The more beautiful surprise...

...is that Rico is here!

He surprised me and he'll spend the weekend in Manila.

No particular reason - just wanted to spend some quiet time together.

Happiness.

Beautiful surprise

There’s always a beautiful surprise when you don’t expect too much from a situation.

I’ve been reading a lot of Richard Carlson lately.

Admittedly, I’m guilty of glorifying stress.

Cliché but so true for me: when it comes to dealing with stress, I make a mountain out of a molehill. Sometimes, I go full-OA and even foresee catastrophe.

I’ve been training Segment Marketing people for 2 days now. Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting a lot from them. It’s difficult to convene our Segment guys so I wasn’t expecting good attendance in the training. I even foresaw people going in and out to attend to their business. I forecasted that no one will listen.

So 80% attendance was pleasantly unexpected.

They all listened and stuck it out in the 2-day training-workshop and I actually got positive feedback from a little bird. The guys liked the content and the way Andoy and I delivered the sessions.

Sometimes, it really helps not to expect too much. It’s not about lowering standards or excellence. It’s about dealing with life’s speed bumps in a lighter, more positive way.

Salamat sa tamang pananaw.

Cubao X and the quest for a creative hoist

I have a keen talent for perennially finding the silver lining.

I don’t want to be anybody’s dark cloud. Di ba, Kat?

So rant as I might about my creative rut, the fault is solely mine if I don’t kick myself and do something about it.

Last Saturday, all I really wanted to do was stay home. I’m freshly recovered from being sick so I didn’t wanna push my luck. Gemma, Teng, Me-ann and I were supposed to go to Chinatown for dimsum and Sincerity chicken but I had to be the killjoy flaker because I can’t go on a devil-may-care food trip. At least, not just yet.

Sayang. Birthday libre pa naman ni Teng.

After doing some Project Superfly work in the afternoon, I was texting with Teng and we decided to push through, but this time, the wanderers decided to go to Cubao Expo instead to attend the Kabuwanan A-Dos Art Fair.

I had the text invitation since Thursday last week – as sent by Sandy – but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go.

Since Teng promised a birthday treat for Gemma and me, we all decided to head out in the evening.

Both Teng and Gemma had been wanting to go since last year, but I never really had the chance to take them there since I always went with other UP friends.

Must I say --- this is one of the best decisions I ever made this weekend!

Kabuwanan A-Dos did not disappoint – although I expected more art exhibits. Unfortunately too, Lomo Manila did not mount its own exhibit. I soooo miss lomo. Sayang.

There were other things that compensated, though.

Gemma had been requesting for a dinner at Bellinis since last year – and we finally did. We ordered the Bellinis special pizza and the tricolore pasta.

I hoarded a lot of organic beauty stuff by Human Nature and Leyende at Sandy’s The Reading Room. I also managed to whisk away a vintage Japanese-printed dress for a measly 200 bucks!

Object also had a stall outside and I
managed to buy a one-of-a-kind neckpiece. It cost me P450, more than twice the dress I bought but the creative inspiration was priceless. I liked Kat’s (Object’s owner-designer) unique designs. I don’t buy accessories anymore since I prefer the real blings, but I normally spend for items that I know I can’t find anywhere else. And Object accessories? Definitely one of them.

There were a lot of very good paintings sprawled on the floor at Cubao X. It was literally a bangketa sale of good art finds. Last year, when R. and I went to the Cubao X art fair, we managed to buy 2 good paintings – both of which are below 2k each. Quite a steal, huh?

This time, I didn’t buy anything, though. I satisfied myself with breathing art in.

After laughing our asses off with the creative slogans of button pins and even Leyende’s beauty brands (sinong hindi matatawa at mai-impress sa Rumple Silk Skin and Taming of the Do?) and after Teng got tired of bugging Hanzel at The Reading Room, we capped the night by hanging out at Mogwai for a round of drinks and saying goodbye to Sandy.

Teng was still hungry so we trekked back to Gateway Mall Araneta for the usual Starbucks coffee.

The trio had a lot of laughs poking fun at the JJIBs (don’t ask what the acronym means. It’s way too mean and people will chop our heads off.) and just practically laughing at anything --- the trip was soooo worth it.

I’m glad I went out of the house and spent some time with the original beach buddies.

It was good to breathe UP air once again – especially at a time that my art mojo is on the down-low.

I also realized that there can always be a middle ground. I do have a fantabulous day job, but I need to acknowledge that creative side that had been suppressed for a long time now.

The trip was enlightening, refreshing and fun.

Oh yeah – it helped that Teng bought us the drinks. Hahaha.

Off to the next art and laugh trip.

Volare’! (An inside joke that only Teng and Gemma will get.)

More Kabuwanan A-Dos photos at Sandy's website: The Reading Room

For more Cubao X raving, visit Gemma's blog.