute MUST sizes are the sizes: 10, 6, 1, 0 and 000. These are all round brushes, by the way.

As I have said earlier, the watercolor band that I use is PENTEL: a box of 18 colors cost P300 and so far I have no complaints of its performance. Of course you don’t have to have a lot of colors for starters but I just don’t like mixing colors. This can be bought at any National Bookstore branch (but to make sure, head to the main branch directly). My box of 12 colors of soft pastels was bought by my brothers from National Bookstore, Mall of Asia. It’s from SIMBALION and it cost about P250. Very expensive, for a cheapstead like me. However, I think they perform well but just a sidenote: if it’s your first time using soft pastels, it’s going to be pretty messy. So, make sure if you don’t want to mix colors through your fingers or smudge them in whatever surface, you should have a damp towel on the side so you can wipe the color out from your fingers. If you are wondering why I use soft pastels, I use them to highlight colors which cannot be done with layers and layers of watercolor. Through this, I leave no indentation most commonly noticed when using to much watercolor on your paper. MEANWHILE. The white poster color is my substitute for my white acrylic (since bookstore don’t sell it by the normal-sized tube) which I use for highlights and corrections. Costs around P30 in any bookstore in the city. The Chinese ink is a great substitute for black watercolor (which runs out so quickly, just like the white one) and costs less, around P36.


For me, colored pencils are just so essential to any watercolor piece where you want your sketch to not appear so obvious, just like how lead pencils do it. I have 2 sets of them—the regular colored pencils and the watercolor pencils—all from FABER CASTEL. I think this brand is the only brand found in Cagayan de Oro that has decent color payoff and longevity. Kudos to you. I’m not really that crystal with the prices but I think my colored pencils cost nearly P500 for 36 colors and my watercolor pencils cost nearly P400 for 24 colors (plus they have rubber grips which I think were quite unnecessary and a free watercolor brush which was just UTTER RUBBISH). I also have some additional coloring tidbits such as my 10 color colored pens also from FABER CASTEL (seriously, they should make me an endorser or something) which cost nearly a hundred pesos, can be found at any National Bookstore branch. I also use Correction Fluid (yep, you read that right) or Correction Pen for my highlights. If you don’t get why, here are some examples:


see those white lines? So crisp, so fine? Oh yeah, that is the wonder of the Correction Fluid, perfect for contemporary art.

So, YES, those are the things that I work with when making art. If you are interested in my art, check out either of these blogs (careful, one of these has gay porn in them!):

czarnyma.tumblr.com

czarnyma.deviantart.com

Some quick tips before you actually start with your art (and you're a beginner):

• Don't be disappointed if your first work is kind of a "MEH", you're going to improve. Trust me.
• When sketching using a lead pencil, use light strokes.
• I use yellow ochre + white for light skin tone and brown + white/purple for darker ones.
• Always pay attention to the amount of water your brush has. Dab the brush on a towel if it has too much water.
• If you want your paint to dry faster, use a blower.
• Mistake? ACT FAST. Dab it with a tissue before it dries.
• For more tutorials, go to youtube. Or email me and I'll teach you for free. hahaha.

When should you start making art? Well, honey, you should start NOW. STAT. You’ll never know how talented you are if you don’t start off with a single stroke of that brush. Oh yeah.

The Eponine Complex

By now a lot of people may be even a little bit knowledgeable of the plot of Victor Hugo’s classic, “Les Miserables.” However, I am not going to be talking about the story’s contribution to classic literature or its contribution to the success of most Broadway productions (Yes, Lea Salonga, I hear you girl). I want to talk about the second most popular female character of this story, right after Fantine and that is Eponine. I don’t really have to describe Eponine or even narrate her background, what I want people to know is how a lot of girls in the whole world kind of relate to this seemingly proverbial character whose fate ends up literally dead.
Eponine is essentially part of the bitter end of the love triangle. In my own opinion, this thing between her, Marius and Cosette does not really resemble a love triangle, rather it resembles something like this:

It’s plainly obvious how every single girl in this world thinks she is Eponine because each one of them thinks that the man (or woman) that they are in love with will never love them back. Consequentially, these girls who think themselves as social pariahs end up crying over this predicament and sing their emotions out right out in the silent streets, at midnight while every drop of rain is hitting their faces. The last bit may hold not true to some accounts—I, myself, sing “On My Own” in the bathroom while the water from the shower is poorly substituting what is supposed to be actual raindrops. But the bottom line is—we all do this, maybe not the singing part but the self pity part. Admit it, you think you’re Eponine, I feel like Eponine, we all feel like Eponine. It is like all our menstrual cycles are in sync, our Estrogen-ridden brains always hit that Eponine note and activate it like a highly sensitive nerve synapse whenever we feel like this guy (or girl, I have no problem with gayhood) is not noticing us and hell, will never ever notice us. EVER. Story of our lives.
It is a global phenomenon-- why are we so susceptible to self pity to the point that we immediately resort to this conclusion whenever we are friendzoned? I don’t blame people who feel like this because I, too, torture myself sometimes with questions like,
“Am I too ugly?”
“Am I too loud?”
“Am I too hideous?”
“Am I too fat?”
“Do I sound dumb?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
But this was years ago and no, there was nothing wrong with me it’s just that I lacked a bit of honesty and determination. The problem with that situation was that I never really told the guy that I fancied him, like, immensely! I only dropped him subtle hints and told all my friends about my supposedly heartbreak. Why the lack of romantic cheesy declarations of love in my life? I had no idea at that time but I guess now, looking back, it was an amalgamation of the fear of rejection, my overflowing pride and (surprise, surprise) my teenage shyness. I mean, can you really blame me? I was seventeen! Being honest is never easy for those people who are not accustomed in putting their figurative hearts in their respective sleeves. Honesty is a bare-all action, something that a lot of us are afraid of because this makes us vulnerable human beings that a mere slight exposure could actually sting us. The things that bring the honesty out from underneath us will sting like sunburn-- it will hurt and that is what we are all afraid of.
However, we must not always blame ourselves when we are loveless, sometimes the many Marius-es in our lives should make an effort to look the other way and notice us for a change. DANG IT. However, maybe Marius just needs a push, maybe he just needs to know how we feel minus the subtlety. Maybe, just maybe, Marius is just too oblivious and he needs to see the light (spoiler alert: the light is us, yes we’re fabulous like that). Maybe the fact that everybody hates Cosette could actually boost your confidence (Yey!).
I don’t really know much about love and relationships, it is something that will perpetually remain a mystery to me. It is normal to pity ourselves once in a while but we must not reach the point of no return, in this case we must not become Eponine who martyred herself by taking a bullet for Marius. When we get sad, the whole world never really stops for us and that is the way that the universe is trying to tell us something—go on, move on and carry on. It is definitely okay to listen to the saddest songs, devour a pint of ice cream and drink bottle after bottle until our blood becomes alcohol when we feel left out from all this love business but we must never forget to promise ourselves that we will go on, move on and carry on tomorrow... or eventually.
As I sit here in my room, writing this bit of reflection, simultaneously scrolling past my facebook account’s newsfeed, the boy who I thought I was so in love with is online. And I thought, “You will never know how much alcohol I ingested because of you... and I hope to God you will never know.”
Cackles. Cackles everywhere.
I hope you all will drink not for heartbreak, but for happiness.
Happy 2013.
Nyma

MY TOP 10: CHEAPSTEAD Vanity Finds

Variables:
Let ‘friend’ be = Rachi Camille C. Acol
It’s been such a long time since I last posted in my blog, and now that I am back (due to some work holding me back, tsk!) I am going to write about something that I love, which is VANITY! Since I was little, I have always been fascinated about my mother’s make-up and whatnot, and until I grew up and turned into a teenager I have never stopped loving make-up. I remember way back in high school, I was stuck in this emo phase where I always wore black eyeliner in both upper and lower lids. It was cool back then but when I looked at myself from a five year-old photo, I thought I was a train wreck-- a messy, fashionable, emo train wreck. Nowadays, I take my time watching beauty tutorials in youtube, channels like pixiwoo and xsparkage really inspire me to look my best all the time (even after gym… yikes!) with make-up. Maybe you’ve wondered where I have been since my last post. Well, I have been working online writing articles which, I must admit, is tedious but I do earn enough just to suffice for my vain hobby-- which is shopping. Some of my closest friends know that when I go to the mall, you could always catch me in the make-up counters of L’Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon and even at Beauty Bar trying on some samples. Though I have very imperfect skin, I always thank God for not giving me an oversensitive one or I wouldn’t even think about buying some Qianyu made-in-China make-up from 258. I don’t really mind using China-made make-up but I do prefer high-end and even drugstore ones because they stay longer.
Back to the real deal, I am going to write about my top favorites for make-up which I call CHEAPSTEAD, because not only are my top picks affordable but my cheap alternatives are the cheapest there are in this city and I guarantee that they have decent payoffs. All the products that I will feature are products that I use in a regular basis and I have them all here, either in my make-up bag or in my budoir. Some of these products I possess due to my inheritance from mamâ, some of them I bought with my salary and some of them are given by a friend of mine. The top ten list is in no specific order, so this could be as random as it could get.

MY TOP TEN

one: liquid foundation

Unfortunately, I only have one liquid foundation in my collection and that is my L’Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation in True Beige. This foundation is very decent even though it’s from a drugstore brand. It covers my skin perfectly sheen and it stays on my face for about three hours which is great for everyday wear. When it wears off, it doesn’t leave any undesirable spots on my face like other liquid foundations do. However, I still wish I could buy myself an HD or a DoubleWear one, it is much more efficient for parties and events.
Cost: nearly a thousand pesos

two: powder foundation

I must say, the powder foundation is very good when you need a quick retouch and works better than a normal finishing powder. I absolutely love The Body Shop Pressed Foundation in Light Beige since it has an HD effect and covers my whole face perfectly. I love this product more than anything else.

Cost: about 1,200 pesos

Cheaper Alternative: 
The cheaper alternative is the Maybelline Angel Fit in Ochre which works well on oily skin and does a lot for me for a really cheap price. I wear this every time I go out of the house and even at the gym. It wears off nicely for a drugstore brand.
Cost: about 500 pesos

three: blush-on

I am not that big with blushers because even a slight red on my cheeks looks rather fake. I am tan, yes, but I must say when an occasion calls for it, I can pull off a great blusher even this Maybelline Mineral Blusher in Pink which gives me a great, playful look. What I love about this is when you buy one, you will get a free kabuki brush. I love kabuki brushes, somehow they make me all giddy about applying make-up.

Cost: about 600 pesos (I’m not sure)

Cheaper Alternative:

What I love about this cheap alternative is that it is really, really, really cheap and it is so effective for a China-made blusher. The Qianyu Double Blusher which does not have a name for its colors is crazy affordable and crazy usable. If you have a hypersensitive skin, then I advice you not to try this one out.

Cost: can you believe it? It’s only 45 pesos!

four: on-the-go eye shimmers

I love subtle eye shimmers, they work well for me because they really do work for an every day look. These shimmers add a little detail to your eyes, making them quite romantic sometimes and dainty for the most. My favorite is this Jane Cosmetics Shimmer in Camel-lot which is like a mauve color. This pot was given to me by my friend and I love this to bits.

Cost: about $5, but I think it would cost more since you still have to ship this from the US.

Cheaper Alternative:
This cheap alternative I have here is one of my all-time favorites. This is an Avon Dual Tip Liner-Shadow Stick in Sunshine and Sunbeach. The liquid liner is in gold and I think it is rubbish but the shadow stick is just gorgeous. It has this goldy, coppery color which works well with my tan skin. This is perfect for summer. I do not have a picture of it, I tried swatching it but it failed, this picture right here is a better swatch.
Cost: 300 pesos

five: mascara

I love mascaras and I think they are an essential to every girl. I wear mascara when I go out, when I go to the gym, when I’m working and even when I’m at home just lounging. Among the kinds of mascara there are in this world, I just love the volumizing ones, they make my eyes pop out and appear bigger. My favorite mascara is the Esteé Lauder Magnascopic in Black which does loads for my eyes, this mascara does the job well I must say. I’m really glad that my friend gave me this one, this mascara makes me feel very beautiful (oz?).

Cost: $21

Cheaper Alternative:

The Avon SuperShock Mascara is one of my ultimate must-haves from Avon, I absolutely recommend this to those who want a great deal with a beauty product. Not only is this cheap but it is really a SHOCKER, hence the SuperShock label. This is also waterproof so you won’t have to worry about it producing some sorry-ass panda eyes.

Cost: 420 pesos

six: gel liner

I love eyeliners, they define the eyes and make them irresistible as ever in just minimum effort. One product that I love is the Clinique Gel Liner in True Black which is just too beautiful to be given a full-on definition. When you apply it, it is really soft and movable and it dries on really nicely with no smudge. When it dries, it dries black unlike other gel liners. I must say, with all honesty, that this gel liner lasts for hours. I even slept with this on my eyes and woke up with this still on. Totally worth the money.
Cost: $17

Cheaper Alternative:
One of the most decent and cheapest gel liners here in CdO is from the HBC beauty exclusives, the SanSan Gel Liner in Black. I believe this is the best around when it comes to the cheap gel liners ever because it really lasts long, it stays on un-smudged and it even comes with a mini-brush which is really usable.
Cost: 119 pesos

seven: pencil eye liner

My favorite right now is something my mamâ bought for me at Beauty Bar. This is the Stylí-Style Twist Eyeliner in Black which I adore so much. I always carry a pencil eyeliner in my kikay kit because you’ll never know when a moment comes when you find yourself in front of a hottie and you need your looks to impress him (?). A simple black liner can change your whole look from damsel in distress to femme fatale.

Cost: 650 pesos

Cheaper Alternative:
This cheap alternative I am going to introduce to you is something that I have tried and tested and have been using since I was in high school (which, trust me, is a million years ago). the Avon Gimmerstick Eye Liner in Blackest Black is your perfect alternative and it is also a Twist so you don’t have to sharpen after every use. This does not smudge and it has a very good payoff for something that is so cheap, I must say.
Cost: About 200 pesos

eight: bronzer

Bronzers are a must-have for me since I love contouring my cheeks and adding a little bit of shimmer to my summer-inspired face. The bronzer that I always use when I go out and even when I am at home is the Lancôme Star Bronzer in Poudre Sôleil. This bronzer is just amazing and I have it in a compact and not a single entity. I love how slightly shimmery this is, unlike other bronzers which is dominated by shimmers and every time you swatch it, your skin turns into a layer of gold glitter. This bronzer is two-thirds matte and one-third shimmer and it is perfect for summer.

Cost: $36.50 (however, my mamâ bought this as a compact and a set, their prices may differ)

Cheaper Alternative:

Funny enough, I never thought that products from the brand Careline were decent but I think I was proven wrong. I bought this Careline Girly Frill Bronzer & Blush Compact and thought, ‘why don’t I give it a chance?"’. So here it is, it even made my list.

Cost: 95 pesos

nine: lip gloss

Lip glosses are my own necessity, I have a lot of them in fact. Among those small collection of lip glosses are my tubed and my non-tubed.

Among the tubed ones, I’d say I am very much in love with my Lâncome Juicy Tube in Tickled Pink. It looks really nice being a near-natural color, it does not have a foul taste to it and it wears off perfectly minus the white left-overs in the sides of the lips. Oh yeah, my friend gave this to me.

Cost: $18

Among the non-tubed ones, my favorite would have to be the Clinique Dual Tip Lip Gloss in Berry Flirt. This one was given to me by my friend, I love this to bits. Again, it does not have a foul taste but it smells weird (a smell which is so hard for me to describe) and berry flirt is such a beautiful color, perfect for my skin tone.

Cost: I don’t know, this has been discontinued by Clinique, much to my dismay.

Cheaper Alternatives:

In the tubed category, I’d have to say that my favorite cheap alternative for this is the Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush in Cherry Bomb. This tastes absolutely wonderful, really close to being cherry and it has a really nice smell. What I don’t like about this is that it wears out really clumpy and it is very sticky. But overall, it’s really nice to have in your kikay kit.

Cost: $7

In the non-tubed category, my favorite would be the Revlon Super Lustrous in Cherries in the Glow. This has a smooth finish, wears out perfectly and it has a fruity taste and smell which I love. It looks really natural on me although it appears really pink on the outside or pre-swatch.

Cost: about 500 pesos or more

ten: everyday lipstick

My top pick is a strange one because I never thought it would actually look good on me, at first look at the shade that is. My top pick is the MAC Huetopia which is a part of the Huetopia collection from years ago. This was given to me by my friend. When you first look at this lipstick, you will feel rather uncertain if you can pull this off but… surprise, surprise! The shade is a bright peachy-orange and even when you swatch it it turns into orange still, but when you apply it on to your lips, it has this effect of making your lips appear a sheen orange rather than a solid one. This is absolutely great for a summer brights look.

Cost: I don’t know, this has also been discontinued by MAC.

Cheaper Alternative:

My cheap alternative is something that I’ve had in my kikay kit for years. I love the Maybelline in Roasted Almonds because it appears to be of a bright color but it really looks nude on fair-skinned people. I can wear this everyday when I go out. This really looks great when paired with black-lined eyes.

Cost: about 300 pesos

others

make-up removers

TOP PICK: Lâncome Bi-Facil

Removes make-up in just a little amount

Cost: $26

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Maybelline Make-Up Remover
Removes eye and lip make-up efficiently with moderate amount
Cost: 200 pesos

nail varnishes

TOP PICK: Revlon Nail Varnish in Red Hot Tamale
Gives out a solid color even in just one coat; dries perfectly
Cost: 225 pesos
ALTERNATIVE no. 1: Skin Food Nail Varnishes
Really nice colors, dries up fairly and takes about 2-3 coats for a beautiful finish
Cost: Blue-Green: 195 pesos; Red & Orange: 225 pesos
ALTERNATIVE no. 2: The Face Shop Nail Varnishes
I love the colors they have, the brights are very solid, dries fairly and has a perfect finish
Cost: about 150 pesos each

make-up brushes

I absolutely love these brushes from Marionnaud which can be found at any Watsons store. They are very decent at a very low cost unlike the ones from Smashbox at Beauty Bar which are crazy expensive. These are very much affordable, the most expensive of them is the No. 32 brush or the angle blush brush which retails for 200 pesos at least. The angle brush with the spoolie is also one of my favorites and I use it every day to shape my brows.

 

hair is trademark

I love the Monea Hair Curl Defining Milk because it really does the job. Having a curly set of hair is not an easy predicament, I have to make sure that my curls look as presentable as they can be and I thank God that I found this product while skimming through Watsons. To gain the perfect curly locks, apply this while your hair is still wet and it is preferable to let your hair dry inside rather than bare out in the sun so that your curls can be tamed and won’t look dry. This retails for 99 pesos which is so cheap and a jar lasts for a month, I guarantee.

So, that’s the end of my vanity rambles. I love the products that I just mentioned and I fully assure that I use them on a regular basis. I hope I have imparted some teeny tiny bit of knowledge and I hope that this will help you in getting products for yourself in the future, especially if you live here in Cagayan de Oro or if you look a lot like me.
Until my next blog post.
Tâ-tâ for now!
Nyma

Lost in Austenland

The thing about me and Jane Austen is that we are both women in love with a different kind of fantasy. This fantasy could be real for others but inevitably still remains just a fantasy for the both of us. No I'm not going to whine all day about how lucky Elizabeth Bennet is. Instead, I am going to say something about my two favorite novels by Jane Austen, an analysis of some sort. You see, I have been forever haunted with the story of the two young heroines that dominate Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion.

I must say in all honestly, Pride & Prejudice has been a constantly copied and remade story turned into modern adaptations but the original Victorian version, the root of all, still wins my heart. I love happy endings and I want them in every story I read. In this novel, Mr. Darcy, the hero, starts off really bad and in the middle it gets worse. But the real question is, how did it end? Hah! I got you there didn't I? It's remarkable how Jane Austen saw the future of women. In her time, women writing novels were considered preposterous just like how Ann Radcliffe conceived her Gothic novels. But Jane saw that there is equality between the two genders, that women were capable of anything. Mr. Darcy, I think, always thought of every woman as Caroline Bingley-- attention-starved and pathetic. But the moment he laid eyes on free-spirited and independent Elizabeth Bennet, his generalization of his opposite sex became something of a milder sense. That's why Elizabeth will always be an icon of women. Who would've thought at that time that women had a choice, that the consequences laid before them and decided by society was unfair? It's amazing how I realize these things just by reading Jane Austen beyond the pretense of her being a romantic novelist. She was a realist. Although her novels speak of love, the conflict speaks of how unruly the society was at her time. Nowadays, it is ridiculous for a woman to be uneducated. Oh how the times have changed.

Moving to a different Austen novel: Persuasion. Anne Elliot basically had a lack of conviction which characteristically differs from that of Elizabeth Bennet. Ann is easily persuaded by her godmother, her father and her sisters that she forgets what she really wants. And who is the poor soul that gets all the beatings? Poor Mr. Frederick Wentworth who loved her all his life. But Ann should not be the one to blame, in fact the society is always the one to blame. Society dictates her to take a man of a higher rank since she's of noble blood. Noble blood? What does that mean these days? I definitely oppose to that idea that marriage is all about security. How could you promise to be with a man all your life when that marriage is clouded with false civility and constant indifference? Marriage should have stronger foundations-- love, trust, respect. I guess Ann just wasn't that confident to take the leap and elope with Wentworth.

But you know what I love about Austen? It is that her novels are completely opposite to her real life. Here, in her little fantasy world in paper, her heroes and heroines get the jackpot. I love happy endings. Elizabeth Bennet gets to be married to Mr. Darcy and gets the estate. Ann Elliot marries Wentworth and also gets the estate. I guess in Austen's world property, a house and financial stability still matters. But love, yes it's still the root of all. She is, I'm afraid, my only escape from the harsh winds of reality and lovelessness. This is the reason why I will always love Jane Austen and her stories-- entertaining and heartwarming.

si j'taime. 

au revoir.

Nyma

Jet Set, GO!

OVERTURE

The skyline was purely majestic, it was incomparable to anything I have seen. in my entire life, I have never appreciated glowing lights over the dark sky this much. the view was a treasure, something that I would keep for the rest of my being. This is my travel blog, what I have seen, tasted and experienced in Hong Kong for four days.

This vacation was monumental for me since there were a lot of ‘firsts’ on my list—my first plane ride, my first overseas travel, my first major travel with friends and also my first navigation of a city with only a map in hand. When we arrived at the Hong Kong international airport at around 1:30 in the morning, my head felt a little buzzy especially when we were checked in the immigrations and customs. When I saw the whole array of what the airport has to offer me, I admit I was quite astounded—never have I imagined in my entire life that an edifice so big and white could be an airport. You see, I did enjoy the airport, it seemed like a place where different nationalities meet. The people come from different places and their destinations different also, but one thing’s common and it is that we are heading somewhere. For us three, we were heading to Kowloon.

Ladies' Market, January 2011

Shopping

Hong Kong is a buzzing metropolis. Everywhere there is activity. Everywhere there is life. It was my first time seeing double deckers in person and I think it is the closest I could get in feeling that I was in London. Walking in its streets made me feel like a true cosmopolitan, one with the busy world. For a small city girl like me, this is entertainment enough. Nathan Road was, I think, Hong Kong’s most exciting street with its endless shops of varying natures, it sure is one hell of a tourist spot. Kowloon is pretty famous for its street markets like the Ladies market and the night market in Temple street. Here in these streets you will find things ranging from fashion finds to the unexpected taboos like dildos and anal beads. There is also a street fully dedicated to only things jade—it is a staple in Chinese tradition and my mother loves this gem. Someone once told me back in the Philippines that the lighter the shade of green the jade has, the more expensive it is. True enough, I found that the greener ones could go for as low as HKD40 per bangle or per bracelet. The Ladies’ market is definitely a shopper’s paradise. You can do tawad for as low as half of the original price given for the article without feeling guilty about it. Oh, those sneaky Chinese merchants are really good! Anyways, when I went there they were having this huge end-of-season sale and Chinese new year sale on every mall that I have passed by. I hear their sales are really crazy that it actually competes with the US’s infamous black friday where people line up in the entrances of malls and department stores as early as four in the morning or UK’s boxing day where people go gaga and lala over cheap, cheap sales. Oh, what a dreamland! This is one of those moments where I really wish I had heaps and buckets and truckloads of money. If you are, on the other hand, far from being a cheapstead like me, then you might as well go to Tsim Sha Tsui or Times Square at Causeway Bay and do a little shopping for jewelries at Cartier or Swarovski; clothes at Dolce & Gabbana or Dior; perfumes and scented spirits at Chanel; watches at Omega and Piaget; bags at Hermes or Louis Vuitton… well it’s your money, so you choose.

eat, eat, eat!

Gastronomic Adventure
FOOD. CANTONESE FOOD. Let me tell you something that our tour guide told us, it is that Cantonese food is healthy. People, as in the locals, the real HongKongers are healthy eaters. Unlike me and the rest or the majority of the Filipino people who love anything stir-fried and flavorful. The local food here in Hong Kong is rather different from what I am used to. I actually tried eating at a local KFC and there’s really this difference with their taste. Their chicken lacked flavor, specifically it lacked salt. They also don’t serve gravy with chicken. Same with other fast food chains in the rest of the islands. There is also no option of going large for drinks. How tricky is that, huh?! So, the solution to that problem is to go with the flow. As what the cliché always say… ‘when you’re in Rome, do as the Romans do’. Well, in my case, I had to go a little bit Cantonese. Every supper here in Hong Kong was a gastronomic adventure for me, a new twist to my boring, old Probleme de Gastronomique as I would say… in French that is. RESOUDRE! I loved eating out and staying up late eating steamed vegetables and delicious and positively bland noodles with chopsticks. I bought two 750ml bottles of water at a local 7Eleven at ten dollars. I love noodles. I love them. Cooked. Instant. Fried. Whatever. You name it, I’ll eat it. As long as it’s noodles. There’s nothing more than a high carbohydrate content meal can do to me than temporary happiness. Those fried noodles with mushrooms on them were the best I ever had. Sure they left me constipated but the flavor that brought tiny embers of happiness in my palate left me coming back to the restaurant for more. The restaurant, which name I choose not to remember because it was a little complicated, was like a hole-in-the wall type with seats both on the inside and on the outside extending towards the night market at Temple street. I knew at first glance that they were serving the safest and the best food in the area because the place was swarming with foreigners. I knew I had to try their food. After struggling on speaking ‘Cantonese’ english and practicing our basic human sign language, we had finally set our orders and went on to feast on something delicious. It was local and flavorful and I loved it. Very, very much.

Egg tarts = Heaven

Fab street food

Macau, on the other hand, had fabulous street food. I found myself lingering to the smell of something wonderful and heavenly on the foot of the Ruinas de San Paolo and I found myself standing in front of this lovely array of edible balls. STREET FOOD! Thanks you Lord! I loved their beef balls and their spicy sauce… well… all I can say is… their spicy was REALLY spicy. It nearly burned my larynx away! Their varieties-in-a-stick were pretty much convenient for me, their large servings were the just the right stuff. Their beef balls were phenomenal, it made my gastrointestinal tract really happy. Really happy indeed. Then there’s this other story, about heaven in a small pastry. Something eggy. Something wonderful. Something warm in your mouth. The Portuguese egg tarts were the primary reason why I have taken myself on a one hour nauseated journey from Hong Kong to Macau. Was it worth it? OH YES. DEFINITELY. WITHOUT A DOUBT. When I took my first bite, I had one of those Makino Tsukushi moments where I just wanted to cry out of happiness. Without undue exaggeration, this was heaven in a bite. I also bought  a box of those famous Portuguese almond cookies. I thought they were delicious. And I also loved peanuts. And they reminded me of Cebu’s masareals. Seemed rational, right? Oh never mind.

Scenic Panorama/

Panoramic Scene

Victoria harbour on a hazy day

Hong Kong is gifted with views, manmade or natural. I personally loved the view of the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui. The skyscrapers far across the Hong Kong island looked majestic to me even with a gray sky to compliment it. When I came here, it was awfully windy and cold and for a girl born in the tropical country of the Philippines, I kept on shivering and chattering so hard. But the shivering and chattering was all worth it just to see this beautiful view of the Victoria Harbour. In the morning, the Avenue of the Stars is filled with tourists from all over the world. Somebody even came up to me and started talking to me in Cantonese which left me confused and bewildered. That was the world talking to me! So the view of the harbour is spectacular in the morning, yes, but what about in the evening where the dark sky dominates the atmosphere? Oh yes, the view is just so stupendous and breathtaking. The lights were perfect against a dark backdrop. Since I came here near the Chinese New Year (Kung Hei Fat Choi!) neon lights were a new addition to the skyscrapers in the harbour. At night this place is visited by metropolitans and cosmopolitans and inhabitants of the near hotels like people from the posh Harbour Plaza, the Intercontinental and the Hotel Nikko. There were also foreigners with their Single Lens Reflex cameras taking the best shots of the harbour sans the perfect lighting of the sunlight.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen, the fishing village, is pretty picturesque with its old fishing boats and some new yachts. Hong Kong island, especially near the Victoria mountain lies the most rich in Hong Kong. Here I caught a glimpse of sunlight and it was all bright and sunny again. A boat ride that would take you around this area would cost HKD50. Too expensive, I know, but it was definitely worth it for me since I learned a little part of the Hong Kong history through this. “Hong Kong” means ‘Fragrant Harbour’ since in the past the harbour was densely inhabited by fishermen living on boats. Families actually live in boats! So every little garbage they had went down to the sea… which reminds me of our nearby beach in Bonbon. It is not advised to swim in the sea here in Hong Kong since the water is already polluted. So the people wearing bikinis around Repulse bay are only sunbathers. Tsk Tsk indeed.

Ruinas de San Paolo

So anyways, just a little side trip. We went for a daytrip to Macau on our last day. Macau was not as remarkable as Hong Kong except for the downtown area, or as locals may call it, “/Samalo/”, though I am not sure how it is surely spelled but it sounded like this. Samalo is full of beautiful buildings and the highlight was the Hotel Lisboa which was a casino shaped like a Lotus leaf. In the morning it glimmers against the rays of the sun, at night it glows with neon colored lights. Senado Square is this perfectly restored European square now filled with modern boutiques like Giordano and Bossini and fast food like McDonalds. The downtown is dominated by hotels and casinos and just a few meters away from this faux Las Vegas is the real Macau influenced by the Portuguese but with Cantonese roots. The rest of Macau, from behind the window of the tour bus, is a mix of Cantonese and Portuguese heritage which is just like the Philippines.Macau is, I think, the perfect example of “Carmina Burana”—a small place, a speck of the mainland fighting against fate and fortune, poverty and power… oh I’m turning poetic already! The Ruinas de San Paolo is the most famous infrastructure of Macau and the most iconic since it clearly signifies and materializes the Portuguese influence bestowed upon the Macanese. Now, the façade is only thing left of the once-chapel and is a thriving tourist spot. Count me in!

Senado Square

We went to a temple, the A-Ma temple which was the temple for the fishermen who once lived near here. Now, it is also a great tourist spot and the place is just swarming with people unknowingly praying to someone different from what their culture dictates. But I guess there’s no foul in such belief. I prayed to A-Ma and asked her for a 100% passing rate for Xavier University at the Nursing Licensure Examinations. And also a love life this year. Twenty years and I’m still single! Our guide told us that the way to determine if a temple is really great is that of the amount of smoke that comes out vertically from where it is situated. Meaning, a lot of incense is used, hence a lot of people are inside the temple.Light Bulb moment!

Childlike Giddiness

a wink and a thumbs up!

They glow!

Have you ever had a time travel? Have you traveled back to your youth where everything just seemed so carefree? I had a little time travel back to my childhood with two places in Hong Kong that are forever dear to my heart. Ocean Park at Aberdeen really was an adventure. My feet were terribly tired at the end of the day because we started our little adventure on the summit. From the waterfront, without a little sightseeing, we rode the cable car to the summit. the cable car ride was long and it gave me a perfect panoramic view of the whole Aberdeen area. Ocean Park was all about rides, some were pleasant but mostly scary, definitely bad for my weak heart. Their rides did look very scary as hell and as much as I want to take the challenge, my companions were unnerved with the idea of being up in the air at at fast speed. In the end we only fell in line for the Ocean Park tower which revolved in a perfect three hundred sixty degrees, rendering us breathless with the spectacular views right before us. The pacific pier was also one of the highlights of the summit since it houses the sea lions of the park. They were enormous and adorable. They were like little dolphins, playful and exciting. The ocean park theater featured an afternoon show which starred four dolphins and two sea lions. I must say, they were really impressive and they were trained very well. They jumped, leaped and tumbled over springs of shooting water. This show really made me smile. I also saw the glowing illuminated jellyfishes at Sea Jelly which reminded me of Ai Otsuka’s Kurage Nagareboshi (Jellyfish, Shooting Star). See My poetry on Kurage, Nagareboshi. They were really beautiful and I loved how they glowed red, blue, green against the dark backdrop. We then went back to the waterfront via train. This train ride was my first train ride ever in my life! Well, except when I was in Disneyland. At the waterfront, we were greeted by this large floating balloon and a few more stationary at the ground. I loved skyfair, it was as if I was really on a hot air balloon. Every afternoon, they hold a circus extravaganza and exhibition here at this area, somewhat like a closing program of some sort. We also visited two giant pandas—the first one was eating bark after bark of bamboo and the other taking a dump right in front of us. The red panda was also very cute and it looked like a stuffed animal. Then we went off to the wishing wall where I , again, wished for a love life. Then we saw goldfishes in all Chinese varieties. To tell you honestly, I think they had little cancerous tumors on their faces. Haha. Since I and my two friends were faint-hearted, we decided to hang out instead in the children’s area and rode the only ride that contented us—the pediatric Ferris wheel. So yeah, we were losers in this area, but what the heck?

I want to stay here forever!

“To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past .... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” These were the exact words that the great Walt Disney said on the opening of the first Disneyland at Anaheim, California On Sunday, July 17, 1955.

Mickey in red

Hong Kong Disneyland is the second Disneyland in Asia, next to Disneyland Tokyo which is humongous. The first step I took in this beautiful estate, I thought to myself, “This is it. This is really it. This is my childhood. Years and years of watching Disney classics and now it is all coming to life.” I never thought coming to Disneyland was this overwhelming that I cried at the entrance. I did not care about the people watching me at all. It was really time travel and it was…

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Sleeping Beauty castle

It was like a momentary bout of ‘Ode to Joy’ ringing in my ears. A playground, to be exact. A fantasy, materialized. I may be twenty years young but when I came here I found myself all giddy even from just a sight of Mickey Mouse walking around in the park. Words cannot briefly express how I felt, there’s a certain warmth that is just instantly felt right on the moment where you’re holding your ticket and realizing you are revisiting an important part of your life—your childhood. As I am writing about this, I cannot help but get all teary-eyed. It seems that when it comes to my childhood, I can’t help but be emotional about it, the origins and roots unexplainable. When I saw the expanse of the park through the main street train, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed by seeing Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland materialize right before my eyes. Kids of all ages, even the adults must have felt the same thing—an unexplainable sort of happiness. At main street, my eyes were full or rather ‘busog’ with the numerous shops around filled with memorabilia and accessories that I could not afford. Main street generally reminded me of old America, western to be exact. Tomorrowland reminded me of Buzz Lightyear. Fantasyland reminded me of the Disney princesses and Adventureland reminded me of Tarzan. There was the best of every Disney fantasy and there was a lot to take in. Thank God I did not fidget even one bit. At Fantasyland, we attended the 4D magic, that is the Philharmagic. I was, again, overwhelmed and then I cried. My heart leaped and my mind sang along with the Disney characters in full three dimensional state. During the afternoon parade, I saw every Disney character imaginable, but what I really loved was the swan float which had the Disney princesses on it—Cinderella, Belle, Aurora; the Lilo & Stitch float reminded me of Hawaii; then there’s the Mickey Mouse float. I loved the parade, I loved how it made me smile so much my cheeks would have already burst out of exertion. The adventureland took us into the jungles of the south Americas. There we saw animated Hippos, Elephants and even animals that should’ve belonged to the savanna and not the jungle. Oh well, this is Disneyland after all. Walking along the park was adventure enough. I never wanted to go back to reality again. Ever.

Then eight o’ clock came.

Tinker Bell castle

At first the Sleeping Beauty castle turns into the special fifth anniversary Tinker Bell castle which lights up through lights conducted like an orchestra. Beams encircled the castle and somewhat electronic sequins made the castle glitter like pixie dust.

Then came the most awaited moment… the fireworks.

At first you’ll hear children’s voices singing… “I can show you the world…” and it quickly shifts into the original “Tale as old as time…”

fireworks!!

The fireworks was just too emotional for me. While I was taking some pictures, I was crying like a baby. The fireworks was the perfect ending to a very beautiful day.

Friendship Reminded

United Colors

Me, Chic and Dianne planned this trip since the September of 2010. I never thought I would be allowed to go overseas, surprisingly my mother allowed me to. Thanks to her, I have experienced something so wonderful. This trip is primarily dedicated to my mother. But the real purpose of this trip is to connect the bond that was slightly severed by our rigorous review and our complicated lives back in the city of Golden Friendship. I am thankful that I went on this trip not alone. Having my two other friends made me realize that I am truly living, that I am experiencing something that other people do not. This trip made me realize how much I love these two girls that have been a very big part of my life. Hong Kong was more than an adventure, it was a rekindling trip, a trip that the three of us will always and always remember not because we saw Mickey Mouse or that we shopped till we drop at the street markets, but because this trip made us smile a genuine smile, something that we have not experienced in a while. This trip made us laugh like we were kids again. This trip made us see how much we have fun together even at the most unfortunate and tiresome circumstances. Nothing has changed, after all. We still do, like before, love each other this much.

Until then, when we meet again years from now, when we will travel again…
and I hope to see you, Reader, in one of our travels.


Ciao, Bella.
Nyma