I had wished I had my camera with me when I saw a two-year old boy trying to push his father’s wooden cart laden with bananas for sale; a show of wanting to help out perhaps. Without breathing a word, the father, seeing what his son — who is almost in tears when he realised he’s unable to — was trying to do, simply picked him up and carried him on one arm then continued to push the heavy cart with his free hand.

The scenario had almost brought tears to my eyes for it encapsulates what most fathers (both our parents, really) would do for their children. They make room for these helpless and innocent creatures in their lives, regardless of how difficult and taxing it can be. Fathering a child can trigger acts of selflessness in degrees you didn’t think possible.

Shortly after, I then saw a father off to deliver packs of laundered clothes in a pedicab. His son was sitting with the clothes, holding the paper which I guess contains the list of addresses where the clothes are meant to go. A child wanting to spend time with his father while he works simply because he thinks that it’s cool, whatever it is.

A familiar wave of understanding washed over me. I know of the wanting to be part of my father’s life. Watching him work or drive a car. Wanting to go wherever he’d go. Trying to do what he’s doing then looking up expectantly for a word of praise or even a hint of a smile in his eyes, seemingly telling me that yes, he had seen my effort and was proud of me regardless of the outcome.

Then I found myself wondering, will their respective families celebrate them being fathers this Sunday? Are they aware of the importance to set aside a day to appreciate them and who they are to the children?

I really can’t say that a father’s love is greater than that of the mother’s. Roles of fathers and mothers in a child’s life complements. One can nurture, support and encourage, and the other can discipline, instruct and protect. They both just affect their children differently.

While a child can find the heart and inspiration in life from mothers, they can find the strength and will to live a good one from a father’s love.

So, I’m taking this opportunity to especially appreciate all the fathers. You have been given an important role in a child’s life, a responsibility that you alone can fully fathom. Know that all your hard work and sacrifices did not go unnoticed. In your child’s eyes, you are truly the best father one can ever have.

As a daughter, I am especially grateful for the love that only a father can give. The love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. The love that never fails. No man will ever love me the way he did.

P.S. The bananas are of the Latundan variety. I bought a kilo priced at Php 28.00 from the little boy’s father.

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. Sharing the Love
2. The So-called System and the So-called Love

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“Sitting on the grass one quiet morning, sans the angry humming of the grass cutter and the sound of the broom wrestling with the fallen leaves littered around the grassy knoll, I’ve finally found myself alone with the memory of my father,” I wrote.

It’s been a year since that fateful morning when I awoke to the news of his death. It felt like a sad re-hash. I would have loved to laugh at the irony of the situation but twas reined in by the pain.

Everything seems to be glued inside, quite unwilling to come out.

Save for that single moment a year ago when I had cried in abandon, I still find it difficult to grieve.

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. 2007, A Memorable Year

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Travel back in time and imagine horse-drawn carriages and muddy roads. Get a glimpse of a miracle unfold in an otherwise ordinary life. Experience the magical encounter with someone great. Spend your nights in Rodanthe. Traipse around Sandition. Immerse yourself in the life of Alexander The Great.

There are days when I don’t feel like reading but for the past couple of months, books have been a constant companion in my bedroom, specifically right before I sleep.

My love for the Classics and Jane Austen have brought me to grab a copy of Sandition, the half-finished masterpiece of the great author now completed by respected author and Austen expert, Juliette Shapiro.

I’m certainly curious to finish reading this novel and hope to love it as much as I love the other Jane Austen books I’ve already read.

Choosing to read Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks, I have to admit was greatly due to movie trailers I’ve seen. Growing up surrounded by Contemporary Fiction, mostly romance for young adults, I’ve learned to appreciate the modern comedy no matter how shallow the plot may be. I reckon it’s easier to identify myself in characters if things are set in a familiar period. It was only when I was older did I enjoy ones that are not, hence, my love for the classics.

I haven’t seen the movie but I’m sure I’ll get around to doing that esp as soon as I finish reading the book. I wonder if this is the Sparks book that will make me cry. I’ve read A Walk to Remember and The Notebook (which my brother was sure would make me cry but he lost that bet, heh) and nothing so far. He’s the one to tug his readers’ heartstrings, huh? But I admit, his stories are good. It never felt like the writer was trying too hard.

My fascination with Historical Fiction, particularly if you talk of kings, philosophers and ancient civilizations, grew out of my affinity with stories of ancient mythology, Greek or Roman. Having consumed a number of books on the matter and watched movies like Gladiator, Troy, King Arthur, 300, and The Last Samurai, I simply haven’t had enough. It was only by chance that I saw this Steven Pressfield book, The Virtues of War. It’s a novel of Alexander The Great. Now, who wouldn’t be curious enough to read about that? Interestingly, he’s also the one behind the book (popularised by the movie), The Legend of Bagger Vance.

With these three (3) new books, I reckon I might lose sleep a little cuz instead of taking things in small doses, I just might not be able to put them down. Like what happened when I was reading the Twilight Saga.

Though come to think of it, it’s not something to complain about. I always love to read a good story. How about you folks? What sort of books to you prefer to read? Any new books on your reading list?

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. A Great Surprise
2. Ripples, Great Feats and a Single Peso
3. New Books: Jane Austen and Dante Alighieri

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’ve been using a Canon Rebel XTi 400D since February 2007 and an HP Pavilion dv9000 since March of 2008. I’ve managed to reach the maximum round of clicks for the dSLR and have started over. Imported roughly around 20,000 images, a number of which were then subjected to post-processing, layouts, etc so you can say that the number may have more or less doubled. I also do have my fair share of music and tv series download. Can you imagine just how much data that my lappytop now stores?

I use Vista. Getting past the collective groans, I have to say that I am quite happy with the OS. I reckon the system I use can take the load, however, remember how much data I ended up with? I started to feel the strain. I reckon this is why people shy away from folks with excess baggage. Each experience can be burdensome. Pardon the pun.

So back to stretching.

I decided to invest in an external hard drive. I reckon every laptop owner should have one esp if you’re the sort who likes to store a lot of data, from photos to documents. I’ve been shopping around for one, probably around the sizes of 80GB and 160GB, portable if possible. I actually have considered asking my brother who’s currently in the US to buy me one cuz I heard it’s cheaper there. But thanks to my bestfriend, she found a good deal over at TipidPC.com on a 1TB. Now this stretch is good. Hehe.

I’d like you to meet Teri, my (hopefully) trusty digital assistant. Er, well — Teri will be responsible for storing all pertinent files, which used to be with the Pav, from now on. All organised and such. This task of transferring stuff is a real treat for the OC in me. Heehee.

Teri is a My Book Essential Edition external hard drive from Western Digital. She can store up to 250,000 MP3s or 284,000 JPGs. Though this can vary based on file size and format, settings, features, software and other factors.

What’s in the box: External hard drive, USB 2.0 cable, AC adapter, Quick install guide

Software: Google Software (Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, and Picasa - Windows only)

Compatibility: Windows Vista/XP/2000, MAC OS X 10.3+ (may vary depending on user’s hardware configuration and OS)

Oh, don’t go assuming that since I dished out terms like configuration and such I’d know a lot about these things. Hahaha.

However, one of the things my parents had taught my siblings and I is that every little material thing bought or given has value, big or small, you need to be responsible enough to own one (or you have to step up to the responsibility of owning one), i.e. owning a car would mean knowing how to fix little things in case of emergencies, paying for the registration/insurance, etc. This requires self-study (cuz they sure as hell won’t teach you how to use something they might already consider complex, haha) and, of course, how to maintain it yourself (includes any fixes that will require money or bubble gums, hehe).

Personally, what really appealed to me was that it has a big storage space. I reckon spending Php 5,425.00 on it now will suit present and future needs. Don’t you agree? Of course, there’s my personal affinity with black gadgets. Hehe. The lappytop is black. Mr. X, Mr. E, and the PS3 are also black. I even went ahead and adopted a Black Labrador Retriever! So I really don’t mind that Teri came in Black, too! LOL.

Anyway, how about you folks? Have you ever thought about getting yourselves external hard drives? Is there a particular brand you prefer? Have you heard of Western Digital? Like I said, I’m not much of a techie really and this is the only brand I’ve ever tried so, yea, I’d appreciate any sort of feedback.

Update: I saw the very same box in Octagon which they’re selling for Php 6,995.00 as of May 2009.

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

No related posts.

As much as I don’t mind being alone, since I can think of many things to keep my mind and hands busy, I have to admit that it does get lonely. Only a week into it, I’ve experienced extremes. From paranoia (of normal and paranormal but it’s more of the former than the latter, believe it or not) to luxuriating in the thick atmosphere of independence.

What do folks like me do in these situations? Do we party every night? Make a mess and simply not care? Turn on the A/C as much and as long as we want without fear of getting an earful of reminders of electricity bills, etc?

Funny but house-sitting is much more difficult as it seems. Heck, living alone is not at all glamourous as most young people think. It’s hard work. Full of responsibilities. I reckon, since I did live independently a few years back, I sort of knew what to expect as soon as I got back from the airport; after dropping my mum off. We’re just taking out rent control and, goshdarnit, this is helluva bigger place.

Sitting in front of the laptop that night, I remember feeling utterly small and very much alone. I knew I’ll need people to check up on me from time to time. That’s why I’m thankful that we live close to relatives plus friends would occasionally drop by and hang out. I’m slowly feeling a little comfortable with the setup, comfortable enough to accommodate more things to do at home (like I need more reasons to stay inside, yea? I work at home for crying out loud!).

Anyway, I knew I’ll be scheduling beach trips during the course of the months I’ll be house-sitting so I decided that I need to allot considerable amount of time spent indoors. What do I usually like doing indoors apart from going online-slash-working? What else? Read books, of course. Fantastic. It’s high time I read more.

Enter the recently purchased box set of the Twilight saga. Egad. Succumbed into the Edward-Bella-Jacob thing.

I didn’t really plan on buying the entire set in one go, actually. I guess, that’s the problem with having too much time on your hands and finding yourself in a bookstore with the intention of buying yourself a book. Note, a book! Ah, well.

I was on my way to Manila Penn that night for a Hens Party I organised for a friend. I knew I’ll be the first one there and I had forgotten to bring with me a book to help pass the time while waiting. So I figured buying one that time wouldn’t hurt since I was planning to buy new books anyway.

Twas Friday night when I started reading bits from the first book in the Saga, Twilight.

It’s now Thursday and I’m halfway through the third one, Eclipse. Not only that; I’ve finally watched the Twilight movie for three (3) consecutive nights actually. LOL. I’m still deciding if I’m watching it again before I sleep.

The Twilight Saga know resides in my once bare bookshelf. I’ve been organising the library in our house and have contributed most of my books to the shelves found in the den, hence the empty shelves in my room. However, I’ve been re-organising books the past few months so favourites and the un-read books are now back in my room. Which is great actually since it helps remind me that there are books left to be read. Hehe.

Enough about me. How about you folks? How’ve you guys been? Bought any new books lately? Have you read the Twilight saga? Come, let’s talk! This small person staying alone in a big house will surely appreciate it!

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. Rodanthe, Sandition, and Alexander The Great
2. On New Books & Bedtime Stories
3. New Books: Jane Austen and Dante Alighieri

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

In the middle of finding something to jumpstart the thought-process needed to bring that pen to touch the paper and effectuate thoughts to materialise, I thought it’d be useful to list down the things I’ve been doing to find inspiration and share them with you folks.

Separating yourself from your workspace. If you’ve been cooped up inside your office or wherever you work, it’s good to consciously create some physical distance from it. It doesn’t have to be far, just make sure that the separation will indeed allow you to forget about work for a while.

Get out of the house. Go jogging, take your dog for a walk, or simply just spend your afternoon sitting out on the porch watching the sun set. Spending time to enjoy a bit of outdoor activity will help stimulate the thought process.

Take a short trip. Going out of town will surely do you good. Spending a day on the beach always rejuvenates me. Spending time away from the urban jungle is a great way to rest and relax my mind, thus, allowing it to be more receptive to ideas and conducive to stringing thoughts together.

Read books, watch movies, listen to music These are some of the most immediate things I do when I need some form of inspiration. Immersing myself in stories through novels and films trigger the generation of ideas. Emotions are tapped in, imagination exercised and oftentimes, out of sheer enjoyment, they bring me to this happy place where caustic optimism would effect thoughts that are easily transcribed into words.

Stillness. Unconnected. Silent Darkness. With my eyes closed, I would simply listen to the wind, sounds coming from outside the house and somewhere in the distance. My thoughts are suddenly amplified. Feelings so colourful that I can paint a mural. Awareness so alive that you end up restless. I still have to work on this bit. It’s actually a very useful practice if only I can find a way to bottle everything up and produce something. Still unorganised and very much raw.

One of the other things that brought me to write about this is the realisation that some folks who’ve been reading my blogs have failed to understand about me, I do keep a number of blogs but these blogs offer different things, hence, the need to find ways to push myself to write. All these blogs are active, though some are less frequently updated than others. I try to offer variety of content in all my blogs and I’d like to think that I have indeed established that.

The Parody is and will always be my personal blog — it’s my online diary if you may. If you want to keep track of what’s happening on a more personal level, this is the place to find it. If you want to share stuff about fashion, beauty, shopping, street style and events that I go to with me then you can enjoy Style Manila. But if you’re looking into having conversations about life in stills and words then SashaManuel.com is where we can do that. Of course, if you truly wish to get to know me, you have the option to check out all three.

I reckon it just made me feel a little sore about having to answer the question on which of my blogs this individual should subscribe to. It’s like telling me, “I like you but not all of you”. Know what I mean? I do appreciate that this particular person likes even just one part of me though. I guess it’s better than nothing, yes? Hehe.

Anyway, how about you folks? Where do you blog? How do you find your inspiration for these blogs? Share!

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. Finding Shelby

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Fix

Located along the coastline in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas (Philippines), La Luz has been in my must-see beaches list since I learned of its existence back in 2006. It’s a two and a half drive, roughly around 150 kms away, from Paranaque. (**Taken using a SE W760i)

Stonewall-ed

I’ve been to Laiya a couple of times but I’ve never been to the place till a few days ago. I have yet to see the other place I’ve been meaning to go see but I’ve heard that even with the latter’s posh rep, La Luz IS teh shizzle. Hehe. I don’t know why it took me this long before actually checking out the place.

Extraordinarily Ordinary View

La Luz proves to be one of the best examples I can site on why I prefer OUR beaches over any other country that I’ve been to. Yes, the place is too gorgeous for one to take a bad photo. Regardless of the camera, you will end up with a fabulous photo of the place. (**Taken using a SE W760i)

Out there

I was lucky to have had the opportunity to spend sometime away from the busy-ness of the urban life. Lounging on my chair, I couldn’t help but immerse in my own thoughts and try to imagine a life totally different from mine.

To my left

Breaking an otherwise common shoreline are rocks and curves — sharp and soft.

To my right

You can’t escape the beautiful view. (Can’t imagine why you’d ever want to!)

Perfect Beach Footwear

Looking closer, it’s best to wear your favourite flip-flops. None of the fine, powder-y white sand, instead they’re replaced by crushed corals, pebbles and small stones — shaped by the sea.

I <3 this life.

In a bikini, with just my camera, a book and cigarettes to keep me company. (**Taken using a SE W760i)

Of course, I’d appreciate a fully-charged iPod, sunscreen + tanning oil and a pair of sunnies. (Excuse my non-smile, LOL)

(**Taken using a SE W760i)

Pre-Nup

Yea, I was there for a pre-nup photoshoot. As much as I want to say that it was mine but, no. LOL. I played driver-slash-stylist-slash-photographer for a couple who are my good friends, R and M.

I’m only responsible for outtakes and not the actual pre-nup photos. Good thing, cuz I was too tired to concentrate. But I’m glad I was able to take a couple of decent ones. I also would’ve loved to do her makeup but she already hired someone for that. Heh.

Anyway, I’m glad my Summer started early and that I was able to spend a gorgeous day on an equally gorgeous beach. I’ll be back, La Luz. You can bank on that!

What about you folks? What are your plans for this Summer?

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. The Beach Monger: Port Noarlunga
2. The Beach Monger: Bohol
3. The Beach Monger: Peninsula de Punta Fuego

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

John & Brita Haycroft
Where Only One Grew Before
(Image used for the album cover: 51/365 200209 by carolinabena; cover layout, all mine)

This is actually a tag thing circulating in Facebook but I just had to bring it over and invite folks to come and join the fun. It does require a little tech skill, i.e. Photoshop, etc., but the rest of the instructions are pretty easy.

To Do This:

1. Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2. Go to “Random quotations” or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3. Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days” or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5. Post it on your FB account with this text in the caption/title field (or on your blog!) and TAG the friends you want to join in.

This is one of the most interesting meme that I’ve ever participated in. Some of the people I’ve tagged are: The Glamarazzi, Ade, Lauren, Helga, Luis, and a few more of my friends. I hope the rest of you folks will find it interesting enough to participate. If you do decide to do it, let me know (link to this post or leave a comment below) cuz I’d love to see what sort of album cover you’d come up with! Have fun!

Related posts:

1. The Ideal Guy: A Blog Tag

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A 5-Year Old Philosopher
“Mind over matter,” my nephew would say, esp on occasions — whilst spending time on the beach — when he found the water a tad bit cold but would still want to stay in simply because he wanted to continue playing in the sea. It was something that his dad would tell him whenever C finds himself in such situations. Mind over matter, indeed.

It seems that the core wisdom I had brought home with me came from the mouth of a 5-year old. Unexpected but I welcome this fantastic surprise. But where is it written that this sort of thing isn’t plausible? Sometimes, I even think that it’s the child who knows just how it is to live out a life. With passion, with excitement. Everything seems to be one delightful event after the next.

Those simple words ushered in a tumult in my mind, triggering a landslide of epiphanies. I write for I can’t hold everything in without confusion. The need to concretise a thought is much stronger than I had expected.

In Retrospect
Nothing’s impossible, I said. Funny how clear things are now that I’m thinking in retrospect. C and I were on the same page. I was teaching him to not give up when faced with an obstacle. And there he was reminding me that we can overcome an obstacle with just sheer will.

The philosophy doesn’t tell you to get out of the water. It pushes you to endure. Face it head on. Stand firm. One will break and it won’t be you. No obstacle placed in front of you is big enough to stop you from moving forward, from enjoying your life. Go around it, under it, over it, or plow right through it. Mind over matter.

Lord over the subconscious. Teach it not to speak lies. Break the habit of stopping yourself even before trying or the instinct of pulling away once burned. The vast universe is a lush ground for harvesting the power needed to overcome anything. Believe. Act. Persevere. You will gather the fruits of your labour.

Imagine how many times a bird fell before it took flight. It would continue trying until it can feel the wind beneath its wings, taking their feathered bodies up in the air. I can’t help but believe that as a bird is built for flight, so are we built to do what we’re destined to do. Whatever that is. And we can do it even if it means falling a million times. We are equipped with the strength to overcome.

Find your Inner Strength
Nothing’s impossible. Rough is only mental. It’s all a matter of conditioning one’s mind. The true strength you possess will astonish even the brave. Mind over matter.

I don’t believe in defeat.

I don’t believe in defeat.

I don’t believe in defeat.

What about you? Do you believe in defeat?

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel

Related posts:

1. There’s Treasure Everywhere

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“I’M SIGNIFICANT! … Screamed the dust speck.” — Calvin

Life can be utterly and taxing-ly overwhelming. I’m barely halfway through the entire length of it yet I’m already tired, aren’t you? It’s all the falling, the detours, and the countless disheartening wrong turns. Lost and just about ready to throw in the towel. Yes, quit — even when you know there are loads of things still in store in the days ahead. Partly, I reckon, it’s esp because of that.

However, you still opt to take that step forward, may it be out of sheer will coupled with hope or just due to habit formed over time. You prod on. Toil. Breathe. But what sort of life is it without passion? Without direction? Where will you get the energy to live? And I mean really live.

Go back to the simple things. Find inspiration in the mundane. This will rekindle the fire you once had. This will allow you to remember why you were doing what you are doing; how you became who you are; which road to take to reach your goals; what steps to take to better yourself. This will help your entire self to grow.

Indeed, there’s treasure everywhere. All we have to do is look at life as a child would.

Funny, I just remembered how my nephew C would sometimes say “It’s impossible” whenever he faces something difficult to do and I would always tell him, “Nothing’s impossible, C.”

It’s in times like these that I choose to take a step back and brood. And dream. With Calvin and Hobbes. I ♥ Calvin and Hobbes.

P.S. Yes, I consult my Calvin and Hobbes collection for answers to life’s almost-impossible-to-answer questions. Hehe.

Image: amazon.com

Related posts:

1. Mind Over Matter
2. Life, Mortality & Existence
3. Thoughts on Loss & Heartbreak

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.