DOday #9 - Go Around the Mall with a Person I Just Met

Today I met a new person who speaks a different language, has a different culture, has different looks, different.

I cannot really disclose any information about this new and different person I walked with around Megamall and shared an ice cream cone with.

But it is refreshing to meet new people.

New conversations.

New experiences.

Photo from this forum

Completed DOday #9, 356 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #8 - Create an Artwork from a Song

It is believed that Jeff Buckley took his own life by way of a flowing river over a decade ago. Many people believe that his screws are loose. It is a given that he is dead. Yes.

No. his body may be dead but he is alive. His brain, the thing that people criticize as dysfunctional is still alive. He had thoughts that he was not afraid to put to light. He tried to make the people in his time see what he can see.

Did he triumph?

As long as there are people listening to his thoughts, he is continually achieving his success. As long as his voice is being sought, he is alive.

His body was never found in the river where he was said to drown. Which makes him more alive, as alive as his music.

The artwork I made is based on Jeff Buckley’s song – The Sky is a Landfill.

The song may mean different things but to me it means just one thing -

DO NOT SELL YOUR SOUL

The sky is a landfill



Circle around the park
Joining hands in silence
Watch the evil black the sky

The storm has ripped the shelter
Of illusion from our brow
This power is no mystery to us now.


Leave your spirit genocide
The cancer you won?t remove
We cast our funeral rose inside
And bury the need to prove
Our mutilation is to gain from the system


Ooh, turn your head away
From the screen, oh people
It will tell you nothing more

Don?t suck the milk of flaccid Bill K.
Public?s empty promise
To the people that the public can ignore


This way of life is so devised
To snuff out the mind that moves
Moving with grace the men despise
And women have learned to lose


Throw off your shame or be
a slave to the system
I see you take another drag
One more lost soul to raise your flag
The sky is a landfill
I see you take another drag
Let?s see you take another drag


You like to dance to the rolling
Head of the adulteress
You sing in praise of suicide
We know you?re useless
Like cops at the scene of the crime


With your steroids and your feedbag
And your stable and your trainer
I got a mail bomb for you Mister Strong Arm.


Throw out the stones from all the cemetery homes
For the violence of a nation gone by
Or the politics of weakness
And the garbage dump of souls
That will now black the sky


Their yellow haze and crowds of eyes
Will plug up the mind that moves
Moving with grace the men despise
And women have learned to lose
We?ll share our bodies
In disdain for the system

Oh, I see you take another drag
One nation bends to kiss the hag
The sky is a landfill
I see you take another drag
I see you take another drag
I have no fear of this machine!

I missed using pencil. Pencil is my favorite medium. It is very true. Very pure. It cannot afford to be pretentious.

Completed DOday #8, 357 challenges to go!




For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #7 - Sew Something that can be Worn

For Monday, August 16, 2010


Because a troll ate our modem yesterday, I’ll be posting 2 DOday Challenges today – in an internet cafe.



Yesterday, my challenge is to sew something that can be worn. I tried this challenge maybe two times in the past but both times I gave up halfway. It’s just too hard to make something fit you.

The first time I cut up an old skirt and I planned on turning it into an asymmetrical blouse. I cut the skirt in the wrong places and the blouse ended up too asymmetrical that I could no longer wear it. It was a waste of good cloth. The prints on the skirt would have been the perfect blouse.




The second time, I got an old tank top and the plan was to turn it into a shirt fully covered with leaves. The plan for the leaves is to get canvas cloth, cut it up into leaf shaped pieces and then paint it with fabric paint. The tank top will serve as the base for the leaf covered blouse.




Why did the second try fail?



Laziness.




I was and still am fat and there would just be too much leaves to cut, paint, and sew into the top.




So yesterday I wanted to finally finish an unfinished business.

I have a sewing machine that you can carry around since it is very compact and lightweight. Thanks to the Manila South Harbor “Shopping Center”, I am now a proud owner of a sewing machine for only PHP 1,500.




Then I scoured the house for scrap cloth from my previous projects and found that I did not have a lot. All I have are bits and pieces of various printed cloth. I thought that it was going to be a disaster since I am no Barbie doll in built and all I have are scrap cloth. But is was a good thing that when I patched them all together it did fit me.




I made a tube top! *smiles*




When I started sewing, the machine was still in chill mode and did not want to start working. So I gave her time to warm up and I sewed on paper, just to give her some time to get her groove.



Then she was finally up!




Sewing together the first part together really pumped my blood. I was going to make something I can use! Everything fell in place perfectly well. This is the first time I tried to sew on a zipper and it is surprisingly easy. Piece by piece, the tube top started to build up together. I was totally in the zone, I did not notice the time, the noise around me, the white noise called the TV, people talking around me. Nothing and no one else was there – just me, the cloth, the machine. I was totally absorbed!




Three hours later.





And more than 10 pin pricks.

My very own tube top!

Completed DOday #7, 358 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #6 - Listen to Bands I've Never Listened to from A-Z

Ok, I over-did my challenge today. I did not just listen to the bands from A-Z but I also thought of nice walking movie scenes for each song. Most movies have that "walking scene" where there would be no ambient sound but only the music. Some movies literally have walking people, some have them in their cars, flying.

Here is my A-Z! (Click on the title to listen to the song)

Adem - Loro

This song would be perfect for those loveydovey movies where the boy and the girl would be shown in a place with lots of grass, trees, shot around 7 or 8 in the morning, with the possibility of some solar lens flares.

Boozoo Bajou - Keep Going

Nice! Very trippy. With eyes closed while listening to the song, I can see someone walking slow-motion in the ghetto with lots of lights, people walking, some people keeping warm on bonfires in drums.

Citizen Cope - Mandy

Sounds like summer! People walking or running along the shore, some are playing with the water. Happy happy, summer colorful.

Donavon Frankenreiter - Make You Mine

Upbeat city song. I can imagine the person singing to be an older version on Justin Bieber. Boyish handsome!

Eluvium - After Nature

Depressing. For me at least. Man walking in a dry, beat up sepia colored place, no vegetation in sight. Towards the end of the song he will see a dead tree and a child.

Four Tet - Angel Echoes

Party in a parabolic flight! Riot!


G. Love & Special Sauce - Yeah, It's That Easy
A white boy in a black charismatic church during praise and worship time.


Helios - Bless This Morning Year
Indoor night shot, I can see this song played inside a chaotic house with pieces of broken glass on top of tables.


Ian Brown - The World is Yours
Walking on top of a bridge with the scenes around the bridge shifting from city to rural to many others. There are cars and people passing by too.


Jupiter Sunrise - Arthur Nix
Middle aged men walking the city streets in suits, all looking lost.

Kalai - The Onlyest Thing
In an Indian or Moroccan market shot at high noon with people walking around and kids playing.


Lemon Jelly - A Tune for Jack

1950's suburban USA.

Morse - Snowhere Remix
A walking scene in a dry sandy place, either an African desert or on top of a rock cliff.

Nickodemus - Cleopatra in New York
Doesn't sound like Cleopatra at all. Would pass in a Bollywood scene with belly dancers and snake charmers.

Outerhope - Heaven
Walking among World War 2 protest rallies.


Peeping Tom - Your Neighborhood Spaceman
A 16 year old geek in his school yard, then he will walk going home. First scene will be on the street, then inside his house and finally inside his room with all geek stuff.


Queensryche - Silent Lucidity
Wow! Super old! Looks like one of the very first music videos made. Might work for an old house scene, with a big winding staircase and all the furniture covered with white cloth.


Roscoe Dash - Show Out
Can't imagine any other scene other than the one on the music video - sexy half naked sistahs showing their boobs and butts and are always behind the brothas. Unlike.


Snow Patrol - On/Off
Highschool kids hanging out in the school parking.


Thievery Corporation - Treasures
Lots of birds. Some flying, some pecking on the ground.


Unloco - Crashing
A good scene for this song is in an industrial junk yard with old tractors and old industrial parts all around. Stop motion would also work for this. 


Vanilla Ninja - Liar
Sounds like a "Rocky" movies soundtrack. Walking scene inside a small boxing arena while there is a fight on-going. People cheering, some scenes in slow-mo some in regular pace.


Widespread Panic - Vacation
Sounds like a lazy afternoon on a swing hanging from an old big tree. Shot at around 4 or 5 in the afternoon.


Xavier Rudd - Energy Song
Driving around. The scene is shot from inside the car, the car's interiors showing. Different locations.


Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band - Rising
Yoko Ono is rock and roll! A girl starts walking slow as people throw buckets of paint on her. She slowly picks up her pace. People still throwing paint at her. Her pace is getting faster, until she is running in full speed.


Zacarias Ferreira - Novia Mia

Oaaaiyyy!!! Mexican party outdoors with lots of happy and beautiful Mexican people enjoying Tequila!




I'll probably end up listening to some of these! Great new finds!

Completed DOday #6, 359 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #5 - Write a Thank You Note & Mail It

Who's day do I want to brighten up with a thank you note?


Mom, my Lola.

She is a woman who chose to see her glass as half empty rather than half full. Who chose sadness as a reality, as the norm.


She wasn't always like this. She used to be a strong and independent woman. Who took care of her husband, seven children, over a dozen grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews, friends. She took everybody under her wing and took care of them, provided for them, nurtured them. She survived her dear husband. She started her business with very little to begin with. She endured the 2nd World War. She brought her faith in God and in the salvation she received through Christ to the hearts of all the people under her wing. She was the woman in the well who met Jesus and claimed the promise that her whole household will be saved.


I thank God for blessing us with her life. I thank God that she is my Lola.


Much of the strength and luminance of her glory days have gone. She turned 80 this year, and is in the eve of a colorful life. I hope this note will surprise her when she receives this. I hope she will smile and remember how much she is loved. I hope she will get her joy back.


I love Mom!

It has been a while since I last painted anything, and I'm happy that my first artwork after a long long time is my thank you note for Mom!

Completed DOday #5, 360 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #4 - Learn to Play One Song Using the Guitar

Wow! This is the most challenging DOday to date! Hehe! Well, I only have 4! So this will probably be nothing compared to future challenges when I'm done with the simple ones. *scary*

 

Playing the guitar is NOT easy! Specially if you have poor eye-hand coordination, short fingers, and no patience. Good thing my "top secret" teacher is very patient and believes that I could do it. If not for my teacher slash cheerleader, I would just quit this challenge and call it a day. A bad day.

 

I tried to learn playing the guitar back in Grade 4 when ALL of my classmates can play More Than Words, some even with eyes closed. I envied them. So I tried to learn, but my fingers could and would not cooperate with me. They simply do not agree to be subjected to such pain. Plus my teacher back then was just a 10 year old boy who couldn't care less if I learn or not. So I abandoned my hopes of playing More Than Words and moved on to a different art.

Saturday came and I had to do a challenge. The thing that I abandoned I now have to face.

 

TRIAL # 1 – Song Choice

I wanted to do something really easy and short like Mary Had a Little Lamb, Happy Birthday, or Humpty Dumpty. I know where I stand, I know my guitar skills, and that means I can only play nursery rhymes. Last year I tried Guitar Hero on PS2 and that too was a big big joke. I just can’t!

My "top secret" teacher wants me to do a song that I liked so that my first song is something I want and not just easy. I thought, “What song do I listen to the most in the past week?” Aha! Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You. Nice song! Ayayay! This is a nice song but not for a beginner!

 

Scrap that – next in the repertoire – Jason Mraz, I’m Yours. Just three chords, according to "top secret" teacher, very easy. Yeah right! Three chords with very fast transition.

 

I won! I won! I can’t do any of the “simple” mainstream songs because they are just too hard! I tried, but Happy Birthday is gonna be the song for the night.

 

TRIAL # 2 – Chords

 

Yes! I can do C, I can do G, but F! What the F?! Hehe! Why oh why?! Why is there F in Happy Birthday?! My eyes have started welling up just because of this F chord! But apparently there are more ways to do the F chord, so I was given the simplest F. But even that was not easy!

 

After studying individual chords, I had to practice actually playing the song. Well, I don’t think I did a good job at transitioning from one chord to the next. I still had to think and place my fingers in each string just to transition.

Here is my version of Happy Birthday! Try not to laugh! :D

This challenge is FAIL if playing the song is the only thing you’ll rate.

 

But for me this is WIN because I did not give up.

 

Because I gave all my energy.

 

Because I normally do not do anything that hurts me; this did hurt me, and I did not stop.

 

I almost cried but I went on.

Completed DOday #4, 361 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #3 - Cook a New Recipe

My challenge today is to cook something that I have never tried before. I cook. And I think I am good at it. And it is surprising that I have never tried this very simple recipe. I often watch this on TV or on the internet. It looks so simple that's why I never tried it. But now that I did, it is not easy. It requires patience. I usually cook stir fry, so the waiting is not an easy task for me. I really need to learn patience. If I did not keep on flipping the fish, the crust would have stayed on it, and I would have a perfect fillet.

I think I can apply this patience lesson in most aspects of my life. I will learn to!

Herb Crusted Fish Fillet

Recipe:

3/4 Kilo Cream Dory Fillet

Calamansi (to taste)

Butter / Margarine

Italian Seasoning

Pepper

Salt

Marinade the fish in calamansi, salt and pepper for around 30 minutes.

Cover the fish with the dried italian seasoning.

Heat the pan with margarine until it is really really hot.

Put the fish in the pan and DO NOT move or keep flipping the fish as I did.

Flipping it too much will cause it to lose the herb crust.

Click! Click!

Bon Apetit!

Completed DOday #3, 362 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #2 - Wear Make-Up Just Because

I do not wear make-up on a regular basis. I only wear make-up on really really really special occasions like weddings, weddings, i could't think of anything else.

Today, my challenge is to wear make-up for no good reason at all. Well, there is a bit of a good reason because I have a job interview. But normally, I do not wear make-up on job interviews or presentations, or anything.

I put on everything! I washed the sponge, put on foundation, then concealer and blended my way in. Next, I worked on my eyes. I put on eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara. I love mascara! If I need to wear make-up everyday, I will always wear mascara! My eyelashes are really short and straight and this miraculously made my eyes flutter. Then the lipstick, and I had to pucker up to a tissue paper. I do not know what that step is for, probably for the glamorous 50's feel, not sure. The last part - pout your lips like a fish, and puff puff - rosy cheeks!

This simple make-up took me 45 minutes. Really. Oh, Kel behind the lens.

While whisking at my face, I thought that I should really be good at putting on make-up. I studied blending colors from high school to college, and I used to teach blending. I just did it on paper, not on skin.

It is a refreshing ritual. Took me 45minutes to get a simple looking blend on my face. I admire the girls who take a chunk of their time everyday to do this ritual to look prettier. Other girls I know cannot step outside without make-up. It takes a lot of effort, time and money, I guess. I hope that the men in their lives compliment them, but them flowers, take them out to nice dinners. Because any girl who is willing to take on 45 minutes off her 24 hours to look pretty deserves her share of romance.

What did I learn from this?

I learned that we all give our time to what we think is valuable. And we have varying opinions on what is valuable. I will probably not take on this make-up habit because I personally do not find value in it. So, I'll just take on another challenge to find out more!

Completed DOday #2, 363 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday Ideas

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable,

those that are movable, and those that move." 

-Benjamin Franklin

Now, why am i doing this again? Oh, yeah. For growth and expansion. Ant to get over my commitment phobia. Barely on my second day and I am thinking if it is really worth the effort. Good thing I ran into brainyquotes and got a reminder from Benjamin Franklin. I want to be part of those that move!

Avoid being comfortable. Discover uncharted ideas. Accept challenges. Maybe I would grow new good habits.

Here are some new or old things that I haven't done in a while or some things forgotten that I want to try out:

watch a movie alone

be vegetarian for a day

exercise nooooo! exercise should I? exercise fine, I will exercise

make handmade christmas cards & actually plan to mail them

interview 5 strangers on the street about their dreams

write a thank you letter to someone

wear full makeup just for everyday

get a guitar lesson & learn one song

write a poem

cook a new recipe

sew something i can wear

read a book to the streetkids along edsa

buy someone flowers

commit to a bible study group

begin a savings plan get a job first!

buy a lottery ticket

listen to bands I've never listened to starting with each letter of the alphabet

leave an inspirational note in the food court for someone to find

watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day

find an inspirational quote and work it into an artwork

complete a coloring book

get a passport

learn 20 vocabulary words

I need to think of more!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!

DOday #1 – Daydream

Be alone with my thoughts.

No distractions.

No tools.

I almost forgot how to do this very wonderful activity of daydreaming. Just sitting or lying down, just my thoughts and me. As a child I often did this inside the bathroom while I play with water. I would sing my heart out with the dipper on my ear and pretend that I am a famous singer singing somewhere exotic, somewhere I’m extremely famous and loved. I also do this with Sugar, my dog when I was in grade school. We would both sit in the garden and dream that we were off to the caves of Palawan or hanging out in the white sand beaches somewhere in the world. I can remember a lot of these times alone. We did not have cable back then, no computers, no cellphones, so it is really easy to daydream back in the 80’s.

This task seems very easy but at 28, it is actually hard! Having lived in the urban jungle made me desensitized to its noise, glaring lights, and pollution. The digital age have made me grown accustom to being bombarded with information anywhere, anytime. Whenever I need an outlet I always have a tool or an activity for it – internet, camera, paper & pen, ipod, and everything else. It is very rare that I really am alone with my thoughts with nothing in the middle.

So what I did is disinfected the bathtub for the security of hygiene.

Got my HHN Mandarin body wash.

Turned on the water and filled the tub just to 1½ inches high (conserve water, it has been running low lately), just enough to warm my back.

Then I just lay there for about 30 minutes in silence, doing nothing, with a blank ceiling in front of me.

this is the ceiling in our bathroom

I had to control myself from getting the scrub to wash my grime off because it  somehow feels like a sin to be doing nothing.

The first 10 minutes was hard. I could not start thinking as I was staring at the tempting scrub justifying that I can very well think even while scrubbing. I finally gave up the scrub and started to reacquaint myself with myself. I now find myself boring because I am now realistic. Boo! My first daydream is finding the perfect creative job, having my hair straightened, moving to a nice house, and all these boring thoughts.

I wanted to stop but I didn’t. I just went along with it, one boring thought after another until finally, breakthrough! I was able to dream again! In 30 minutes I am once again capable of thinking! It is crazy exciting! I start thinking again about the caves to explore, visiting the homes in the show Northern Exposure, having a multi-media exhibit, watch the sunrise at the Maldives, and many more electrifying thoughts!

I think I’d like to do this more often. It is like therapy.

Completed DOday #1, 364 challenges to go!

For Love, for Victory, for the glory of God!