A thought

Stay strong, be strong. 

Hand waving to a dear friend

SUNday

After days of non-stop rain, the Sun is finally out!

Happiness!

12:31am Note

To find the right person for you - the other half that makes you whole is a blessing in itself already. And to marry him and seeing your future with the same man, makes it sweeter.

I know that married life is not always a bed of roses. It is patience and hard work, among others. You start to think of all the chores, errands and bills to pay (these to say the least), almost all your grand illusion about marriage will burst into nothingness.

But despite all these challenges, I am still more than happy to be married to the man whom I prayed for. No, it was not like he was the man of my dreams but I did pray for him when he was still trying to woo me 8 years ago. I wanted some sort of a confirmation if this man is for me or if he is even worth the shot.

I remember asking for "signs" - a red rosary under my pillow, an orange flower placed in a white vase and that I will be asked to sing my favorite offertory song in solo. The  chance of me getting any of these things, at that time, was very, very slim (reasons are best saved for another write-up) but I got them anyway. That is why I knew in my heart, despite this silent protest in my head, that I should give this man a chance.

I did. He is a gift from the Heavens.

And as I weave my words for this entry, he is in deep slumber. 

I found my peace.

Just splendid

If you are always trying to be normal, 

you will never know how extraordinary you can be.

Just look. Really look.

So many things become beautiful, when you REALLY look. 

- Lauren Oliver (Before I fall in love)

Busy-ness

H.O.P.E

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. 

- Oscar Wilde

Filipino pride

 

World renowned Filipino product designer Kenneth Cobonpue has created the world’s first and only biodegrable car made out of bamboo and rattan called the Phoenix.

Cobonpue is known for his signature designs using natural fibres and materials. The Phoenix is his latest venture in partnership with design apprentice Alberth Birkner which is created using rattan, steel, bamboo and nylon. Showcased for the first time at the “Imagination and Innovation” exhibit at Milan, the Phoenix is a testament of high quality craftsmanship to create an environmental friendly solution to transport.

Cobonpue collects and tinkers with vintage cars and is an ardent car lover. However, his concern for the environment is the true inspiration behind this design. When pressed upon this Cobonpue states that though car manufacturing has been a hi-technology process employing robots and complex processes, maybe all that can be done away by a simple handmade solution. The average age of a car is 5-10 years in the industrialized world and the subsequent process of crushing and recycling cars is energy intensive, costly and inefficient. Thus having a biodegradable shell makes a lot of sense. 

Moreover, the shell can be customized for users according to their heights and builds.

The chassis is formed by the bamboo spine that runs in curves making space for wheels as well as the engine at the back. The rear end consists of a splay of rattan coupled with LED rods to emit light. The sides have provision for glass windows as well.

A renowned name in furniture created from natural fibre, Cobonpue has stunned the design world with his new creation. There is no engine yet but there are talks on the possibility of adding an electric motor to power the Phoenix. Though he does not have any immediate plans to commercialize this, Cobonpue considers it as a creative exercise in the right direction.

The world’s first bamboo and rattan roadster was built in just 10 days. At 153 inches long, it is a small and elegant solution to a big and ugly problem: the waste created by old cars that outlive their purpose. “This project attempts to unveil the future of green vehicles using woven skins from organic fibers mated to composite materials and powered by green technology,” says Mr. Cobonpue.

 

The Phoenix’s biodegradable skin is designed to last the average length of time a person keeps a car (5 years in industrialized countries, 10-20 years elsewhere) so that the car doesn’t create unnecessary waste by lasting longer than its owner needs it. The skin can be replaced inexpensively if the owner wishes to keep their car longer, and the Phoenix’s frame can be easily customized for individual customers’ needs. No word yet on exactly what engine or motor will power the green car, but it is small enough that an all-electric setup should provide plenty of juice to move this work of art around town.

As published in GNP.

Booked!

Piece of advice

And so, I will start to draw again. 

Be extra creative. 

Find inspiration in my surrounding, however gloomy it can sometimes be.

And sing.

Hard Laugh

OH. SO. FUNNY!

Favorite thing

Some pointers

Rizal

I have always loved my poor country and I am sure that I shall love her until my last moment. Perhaps some people will be unjust to me; well, my future, my life, my joys, everything, I have sacrificed for love of her. Whatever my fate may be, I shall die blessing my country and wishing her the dawn of her redemption.

—

Jose Rizal (Rizal Without the Overcoat by Ambeth R. Ocampo)

Happy Dad's Day!

Fantasies, like words, await what's real,

Anchored only when attached to things.

The dream of fatherhood, that long-sought dawn,

Has now become the light of early morn,

Exact and merciless in what it brings:

Riches to which one can only kneel.

'Mid all the truths the package will reveal,

Sensing well the wonder as it sings,

Drawing well the world to which it's drawn,

A love beyond all words will give you wings,

Yielding joys beyond what you can feel.

King of Anything

Who cares if you disagree? 

You are not me 

Who made you King of Anything?

So, you dare tell me who to be

Who died and made you King of Anything?

Messiah

For he is sent by God.
He speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.
John 3:34