September-ender

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And a few hours from now we will say hello to the final quarter of 2014. I pray that my last quarter won’t be like most of the games of Gilas Pilipinas. I don’t want this year to be heartbreaking towards the end. As I enter the last phase of 2014, I want to dedicate October to getting things done and making more things happen. Just like the previous years, I still feel pressured to end a year with something I would be happy to look back to, and as much as possible with no regrets. Let’s all make this last three months count. I am both excited and nervous so I am praying for the remaining months of the current year, that I may have wisdom, knowledge and the right resources, the strength, wholeheartedness to push myself to my budding, all according to His will and with His loving grace.

I have a lot of things on my shoulders as I face October and I need a lot of courage as I wake up the coming sunrises. Yes, I am nervous! But I feel blessed with the wisdom imparted through the books that I have recently read, somehow further reassuring me that regardless of what happens right away, it will be alright. And I am excited. I can’t wait to share what I am all giddy about. Nothing really grand, just some little projects that I believe will lead to the reality of my dreams. But for now I will need a lot of prayers, encouragement and more words of wisdom. I feel blessed by all the support and may this carry on.

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Book Comments: "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki" and "Stumbling on Happiness"

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Title: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Author: Haruki Murakami
No. of pages:387
Published: 12th August, 2014
Read: August 26, 2014
★★★

My review in my Goodreads account is a one-liner, "enough to get me hooked, but not enough to satisfy a craving". I had a pile of books to read and yet I made it sure to squeeze this newly released Murakami book in. I got engrossed once more that I was able to finish reading it in two days (it usually takes me four days or more to read one book).   Murakami has this certain calmness and inviting vibe and is always successful in making me  absorbed with his material. Sadly though that no matter how inviting this book was written,  it did not fully captivate me until its very end. Murakami can be anything but thrilling or suspense but this book is like eating some really yummy ramen but sipping on unusually short noodles. Parang ganon basta bitin pero expected mo na na hanggang dun lang talaga. I feel like Murakami purposed it to be like this and it's what causes my love-hate relationship with this book.

My sister sms-ed me as soon as she read this book:

"Alam mo yung feeling na manipis na yung natitirang pages at nafifeel mo na hindi na siya enough para tapusin yung kwento, tapos naconfirm mo na tama ka. Di nasagot lahat ng tanong ng author, eh siya ang may kasalanan nun, parang sinadya. Pero maganda siya."

I like getting random texts on good and need-not-be-totally-positive reviews on materials I recommend. Haha! Now read it! 

Title: Stumbling on Happiness

Author: Daniel Gilbert
No. of pages: 263
Published: 20th March, 2007
Read: September 22, 2014
★★★

If one thinks of purchasing this because it's yet another self-help book on happiness, I will disappoint you by telling you that it's NOT. This read is far from disappointment though as I have learned fairly enough and still got some "help" out of this book. It is a book on cognitive psychology or exploring on how our brains process, how our brains perceive, think, remember, smell, speak, hear and solve problems. As someone who lacks exposure on psychological matter and matters of the brain, it was really an interesting read which was made even more interesting by the author's witty way of relaying his points. This book also fairly involves the reader with the experiments referenced to. I had a lot of "aaaahhhh" and "cool" and "so that's the reason why" moments going through this book.

This book successfully informed me on the brain's "systematic failure" in helping us reach the maximum potential of our happiness. Despite, in my opinion the round about's of the brain and its psychology, finishing this book still lead me to think that still, happiness is a familiar critical issue, not easily answered, not even our trusty brain can help us with. I would get bashed by telling this, that there would always be a hole like the blind spot of our eyes and brain that science would not be able to fully answer, and is one reason why people turn to spirituality means of trying to attain it.

I had my fair share of nonfiction materials lately and I quite dig on those that are referenced well that I start to think that I might venture on reading studies and journals soon haha!

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WIW: Mind Museum Day

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Freeway top | H&M skirt | white shoes from Korea | Abby Jocson bag

Nothing essentially special with this post’s outfit – not even a Miss Merie post haha but still thought of posting this because back on the day this photo was taken, I told myself that I would post this hahaha! Labo diba, laki ng problema ko.

 I like this shot, I feel cheery, maybe because it was really a fun day! This is what I wore when Luke, Andrea, Luke’s pretty niece, and I went to Mind Museum and strolled around High Street and also around Glorietta. It was also a day of shopping!! Oooh, I guess that previous sentence’s the cause of the cheery vibe haha! This photo also makes me miss my short hair. It’s been four months!!

 

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Bataan Teambuilding 2014 Video

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May 25, 2014
Morong, Bataan

Yay!!! After four months, I was able to finish compiling the videos I took during my first ever team building with FP&A in AIG, in Bataan!! It was a short stay but fun and of course anything that takes me to the beach even for a short while is an automatic yes and an automatic fun and an automatic sentimental moment. Haha! Two months with the team and there's a sense of belongingness. I could have taken more videos of the team building activities themselves but I am a participant so let these videos suffice hahaha! The video gets better towards the end. :)

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Fashion Friday: NYFW2014 BCBG Max Azria

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Allow me to start raving on this year's New York Fashion Week through the BCBG Max Azria collection. The fact that this was the first collection that I saw while browsing online and instantly got my attention. I noticed that I'm inclined to "flowy", simple and dainty pieces. My favourites are the white pieces.

Source: Style.com

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44th❤

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Double four. 

From the mountains to the shore, 

our love will pour,

more and more. 

Lurie turns 44!!! Yahooooo!!! What a busy week that we had and even the Saturday we met was also a jam-packed day. It's always a good feeling when we can meet and just chill and catch-up with each other; when we can veer away from our usual everyday life and enjoy each other's company (parang ilang beses ko na tong sinasabi?? Hahaha!).

Strolled around Resortsworld that we missed. Played at Game Zoo and sang our hearts out at Game Zoo KTV. We liked how updated their song list is. It's pricey but it was worth a try. :)

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Weeknight Catch Up

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Thursday night? Working in Alabang? Who says I live a boring life?? Well NO!! Hahaha! Just because of this one night with Kat and Jose! Ang totoo I have some stuff to return to them hence this another spontaneous catch-up. Mas spontaneous mas natutuloy talaga alam niyo yan. It was a night of steak and ice cream at Mad Mark's and what a catch-up. We are growing up!!! Oh no!!!! Thankful for this night! 

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A Night with Grace

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Say hello to my AP (accountability partner), Grace! But long before we were AP’s we were already super close back in our college days! Wow parang kailan lang!! We would usually meet up before or after our school schedules then just chat the hours away with chocolates and McDonald’s fries. She would also sleepover our house and we would randomly talk about everything inside my room. We love it when classes get suspended because we will have more time to be together. We were like soul sisters. But our lives have been busy in our own ways, I for my part drifted away from our “usualness”.

Last night was like a reunion of the both of us. I initially contacted her to work on my tiny workplace some weeks ago. Grace is an architect and soon to be licensed. Since she needed additional measurements of my place she just showed up in our house without notice. She has always been welcome anyway. But we all know how spontaneous meet-ups turn out to be the bests. Last night was not an exception. We talked like we don’t have a job to attend to the next day. Four long hours!! Incidentally, my mom took home McDonald’s large fries and so our reunion was complete. It was a nice feeling being able to talk to her, like really talk - of personal matters and whatnots. I really appreciated the night that had happened like our closeness never faded through the years.

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Here We Go Again and Again

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Here I go again up to another challenge, braver than I was before. I failed. I was successful. And now I go on with the cycle. As I mentioned last time, it won’t hurt if I try (maybe a little for this thing called ego). And the best part of this, I lift it up to Him. I was amazed how up to the last minute, I know God has been working on this. Through this course, it’s startling how He allowed me to meet people and align circumstances. Whatever the result is, I believe in His sovereignty; all for His glory.

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