My Stand On Things

Downloading is something I can compare to premarital sex. If I can't wait, then God didn't meant for me to enjoy it. A film is more special to me when I have waited for it in the cinemas; a cd of my favorite artist is more enjoyable to listen to because I have worked hard to earn the money to buy it. There is a process I went through, a journey I shared with God in prayer to achieve such a wonderful prize. And it applies to all good things in life. It just happened that my thoughts lately are directed towards my material/natural desires. And this is what God has to say about this.

What I feel and think is incomparable next to what I believe in. I am only but a mere product of grace.

Taken from the blog of one of the many people who amuses me so much, Mr. Wincy Ong. I feel like giving him a hug after reading this. In my head, it was all, "Kaya ka pala ganyan hm". I'm so floored by this. Dig in.

15 Things I Wish I Did and Didn't Do In My 26 Years On Earth

Posted on 2008.06.06 at 01:40
http://neptunianblue.livejournal.com/

15) I wish I didn't lose my Catholic faith. Nowadays, God is just like Santa Claus for adults. And it saddens me, that in my darkest moments, I wish I could just cling to someone bigger than fame, bigger than love, bigger than television, bigger than all this waking up and working and looking for a companion...But nowadays, it's a struggle to pray because in the end, you know that all you would get is frustration.

14) I wish I never learned smoking. The reason why I smoke? I smoke because of the friends I've lost, because of the great what-ifs in my head, because of missed opportunities, because of failure, because I'm afraid, because I'm nervous, because I'm happy, because I'm lost. I think people smoke because it's a small form of suicide.

13) I wish I was more confident when I was in high school.

12) I wish I had the discipline to create art everyday (write a short story or a screenplay, draw a comic book, record a song,make a prop) and not be worried about the chances of futility it might have.

11) I wish I could've taken up sports like football, or a martial art and just get lost in it. I think if I were more engrossed with sports than I would be with art, I'd be a lot more assertive.

10) I wish I could be more aggressive. I wish I were more capable of doing bad things, of cheating, of promiscuity, of backstabing. I wish I could be a master of my own guilt.

9) I wish I already knew what I wanted to do for my entire life when I was 8 years old.

8) I wish could cook.

7) I wish I could play the drums.

6) I wish that I could've lost my virginity earlier in life and slept with a lot of women before I reached twenty so that I wouldn't be my awkward, uncertain self right now. If I had done this, I probably would have grown up so fast that I wouldn't be doing this filmmaking crap-dream and I'd just be married and happy with kids.My dad got married when he was 26.

5) I wish I could be content with just having a simple life. The life of a banker, the life of a churchgoer.

4) I wish I could have people in my life who are more like-minded. I think I could relate to only about 5-percent of the whole human population. Most people might as well be aliens to me.

3) I wish I could've asked the name of that girl I saw in a comic book store in New York.

2) I wish I could be less humble, and be a bit more arrogant.

1) I wish I could fucking live the life of ***** *******.

If you'll just see the world through my eyes, you'll fall in love with life again.

Me Time, Or So They Say.

"Smart might have the brains, but stupid has the balls." The Diesel ad said so. I don't entirely agree to it, nor am I suggesting we be stupid. Just come to think of it, it's not all about being smart, you know, to fully experience life. You have to be both at some time.

Taken from "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper, p. 156
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18,

Admonishing, encouraging, helping, being patient, not repaying evil for evil, seeking to do good to all - this is a fruit-bearing life. He is telling us to be like trees planted by streams of water that bring forth fruit. This is the effect of delighting in the Word of God in Psalm 1:3. Look at all these needy people draining you; the weak are depleting you. But you are called to encourage and help and be patient and not return evil for evil. In other words, you are called to have spiritual resources that can be durable and fruitful and nourishing when others are idle and fainthearted and weak and mean-spirited.

How? Where do we get the resources to love like that? Verse 16 answers, "Rejoice always." That corresponds to "delight" in Psalm 1. Presumably, this rejoicing is not primarily based on circumstances, but on God and his promises, because the people around us are idle and fainthearted and weak and antagonistic. This would make an ordinary person angry, sullen, and discouraged. But we are supposed to have our roots planted somewhere other than circumstance. The roots of our lives are supposed to be drawing up the nutriments of joy from a source that cannot be depleted - the river of God and his Word. The one who delights in the Lord is "like a tree planted by streams of water."

Now why did this message struck me so much?

It's because of the fact that right now, away from my friends and unable to reach them, I feel alone. It feels as if there's nothing waiting for me when I go back to Manila. Suddenly, I feel lonely and friendless. The people I rely on for strength and emotional stability, for advices and company, I feel like they're not there anymore. As if I don't know them and they don't know me anymore. Sounds crazy, but this happened when I was still in a rut, and it scares me to think that it can all happen again, that everything good in my life could be taken away. And it would all be my fault because I pulled away from everyone for a while, and no one would understand why.

These are the lies I have to deal with.

I know Father, Your truth remains, and I root myself in your wisdom and promises. I ask you Jesus to fill me with your Spirit and with love, and accompany me at all times, that I would never ever feel alone. I pray that I would run out of reasons to pull away from everyone so I would cherish every living moment with them. And if I ever need to pull away, I hope they would understand. I look forward to the day that you would allow me to completely open my heart to your people and serve them in love. I know that You already provided me with the best, and that I don't need to fear anymore in losing my life. I declare this area of my life as under your control. You are my only resource, my source of strength and love, my refuge in times of sorrow. Thank you for being in my life, for sharing Your wonderful grace with me. Glory be to Your Name.

"We're young. We're crazy. We signed up for LookBook and toyed with our tripod three times a day."
Video: Lust For Life by Girls



"...and all the things they talk about in books you haven't read."
Film: My Life Without Me

“In the world of emoticons, I was colon capital D.” Sheldon Cooper. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

TV Series: The Big Bang Theory

"We will be cruel to the Germans." It's a Tarantino, what do you expect? Come-hither one-liners? And it's Basterds with an E.
Film: Inglorious Basterds



"Tonight I'll show you how dreams are prepared,............. love, friendships, relationships. All those ships." It's an 11 out of 10.
Film: Science of Sleep



"And all of the time you thought I was sad
I was trying to remember your name..."
This should be, like, the anthem of the year. But it was so last year, so...
Video: Your ex-lover is dead by Stars




"It's about time you land on your own two feet. It's about time you made it."
Audio: The Leak by The Kites




Who doesn't like this?
Video: Fireflies by The Owl City




Behold, the guy who can smell water. I dig this movie. Big time. Oh, I'm sorry, did I mention he's a murderer?
Film: Das Parfum

Book: Lonely Planet's Guide to Experimental Travel

THE LONELY PLANET'S GUIDE TO EXPERIMENTAL TRAVEL.
If Joel Henry is alive and well today, we would be good friends for sure.
One of my favorites books of all time (though I still do not have my own copy.)

50 Things to do Before you Die

1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica might be a tough one, but once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever.

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next.

5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.

7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.

9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one.

10. Dive with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.

12. Dance Tango in Argentina.

13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment.

15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think.

16. Volunteer abroad for a month.

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience.

20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.

21. Climb an active volcano.

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics?

24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?

25. Travel around the world. Sure, you could do this without ever setting foot outside of planes and airports, but few people ever truly traverse the entire globe. Round the world tickets are great for budget-minded wanderers.

26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.

27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it’s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime.

31. Attend a music festival in another country.

32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry.

33. Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town to experience a night of classic atmosphere.

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.

36. Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade. It’s one of the biggest festivals, attendance-wise, on the planet.

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

39. Go to Oktoberfest. The meeting of over 6 million beer afficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.

40. Stand at the North or South Pole.

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.

42. Visit the birthplace or gravesite of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important.

43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures.

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.

47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway.

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country.

50. Participate in the world’s biggest water fight during Thailand’s New Year’s festivities (Songkran).

(Courtesy of Matador Network.)

Rough Guide My Life

Rough Guide.
My life and dreams in books.

In between groovesharking movie soundtracks and reading blogs, I remembered a friend of mine who brought Rough Guide to Cult Fiction and Cult Movies to work one day. I have my own Rough Guide (New York), but to discover that they have something more to offer other than travel information was amazing! And they smell good (there's a certain kind of good smell for books) and the pages are so crisp! And I sound like a book-obsessed freak!

Inspiration in Action

Haitians dig out as damage slows aid

Fears of lawlessness grow amid chaos

Families fear for missing
Networks, texts fuel fundraising
'Catastrophic' situation looms
'God, I can't do this anymore'

Some of the headlines that welcome my mornings. Rare situations where I ask God why, why did these all happen, why them. Circumstances where guilt is familiar, though to help is unrealistic. Prayers are offered, but a twinge of doubt passes through my mind; can I actually help these people in my own terms? But God already told me the answer to that one.

There are a lot of things I have been thinking and praying about these past few days: things like having myself registered in UNV in the future, studying abroad to become a photojournalist, Open Doors, and other weird things like when I would get married and what is the appropriate accident I would like to get involved with where I would be least hurt. It's a haze, my brain. If God thinks that photography, writing or volunteering is where I could be most helpful in His Kingdom, then I surrender. It's out of my hands. I just hope and pray I would be ready once I landed in my destination.

Thank you for journeying with me. =)

(Headlines courtesy of CNN. For UNV website, click here.)

=) =(

When I say I don't belong here, when I don't fit in, I mean it in a really good way.

It's She-Love Once Again

Jenny Rockett, 26 (I think)
UN Photojournalist and model.

Amanda Ling, 24

Former Electrico keyboardist.

Sarah Gaugler, 22
Illustrator, designer, tattoo artist, model and vocalist of Turbo Goth.

Dane Gonzales, 25. Boracay Island.
Kite-boarding teacher, kite-cafe owner, firedancer, freelance photographer and writer.


Yeah, I did find the time to compile some pics from the web and research a bit about these beautiful people who, in one way or another, inspire me to follow my dreams. I still have 3 more months to finish in school before The Graduation. Yes, I'm excited and no, I'm not a nursing student like most people think. But most of all, I'm more excited about where God would take me after a few months.

Currently, Haiti was destroyed by this massive earthquake that killed more or less half a million people. After Ondoy here in the Philippines, this news bothered me as well, enough to follow me in my sleep. Questions like "How can I help?" or "What can I do from here?" pops up in my head. UN Peacekeepers flying in Haiti fill up the news, and I have no idea who they are and what they do (aside from, you know, keeping the peace in their own ways) but I want to be one. Olivia dela Rosa, 22 years old from Manila, UN Peacekeeper. I like the sound of that. Or, it must be my Messianic Complex kicking in, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, the search continues..

Olivia Wants To Read: Oh, The Glory Of It All by Sean Wilsey, The Rough Guide to Cult Fiction, and Step-by-step French by Charles Berlitz

Olivia Is Currently Reading: When I Don't Desire God by John Piper and A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

Olivia Just Watched: Crazy/Beautiful and a bit of Veronika Decides to Die and Garden State

Olivia Wants to Watch: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and The Graduate

Consistency! Perseverance!

Well this is the last time that I would be able to use this computer and I have decided to fast my internet usage for this week. Apparently I am praying for something (or things). Another reason is that it is becoming unhealthy. How many nights have I stayed up late, wasting my time on it when I could have done much more important things. So, yes, that would be a week without FB, tweeting, chatting, groovesharking and most probably i'll end up with really, really low tumblarity.


To whoever gets to read this, please pray with me as I seek God's will on the following areas of my life:

- Graduation.
- To get this job that I really, really like, after graduation.
- 10 people to bond with, to get to know better, to share the Gospel with (got this from Jiggy). Looks like I have a lot of people to date this year.
- Continue praying that all broken relationships in our family be restored completely through knowing God. (eto yung exciting!)
- Having my own decent Canon EOS 5D, Leica M8 and Macbook Air. I need them to document all wonderful memories that I have with the people I've been gifted with.
- Cafe Hiraya and FilterLab (my own Noriter-inspired coffeeshop and Photography studio, respectively) in the near future.


On a more serious note...
- A better student of God's word. Study, meditate, memorize. Study, meditate, memorize.
- PURITY. Will stop chasing petty infatuation. Focus on the big picture, the 'Sacred Romance' He promised for me. Will get in touch with my Captivating girls.
- CONSISTENCY! PERSEVERANCE! And most of all, learn how to wait in faith.

There's no other way to say this: I pray to become a better servant of God.