There's Bipolar, Where's Fragmented?

Up Dharma Down has been in the music industry for quite some time. Not to be hipster or to be such a music snob, but they made a "grand comeback" and got catapulted (again?) in the mainstream world when they released Capacities in the market around 4 years ago. It's okay to share your favorite bands with the world. It's okay. Even if most just know a song or two, it's totally fine. Sure. They're screaming and paying anyway, just like you and I. It's okay.

My friend told me one day that she's mournful when she realized she doesn't have a copy of Capacities. Yep. I guess we stood still for quite some time after that. SOOOO... First order is to scout where to score their CDs.

She felt like this when she realized (I think while cleaning her room) that
she doesn't have a copy of UDD's album all this time.

And after a quick research and some inquiries... We braved Saguijo on a Saturday night for a Terno gig. Inside Saguijo (not our first time), we wondered again and again where the fire exits are (still dunno) and how we'll survive in the event of a calamity. This post is not about our experience in Saguijo but more on the search for the album/s. That experience deserves an entire entry of its own. Ugh.

The trip to Makati was worth it as they were selling CDs at the entrance and poof, that's Php400 a pop for you, ma'am and sir. It's okay, you're paying for expensive missed opportunities and great music anyway. The sad part? I can't find Fragmented and they're not printing those anymore!

Huhu.

There were lots of articles that have sprung out over the week taking into consideration Baby Boomers and Millennials. They have covered a lot of topics from taxes, inflation, bills, signed policies, even success stories. One article I read mentioned that success stories of Baby Boomers were about perseverance and powering through time. While Millennials' are about who did something different when they were young and got a lot from it over time.

I don't usually read ThoughtCatalog posts, but this one was beautiful and painful.

All I know is chasing someone who doesn’t want me anymore; craving for his attention, controlling every detail so that it will be as I wanted it to be and forcing him to love me as I love him. I only cared about my happiness and not his. I didn’t care about what he wanted, what he feels. I didn’t care about the fact that maybe he wanted to be free, to live life without me, or maybe he wanted to love someone else other than me. I didn’t care about any of those things. I only cared about how I felt, how much I want him, how much I needed him, and how much I can’t live without him.

And that’s not love. That’s desperation at it’s finest. Selfishness in all forms.

When Echosmith Sang

(For my personal reference, concert was last Aug 13, 2015. I know. Don't judge me.)

It has been a looooong time since I have watched a performance I bought a ticket to, like concert tickets. Not only have I been recounting where my money went, but it's more like I haven't seen an artist lately that made me jump off from the couch and purchase a ticket right then and there.

Then my supposed-to-be-secret-band who went mainstream for some reason was coming to the country, I didn't go. They were part of a music fest and I don't want to be part of it. Then a few months later, they announced that they'll be back in Manila for a solo show. You know that cliche - when you love someone, set him/her free and when they come back... You have to see them live. So, I don't care if they're mainstream now and even if I had to ship my CD all the way from the US (thanks to Amazon and my aunts and uncles who always let my things ride with them) and purchase another one in Dubai (for my friend), I know I'm going to see them live!

And... Echosmith was there. Live. They are tall kids. What I didn't expect though is that their music's main market are KIDS. Kids entering puberty stage. Kids who were accompanied by their older siblings or being waited for by their parents outside the concert hall. Kids who are shorter than me - and this comment coming from me means they are short! I can see the line ahead of me. I didn't even bother to move and adjust my head. Nopes. But we don't care now. Everything's fair in love, war, music, and math.

By the way, since I have a bad habit of revisiting past memories, this is my official declaration: I regret not getting tickets when Tegan and Sara and The xx went to Manila.

Now I feel bad. :(

When you spend too much time on Facebook, you can attest that there are throngs of articles/posts about x things you can find in a (insert a positive adjective here) partner, or date a person who (insert your favorite verb here), or don't date people with these qualities, etc. A lot of tips, advice, and suggestions. Someone who's recently hurt or in love (hurt and love in one sentence, wow) would say that when you  find someone and fall in love, most (if not all) of the time, everything else gets thrown out of the window - yes, including all of the advice you've read or all of the telltale signs you've memorized. 

That makes it interesting. That makes love (or falling in love) both scary and exciting. 

(And I should probably stop posting things at 3:30am.)

Old Coffee Talk

So I have decided to postpone completing my tasks that pay the bills and unearth all of  my posts that remained in the Draft status.

First post I chose to unearth? Coffee.

So what do we have here? It's a collection of the 2015 photos that I found lying somewhere under the forgotten lands in my phone.

Back to the coffee cup. Seen in this photo is our effort to make slow-drip coffee thanks to our empty margarita mix from Kirkland. Haha. We tied the plastic bottle and tried to hang it on the handle of the drawer on top. Well. When curiosity strikes and we've got nothing but time on our hands, you'll get this makeshift drip. Don't forget the pressure inside the bottle as it is dripped vertically. Or just don't do this at all. 

I have done a couple of batches of cold brew coffee (12-hour ones) at home and the best way to do it is teach people at home how to do it, too. Haha. I prepare it, leave a note, and my lovable yaya does the rest. I just call her up and she filters it. When I get home from the office, I have one mason jar of pure goodness. *smug face* Here's one small bottle of it, ready to bring anywhere I want. :)

And then we have this. Not sure if I posted it in my Taiwan entry (IF I HAVE ONE), but this sexy baby was purchased in Taipei. We were just walking towards a night market and poof. Something caught our peripheral vision we just had to turn our heads. A freaking coffee shop full of beautiful things. What a pretty sight, this syphon filter is!!! Also pictured below is my friend's manual grinder from Gloria Jean's. What a good day for coffee! Light them up!

When there's an espresso machine, it's always iced latte by the patio while waiting for the sun to kiss the plants. One's served with sugar and the other is just natural goodness. 

More coffee photos with some presence of wine, but not together. I have a regular single-serve pour-over filter but I remember that the old coffee makers (from my mom) made use of paper filters instead of the built in washable/reusable nylon ones they have now. So when I found it again, AHA! There you go. Easier to hand brew for a number of caffeine-regulars!

Coffee. It never gets old. Only we do. Huhu.

2016

Oh sheeeeeeeet! It's 2016! Time do pass by real quick now whether you like what you're doing or not.

Here's some balikbayan box level of fireworks for you and the beauty and madness that will be part of the whole 2016.

This baby can make you cry possibly 2 times. First is when it hits you and second when you see
the way how it lights up the sky so beautifully.

It's a wonderful feeling for a lot of people when they finish their planners, their calendars, and trying to write down all of their resolutions. I'm not all into the new year new life thing but the effect the new year brings to people? The opportunity it gives for people to reflect on their lives (or the "past" year)? It's amazing.

Happy New Year!

Have a Don Perignon and some tofu sisig in the process!

Always remember that "the days are long, but the years are short". Always remember that.