Ria Jose in La Union "You seem embarrassed by loneliness, by being alone. It's only a place to start." -Irene, Sabrina (1995) Two of the things that really made my 2015 remarkable were the SmartBro Trips I joined, one to La Union and another to Ilocos. I took the La Union Trip alone which was quite exciting. It was not my first trip alone but it was exciting to be going somewhere new with a group of strangers. I had an awesome experience with newfound friends. One thing though, I had crappy photos of myself. See proof above. I was excited about the next tour, dubbed as Photoholic Ilocos. After all, Ilocos had a lot of places perfect for taking photos. Plus, I was traveling with friends. Days before I was to leave for the Ilocos tour I was browsing through my social media feeds and saw some of my friends with beautiful shots in Ilocos. But most, if not all, of their shots were couple shots. This gave me an idea for our Photoholic Ilocos Tour, have couple shots alone. Ria Jose invites to you a journey with #TeamSingle My first post is obviously inspired by Murad Osmann's series…
Category: life
Liberalia 2014
Davao City, are you ready to glow? Liberalia, happening on March 15 at the Concert Grounds of Crocodile Park, Davao City This weekend, all roads lead to the Concert Grounds of Crocodile Park, Davao City, as Manic Nightnings invites you to liberate yourself and glow at Liberalia. Don't miss out on the biggest pre-Araw ng Dabaw party. Buy your ticket at any of the following outlets: Soul Lifestyle at the 2nd Floor of Gaisano Mall Davao and at the 3rd Floor of Abreeza Ayala Mall Davao; Cellar de Boca at the 2nd Floor of SM Lanang Premier; or Backyard Burgers along Quimpo Boulevard. You may also PM any of these awesome people: Dan Pacoy, Chat Elizagaque, Paolo Villanueva, and Raphael Paulo. VIP tickets are PhP1,500 each. This comes with UNLIMITED DRINKS from 3 pm onwards, courtesy of Bacardi. Plus, you get to party at arm's length from the stage. General Admission (GA) tickets are at PhP500 each. The first 200 early birds get 1 free Welcome Drink from the generous people of Bacardi. Small price to pay to be a part of the most exciting party in the south. Joining in on the fun is UniversoRoboto. Check him out... And…
Being Better
Many days, weeks, and months ago, I suffered a betrayal that I thought I could never move past beyond. It cost me a lot of things... confidence in myself, trust in others, and "friends." Every time I'd encounter a milestone or a reminder of that painful moment, I'd lose all my confidence once again, and paranoia and self-pity would set in. I have tried so hard to avoid those moments and to keep to myself, to hide my pain and sorrow only to be witnessed by me alone. Today is one of those days. I fear that I will break down and wallow in self-pity. Once again, I want to just keep to myself and have my own pity party but I had made a promise. I will be there, I will face the reality of what had happened, of how my best laid plans had failed despite my earnest and sincere efforts. I don't know why I made the promise to be there but I did and I will fulfill it, not just for the people who stayed true and loyal to me but for myself. I have to do it for me. If I kept to myself and…
A Lesson on Leadership from Jiro
I finally watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I was moved and inspired by the film. I had wanted to write an extensive blog post about it but I am at loss for words. Instead, here's an insight on leadership which was reinforced by the movie: "Lead by example." I have heard it and read it many times and I believe in it but never have I seen it so succinctly displayed as by sushi master Jiro Ono. He is disciplined, dedicated, and committed that even his suppliers don't care about gaining profit and selling, they just want to be part of his success. He shows up for work everyday, ready and committed to elevating his craft. No matter how successful he is, he sticks to his routine and never loses the thirst for excellence. He competes not with others but with himself. He shows his apprentices and his sons the kind of discipline and passion that would make them succeed. You could say he's strict or rigorous, but his apprentices and his sons yearn for nothing more than to be as good as him because they see that Jiro is most strict and demanding of himself more than he is…
Tonight I Can Write by Pablo Neruda
This is one of my favorite poems. Yes, it's a poem about heartbreak and letting go but it's also a poem about love and how it can move people. Tonight I can write the saddest lines Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example,'The night is shattered and the blue stars shiver in the distance.' The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in my arms I kissed her again and again under the endless sky. She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too. How could one not have loved her great still eyes. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her. To hear the immense night, still more immense without her. And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture. What does it matter that my love could not keep her. The night is shattered and she is not with me. This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance. My…
Life can be Disappointing
As kids, most of us were told that when we're good, we get good things in return. "Be kind to others and others will be kind to you." "Study hard to get good grades." "Treat others well and they'll treat you well." "Be good and the world will be good to you." "Work hard to get rewards." These are all lies. The world does not operate in a quid pro quo manner. People are not always fair. LIFE IS NOT FAIR. Shit happens all the time. The sooner you accept this, the happier you'll be. Life can be one f*cked up pile of sh*t. And the best way to deal with it is to accept it as such. Smile. Learn a lesson. And move on. Disappointments and failures come and go. No matter how hard you work, some things just don't work the way you hope it would. Don't fret... greater and better things MAY come your way. Or it won't. Just deal with it. Take comfort in knowing that everybody else deals with the same sh*t. Yes, even those who seem to have it all. Everybody experiences disappointments, frustrations, failures, heartbreaks. It's just that some people deal with life…