Thanks for stopping by, Sarah and Phil.

"Every great story has a beginning, middle, and ending –
not necessarily in that order.
We are all great stories, but not all written as chapter books.
I know that there are moments not meant to be bound,
that we scribble too much in the margins to read our own page numbers." 

— Phil Kaye, Beginning, Middle and End

March began with a shoot for our family portrait, and heading straight to Makati (with Gabriel accompanying me :p) to line up for what could possibly the most stirring experience of my year. Spoken word poets Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye of Project V.O.I.C.E. came to Manila to hold performance nights and a workshop. Needless to say, I was thrilled and excited the moment the announcement came, and I had to fight through the huge demand for tickets to ensure I would not miss this rare chance.

It was some two years ago that I stumbled upon spoken word poetry, and Sarah and Phil. Since then, I have watched their videos countless times and marveled at the sheer beauty of their words, or how they encourage vulnerability and openness to the world, or how they find meanings in the simplest–but most profound–moments in their lives.

That Sunday night, I was among the 300 or so eager fans who waited hours in line to witness their performance. I even had an almost-encounter with them when, exactly as I went out of the restroom, they entered the venue through the back door. (What is it with me and restroom fangirl moments? Haha!)

The anticipation in the venue was palpable minutes before the show started. And when the two entered the stage, the cheers were deafening. It was absolutely a surreal experience to see them perform the pieces I have only watched, and read, on a screen.

And because they were in the Philippines, Phil and Sarah got a taste of the loud and rowdy ardent Pinoy audience. The loud "No!" answer to Sarah's "Are you in love?" question, Phil's ridiculous beluga whale joke, Sarah's uncontrolled giggling at the crowd's equally uncontrollable cheers, and Phil's "No, shit" response to a guy screaming "I love you!" at him–all of it and more–absolutely priceless. 

It felt like time flew by so fast, it was over before I knew what an extraordinary night I was having. When it was time to line up to purchase merchandise and a quick meet and greet, I wasn't able to do anything other than murmur "thanks for coming" and "great show." I don't even know if they heard me. At least I had the presence of mind to shake their hands. Haha. (Btw, both Phil and Sarah are just as gorgeous and beautiful and sweet in person. ♥)

That night, I also found new(-ish) friends. Kindred souls who also found, and continue to find, inspiration in Sarah's and Phil's works. It was an hour of basking in the wonder of poetry and the humanity that reside in all of us.

Thank you for the words, Phil and Sarah. Thank you for stopping by.

Rustic teatimes and neon notes

He says he doesn't believe in Valentine's Day. He gave me chocolates and a box full of sticky notes anyway. (Disclosure: I might have been a little too happy when I saw what the pink box contained after he handed it to me. I have a weakness for school and office supplies. The Post-it hoarding game in the office is a bit strong, too, you see. Paper things–colorful paper things–yo yo. ♥)

Saturday at Pintô

On the last day of January, Toto, Claire and I had a wonderful day exploring the rustic architecture, the stunning pieces of artwork in the galleries and the outdoor installations at Pintô Art Museum in Antipolo, Rizal. It was a nearly two-hour ride from Quezon City, but very easily accessible and definitely worth the travel.

This made me remember a line from The Lord of the Rings: "The treacherous are ever distrustful."

Stalking Narcissus stalking Narcissus. :3

We had too much fun getting lost inside the labyrinthine galleries. The interiors were just as gorgeous as the exteriors.

Toto in Wonderland :D

Hagu!

#TitasOfAntipolo

The bamboo forest installation was a complete feast for the senses. I didn't want to leave. Haha.

"Babae." We needed the validation. :))

I am happy that the museum seems to be getting the praises, reviews, and visits it deserves. The place was an absolute marvel, and the staff were all very accommodating. Definitely going back since one visit alone doesn't seem to be enough to take in all the place has to offer.

Game Week

Playing card games has been one of the main bonding activities Gabriel and I enjoy since we met in 2013. In fact, the first gift he ever game me was the core set of A Game of Thrones, a living card game based, of course, on George R.R. Martin's epic series A Song of Ice and Fire. He is a card and board game enthusiast, being a player of Magic The Gathering for some years now, and ASOIAF was a common factor for us (I was very much into the series that time–until now, needless to say), so it was a good starting point as we got to know each other more. It was an engaging activity we learned together through time and enjoyed whenever we could find the time and place to play.

I think if we weren't introduced to each other by a common friend, we would still have met if the said common friend took me to one of their "game days," a gathering of their group (which Gabriel is a part of) to play MTG and other games, as we have agreed months before. This common friend had introduced me to MTG and I was quite interested to learn more, so it was just as well that I was inducted into their group. And so as Gabriel tried and continues to try his best to teach me MTG, creating a deck that I could use to play against him and the others in the group, playing card games have been a staple in our meet-ups, lugging around deck boxes or the huge box containing AGoT cards and tokens.

He says I'm learning fast and that I'm doing good–Magic is still way over my head even if I snag wins against his lesser decks often, but Thrones, I am definitely confident playing, especially when using my favorite Houses Stark and Baratheon. We used to play with wagers, to make things livelier. But I win so much in the game, it was no use anymore. Hahaha! So on January 10, we had another match at one of our favorite coffee shops. After a year of losing to me in AGoT, Gabriel finally won a duel against me. Haha. Maybe that was the main point of this post, to celebrate his overdue win against me. :p I am demanding a rematch, of course. :))

On the first day of the five-day holiday due to the Papal Visit, we tried a new game with a couple of other friends. We finally got to play his Mansions of Madness that he got last Christmas. It's an adventure cooperative board game that we had too much fun playing to notice that a round takes a little more than two hours to complete. Playing this occult-themed mystery game is a new for me, and it is really fun to be carried away by the story unfolding through the actions we as player-characters were taking. We lost the two games we played, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. That day, Gabriel also turned over to Miguel, care of me, his Star Wars toys that are a part of a battle figure game. It shames me to admit that my little brother knows more about Star Wars than I do. Haha.

That Sunday, the 18th, their playgroup held their (delayed) year-end game day where Mansions was among the games played. Of course I joined the group that played this, while the others played MTG in duels and multi-player matches. Again, the players lost, this time to the gamekeeper. After a round of Mansions, we decided to try Resistance, a quick party detect-the-bluff game that tests social deduction and hones a person's deception and acting skills. Haha. It was hugely entertaining, if only a little stressful especially if you happen to be drawn into the "enemy" side and you had to pretend you're one of the good guys. But I appreciated playing it, not the least because it helped me interact with his friends considerably more than I would normally have. #SocialAwkwardnessAlert!

All in all, I had great time playing these games. Gabriel is intent on growing his card and board game collection, so I guess I will be playing more of these, with just the two of us or with our groups of friends. :D

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'But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually – their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on – and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same – like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?'

— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings Volume II)

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The first month of the year is almost over and I still am not yet done with my first book for the 2015 Reading Challenge. Haha. I am thoroughly enjoying reading this high fantasy classic and finally understanding why it has become such an important book. I know, I know. I should be fed to Shelob for reading/finishing it only now. The magnitude and, well, objectivity are so sweeping I can't help but root for the characters–despite knowing already what will transpire, thanks to the movies–and wonder what sort of bigger epic the Elder Days of the Middle-earth used to be.