[Country: Male / Female]

  • Argentina: Juan Pérez
  • Austria: Hans Meier
  • Belgium: Jan Modaal or Jean Dupont or Jan Janssen
  • Brazil: Fulano (de Tal) or João da Silva / Maria Aparecida
  • Bulgaria: Ivan Ivanov / Maria Ivanova
  • Czech Republic: Jan Novák
  • Chile: Juan Perez
  • Croatia: Ivan Horvat / Ivana or Ana Horvat
  • Denmark: Hans Jensen
  • England: John Smith / Jane Smith
  • Finland: Matti Meikäläinen / Maija Meikäläinen
  • France: Mr. Dupont / Madame Dupont or Jean Dupond or Jacques Martin
  • Germany: Erika Mustermann or Lieschen Müller
  • Hungary: Kovács János or Kovács Istvá...
nov 14 2011 ∞
nov 14 2011 +

I would like to see/hear/touch/taste/smell/experience this in my lifetime.

Also, this is what I say life on Earth is like if asked to describe it to a baby...or an alien race.

oct 18 2011 ∞
feb 15 2013 +

terms that, depending on context, can have opposite or contradictory meanings

  • bolt: to secure, or to flee
  • bound: heading to a destination, or restrained from movement
  • buckle: to connect, or to break or collapse
  • clip: to fasten, or detach
  • dust: to add fine particles, or to remove them
  • fine: excellent, or acceptable or good enough
  • finished: completed, or ended or destroyed
  • go: to proceed or succeed, or to weaken or fail
  • hold up: to support, or to impede
  • left: remained, or departed
  • model: an exemplar, or a copy
  • overlook: to supervise, or to neglect
  • put out: extinguish, or generate
sep 14 2011 ∞
sep 14 2011 +

this morning, 4 August 2011

What it could mean:

  • "To dream that you are bleeding or losing blood, signifies that you are suffering from exhaustion or that you are feeling emotionally drained."
  • "
    may also denote bitter confrontations between you and your friends. Your past actions has come back to haunt you."
  • "To see ears in your dreams, suggest that you need to be more responsive or receptive to guidance and assistance from others. You may be relying too much on your own judgment and intuition. You need to listen more closely to what you are being told. Alternatively, it signifies your imm...
aug 4 2011 ∞
aug 4 2011 +

"...In the shop window you have promptly identified the cover with the title you were looking for. Following this visual trail, you have forced your way through the shop past the thick barricade of

  • Books You Haven't Read,

which were frowning at you from the tables and shelves, trying to cow you. But you know you must never allow yourself to be awed, that among them there extend for acres and acres

  • the Books You Needn't Read,
  • the Books Made For Purposes Other Than Reading,
  • Books Read Even Before You Open Them Since They Belong To The Category Of Books Read Before Being Written.

And thus you pass the outer girdle of ramparts, but then you are attacked by the infantry of

may 25 2011 ∞
may 25 2011 +

/ Written 10 March 2007

* One book that changed my life. True Love by Robert Fulghum : because I was a child, and I was in love. Because I felt that this is the closest I can get to the spiritual, without being forced. I could call it my first encounter with moments, remnants: the fleeting glances, the missed chances, the little details that I will later be consumed with.

* One book I have read more than once. Open Slowly by Kate Light , when her poems used to speak of my life over and over. I can finally put her away now, I can finally see her poems among other works and not be compelled to look, to read. My heart has unfurled: I am a boat, and I am sailing, far away, far away.

* One book I would want on a desert island. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer , so I can scream (this certain paragraph on page 17) wildly, "AND IF OUR PLIGHT IS SO DESPERATE, SHOULD WE NOT ACT LIKE IT? AND SHOULD WE NOT SOUND LIKE DESPERATE ...

may 16 2011 ∞
may 16 2011 +
  • Jason Bourne
  • John McClane
  • Snake Plisken

TV

  • Jack Bauer
may 15 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

Today, at 25 years old

  • Am I doing the right thing (starting my own business instead of getting a corporate job)?
  • When will I get out of my parents' house and start living on my own?
  • Do people my age already have savings?
  • Will I get to earn my first million before I'm thirty?
  • Is a 'career' important?
  • Should I lessen the amount of money I am giving my parents?
  • Will I be successful someday?
  • Am I crazy (for going after what I want, despite the odds)?
may 10 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

now (currently 25 years old) and always

  • walking around the bookstore
  • buying books
  • a good smoke outside
  • coffee date with friends
  • sleeping

before

  • strawberry milkshake from Jollibee
may 10 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • Random neighbors setting off very loud fireworks for no reason other than to disturb the peace
  • Junk shops who harbour a lot of filth and drill through your walls
  • Men who pee on walls
  • Loud off-key village karaoke until the wee hours of the night
may 9 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • Tapa (cured beef), egg estrellado and fried rice
  • Bacon with chick peas and green peas, garnished generously with freshly ground black pepper
  • Cheese omelette
  • Pancakes made from scratch
  • Hash browns
  • Egg in the basket
  • French toast
  • Eggs benedict
  • Tuyo (salted dried fish) or tinapa (smoked fish), salted eggs, fresh tomatoes and fried rice
  • Champorado (chocolate rice porridge) and tuyo
apr 28 2011 ∞
apr 29 2011 +
  • Baffled adj. filled with bewilderment
  • Foiled adj. disappointingly unsuccessful
  • Melancholy n. a feeling of thoughtful sadness
apr 27 2011 ∞
may 1 2011 +

Words

  • awesomesauce

Phrases

  • "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little"
apr 26 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

/ May involve famous people, celebrities, fictional characters et al.

  • Cap’n Crunch’s full name is Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch.
  • Ken’s last name is Carson.
  • McGuyver's first name is Angus.
  • Mr. Clean's first name is Veritably.
  • The policeman in Monopoly's name is Officer Edgar Mallory.
  • The true identity of The Lone Ranger was John Reid.
apr 26 2011 ∞
nov 14 2011 +
  • Lolo Frank. 5th Generation iPod Classic, gift from Papa and Mama for my 18th birthday (which I received when I was 22 years old, how about that)
  • Nancy. iPod speakers (got it free from a Calvin Klein perfume)
  • Joni. Blue Jansport bag from Tita Chit. Originally used by Sacha and Cheri, handed down to me.
  • Dylan. Bob Dylan bag from Artwork. Originally used by Sacha, handed down to me (2007/2008).
  • Blaine. Yellow "Cory" bag. Bought from Divisoria by Sacha and Mama, handed down to me (December 2009).
  • Daphne. Recycled bag from Marks & Spencer.
  • Sophia. Aromatherapy oil burner. Bought from SM Department Store (2005/2006).
  • Bastet. Wooden cat statue. Purchased at Mega Expo (2005/2006).
  • Finch. Wooden green box from Egg. Gift from Pap...
apr 26 2011 ∞
apr 26 2011 +
  • A space all to myself!
  • Making sandwiches with different possible combinations
  • Walking around naked
  • Staying up late as much as I like
  • Putting things where I want them
  • Decorating my walls
jun 20 2012 ∞
jun 20 2012 +

Arabic

  • Khalas: A term used to mean that something is completely and irrevocably done, finished, and over
  • Ya’aburnee: A declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person, because of how difficult it would be to live without them

Cheyenne

  • Vovohe Tahtsenaotse: To prepare the mouth before speaking by moving or licking one’s lips

Chinese

  • Méibànfǎ: Literally “no solution”; it’s a sense of disappointment and acknowledging that life has its limits
  • Qìzhì: An intangible quality one carries as the result of a good upbringing and education; if a woman, it means she is no...
nov 14 2011 ∞
nov 14 2011 +
  • a fine mess
  • a new classic
  • act naturally
  • alone together
  • amateur expert
  • anxious patient
  • astronomically small
  • awfully nice
  • blind eye
  • buried alive
  • burning cold
  • business casual
  • calculated risk
  • casual intimacy
  • civil disobedience
  • civilized warfare
  • clever fool
  • cold sweat
  • commercial art
  • complete separation
  • controlled chaos
oct 4 2011 ∞
oct 4 2011 +

The Bildungsroman defines a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, and in which character change is thus extremely important. The term coming-of-age novel is sometimes used interchangeably with Bildungsroman, but its use is usually wider and less technical.

Examples:

  • The History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1749)
  • Candide by Voltaire (1759)
  • Émile: or, On Education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762)
  • The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1787)
  • Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (1814)
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)
aug 20 2011 ∞
aug 20 2011 +
  • c’est la vie (that's life; that's how things happen)
  • ca va sans dire (it goes without saying)
  • corruptio optimi pessima (the corruption of the best is the worst of all)
  • dum spiro, spero (while I breathe, I hope)
  • dum vivimus vivamus (while we live, let us live)
  • est modus in rebus (there is a proper measure in things)
  • folie de grandeur (delusion of greatness)
  • odi et amo (I hate and I love)
  • peu a peu (little by little)
  • sunt lacrimae rerum (there are tears for things)
  • tanche de vie (slice of life)
  • tempus fugit (time flies)
  • tristesse (melancholy)
  • vita brevis (life is short)
  • voila tout (that’s all)

1 [http://www.dailywritingtips.com/150-fore...] // 2 [http://www.dailywritingtips.com/225-fore...]

aug 2 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

currently reading, 17 June 2011

  • revelry n. lively and noisy festivities
  • augury n. a sign of what will happen in the future; an omen
  • repugnance n. intense disgust
  • adjure v. to urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something
  • irresolutely adv. showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain
  • entreat v. to ask someone earnestly or anxiously to do something
  • malefactor n. a person who commits a crime or some other wrong
  • sagacious adj. having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd
  • august adj. respected and impressive
  • venal adj. showing or motivate by susceptibility to bribery
  • chimera n. a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve
jun 18 2011 ∞
jun 20 2011 +
  • bagel
  • baguette
  • ciabatta
  • croissant
  • focaccia
  • pan de sal
  • pita
  • pretzel
  • roti
  • tortilla
  • wheat
  • white
may 16 2011 ∞
may 16 2011 +
  • Fred Astaire
  • Mikhail Baryshnikov
  • Martha Graham
  • Michael Jackson
  • Gene Kelly
  • Madonna
  • Donald O'Connor
  • Anna Pavlova
may 11 2011 ∞
may 11 2011 +
  • sliding my hand in a pot full of mongo beans
  • smooth, heavy stones from the zen garden in Ateneo
  • bubble wrap
  • the skin inside Sacha's arm
  • Cheri's hair
  • Papa's hair
  • cheese
  • my red blanket
  • scars
may 10 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

"Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in 'sadness,' 'joy,' or 'regret.' Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic train-car constructions like, say,

    • the happiness that attends disaster
    • the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy.

"I'd like to show how

    • intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members

connects with

    • the hatred of mirrors that begins in midd...
may 9 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • when I'm slicing an onion
  • when I'm squishing the meat while kneading (making meatballs, spring rolls, patties, etc)
  • when I'm folding in cream and fruits for a salad
  • when I'm scraping coconut meat from the shell
  • when I'm shaving ice for halo-halo or fruit shake
  • when I'm opening a can of soda/beer
  • when I'm beating an egg in a bowl
  • crack of the egg shell against the side of the bowl/pan
  • pop of a wine cork
  • clinking of bottle/glass with another when I say, "Cheers!"
  • sifting the flour and tapping the side of the colander against my hand
  • click of the stove and when I turn the knob
apr 28 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • tax evaders
  • plagiarisers
    • established/famous writers who plagiarise and think they can get away with it
    • friends of the plagiariser, who are also writers, who keep silent about said plagiarism
apr 27 2011 ∞
apr 29 2011 +
  • R.
  • Keet
  • Paula
  • Jilly
  • Kae
  • Nan
  • Sandy
  • Sunny
  • KC
  • Carol
  • Vera
  • M.
apr 26 2011 ∞
sep 14 2011 +
  • sashimi
  • rain
  • doodling
  • wearing skirts
  • rearranging the contents of my bag
  • having lots of conversation over coffee
  • naming most of my stuff
  • walking around in socks
  • walking around barefoot
  • singing in the shower
apr 26 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • Dirty Harry. Canon Sure Shot Owl PF.
  • Jimi Hendrix. Pentax ME.
  • Captain Jacques Cousteau. Canon Powershot S2 IS.
  • Pollyanna. Polaroid One600 Ultra
  • Spencer. Diana Mini.
apr 26 2011 ∞
apr 26 2011 +
  • Sophia
  • Madeleine
  • Shoshanna
  • Emma
jul 25 2012 ∞
jul 25 2012 +
  • Arctophiles collect teddy bears.
  • Arenophiles collect sand samples from around the world.
  • Brandophilists collect cigar bands.
  • Deltiologists collect postcards.
  • Falerists collect medals, badges, pins, and other military and civilian awards and decorations.
  • Helixophiles collect corkscrews.
  • Lotologists collect lottery tickets, both used and unused.
  • Pannapictagraphists collect comic books.
  • Phillumenists collect matchbooks and other match-related items.
  • Plangonologists collect dolls.
  • Scutelliphiles collect souvenir patches and badges.
  • Sucrologists collect sugar packets that you see in restaurants.
  • Tegestologists collect coasters or beermats.
nov 14 2011 ∞
nov 14 2011 +
  • 2005 : What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?
  • 2006 : What is your dangerous idea?
  • 2007 : What are you optimistic about?
  • 2008 : What have you changed your mind about?
  • 2009 : What will change everything?
oct 6 2011 ∞
jul 25 2012 +
  • Beijing used to be Peking (China)
  • Cambodia used to be Kampuchea
  • Czech Republic and Slovakia used to be Chechoslovakia
  • Ethiopia used to be Abyssinia
  • France used to be Gaul
  • Ho Chi Minh used to be Saigon (Vietnam)
  • Korea used to be Choson
  • Iran used to be Persia
  • Iraq used to be Mesopotamia
  • Istanbul used to be Constantinople (Turkey)
  • Myanmar used to be Burma
  • Sri Lanka used to be Ceylon
  • St. Petersburg used to be Petrograd and Leningrad (Russia)
  • Taiwan used to be Formosa
  • Thailand used to be Siam
  • Tokyo used to be Edo (Japan)
sep 7 2011 ∞
sep 8 2011 +
  • surviving a zombie apocalypse
  • whistling with two fingers
  • playing the harmonica
  • finding my way back home, no matter where you drop me off
  • disappearing without a trace
  • imitating accents
  • using improvised weapons
  • having superior upper arm strength
  • getting in and out of a vehicle gracefully
  • knowing what classical/opera song/music is playing
aug 3 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

Written 26 July 2011

This is a response to J.'s e-mail, in which she asks, "Let's say in the future Science discovers that you can only remember so many things, and you need to let go of stuff in order to take in more. Let's call it voluntary amnesia. What are five memories you will never let go?"

An edited version of my answer --

  • Sitting in the car with Papa, popping bubble wrap while singing at the top of our lungs to Free Movement. It was the afternoon; we were waiting for Mama. She was outside waiting in line at an ATM. We were bored. I forget why I had the bubble wrap. I forget the year when this happened. I think I was still in college. I was in the passenger seat. That moment lasted for three and half minutes. The song was I Found Somebody New, one of his favourites. It's the closest I will ever get to storge. I need to remember ...
aug 1 2011 ∞
aug 1 2011 +

Written 4 October 2010

  • To stop feeling awkward about my body and the space I occupy
  • To avoid second-guessing my thoughts, my decisions, and my feelings on things
  • To refrain from comparing myself and my life with everybody else’s because, really, there’s just one me
may 23 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

cheese

  • havarti
  • mozzarella
  • muenster
  • provolone

herbs and spices

  • saffron
  • sesame
  • shallots
  • tarragon

meat and poultry

  • chicken
  • pork
  • turkey
  • veal

sauces

  • bearnaise
  • creamy
may 16 2011 ∞
may 16 2011 +
  • Woody Allen
  • Pedro Almodóvar
  • P.T. Anderson
  • Wes Anderson
  • Darren Aronofsky
  • Noah Baumbach
  • Ingmar Bergman
  • Ishmael Bernal
  • Luc Besson
  • Danny Boyle
  • Brad Bird
  • Lino Brocka
  • Luis Buñuel
  • Tim Burton
  • Charlie Chaplin
  • Cameron Crowe
  • Alfonso Cuarón
  • Richard Curtis
  • Stephen Daldry
  • Guillermo del Toro
  • Federico Fellini
may 11 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • raising paper flags in between classes by attaching it to the ropes of the window blinds
  • stealing silverware from the cafeteria so we can eat our own lunches inside the classroom
  • squirting our teacher walking down the aisle with a water gun, so gently and so hidden so he thought he was imagining things
  • throwing our food outside the window, upwards so it sticks to the ceiling
  • throwing our food outside the window, towards the balcony of the classroom beside us to pass the blame on them
  • calling a bully with a pockmarked face 'cheese bread'
  • hiding inside a closed classroom and whispering 'cheese bread' in unison to drive the bully crazy
may 10 2011 ∞
may 10 2011 +

cheese

  • aged cheeses
  • camembert
  • gorgonzola
  • strong cheddar

herbs and spices

  • bay leaf
  • juniper
  • rosemary
  • sage

meat and poultry

  • beef
  • game birds
  • leg of lamb
  • venison

sauces

  • brown sauce
  • red wine sauce
may 9 2011 ∞
may 9 2011 +
  • keeping still
  • being patient
  • physical coordination (I am very awkward; my body refuses to move with confidence)
  • not overthinking things
  • sleeping early
  • thinking of comebacks quickly during an argument (I will come up with clever, intelligent replies and insults hours, days later)
  • dealing with frustration (I am unable to express what I'm feeling succinctly and find the proper words, hence the conversations I have turn instantly into long, drawn out arguments that are silly and idiotic in retrospect)
  • forgetting people and what they have done to me
  • being mad
  • lying, when it matters
may 5 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • Basil - for crostinis, pestos, margherita pizzas and anything I will cook that has tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis
  • Bay Leaf - for adobo :)
  • Cardamom - for kebabs, basmati rice
  • Chili - for salsas, sauces
  • Chives - for garnishes, soups, sauces, mashed potatoes
  • Cilantro - (also known as coriander and Chinese parsley) for soups, salads and garnishes, salsas, vinaigrettes
  • Dill - for omelettes and deviled eggs, fish dishes, sour cream and yogurt dips/sauces
  • Garlic - for everything!
  • Lavender - for ice creams, custards, shortbreads, keeping scorpions away and making a room smell great
  • Mint - for teas, garnishes, salads
  • Pandan - for rice, coconut desserts, chicken dishes
apr 28 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +
  • A dead body to shield against bullets and also to act as cushion while you jump off several floors
  • Rolled up magazine during hand-to-hand combat
  • Magazine stuck in a toaster + open gas = house explosion
  • Uncapped pen to stab someone's hand
  • Flashlight and electric fan to create an illusion of movement in the dark
  • Hardcover book to choke an opponent
  • Electrical cord to wrap around an assassin's neck
  • Aerosol can to create a minor explosion
  • Towel to whack against someone's face
apr 26 2011 ∞
oct 6 2011 +

/ March 19, 2011. I wanted to get out of a creative rut and back into making things again. I am partial to books about writing (and the writing life), ideas for new creative projects, journaling, design. I am also interested in reading about other creative people's work process and thoughts: what it means to be creative/a writer/an artist, art vs. commerce, how to deal with the realities of having a creative life vs. other practicalities that you have deal with, etc.

On Diaries/Journals

  • Portfolio of Inspirations
  • How to Make A Journal of Your Life by Dan Price
  • An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers by Danny Gregory

On Creative Ideas/Projects

apr 26 2011 ∞
may 1 2011 +
  • Travis. Drive C:\ of HP Compaq Presario Laptop.
  • Trent. Drive D:\ of HP Compaq Presario Laptop.
  • Truman. HP Desktop Pavilion p6290d.
  • Trevor. Backup of Trent. WD External Hard Drive.
  • Troy. Backup of Travis + Truman. WD MyBook External Hard Drive.
  • Tanner. PQI USB Hard Drive.
  • Talbot. Canon Pixma i990 printer.
  • Bacon. (after Francis Bacon) Red calculator.
  • Charlie. Main computer desk. Bought at Cubao, January 2010.
  • Schroeder. Writing desk. Bought at Cubao, January 2010.
  • Linus van Pelt. Chair. Bought at Cubao, January 2010.
  • Dickens. Bookshelf. Bought at Cubao, January 2010.
  • Twain. Old bookshelf in my room. Bought by Papa and Mama for me.
apr 26 2011 ∞
apr 26 2011 +