Thanks, and Thanks Again

I've received a load of loving from the Universe these past few days, and I'm giggling and giddy from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.

I'm pretty sure there are other little things I ought to be saying "Thanks" for but that I'm overlooking, but because the big things are truly big, let me clue you in on one of them.

Shall we play a round of Guess What? Here goes: Guess what...I'm going somewhere far in July. Like, Google-what-the-weather-would-be-like-there-in-July far.

And guess what? I'll be traveling with a good friend with whom I've been spending a lot of fun times lately. As in, drink-two-bottles-of-wine-and-laugh-your-head-off-in-the-balcony-until-five-am fun.

You don't get many opportunities like this one, travel to an intriguing destination and have someone there to process the paradigm-shift of a culture exposure with. So thanks, and thanks, and super thanks!

Oh and guess what...the trip? It's free. And from what I hear, it's going to be all style from arrival to departure.

Huuuuuggggs Universe!!!

I Heart Eddie Vedder

"Better Days"

I feel part of the universe open up to meet me
My emotion so submerged, broken down to kneel in
Once listening, the voices they came
Had to somehow greet myself, read myself
Heard vibrations within my cells, in my cells
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-la-ah-ah"

My love is safe for the universe
See me now, I'm bursting
On one planet, so many turns
Different worlds
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah"

Fill my heart with discipline
Put there for the teaching
In my head see clouds of stairs
Help me as I'm reaching
The future's paved with better days

Not running from something
I'm running towards the day
Wide awake



Lyrics | Eddie Vedder - Better Days lyrics

Restart, Reboot :)

I love New Year's. As much as anyone who might kneel in gratitude over a much-needed second chance and clean slate.

But I think I'm finally done with mental lists of resolutions I always just forget about three months in.

Instead, I'm looking forward to drawing and visualizing, although perhaps today not with my usual drawing partners, most of whom live elsewhere. Maya lives in Singapore but is in New Zealand for the holidays; Apol, Ms Provenciana, lives in the south of France with her hubby and little one-year-old tornado also known as Lilou. Will try to get a hold of Tony, who might be busy with holiday DJ duties.

Today I have my large sketchbook and colored pens and will plan to draw with R. I've never drawn with him, and sharing a first session with someone is always the most thrilling. You never know what people will draw, what they will reveal about themselves, or what they will choose to share about their aspirations, and am looking forward to being surprised.

As for myself I'm going to try to think harder about my drawing and see what should change. For the past several years, since Maya, Apol and I started this drawing tradition (at a corner table in 90 Proof along Emerald Avenue in Ortigas), I've been drawing the same elements representing beachside bliss, bounty in all areas of life, lots of travel, and chart-busting books to my name. There is also of course the figure of the beloved: years ago, the stick figure lounged on a beach chair with the name of his company stuck to his head (so the universe can make no mistake about it); then he started appearing on the balcony of my beach house. Let's see where he ends up in this year.

We've gotten much of what we've imagined we would receive, and for that I am truly grateful to the winking humor and the outright generosity of the universe. Today I am ready for more. Bring it, 2011!