Before I Left Norway, May 2013

The day was Tuesday. It was before I'd be leaving Norway to go to India. I joined my sister's classes that day. The trek going to the school was absolutely horrible. I forgot how many kilometers we walked but the cold was radiating down to my bones.

I've never really been the model student. Sleeping in class, eating in class, finding humor in the most mundane classroom... things.

After the class, we strolled around. The mall, the park, and some of the stores there.

Apple Crumble x Babysitting

Baking

One of the things I miss most about the Philippines, aside from the loves of my life, is Everything at Steak's apple crumble. The crunch-in-your-mouth crust, gooey apples, cinnamon flavor and sweet vanilla ice cream. A perfect sweet balance of hot and cold.

I think I must have drooled a little.

And so to satiate this craving, I requested that my sister and I bake apple crumble. :D

Norwegian Konfirmasjon

A few days ago, we (mommy, pops, Bellie and I) attended the konfirmasjon of mommy's friend's daughter. Konfirmasjon is similar to a debut but it is celebrated on the girl's 15th birthday. Traditionally, only family and a few close friends are invited but it wasn't the case for the grand purple party we went to.

The table napkins are brilliant!

Nowegian National Day

I am in Norway once again! :D I missed this place.

At the airport.

Olá Uberlândia!

For the summer of 2013, I decided I would go on an AIESEC exchange program. I wanted to focus on either energy and environment or cultural education. My preferred country was Brazil mainly because I've always wanted to go there and to live in such a far country would pose as a challenge for me to become more independent.

Seeing as there were no energy TNs for Brazil, I decided to go with cultural education and that's what landed me in Escola Estadual Bom Jesus! Basically, what I would be doing is cultural exchange. I taught 3 classes there about the culture, history and traditions of the Philippines.

Escola Estadual Bom Jesus

The Thing About Self-Shots

I hate the word "selfie". But hate, I guess would be too strong an emotion. Let's just say I'm not fond of the word.

People love taking self-shots because it makes them look pretty/handsome, macho, cute, what have you. The lacking element of candidness will not give way for unattractive shots because you can just delete it anyway when you look crappy; or post it online when you look like you're modelling for Vogue or whatever.

This act of vanity plagues social networks: "Look at me, God damn it, I am oozing with sexaaayy."

There is nothing wrong, per se about vanity, or selfies. (Ehhhh.) You make love to the camera, and the camera, with the right timing, lighting, expression and projection, it reciprocates.

Personally, I prefer using profile pictures that aren't the product of vanity. Those photos that other people took of me. Let me say upfront that I am NOT a photogenic person. I look deformed most of the time when posting for photos. But this is not the reason I don't like taking self-shots.

The reason for me preferring to use photos that other people took is because I prefer it to be natural. I want to use a "social network face" that I didn't have to scrutinize over, taking a dozen similar shots of.

I don't know how to pose in front of the camera. I have an awkward smile. I have no idea what people mean when they say "project". When I look good in a photo, it's kind of a big deal for me because unlike the rest of shutter-happy society, the camera does not love me. It just likes me as a friend. What a thought. Friendzoned by the camera.

EXHIBIT A.

These self-shots were taken right after I woke at 10:30 a.m. It's one of those rare miraculous mornings wherein I wake up with hair that seemed like I worked hours to style. My face doesn't look like a grease pan. The light shed the room in a warm way. I was filled with happy vibes.

Au naturel. (I freaking swear on my soul.)

On the rare occasion that I actually take self-shots, I don't want to look pretty or cute. Eh. That't what everyone else does. I want to show the more natural side of myself. My face has no inhibitions. I don't want to just smile and think "oohhh, this shot is going to be a good one."

Just look at those faces. Look at theeeeemmm. Uninhibited self shots are better than pretty ones. I hardly ever have the latter anyway.

EXHIBIT B.

The Beatles' "A Hard Days' Night" album cover.

Exhibit B inspired Exhibit A. I like the way the album cover was taken. Candid, natural, black & white.

The aim in self-portraits is not to look pretty. Everyone already knows you are, sure. The aim is to express yourself through your face. That's the funner side of self-portraits. Self-expression.

To Quote Two Playwrights

"All the world's a stage,

And all men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts."

As You Like It, William Shakespeare

Life is a Dream. When I was in third year college, my professor talked about this play by the Spanish dramatist Calderón de la Barca of the Baroque period. "What is life? A madness. What is life? A illusion, a shadow, a story, and the greatest good is little enough, for all life is a dream."

(You'd think it's amazing that I remember all these details given the fact that I don't pay much attention in class because that I am perpetually sleepy but no, I am currently copying the lines from the de la Barca play from an amazing book I am reading entitled "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaardner. So there.)

Life is a dream. The conflict in this play lies in the main character's situation wherein he wakes up from a terrible dream although not knowing whether or not it was real. He is then convinced that the world in which has woken up in is the dream world. A story reminiscent of Inception.

People wake up every morning convinced they are in the "real world" per se. But what IS the real world? Can we sleep as paupers then wake up as royalty then next day? Which then would be deemed the real world?

The real world, based on people's constant rambling and complaining, is the realm wherein we are splashed with the harshness of reality. Where we are made to work 9 to 5 for a living that will never seem to be enough to satisfy worldly desires. Where we are made to think that a life of feeding your passions is less important than a life of feeding your avarice.

Life truly IS madness. Life IS but a stage. We are merely actors, merely dreamers. With this gift we have been bestowed with, what shall we dream up? What shall be the lines that we will deliver as we play our part in the grand scheme of life? What world will we wake up in?

Will you be content to live in the real world? Or the life that you have the power to dream of? The power to transcend from this dream into the reality of your schemes?

P.S. Sometimes I think I read too much, write too much or watch waaay too many movies. Feel free to tell me what you think.

:)