tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76505952012-02-17T06:47:08.608+08:00veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.comBlogger4591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-3384211743577990732012-01-01T22:37:00.005+08:002012-01-02T07:45:07.847+08:00

These three here were lighting up night-sky lanterns carefully. They know the paper lanterns are fragile; the wind, a tease.People were out in the street, shouting to the sky and to each other amidst the boom and light-splash of the fireworks.Everyone greeted everyone else.Randomness has always charmed me. Faces you have no names for, hugs and embraces from just about anyone who recognizes the

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-85138241208644953932011-12-25T17:58:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:59:25.033+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 25: Celebrate in different time zones.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-42584491248413212622011-12-24T17:56:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:57:36.062+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 24: Know that there's always something from home standing just around the corner.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-11316341968300268212011-12-23T17:52:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:56:42.076+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 23: Well, why not

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-60140439326999478182011-12-22T17:52:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:52:54.132+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 22: Welcome the new addition to the family.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-54810856024476217792011-12-21T17:47:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:51:44.685+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 21: Build a house. Color it sweet.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-63157848171774368872011-12-20T17:46:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:47:18.205+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 20: Have a before and after session.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-14048880883493240522011-12-19T17:39:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:40:53.011+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 19: Like children, know that as long as you enjoy your lines, you'll make it through. Happiness always shines through and does not need a lot of theatrics to entertain people.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-8654341504507019662011-12-18T17:37:00.000+08:002011-12-25T17:39:37.515+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 18: Acknowledge the gravity of disaster and devastation. Pray for your country.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-24738633442319689462011-12-18T05:08:00.001+08:002011-12-18T05:09:38.196+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 17: Treat yourself to some fun. With immobile tigers, if necessary.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-56188609470604785812011-12-17T00:09:00.002+08:002011-12-17T00:10:22.849+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 16: Learn discoveries from other worlds outside your home. This frog, for example, is newly-discovered in Papua New Guinea and is smaller than an M&M chocolate. I guess that makes Thumbelina a giant now!(This picture is from National Geographic - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111215-

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-90766134552400773702011-12-17T00:08:00.003+08:002011-12-17T00:14:42.298+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 15: Remember being a girl. Go pink.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-65120749112862275732011-12-14T07:34:00.001+08:002011-12-14T07:36:22.228+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 13: Watch colors persist.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-88281313591401429012011-12-13T04:43:00.002+08:002011-12-13T04:43:51.166+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 12: Walk on white.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-42337758604891220962011-12-12T06:15:00.000+08:002011-12-12T06:16:30.878+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 11: Bond with someone who does not need words to express happiness, hunger, and curiosity.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-82483213889525274902011-12-11T20:11:00.001+08:002011-12-11T20:11:55.052+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 10: Carry a tree.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-70626887550112804162011-12-10T20:48:00.000+08:002011-12-10T20:49:12.497+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 9: Go monochrome.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-88337141600874178562011-12-09T01:23:00.000+08:002011-12-09T01:24:30.616+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 8: Make friends with the Bear Family. Ideally the ones in boxes, not the ones who live in the forests.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-12618989169475994172011-12-08T03:43:00.002+08:002011-12-08T03:44:44.122+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 7: Enjoy the tour guide's story from 1919 and how they celebrated Christmases in an internet-less and warmer generation.Prepare a dictionary. She speaks fast Norwegian and you can only understand about half of what she's saying.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-64431408717614834642011-12-07T05:55:00.003+08:002011-12-07T05:59:45.784+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 6: Think miniature. Appreciate the small amidst all the jazz and glitter.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-10120667202330336872011-12-05T22:27:00.000+08:002011-12-05T22:28:07.762+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 5: Read Alexander McCall Smith’s 3rd book in the Mma Ramotswe series. Wear a ski head gear if you don’t need reading glasses. Enjoy the stories of Botswana’s only ladies detective agency like this for 30minutes.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-71852376210547215722011-12-04T22:26:00.000+08:002011-12-05T22:27:10.151+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 4: Love it, be it purple or violet. Inside out.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-17675161634050614992011-12-03T22:25:00.001+08:002011-12-05T22:27:28.895+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 3: Dig in.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-40321876098997790152011-12-02T22:24:00.000+08:002011-12-05T22:24:55.773+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 2: Wonder who that woman in the picture is. Give her a name. Annikah.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-9243335162946361882011-12-01T22:21:00.001+08:002011-12-05T22:24:10.814+08:00

[Make Your Own December]December 1: Experiment with your hair. Remember the magic of static and balloons.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-30891118644944281582011-11-08T06:42:00.001+08:002011-11-08T06:44:07.234+08:00

Valdres by fall; the moon and the trees anticipating winter's arrival.This photo looks like it's edited but T took it using only his Samsung phone and a pair of binoculars.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-8135545704119977492011-10-31T04:43:00.002+08:002011-10-31T04:47:01.567+08:00

Sjusjøen. By fall, snow already covers this mountain.It is one of the frequented skiing destination in Lillehammer, Norway's Olympic city. The first time I went there was on a school-trip. That day, the morning was dark and the sun shone dull in the beginning of the day, making the pine trees look like shadows on my bus window. By 11am, the clouds dispersed and the sun shone to show the calmness

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-25158979389425757702011-10-19T04:03:00.003+08:002011-10-19T04:09:32.536+08:00

I styled mine shorter today.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-47852953084598643062011-10-12T01:32:00.005+08:002011-10-12T04:04:16.801+08:00

Last Sunday, I had my first snowfall.Braving out the cold with only boots and jacket over a bathrobe, I held out my hands as white falls in tidbits around me.When I was about four of five years old, a boy who was eating marshmallow told me he was eating snow. This neighbor comes from a well-to-do family and has travelled around the world on holidays.Whether it was his matter-of-fact-face while

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-22496742795461213592011-09-20T21:01:00.002+08:002011-09-20T21:08:52.684+08:00

Insomnia is not attractive. Not at all. Especially when you know exactly what thoughts run around your head while the clock dangerously ticks away towards sunrise. Noise is easy to shut off when it passes by swiftly and blandly, but not when it hovers with a dozen, vivid stories all at once.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-71656881559186803562011-09-14T20:46:00.002+08:002011-09-14T20:49:22.497+08:00

This is the Trollstigen or the Troll Ladder.Imagine a road that follows the curve of a very tall mountainside, ten to eleven sharp bends, and several falls along the way. If the trolls were real, then they have a totally fancy ladder!I am still trying to know how high the mountain is, but suffice it to say that after driving through the 6-km stretch of bending road and reaching the top where a

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-6593277662428589332011-09-13T02:03:00.006+08:002011-09-15T20:17:27.369+08:00

The sun is retreating and is giving way to the blow of the colder wind. It sets at around 8pm now, and has left its long summer nights of setting at around 12 midninght. The wind is fierce, and the fog relentless especially in the early mornings. I wake up to 7 degrees C to 10 degrees C now. My clothes are getting heavier every day, keeping true to the chant, "Ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær,"

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-79562799759156224222011-08-28T20:45:00.003+08:002011-08-28T21:04:49.157+08:00

No matter how long it will take, a home is bound to get some good news one day, a sudden burst of sunshine in the window no one expected to arrive but arrived anyway, one day, not through the door, but through that which most people would like to see as a space of hope, smaller than the entrance, but an opening, no less. After five years, it has arrived in mine. This sense of family is too big

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-74373957510039585942011-08-28T06:57:00.004+08:002011-08-28T07:25:56.622+08:00

This is what I'm doing, 10minutes to midnight here in the far, far north of the world - opening my Yahoo mail in classic mode and selecting the 'Last' button in my inbox. I found, to my surprise, some email exchanges that I have forgotten about, including an email from my literary journalism inspiration and college teacher Ms. Mayette Tabada sending me an attached article of hers with the

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-54304438318468368082011-08-27T20:47:00.010+08:002011-08-28T06:32:08.678+08:00

What is a fjord, really. The word sounds so enigmatic. I felt like the boat we were in was travelling through the ocean and not a river (the Geirangelva River, in this case), and so the mountains felt more majestic. Suffice it to say, a fjord is, via people and the internet, a glaciated valley. And I happen to have visited one of the most famous fjords in all of Europe, the Geiranger Fjord.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-58302993821728369672011-08-16T06:38:00.005+08:002011-08-16T08:39:36.757+08:00

Two hours after and I've done my nails. Black Velvet. In a foreign country like this, I have to learn to do my own nails, otherwise, I would have a headache converting Krones to Pesos and realize I spent more than what I can spend for an IMAX in my own country for ten fingernails.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-88993306781590633712011-08-16T01:34:00.004+08:002011-08-16T01:38:36.357+08:00

They call it Norway's Contsruction of the Century, I call it the Roller Coaster Bridge. Atlanterhavsveien or The Atlantic Road is oftentimes tagged as the best roadtrip experience one can get, and as we were nearing it, I was pretty much intimidated given my fear of roller coasters. The twists and turns of this 8-km stretch of road is actually a beautiful drive and it only makes you feel dizzy

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-33473178892014145022011-08-15T19:16:00.005+08:002011-08-15T19:30:48.701+08:00

Before Oslo, there was Trondheim. Trondheim was the seat of Norway before it was changed to Oslo in the year 1217. It was a cold summer day when we arrived in Trondheim but the divergence of history, art, and young minds abuzz warmed the trip up, that T, his brother Alex, and I stayed for one more day in the city I would very much like to call my own. Walking around the city, I took pictures

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-76124007572656349832011-07-15T02:23:00.003+08:002011-08-03T05:59:38.904+08:00

At least here, that is.The few times it comes out, the wind blows colder.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-61457681462984303552011-07-07T17:04:00.001+08:002011-07-07T17:18:38.302+08:00

WA NAY MGA ADLAWNGA NAGKAGULIYANGSA MGA PLANONGKUTOB RA GYUD TAWN SA PLANO.WA NAY SABAWA NAY MGA LABHUNON NGA NAGKATAGWA NAY SINEMANANG PAGBISITANI MANANG LISA NGA MANIKURISTAWA NAY BINUWAN NGAPAGPIYAIT SA KASAKIT SA PUS-ON.WA NAY MGA MINUGBONG SINUWATSA MGA BINANDOL NGA PAPEL. WA NAY MGA ADLAWNGA NAGKAGULIYANGSA MGA PLANONGKUTOB RA GYUD TAWN SA PLANO.TUNGOD SA WAY KATAPUSANGPAG-REPORT OG TAG-USA

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-77054987540997555682011-07-06T03:39:00.001+08:002011-07-06T03:45:47.646+08:00

/s1600/Photo6063.jpg"> In the first days that I am here, the far, far, far North where others speak about of the midnight sun and of the elusive ice bears, I am still alive.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-26307338714262416072011-06-25T00:40:00.001+08:002011-06-25T00:40:59.683+08:00

Distance, tonight, is a horrible thing.We may have eluded it with alternate online selves, but where is the warmth, the possibility of touch?

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-5477213799714886032011-06-21T12:55:00.004+08:002011-06-21T12:58:13.006+08:00

In less than a week, I will land on the North where the timezone is different, and where language will intimidate me.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-87302682478338431172011-06-12T14:41:00.003+08:002011-06-12T14:44:50.186+08:00

If I were to choose a demon (daemon) for myself, my soul would be

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-46532113005128038632011-06-12T12:44:00.002+08:002011-06-12T12:51:14.093+08:00

Every hangman-rope has a label. In fact it may seem like each rope has several. Waving in the breeze like flags on a line, spelling out a misled life. The branch and the mistakes, solid ground just a few inches under-feet. The hammer marks the decisions of the furious jury. The defeat. The chase. The regret, and the act. One note for the womb, and the memory of Jesus Christ. Mother, love your son

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-68474477801818674632011-06-08T17:58:00.006+08:002011-06-09T10:12:08.370+08:00

Sometimes your breath is pulled out your chest so suddenly that your eyes widen, wet and heavy with the warning of tears.But it's inexcusable.My family is not into hugging and kissing, no Thank You's, no Sorry's, and definitely no I love you's.But then even this pattern of coldness cannot free me from finding my insides spinning madly, as I fail, yet again, to convince him to come home, and he

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-84986558828562812052011-04-29T04:52:00.000+08:002011-04-28T17:00:25.231+08:00

I came out fresh into the world.A recurring story from my sister is that I had the most hair a newborn can possibly have, sticking up from my soft, infant head and pointing in all directions.Now, if only one can measure one's lifetime up to the present time by counting each strand, I'll celebrate my day by combing my hair a hundred, a thousand times if I must, until it shines a very deep black.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-20449452098273843712011-03-10T16:28:00.000+08:002011-03-10T16:37:44.647+08:00

Once upon a time, people blogged.Now, everyone has switched to headline writing.Once upon a time, people spend an hour choosing vcds from several shelves of choices, carefully reading the synopses at the back.Once upon a time, my weekly allowance in school is cut in half for overdue payment of the rented vcds.Now, there's Torrent.Once upon a time, people waited expectantly while photos are being

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-56077099493009722332011-03-04T19:39:00.004+08:002011-06-07T15:47:03.465+08:00

Someone very close to me is in real trouble. And she doesn't even know it. Or she does but refuses to see that she has fallen.When a person is strong, knows who she is, and showed perseverance - no matter the hoops she has to go through, much is expected from her. So, falling is not an option for this kind of person. Because when she chose to shed everything for a bit of something that looks like

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-61575040855395704992011-03-03T16:47:00.002+08:002011-03-03T16:53:24.624+08:00

five daysWe still didn't get ourselves tickets for the midnight trip back to Cebu.First, it was, "Yeah, we can go back Tuesday."And now it's Thursday.in a rowFor five days in a row, I'm singing inside my head.I can't deny it. I love this city.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-42815334342636390122011-03-01T11:10:00.003+08:002011-03-01T12:16:32.533+08:00

For three days, via cable TV, I watched Nine, An Education, and Julie & Julia. The Oscars 2011 also served as an intermission.Last Sunday, I paddled with T and my friend An who celebrated her birthday in a resort called The Highlands.I had a soulful chat with two, very good friends.Yesterday, I read (and was slightly disappointed by it) Stephen Raleigh Byler's Searching for Intruders while T

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-44934903681505118372011-02-26T17:51:00.001+08:002011-02-26T22:19:45.009+08:00

It's the cliche exposition.Camera pans left, right, and you get the setting.Or, in a stage play, actors enter from both sides, the beginning.It's very windy today, and the cold stretches around me.T and I arrive to a very busy Boulevard.February is ending and we take a sudden trip to where our story began. This was where we met, after all. The city of transients.I've counted at least five trucks

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-10958117737277544652010-10-31T06:24:00.000+08:002010-10-31T06:25:01.586+08:00

For the information of everybody, I am a commodity. You can look me over, and decide which of my flaws you can forgive. If you decide that I am marred beyond repair, please reconsider. Gather up your last ounce of patience and believe in the cliche of What Makes Me Different Makes Me Beautiful. Besides, the clock is ticking. Choose Me. I am waiting to be Experienced by The Masses.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-31227139208376970462010-10-30T12:59:00.006+08:002010-10-30T13:57:34.689+08:00

August 4, 2010No Stopping AnytimeAmong other things, all is full of love. The world is balanced by believers and skeptics, from people to stories in books and films, real and fiction. The most essential thing however, is that I did it, and will do it several times over, because I have this incredible feeling of warmth and honesty from within. And from that, happiness.I remember that day in

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-89103121060159034012010-09-04T17:38:00.000+08:002010-09-04T17:44:54.020+08:00

Here's mine:A deserted room with music playing.Books everywhere and looking at them.R.Unplanned days.Kid cousins.My mother.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-63547789382771686652010-07-17T20:14:00.002+08:002010-07-17T20:25:20.867+08:00

Thommas asked what I would be doing, and in my head it was watching movies saved in the hard drive, reading Applesauce, writing, cuttting out invitation cards, and thinking of him. But I said, I don't know, I'm bored, what should I do, where will I eat. And because I said those out loud, they gathered up as an invisible cloak where my head and my whole body would be wrapped in. And so I lived it,

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-91693817710198366882010-07-11T09:36:00.002+08:002010-07-11T09:41:49.450+08:00

To avoid comments and what-nots on how I do my job, and to actually see if there will actually be a difference in my moves, I veered away from blogging. Now, I will try to blog. Again. It was tiring keeping them in one corner, while they move anxious and restless in between days filled with my oftentimes incapacity to differentiate news and prose, the rush of one-liners, the condensed versions of

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-71971889503698519442009-08-24T10:38:00.000+08:002009-08-24T10:39:13.358+08:00

Her mediocrity has been staring at her in the face, so she put a bullet in her head. It's the only redemption left, the end choice among all Ends.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-60274869354775552222009-08-24T10:37:00.000+08:002009-08-24T10:38:20.961+08:00

you gather the hurt in the chest one last time, let it spread all over, kill it. and if you fail there, act like you've forgotten him, it's the only escape-route left from looking desperate

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-13060316392306147332009-08-24T10:36:00.005+08:002009-08-24T14:34:13.021+08:00

It's raining strawberries and apples. Wow.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-24119118132023565422009-08-24T10:36:00.003+08:002009-08-24T10:37:20.331+08:00

For Thommas. Bubble, bubble, bubble, rumble bubbles in your inbox bubble.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-58240107152568113192009-08-24T10:34:00.000+08:002009-08-24T10:35:00.923+08:00

Watching a thousand droplets of water from a faulty faucet is therapeutic.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-3622882296562203282009-08-24T10:30:00.004+08:002009-08-24T10:33:54.727+08:00

Puerto del Sur, Puerto del Sur, Puerto del Sur, that could be the name of a planet.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-67325371420239137442009-08-24T10:28:00.004+08:002009-08-24T14:41:59.040+08:00

I miss Thommas. Even if he has short hair now and Even if it looks better on him.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-73466733993132943222009-08-24T10:28:00.001+08:002009-08-24T10:28:29.851+08:00

Hehehe.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-14052055398604330962009-08-24T10:27:00.000+08:002009-08-24T10:28:10.577+08:00

Stupify me. And don't ask me what the word means.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-62090436074492892832009-08-24T10:25:00.001+08:002009-08-24T10:26:38.404+08:00

Can't understand the world lately. Wanna suspend myself in Alone Zone and paste thought bubbles in the air.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-87578241913173264042009-08-24T10:24:00.001+08:002009-08-24T10:25:40.209+08:00

is a downer lately.Except maybe Thommas who's a perpetual shooting star.Whatever.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-11534508568901101432009-06-19T23:58:00.000+08:002009-06-21T18:59:15.063+08:00

the moon is an undecided smile.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-64083000392397916812009-05-19T12:06:00.001+08:002009-05-19T12:08:11.712+08:00

On the roof of a running car. He looked so shocked, must have woken up from sleep. The driver, I assume, doesn't know a pusang kalye is there. I want to be the cat, bag-ong mata, nakuratan, nagtan-aw sa mga nagdagan nga mga balay ug makalipong nga dan. I want to be the driver, nag-drive, munaog, unya makuratan sa iring, makatawa.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-54361236618185244092009-04-12T14:39:00.001+08:002009-04-12T14:47:06.302+08:00

Any day, any day at all, could be, would be, all depends if I ought to say it is.But today is the day I choose.Among other reasons, it is a holiday (a holy day, holy-day, holi-day, ho-u-li-dey, sing allelujiah, take the jump).Another is the silence of it, the incomprehensible idea of a day born from a calendar that doesn't know how to end, or, really, doesn't even know how to begin, what to begin

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-17981225852627710402009-04-08T12:25:00.002+08:002009-04-08T12:26:20.638+08:00

The disease had three styles of onset. One involved the hands and arms. The fingers grew numb and stupid, their clasp awkward and then impossible. Or it could be the legs that weakened first, and the feet that started stumbling, soon refusing to lift themselves up steps or even over carpet edges. The third and probably the worst sort of attack was made on the throat and tongue. Swallowing became

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-19103472696127233912009-03-26T01:21:00.002+08:002009-03-26T01:28:01.287+08:00

Stop telling me who I am because even I don't know myself yet. Get your own mirror. Spell sex. Eat Western food. Find a decent job. Rebel. Travel. Introduce yourself as the assasin. Or, introduce yourself as a nun. Pray. Excuse me. Excuse yourself. Smoke. Sing Britney Spears. Get the governor to talk. Say you deserve love. Say you prefer the internet. Talk to it. Talk to me. Watch the moon. Wish

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-39507316960334760842009-03-09T12:59:00.001+08:002009-03-09T12:59:52.721+08:00

It's all about timing, I guess. He came, or I came, at a time when things are beginning to take hold on both our worlds. Or the worlds of the people around us.Some nights I think there's a grand plan somewhere, that no matter how this part of my life ends, it IS for the taking, now, today, tomorrow, and the day after that, while there is still something to hold on to. Some nights I fear I will

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-18301315240952121072009-01-20T16:25:00.002+08:002009-01-21T17:23:30.557+08:00

I love your scars. I hate your scars. I hate your dimple. I don't like that tattoo. I like that tattoo. I hate your kiss. I love that mouth. Steady, steady now. I wasn't lying. I'm delicate.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-1768173303716966302009-01-20T08:47:00.001+08:002009-01-20T08:47:55.543+08:00

It won't last. So hold on to it fast. Hold me.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-44507235915404427832009-01-08T20:17:00.001+08:002009-01-08T20:35:36.026+08:00

You can never tell with waves.One day they tease, the next they say do not look at me, I am angry, you'll drown.I sat facing the ocean early morning today because I wanted to tell myself I can start the day right, I can wake up earlier than the sun, I can be happy watching people pass me by, jogging their own early mornings away.There is a young man walking a weary-looking black dog. There is a

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-8038768142306890262009-01-06T12:50:00.008+08:002009-01-08T20:20:06.715+08:00

Ma got this place in Lapu-lapu, the row-house type, like matchboxes lined together. There are 100-plus units here, all cute houses, you'd wonder how they divide the 32-sq-m-of-a-box into a home. Ma got hers for her bakery. I suspect she got this as her hide-away, hehe. I came home for the new year, spent the 1st day in our house in Apas, and spent the 2nd here, with Ma, only the two of us like

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-57550461365910725482008-12-29T18:28:00.000+08:002008-12-29T18:29:01.340+08:00

It's been four months since I came to Dumaguete.I started here the first Monday of August, August 4, the kind of thing that makes me say my story can begin dramatically here. I arrived blindfolded. I didn't know what to do, didn't know the news sources, didn't know the continuing news items, didn't know the stories that I can lobby for airing over TV Patrol Central Visayas. I was, in fact,

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-31843843281716724872008-12-12T14:43:00.005+08:002008-12-12T16:03:13.897+08:00

Ingenious duo of MOYMOYPALABOY comes up with another video, Pussycat Dolls' When I Grow Up.This time, GMA talents grace the video with their own pa-kuwela - including Richard Gomez, Ruffa Mae Quinto, Regine-Ogie, and even Michael V.While it's fun to see all this random appearances of big names, it's disappointing how Roadfill and Moymoy can't quite get the lip-syncing right.I'm an absolute

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-31856479035631626342008-11-07T21:59:00.004+08:002008-11-09T00:30:03.869+08:00

Her face is strange now.You think you've memorized her sadness by the look in her eyes, but she surprises you with a hint of happiness that shows up at the corner of her mouth.Was that a smile?You try to figure out so you continue talking, words racing against each other so as not to give her room to respond.She bites her lower lip and that dimple appears on her left cheek, a little hollow that

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-46483784300188143182008-11-04T11:20:00.004+08:002008-11-04T23:15:15.036+08:00

it's like i look at my feet, or i look at the mirror, or i imagine myself crossing the street, and i think, what is all this, what do i really need, will i still go forward, what does forward mean, what does it mean to have a job, where am i taking myself, where am i.what does it mean not to worry, what does it mean to live the day, what does it mean knowing you're lost. how did we all get here,

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-90364594957700064152008-11-04T10:03:00.001+08:002008-11-05T22:58:40.482+08:00

Ours is a small house.Maybe I should place the table outside. The makeshift garage would be best for the after-dinner beer session.I think I'd place the escabeche in the oval-shaped plate. Maybe I should buy two more 1-liter-bottle of coke. Or, I could buy those tetra-packed concentrated juices. Should we have the pork barbecue-style instead of frying it?It's past 7pm, I still have time to

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-52251661958357661582008-11-02T16:57:00.002+08:002008-11-04T10:12:45.936+08:00

Where I'm staying now, empty seats are scattered everywhere.On Saturdays, I arrange them in a line, sometimes two rows, the next week three, always careful not to let two of the same color stay together.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-1701106229153068252008-10-18T17:37:00.010+08:002008-10-19T14:11:40.989+08:00

papason ang karaang kolor gamit ang acetonekung naa pay mga ginagmayng pink nga mahibilin,sige langmatangtang ra na ron sa pusherkinahanglan sakto ra ang duotpara di magaras ang hamis nga kukotangtangan sab og ginagmayng panitang kilid-kilid sa kukoinanay lang gihapon kay hait ang nipperlisod na masamadgamay tuod pero kung mabasa o maluhag gamaysakithasul ilihokfirst base ug last base ang

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-20762197022286962072008-10-08T20:31:00.001+08:002008-10-08T20:33:53.998+08:00

kay sabado manmagpatuyang ko og katulogduha ka oraslima ka orasunya mumatamukaon og sky flakesinom mineral watertulog napud og balikmupaak na lang ang kangitngitdi gihapon ko mugawasdi mu-textdi motubag og tawagdi sab tika sturyaan sa akong mga damgougmadominggo manmanuktok unya kaunhan na lang tikalain na sab nga stylescratch paper suwatanDO NOT DISTURBEMO QUEEN DREAMING

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-3267972014394318742008-10-07T20:05:00.005+08:002008-10-21T15:45:56.990+08:00

Well, well, well...Here's another supercat. While Dixie the Lost One had a microchip and kinda wowed my yahoo-news session, here comes Tama from Japan with a train stationmaster bling.You see, Tortoiseshell Tama is worth 1.1 billion yen. She's the star of the Kishi train station.Tama is a superstar. As the economic might of Japan faces up to the global banking crisis a single cat has boosted the

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-86761230356261668122008-09-30T12:08:00.003+08:002008-09-30T12:29:40.328+08:00

So I wake up feeling utterly strange.I just had a dream about not finding a decent toilet anywhere. I wanted to shit and horror of all horrors, frustration of all frustrations, I can't find any place I can shit.In my dream, my mom was Brooke Shields, trying on a gown that wouldn't fit her in the hip area, but she was all composed and unusually not angry about the gown being too small and all. I

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-57996378245532302812008-09-22T13:05:00.002+08:002008-09-22T13:08:16.147+08:00

Do you choose which pictures to post and what captions to place?Like, for example,Insert imageText:three little plastic cups from a man probably paid 700P a night to give out free drinks to them who look like the world is a bar-to-bar-to-drink-to-drink-to-song-to-song-to-story-to-story-infinite-party-placeOr do you check your Friendster account, see the list on "Who's Viewed Me?" Perhaps someone

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-5103933092102202712008-09-19T13:20:00.003+08:002008-09-19T18:24:32.974+08:00

What's in a, errr, my name.(tagged by RV)Rules:1. List the names that you are called by and name the people who call you by these names.2. Tag ten others to do the same thing, paste the link of your entry on their guestbooks.Li - MamaBirali - family, and Joan DulhaoVera - classmatesVerling - the laundry ladyBeralot - manghod nga lalake, and cousin MaanLot - Tita Maricar, most probably a spin-off

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-66228883049475422842008-09-11T08:46:00.005+08:002008-09-11T09:05:08.043+08:00

Dear All,I told you there is something about online news.Yahoo headline today:Lost cat returned home after nine yearsWhat can get better than that? Imagine your cat, returning home after you've had - well, possibly, nine kids, had two husbands, one or two other pet dog or cat killed in a road accident, and then suddenly your Dixie returns purring her way back to her Queendom.hehe.Actually, Dixie

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-49522010272499589942008-09-04T18:56:00.003+08:002008-09-04T19:05:20.775+08:00

Rope Walk GirlsYou see, honey,My friend and Ishe and Iwe're the rope walk girlswe're the rope walk girlsand we tap tap tapon the rope oflove, bay-beh!We're the rope walk girlsand we tap tap tapto a jazz beat war drumsee,bugs bunny once saidto not take life too seriouslyso, she and Iwe're the rope walk girlsour feettap tap tap the musicon this tight ropewe do the dat-dat-dahand we Boop-bam!but you

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-12377347688433378582008-08-13T00:39:00.001+08:002008-08-13T00:40:45.168+08:00

Do I miss home? Probably.Am I angry, still? Most probably.Am I getting melancholic yet again? No.Have I gone to church? No.Had my nails painted light pink? Not yet.Slept naked inside the bathroom? Yes.So here's the thing.I'm happy here. That's the self-diagnosis after 10 days of familiarizing the Negros Oriental map, 6 to 7 aired news stories, 4 missed lunch meals, 7 calls to family and close

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-48416644932350535152008-08-07T10:49:00.004+08:002008-08-07T11:01:49.344+08:00

I sat facing Happy Fred's this time,back slouched to a lazy Cthe stone bench and stone stepsmy own living roomof determined forgetting.Five, 6, 7 sticks,100 and five multicolored scooter bikes,and a thousand and one more sighs later,I turned aroundto the breeze's teasing,and the water's splash.This is how memories grow -a whole boulevard's lengthturning into a night of goodbye,and you, holding my

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-33322369456704837442008-07-31T02:19:00.002+08:002008-07-31T02:25:19.168+08:00

I am ten steps away from a breakdown, I just declined from an interesting job offer for some U.S.-based organization, and I realize I am already 23, no longer 18, and expectations are rising.My only prayer is that I be given enough time to self-assess my two years after graduation,whether I know what I really want,if I know how to get there,and, ultimately, if I am willing to stay on track.I need

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-14165768485761552722008-07-17T08:15:00.007+08:002008-07-17T08:26:51.604+08:00

Pick a grinning boyfriend.Match your nails with a random house's newly-painted gate.Take your wallet out and see how it fits your mood.Exactly Red.

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-53736069570817920342008-07-08T04:55:00.005+08:002008-07-08T17:48:45.590+08:00

Death is a trick.A celebration of a life because suddenly, they open the box - past mistakes, secret conversations, old photographs.It could be a grand exit. Could be an entrance, too.But let's call it traveling, shall we?We could call it a postcard.Or a snapshot.Like, eating ice cream in a floating cottage, giggling over some secret story of that one night back when you were still in college and

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-59654901095214057232008-07-06T12:47:00.005+08:002008-07-06T13:17:59.870+08:00

I tried the singing-love-songs strategy.'didn't work.A friend told me singing would help things just work their way out, step by step, enjoy while it is there is the motto plastered,carefulcarefulcarefulToo good to be true is something rare but may be realmaybe, just maybeso don't run away.candid photo (seriously) by LiyowBite Night party, when it ended

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-35737522361414622952008-07-06T11:59:00.003+08:002008-07-06T12:35:03.865+08:00

Something fouls up.You hear your boss is disappointed.Pimples show up and decided they'd love to stay in your face for over two weeks.You can't go back just yet to your Friday-place because you're hiding from someone.An article is three weeks overdue.A friend you work with is a mere push away but you don't talk anymore.You realize you haven't danced for over five months.A ship capsizes, hundreds

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650595.post-31782368940708851572008-06-08T00:08:00.023+08:002008-06-08T01:38:34.878+08:00

because i was once an ayala gurl...w/gwen, arch (and partner jay), and tin for a post-post-post bday celeb sud sa ayala, mcdo sa ayala, gawas sa ayala, kilid sa ayala, tapad sa ayala, elevator sa ayala, atbang sa ayala, ug office mismo sa developer sa ayalastolen or staged, happpeee photos sayhave time to walk on the sunny side of the street! :D(credits: tin photos)

veraLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08694744926364991940noreply@blogger.com0