words are life set on paper

“But who can say what's best? That's why you need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a life time, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives." - Murakami, Norwegian Wood

dreamers can never be tamed

I've always been the type of person who rush through things, always wanting to rush to the next destination. When i was a in gradeschool, i couldn't wait to get to highschool, i thought life was going to be so much better once i was in highschool. Then that time came, still i couldn't wait to grow up. My first real boyfriend was when i was 14 years old, i was just in second year high school then, and that lasted for 9 years. Basically, half of my whole educational life. Then after we broke up, met my next boyfriend after a month then got together after 4 months, broke up then got back together then broke up again, which lead me to realize, half my life i've been rushing from one relationship to another and never really had time to spend on myself. I've been so accustomed to being with someone that i've neglected to spend time getting to know myself. I realized that instead of rushing through my life, a life that once you reached your destination, you cannot rewind or go back anymore, i should just enjoy myself and focus on myself and in improving myself so that i could make better choices that would lead me to a better destination. While of course having fun LOL

People spend time focusing on the destination and disregarding the journey. It's just like the story about the pot of gold in the end of the rainbow, you are so consumed with reaching the pot of gold that you fail to realize your life does not start there, it has already started way before that and by focusing yourself on your goals, you fail to enjoy getting there which when you think about it, is most part of your life. You always want to skip to a new chapter and in the end when you get there, you want to skip to a new chapter again and after awhile you will realize that there are no new chapters anymore and that you have spent your life fast forwarding everything instead of sitting back, being patient and just enjoying the ride because soon enough you will get there.

People spend their time rushing through life not knowing what to do with the time they saved.

My parents used to tell me to enjoy being a student, it's the best time of your life, but the over eager person that i was, wanted to grow up fast. My parents also told me to enjoy being single, it only comes once in your life, but the over eager me again, wanted to be in a relationship so early on that i begged them to allow me. Looking back, now i understand what they are saying and i sure am glad that i finally got it before its too late. Now that i'm still single, this is the time for me to focus on myself, discover and try new things, enjoy new experiences and just be selfish and not have anybody to mind but myself. The possibilities are endless at this point because i have only myself to think about and have yet to start and write the other half of my life.

The best is yet to come.

Sooner or later, you will meet someone, have a partner and settle down and your life will not anymore be your own so savor this time of not having to mind anybody but yourself. Sooner than you think, that time will come, that chapter will come, and you can never go back to this time and will regret it if you didn't make the most out of this opportunity of having your time at your own disposal and making decisions that will benefit you without having to think about other people.

Your direction determines your destination.

Everyone ends up somewhere, but not everyone ends up somewhere they want to be.

This is the time to focus on yourself and find out what you want to be, where you want to be and most importantly who you want to be. What life do you want for yourself and what will make you happy and determine and plan how you can get there.

I've always believed we don't get to a destination by accident, its a culmination of our choices and decisions that leads us to where we are and where we will be in the future. Life is not that random, and that we always reap what we sow. Get to know yourself and what you want in your life to be able to plant the right seeds and get to the right destination.

An abundant life is a life with no regrets. Doing what you like is freedom, but liking what you do.. that's happiness:)

Anyway, these are just my thoughts in lieu of the retreat i attended. All my opinion and with no basis whatsoever, just babbling:) LOL

*i'm too lazy to proofread, if there's any typo or grammatical errors

with much L.O.V.E

*will change bad pic. time constraint sorry*

Behind every successful man is a woman (sometimes rolling her eyes) and that i believe best describes my mom, especially the rolling her eyes part. HAHAHA. My father, when sharing his story to us, always credits my mom as one of the secrets behind his success. I also believe it to be true because until now she is still working hand in hand with my dad and they are such a good team. My father the brains, my mother the neck that turns his head. So if we can't go to our dad because we are scared shitless of him, we go to our mom and she has that special way of convincing him. An example of that would be when I was in High school and wanted to entertain a "suitor" (their term), my father was very much against the idea, but i told my mom, i really liked him blah blah (sheesh, I was 14 or 15, what did i really know then right.. so funny) and she talked to my dad and convinced him to at least entertain the thought and meet the guy, which he did. Well, i still wasn't allowed to go out but my dad agreed to him visiting me at home, huge huge leap, since in High school i can go out only until before dinnertime (we had to eat dinner at home) and have to be accompanied by my yaya and driver. Seriously, they had to follow us around in Quad everywhere we went.

Anyway, If you already haven't guessed why, i'm writing this post in lieu of Mother's day to give credit to where credit is due. My mom who is fun loving yet hardworking, strict yet flexible, strong yet understanding, obsessive yet light-hearted. We are very lucky to have a mother who is the right balance between a parent and friend. Seriously charming, my friends and all my ex-bf's love her, i think they love her more than they loved me! hahaha. She may not have been the typical filipino mother who cooks, cleans and helps you with your homework kind of mom, you can hire someone to do that anyway, she provided us with a much deeper support, advice and care that cannot be measured and expressed in numbers or described in words. I guess it was in a way a feeling, a sense of security that she was always there, to help us out in times we really need her support, that she will always look after what is best for us and that she is always on our side even if we make mistakes, i believe that is immeasurable.

so to my mom, Happy Mother's Day!!!;) *do i get brownie points for writing this??? kidding!!!! HAHA*

baby lets cruise

I was looking through some pictures in my dad's laptop and i came across the pictures of our cruise to Mexico. It was a lovely experience actually, my first time to go on a cruise. Mexico is such a darling place, fun and culturally rich.

We, my mom and i, chose Carnival Cruise for the trip and boarded their Elation Cruise ship.


The ship was enormous and i was surprised to find out that they have prepared all these different activities for us, like dance classes, art workshop, fitness class and so on, we even had a showcase on our last night where guests performed. Food and drinks were overflowing, we were fed like six times a day, all buffet except for dinner. So you can imagine how i took advantage of that one! hahaha. There are clubs and bars inside the ship with different themes like jazz bars or disco, to suit your different fancy.

Mexico was amazing, i would love to come back again. The food, the beaches, the people, it was an amazing smorgasbord of culture and heritage. We weren't able to explore much though, because of time constraint but i loved the laid back feel of the country. There is something for everyone, from the poshest to the dirt ridden.

Nice beaches, water sports, riding horses, ATV coupled with interesting locals, really a place worth visiting :)

wisdom.

a collection of quotes, lines, sayings, words to guide you through the trek we call life. words to live by. something to lull about. :)

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them make them.

Fortunes are made and lost overnight. Live within your means.

Idleness is the mother of all vices.

Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven't paid the price to decide what is really important to them.

In the end the king and the pawn go in the same box.

You can’t choose your family, but you can make one.

There are many ways to kill a cat.

Man can only take so much, but the better man should be able to take so much more.

The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.

Take it as it comes, leave it as it goes.

Richness is not who has the most but those who need the least.

Life is a series of problems either your in one coming out of one or getting into one, cherish them.

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save

Have enough education so that you won’t have to look up to people; and then more education to be wise enough not to look down on people.

When there's smoke, there's fire.

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.

Life is about bridges; knowing when to build them, when to cross them, and when to burn them.

Telling the truth and making someone cry is better than telling a lie and making someone smile.

You are doomed to make choices. This is life’s greatest paradox.

*Will add others that i come across in the future*

i dream watches

When i graduated from High School, i was given my first ever real watch, a Rolex Datejust lady 31, which i found so tiny and never wore. At that time in college, it was the popular choice among girls but i really hated how small it looked in my wrist, so i gave it back to my dad and got his watch instead, a Yacht Master OP Junior size, which if i remember correctly was the first Rolex he bought for himself. I still have and wear the watch until now. I guess that really shows how boyish i was, even back then. My dad, who forces us, well force is such a strong word, advises us to wear a watch daily because he feels that a person who doesn't wear a watch should not be taken seriously because he does not value the time, was coerced to give me his watch just so that i would wear one.

My dad's

And that started my affair with Manly watches, long before big watches became popular for women. I was never really fond of ladies watches, except for Cartier's Tank medium size. I found the Tank to have a quiet elegance that never goes out of style. Don't get me wrong though, i am not obsessed, one decent watch is enough for me, i'm not the type of person who wants something and has to buy it. Besides the fact that i have no money. LOL

TANK FRANÇAISE, MEDIUM

TANK LOUIS CARTIER, EXTRA-LARGE

I'm thinking of selling my Datejust because after almost 10 years, i have not even worn it once and is just collecting dust in the safe. What's stopping me though is the thought that i don't have a dress watch, and of course a junior size watch does not go very well with a gown for formal events. But other than that, i really want to ditch it already. I really am not fond of small things, my first car was a Toyota Fortuner need i say more? Anyway, just musing on what to do while on lunch break. Some of my choices are the Rolex Submariner, Datejust Junior or Panerai. But i'm a bit scared that the Panerai may just be a fad, plus the re-sale value is not that good to be honest, unlike Rolex. Oh well. I think Rolex is safer. but who knows, right? :)

I went to a Jewelry and watch fair last year, and there was a store there selling vintage watches which are to die for. A girl can dream right? If i had the money, i would buy a vintage Audemar Piguet, that i believe would be my ultimate dream watch/collection. Collection... I'm really fantasizing uncontrollably. But buying vintage watches is still quite tricky, like wine it takes a real connoisseur to be able to buy because the it's not just about the outside looks anymore, you have to check the machinery of the watch which i have yet to learn, because like vintage cars some parts may have been changed and some might have been overhauled already this is quite normal but still very risky if you don't have the proper knowledge and eye in looking at the internal parts of watches.

Hands down, Vintage watches are still my top vote. It's just amazingly beautiful that modern watches cannot compare still.

i dream of MARRAKESH

I have always been fascinated with Morocoo, it's one of the places i have been DYING to see since forever. Well, since i studied in Europe at least. Most Europeans told me that it really is an amazing experience, more so than Egypt, who according to them have already become so commercialized. Me and my sister daisy was suppose to go to Morocco with friends before going back to Manila, but unfortunately our schedule never really permitted and did not coincide with our other friends schedule. We were advised not to travel just the two of us girls because it is not that safe for all girls, and well besides, i wasn't about to risk anything after that hell experience of being robbed in Brussels. Robbed on the first day of the trip! Bag and all my pocket money gone. And it was Moroccan gangs who robbed me so well, i learned my lesson. I'll be crazy to go their lair with only Daisy as company. LOL

A country still filled with culture and tradition. It makes you feel you are in the Ancient times, a welcome break from all this technological modern brouhaha.

But of course, still with topnotch amenities at a very reasonable price at that.

Les Jardin De La Koutoubia hotel

Riad Kasbah Dar Ilham Marrakech room

Even the Architecture is beautiful. Really amazing and culture rich. I do hope i can see it before they modernize everything. One of the reasons why i am not so fond of going to the States, except for New York is their Mcdonalds architecture. Everything looks the same! It's like they do not have a past, a history.

Magnificent wonderful place. I wish i can see you soon. Xx

Interesting Morocco facts according to those who have visited.

* Men and Women there, unless they are married do not hang out alone together.
* Alcohol is allowed but frowned upon
* Its not surprising to see men holding hands with their male friends or family
* Men kiss each others cheeks as greeting, but this is not allowed for men to do to their women friends
* Moroccan women are very beautiful and VERY conservative

TRUTHS

Comparing my truths of 2009 to the present, 2012. Curious to see how many things changed.

2009
1. Last beverage – coke light (as usual)
2. Last phone call – hitler:)
3. Last text message – JV
4. Last song you listened to – B52's ROAM
5. Last time you cried – when i left london ( long ago, and oh so far away :( )

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice - huh??? yeah...
7. Been cheated on? - yeah
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? – Never. always try not to regret:)
9. Lost someone special? – hmmmm.... not lost bec they died..
10. Been depressed? – hmmm.... not really depressed, just sad.. hahaha:)
11. Been wasted? – many times over and over...

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12-14. Maroon, Black, Teal

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Have you made new friends this year – totally:)
16. Fallen out of love – not this year..
17. Laughed until you cried – always:)
18. Met someone who changed you – not yet, this year:)
19. Found out who your true friends were – i've always known...
20. Found out someone was talking about you – negatively, no... making me lag lag? yeah... dominique black hahaha..
21. Kissed anyone on your top friends list?- i think so.

TRUTH:
23. How many kids do you want to have – 1-4:) hahahaha... with some adopted!
24. Do you have any pets – uhmmm... i dont consider him entirely mine haha
25. Do you want to change your name – Not really:)
26. What did you do for your last birthday – dinner with family and JC!:) Fiamma with friends!!!:)
27. What time did you wake up today – 10am hahaha
28. What were you doing at midnight last night – watching tv and surfing the net..
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for – to see the world:)
30. Last time you saw your father – about 3-4 days ago...
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life – a lot!
32. What are you listening to right now – nothing, im watching ugly betty:)
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom – Nope, so weird dont know anyone by that name..
34. What's getting on your nerves right now? – uncertainty..
36. What's your real name – Melissa Aledro Castelar
37. Relationship Status – Single
38. Zodiac sign – Capricorn
39. Male or female - Female
40. Elementary – OB Montessori
41. Middle School –
42. High school – CSA
43. Hair color – Black
44. Long or short – Long
45. Height – 5’1 little person hahaha
46. Do you have a crush on someone? – of course.
47. What do you like about yourself? - too many to peg down hahahaha.
48. Piercings – EARS
49. Tattoos – none..
50. Righty or lefty – right

FIRSTS
51. First surgery – appendicitis.
52. First piercing – ears
53. First tattoo – never ever…
54. First best friend – Jeanette Bumgarner.
55. First sport you joined – uhmm ballet is that considered, if not swimming...
56. First pet – a puppy.
57. First vacation – HK.
58. First concert – Alannis Morisette. hahahaha
59. First crush – gosh i dont remember...uhmm... but it starts with a J and his last name was Chavez i think..
60. First alcoholic drink – my aunt gave us beer, so gross.. until now i think its grossss

RIGHT NOW:
61. Eating – chocolates
62. Drinking – coke light still.... hahahaaha
63. I'm about to – hmmm... eat?
64. Listening to – im not listening to music
65. Waiting for – the night to come... hehehe:)

YOUR FUTURE :
66. Want kids? – yes, maybe, i dunno...
67. Want to get married? – of course...
68. Future Career – business

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
69. Lips or eyes - hmmm... eyes... but also lips..ughh i cant decide:)
70. Hugs or kisses - kisses are the best
71. Shorter or taller - Taller, duh.
72. Older or Younger – Older.
73. Romantic or spontaneous - hmm... romantic but spontaneous!!!!
74. Nice stomach or nice arms – arms!:)
75. Tattoos or piercings – hmmm... depends if it looks good..
76. Sensitive or loud – hmmm....loud.... i hate sensitive guys!!
77. Hook-up or relationship – relationship
78. Trouble maker or hesitant – trouble maker, no hesitation

HAVE YOU EVER :
79. Kissed a stranger – hahahahaha
80. Drunk hard liquor – of course
81. Lost glasses/contact – i always lose stuff... hehehehe
82. Sex on first date – never:)
83. Broken someone's heart – unfortunately...
84. Had your own heart broken – not YET...
85. Been arrested? – nah.but i did ride a police car wahahaha
86. Turned someone down – who's asking for what???
87. Cried when someone died – i dont know anyone close to me who died yet...
88. Liked a friend that is a boy? – hahahaha... not really..

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself – of course:)
90. Miracles – hmmm.. not really.
91. Love at first sight? – hmmmm... i dont believe that. maybe lust at first sight. NOT love definitely
92. Heaven – hmmm.. i dont know, but im hoping there is.
93. Santa Claus – hahaha.. yeah. my dad!:)
94. Kissing on the first date? - yeah.. its alright:) there shouldnt be rules..
95. Angels – hmm.... i dont know.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? – hmmm.. there are a lot! hahahaha
97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? – no..
98. Do you believe it's possible to remain faithful forever? – unfortunately, no... as beautiful as that would sound...
99. What's the one thing you cannot live without? – happiness.
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? – yes:)

2012

1. Last beverage – coke light (STILL LOL)
2. Last phone call – Gina our helper. :)
3. Last text message – bbm message. Yvs Chua
4. Last song you listened to – Love won't let me wait, John Legend's version
5. Last time you cried – 7 months ago, if movies count, then i got teary eyed lastnight watching Monica Velour

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice - yup:)
7. Been cheated on? - obviously, yes still..
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? – yup:)
9. Lost someone special? – if lost means died, none yet.
10. Been depressed? – depressed is such a strong word, maybe very sad. yes.
11. Been wasted? – hahaha. YES!

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12-14. Beige, blush, white

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Have you made new friends this year – of course!
16. Fallen out of love – yup!:) thank god.
17. Laughed until you cried – always:)
18. Met someone who changed you – none yet, but it's still early ;)
19. Found out who your true friends were – yes!
20. Found out someone was talking about you – hmmm. none so far :)
21. Kissed anyone on your top friends list?- yes

TRUTH:
23. How many kids do you want to have – 2, boy and girl.
24. Do you have any pets – none.
25. Do you want to change your name – yes! something more unique like Ekatarina
26. What did you do for your last birthday – Joint party with Sheena in bond
27. What time did you wake up today – 830 AM
28. What were you doing at midnight last night – cooking my midnight snack! LOL
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for – to see the world:)
30. Last time you saw your father – yesterday :)
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life – become a morning person:)
32. What are you listening to right now – Daisy singing I will always love you in the office... LOL
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom – Yes, haha. Tom Yeung
34. What's getting on your nerves right now? – Daisy singing in the office! kidding :)
36. What's your real name – Melissa Aledro Castelar
37. Relationship Status – Single
38. Zodiac sign – Capricorn
39. Male or female - Female
40. Elementary – OB Montessori
41. Middle School –
42. High school – CSA
43. Hair color – Brown with highlights hahaha
44. Long or short – Long
45. Height – 5’1 little person hahaha
46. Do you have a crush on someone? – No, ARGH.
47. What do you like about yourself? - persevering? loyal??
48. Piercings – EARS
49. Tattoos – none..
50. Righty or lefty – right

FIRSTS
51. First surgery – appendicitis.
52. First piercing – ears
53. First tattoo – never ever…
54. First best friend – Jeanette Bumgarner.
55. First sport you joined – uhmm ballet is that considered, if not swimming...
56. First pet – a puppy.
57. First vacation – HK.
58. First concert – Alannis Morisette. hahahaha
59. First crush – gosh i dont remember...uhmm... but it starts with a J and his last name was Chavez i think..
60. First alcoholic drink – my aunt gave us beer, so gross.. until now i think its grossss

RIGHT NOW:
61. Eating – none
62. Drinking – coke light still.... hahahaaha
63. I'm about to – leave the office
64. Listening to – daisy singing.... STILL
65. Waiting for – the night to come... hehehe:)

YOUR FUTURE :
66. Want kids? – yes
67. Want to get married? – of course...
68. Future Career – business

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
69. Lips or eyes - lips
70. Hugs or kisses - kisses are the best!!! (still my answer)
71. Shorter or taller - Taller, duh.
72. Older or Younger – Older.
73. Romantic or spontaneous - hmm... romantic but spontaneous!!!!
74. Nice stomach or nice arms – arms!:)
75. Tattoos or piercings – NONE as much as possible
76. Sensitive or loud – hmmm....loud.... i hate sensitive guys!!
77. Hook-up or relationship – relationship
78. Trouble maker or hesitant – trouble maker, no hesitation

HAVE YOU EVER :
79. Kissed a stranger – yes
80. Drunk hard liquor – of course
81. Lost glasses/contact – i always lose stuff... hehehehe
82. Sex on first date – never:)
83. Broken someone's heart – unfortunately...
84. Had your own heart broken – yes
85. Been arrested? – nope.
86. Turned someone down – yes
87. Cried when someone died – none yet
88. Liked a friend that is a boy? – yup

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself – of course:)
90. Miracles – hmmm.. not really.
91. Love at first sight? – Love at first not sight, date? maybe.
92. Heaven – not sure.
93. Santa Claus – hahaha.. yeah. my dad!:)
94. Kissing on the first date? - yeah.. its alright:) rules are for schools. HAHAHA
95. Angels – hmm.... i dont know.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? – yup
97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? – no..
98. Do you believe it's possible to remain faithful forever? – yes.
99. What's the one thing you cannot live without? – happiness.
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? – yes:)

finding inspiration

I overheard an artsy person say that sometimes they seek pain or stay in loneliness for them to be able to create art. Grief is conducive to creativeness and the most beautiful poem, picture, painting is created by the most tortured soul. Amusingly, some are self inflicted though. I've never thought of myself as creative although i really admire those who are. I also wanna create something beautiful, passionate... hmm, so i guess that means i should torture myself? LOL

On second though, i don't think the tortured soul EMO kid suits my personality, i guess I'll have to find inspiration elsewhere. But really sometimes i wonder, what goes on in the minds of these people. Europe is the haven for creative people, no mass cloning there, everybody was doing their own thing. You can see it in their clothes, style, music, streets, i miss that. It's like they have so much depth and personality.

Say it's too late when your already dead. But by then, you wont even have the time to say it. Now, that's TOO LATE!

I guess anybody can be creative if armed with Instagram. INSTA-GENUISPHOTOGRAPHER.

I'm kidding.

I love street art that makes you think. Use your wit. Don't let it get rusty.

Now Banksy for me really is the master. He's sense of humor is so dry and sarcastic, just the way i like it. Some people find graffiti a nuisance, i find it, well a nuisance if it doesn't mean anything, but if its intelligently made, a welcomed surprise while walking along the street. I totally believe Banksy is a genius in the most peculiar way. TOTALLY. (trying to sound like an airhead)

Now back to POP Culture :) Up next... LMFAO! lol.

picks for Oscars 2012

I was looking through the photos of the recently concluded Academy Awards and of course, being the clotheshorse that I am, it was the gowns that I noticed.

I'm partial to neutral colors nowadays, a lot of beige, tan, grays, skin tone and whites. So of course this obsession with neutrals translated to the gowns i swooned over in the Oscars.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford surely never fails. Her style, always classic and crisp is always one of my favorites both for evening wear and casual wear.

Mila Jovovich looked elegant in her Elie Saan fully embellished gown that looked sexy yet understated.

Berenice Bejo in my opinion also looked stunning in her Elie Saab mint green gown, but i prefer the gown in white though. (as seen beside her picture)

Kate Mara in Jack Guisso Couture also looked stunning in her vintage inspired embellished gown. I love the skin tone color and the arm draping. The old school feel makes it look so glamorous and Old Hollywood.

Rooney Mara also looked stunning in her white Givenchy gown paired with red lipstick and blunt dark hair. It kind of looks goth glam. It's very different from the usual Oscars' look which made it stand out.

Another gown that caught my fancy was Kristen Wiig's J. Mendel gown. It was beige and ethereal looking, very wispy and sweet.

I noticed that in a way, I'm liking the same look over and over again. The vintage, lace or embellishments, long sleeves in neutral colors. I think it's just sexy, sexier than the revealing gowns some actresses wore or those with loud colors that kind off screams. I think the muted ones gives a look of understated elegance, a quiet but powerful look.

L.O.V.E.

A former professor of mine wrote this, i think its quite a touching short story that depicts TRUE LOVE in the simplest sense and i wanna share it because i totally agree with what he wrote. Love is in fact, in its truest form the most unselfish of all. This is quite touching.

Someone asked me once, "Isn't unrequited love hard? Doesn't it kill you to love someone so near, but still feel like you're miles away?"

It took me a while to answer, but I took in a big breath, and answered this...

"It is, but that's the beautiful thing about loving someone so beautiful. They don't need to do anything to make you happy... they just do...

"Its like when you look at flowers. Flowers just stand there and sway in the sun and the wind... but in our eyes, they can be the most beautiful things God ever made. The fact they're there in front of you... it's a darn miracle!

"But I can't expect that flower to do anything for me in return. It can't love me back. I can't force it to do anything beyond shining in front of my eyes. They just radiate that beauty, and all I can really do is smile when they're there."

"...Love is like that. It's beautiful, and it revels in the joy of that person's being. It's unselfish that way."

By: Dennis Roda

I heart MNL

Just when i thought that Manila is such a bore, i come across this little space.

It's an ode to Valentines day couples and some singles made. Love letters posted on the walls, some romantic, some cute and some downright funny.

Some of the letters/notes that made me smile and laugh.

"salamat sa pagiging makulet, bugnutin at sumpungin mo, kung ndi dahil syo ndi ma-test kung gano kahaba patience ko..."

"Valentines does not exist... Bro hug to self"

"Love of my life, when are u going to love me?"

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else"

"Mahal kita kaso manloloko ka!!! :(" That's a WINNER right there!:(" laughed hysterically at this.

"MAHAL KITA, MANHID KA LANG" That made me laugh also. Some people are so funny. Seriously.

"Mahal na mahal kita, sana matagpuan na kita -Romeo ; I'm already here, where are you -Juliet"

Awww. who would have thought Manila is this cute???! I had a super fun time reading the letters and notes people made to each other. Quite corny i know, but i am a corny person at times. It doesn't take a lot to make me laugh, and well it doesn't also take a lot to annoy me. hahaha. I was quite charmed upon seeing that place. I wish i can discover some other interesting places in Manila. Maybe i should head on over to Cubao X. Heard there's a lot of interesting knick knacks going on there.