February was absolutely horrible for this Goals project of mine. I don’t think I got anything done from that list. However, maybe it’s a sign that I need to revise and re-evaluate what my goal-making scheme is of late (which, to tell you the truth has been No Scheme).

Anyway, here’s what I’ve come up for March. I think, as much as I want to do eleven million things each month, I need to concentrate on just a few key priorities.

• Solid idea or concept for June show
      — at least 3 pieces done
      — PR and invite stuff done
• Read 7 books
• Learn a new recipe a week (0/4)
• Monitor expenses better (i.e. rigid, detailed accounting)
• Spring cleaning
• Write one short story

Anyway, I think I’m up for it this time.

I’m working on my intense (!) backlog for Nothing Spaces—updating which I know shouldn’t feel like an obligation, but they’re things I’ve intended on posting about anyway—but here’s one of the little sprinkled joys I’ve had the last month.

I went to the Vincent Moon screening in Big Bag Wolf. Apparently, it was held on the very same day as he landed in Manila. In between shuffling in the airport and the screening, he found himself on a jeepney to Intramuros. Without reading the signs.

Anyway, I’ll save the rest for later. For now, let me gush a little bit about this wonderful man. He made a name for himself shooting Take-Away Shows for a French music blog (his friend’s) and I suppose that’s what he’s primarily known for. Now, he’s reaching a little bit deeper, in pursuit of a more spiritual side to music. That’s why he’s here, anyway.

I gave him my copy of The National’s A Skin, A Night to sign, because humans have this weird quest to collect people’s signatures (a habit brought to my attention by my brother while we were driving after a show). He looked totally bewildered that I had it, muttered something along the lines of “This is my passion,” and signed it. (Later, I will learn that he hated this film and had not seen it in quite some time.)

On the back, he wrote something in French, which stirred that part of me that wanted to learn the language so badly:

How beautiful is that?

The rest of the night was illuminating. At the risk of sounding ridiculously obvious, I was completely over the moon.

February has been, thus far, exciting. Aside from the grandness of Laneway, February has been randomly filled my pockets with tiny sprinklings of amazingness. It’s all very cool; hard to believe that everything only happened in a span of 28.5 days. Funny, too, that this great month has an extra day.

We saw Toro y Moi play again, and this time I got to take pictures for Restless Cities. Not the best ones, obviously, but I briefly thought about being a photographer in late high school up to early college because of gig photography. Then, I accepted that that was probably not a smart direction for me. Still, though, I had a lot of fun.

In preparation for Death Cab for Cutie on March 5 (woohoo!), Attraction! Reaction! put together another Death Cab for Cutie night. I went to my first one as a college sophomore, and I think this has been the only other one after that. Amazing. Coverage for this up on Restless Cities. I can’t wait for next week (!!!) which is when Sarie and I have planned to camp out in line five hours before show time. Probably not joking.

I’m glad I’m spending my extra leap year day doing non-waste-y things. I finished up a bit of work stuff earlier today. Tonight, I’m seeing The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and I don’t know, from this vantage point, the rest of 2012 looks absolutely stellar. If all goes according to plan, that is.

I guess February is music-filled; I miss going to art shows and getting to read. I’m in the middle of my third book for February, which is kind of sad because I set out to read 7 (heh) this month. It’s okay, though, I think I’m kind of in love with it. (These are the books I’ve read so far.)

On another note, I’ve been sad about this blog. I don’t know what to do with it. I think I just miss writing, and things pile up, and then I sort of forget how to without sounding unlike myself. It’s nice to look back on the things that have happened the last month, though, because despite feeling sad or unsure about certain things, at least I have proof of all the good things that have been happening to me.

The Traveling Music Bug bit me in 2010, when my brother and I decided to go to Singapore for the Vampire Weekend concert. We went again in 2011 for The National. It’s not the first time we’ve flown to satiate the needs of our inner fans. Once, my dad flew our whole family over to Singapore because he wanted to meet Julian Schnabel. I’m tempted to say that this need to flock towards an idol runs in the family, but I think it has more to do with piso-fares and other people’s hospitality than bloodlines.

Anyway, Laneway 2012 was, if anything, such an experience. It’s my first full-on festival, having opted out of full participation in local music festivals like Muziklaban, Fete de la Musique, Fete de la WSK, Summer Slam and so on. The closest I’ve probably been to going to a music festival were high school fairs—which is such a stupid comparison, I know.

I loved it so much, though. The journey going to–a pilgrimage!—the high highs, low lows, the heat, the drizzling, the decided sweatiness of the people who shared this experience with me, the tiny moments and the secrets. All of it was memorable and still quite stark in my brain.

Anyway, as much as I would like to offer a full recounting of the events that transpired a week ago (exactly), I can’t do that, as we arrived late and missed Cults. From the back of the very long entrance line that snaked around Fort Canning, we heard the rumble of instruments and the roar of the crowd, and from that distance, I’d like to think that I liked what I heard. I’m sad I missed them, but all I honestly could think about was:

“Will we make it in time for Yuck?”

Click for the rest of my Laneway story. Includes crappy photos, brief band write-ups and a few general musings.

After trekking up (up!) the mountain side to stay at the lodge near the center of the town, we had to trek further up to a Akakoy Nature Park for a cultural experience. Aside from a native house-building demonstration (which was quite fascinating as they used hardwood and zero nuts, bolts or nails), there was also a bit of dancing and singing.

The rest of the photos of the cultural presentation and several beautiful views

Part III of my trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao! I’m itching to post about Laneway, but at the same time, I’m sort of prolonging this feeling. I have a bunch of backlog, though, that I’ve promised people, so I’m slowly getting rid of that. All these photos were taken by Gracie Vergara, for whom I feel camera envy. Seriously, I’m a Nikon user (at least, by way of SLRs) and I considered ditching my Nikon obnoxiousness and maybe a kidney for her camera, a Canon 5D Mark II. I’ve since come to my senses, mostly because I am astonishingly poor right now.

Anyway. Here are some photos of the trek from our first day:

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Getting from one place to another was not a piece of cake! If it were a piece of cake, I don’t know if I could eat it. Clearly, I was made for this.

We made it! This is where we had our homestay. I’m munching on biscuits because I’m both a weakling and a notorious snacker.

All in a line! The worst part is probably running into a person who is going in the other direction. A kid overtook me because I was so slow and my foot sank into the paddy. :(

It’s crazy to imagine that this is the world that people mostly saw, and not cities, highways, and skyscrapers.

Look at Sarie, appreciating the view! Potentially dangerous to fall asleep on the job, but I guess she was tired.

Gracie went ahead of us. We had to travel in a straight line, with a deep ditch to one side and a muddy paddy on the other. It’s a little disorienting, when it feels like you’re walking on clouds.

We slept on rice sacks on the floor. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that before, but it was extremely uncomfortable. It was worth it, though, because we woke up to this:

Click through to read the rest of the post and see rice planting pictures!