I might be the hugesest Field Notes fan that I know. It all started when eliepstein kindly sent me a Just Below Zero 3-Pack, and the rest as they say, is history. I can’t help it; they are so useful, and so pretty.

A lot of people have asked me where I get my Field Notes fix and are dismayed when I say that I order all the way from Chicago, IL, where these beauties are made. I’m happy to announce that Avalon.ph has now made the classic Field Notes books available in the Philippines!

Avalon.ph and Nothing Spaces (me!) are giving away an original 3-pack (ruled paper) and the 2012 18-Month Workstation Calendar to one lucky winner!

I use Field Notes for everything. It’s a no-fuss notebook, that is both useful and easy on the eyes. I’m a huge Futura nerd, so I love the design to pieces. It’s also great for lists, sketches, notes (for reviews and blog drafts), and full-blown sketch battles with my dad in the emergency room:

Field Notes is a super portable notebook, great to keep in the back of your jeans or shirt pocket. It’s slim enough so that it’s not a nuisance to bring around, but the 48-pages are just the right amount before you’d need to whip out another one.

Did I mention that it’s beautiful?

The paper is lined with a soft brown soy-based ink.

The back of the calendar has a list of useful dates.

FIELD NOTES GIVEAWAY MECHANICS
Winner of the Field Notes set (Ruled 3-pack and 18 Month Workstation Calendar) will be picked at random using a randomizer. Do at least one of the following; each counts as an entry for you. Open only to residents of The Philippines.

1. For Twitter users: Tweet “Dear Nothing Spaces and Avalon.ph, I am joining because I want to remember now. http://bit.ly/ns-fieldnotes #NSGiveaway” You can tweet only once during the contest. Don’t forget to use the hashtag.
2. For Tumblr users: Follow my tumblr and reblog this entry. Each counts as 1 entry.
3. For Nothing Spaces readers: comment with something you want to remember
   or link http://bit.ly/ns-fieldnotes in a blog entry and comment on this post with the link.

Good luck! Comment if you have any questions or clarifications.

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Avalon.ph has been up and running since 1999. It’s a great resource for wonderful limited edition and signed books, among others, gift and novelty items, and stationery, including Moleskine journals, and now—Field Notes! They carry all the original variations, but will eventually make other products (Steno pad, pencils, etc) available as well. For more information on Field Notes products available on Avalon.ph, click here.

You can also check them out here:
Google+: http://gplus.to/avalonph
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/avalonph
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/avalonph

Since my last post here, I’ve finished reading three books on my Kindle, namely J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” (a review of which can be found here), Sara Zarr’s “Story of a Girl,” and Julian Barnes’ “The Sense of an Ending,” all of which I love to pieces. Funnily enough, my busy self has found time to read—funnily enough, on a Kindle—but I suppose it’s Internet activity that has suffered a decline. Good thing or bad thing, you decide!

So far, I’ve been successful with four January goals, the four being Get two big projects, Work six hours a day, five days a week, Save 50% of my paycheck, and Write down all expenses. Begin budgeting. Obviously have not been exercising. I thought I had a good motivation, but I guess that’s not enough. I’ll try again, though. January is still young and there is still a lot of fat to be lost.

2012 has been exciting, to say the least. I’ll be exhibiting some more works for a group show next week (I’ll post the details as soon as I can) and also next week, I’m taking a trip to the mountains! This is exciting because I’ve always wanted to go exploring up north and also because I’ve just read “The Hobbit,” which still makes my heart ache in numerous places but has also somehow planted this weird seed of adventure in me. Seeing a little part of the world from a mountaintop would be a great start; I can’t wait!

Speaking of traveling—while it looks to be a year that’s full of traveling for me—I came upon this gorgeous list from the New York Times, 45 Places to Go to in 2012, and obviously I can’t possibly go to all of these places, but it’s a great reminder of what kind of adventure could lie behind your door. My mountain is not on this list; in fact, only two places are. But, I feel like it’s a start.

I’ve always loved traveling, but I think my sense of exploration and discovery has somehow been dulled. I like seeing different cities, but when I’m on the plane, from way high up, I always wonder what it’d be like to get lost in something other than buildings and metal structures and monuments and seas of people. I’ve been watching a lot of Survivor‘s past seasons lately, and behind all the scheming and starving, it’s such a beautiful peek into places around the world that I don’t know how I would find myself lost in.

Maybe that’s a romanticism of the wilderness, because I know there are all sorts of threats unimaginable if I chose to coop myself up in cities. But there’s also satiated wonder and an unmatched awe in the God that created these places.

I’ve always said that I wanted to see the world, and lately I’ve been thinking about which parts I want to see. Which parts I would gladly be uncomfortable for. I’ve been thinking about taking risks a lot, and I’ve realized that sometimes the greatest payouts come from the greatest risks. I don’t mean to sound like a cliché and announce my newfound lifestyle of being a daredevil explorer with a constant need for an adrenaline fix. What I want to say is that when I say I want to see the world, I mean that I want to really see all of it. Not just the manicured lawns, or the smooth roads, or some local iteration of Starbucks and McDonald’s. I still want to cities, yes. I want to see art and culture and different sorts of places, but I want to see the earth that was before everything started becoming what it is now.

The world is so big. I suppose I’ve got to get moving.

If you remember, I blogged about The Grim Repat a few months ago (read over here), and I still mean it when I say that a lot of thought goes into Mara’s videos. Tomorrow, it’s a full production for the New Year’s episode, and having seen just a peek of the entire process has left me pretty speechless.

(It’s way funner to watch the video, but—) Come over and wear a one-color shirt (that is not red or white) and be on time (11 am)! Stripes, small patterns, and rain are not welcome. Jackstones, pogs, and games are. More details over here, which you should read.

I am so excited for this.

If you’ve been on the Internet a lot, you’ve probably heard about Tiger Translate. Tiger Translate is a worldwide campaign that showcases local creative talents, and they’ve chosen Manila as their next stop! The first leg of this bar tour will happen on November 18, 2011—this Friday—at KYSS. There’s going to be live music from Turbo Goth, as well as a live Graffiti Battle between KST Philippines’ Nuno and Ekis.

For more information about Tiger Translate, head on over to their official website: TigerTranslate.com. You’ll see how amazing and far-reaching this “cross-cultural movement” has been, having gone to places like Beijing, Bangkok, Cambodia, Sydney, and so on.

I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and exercise creativity in a different way. I’m so used to going to galleries and exhibits that are static, so this is a new way for me to get to know how other people perceive art. Taken from their website:

We’re cross-cultural.
We’re multi-disciplinary.
We’re East meets West.
We’re Tiger Translate.

And our mission? To generate the next big bang in creativity through exposure to different cultures and experiences. Fusing visionaries from the ends of the world, we showcase the best of emerging Asian creativity with work that challenges the status quo. And more importantly, work that entertains, engages and inspires you. But don’t take our word for it. Open your mind to new possibilities and see it for yourself here.

If you were interested in seeing the kind of art this movement has produced, you can see them for yourself.

Here’s a link to their teaser video, since I can’t seem to figure out how to embed it. Looks exciting, yes?

I think it’s about time something like this happened, too.

Don’t forget!

Tiger Translate kicks off in Manila with a bang! Watch the Graffiti Showdown between local street artists Nuno and Ekis from KST Philippines as they showcase their creativity live, and around the theme of GOLD.

Be part of the electric atmosphere on 18th November in the Philippines, and enjoy live music from Turbo Goth (http://turbogoth.bandcamp.com/). Drink up on your fill of Tiger Beer, and see which artist will emerge victorious!

Event: Tiger Translate in Manila
Theme: Gold
Date: 18th November 2011
Time: 9p.m.
Location: KYSS Bar

Join us as we bring the vibrancy and creativity of Tiger Translate to Manila.

Hope to see you there!

In the interest of coming up with solutions, rather than dead-end whining, I’ve come up with a plan to try twelve new things that would better my life, one way or another. Yesterday, I posted about wanting to be remarkable. I think I’m going to counter that with attempts to make my life better. Not necessarily with the goal to be remarkable, but just a conscious effort to introduce positivity and improvement in my life.

WHY TWELVE? Honestly, I picked the number at random. It seems like a good number—not too many, not too few—to start with. Just like your donuts and your eggs, changes in one’s life might as well come in dozens!

HOW WILL IT WORK? I’m going to list some things I want to do that I feel will greatly improve my life. Each one of them will be accompanied by a rationale as to why they’re part of the list, and each should be feasible (because I don’t want to set myself up for a fall). They will not be too hard, but they will also not be too easy. I will try to tie this in with a project I’ve always wanted to do, but never pushed through with, Mission 101.

WHY ARE YOU SHARING THIS ON THE INTERNET? DON’T YOU THINK YOU’VE EMBARRASSED YOURSELF ENOUGH? I find that while this might border on oversharing, the Internet is a great avenue for a) accountability, and b) encouragement (for myself and for other people who might stumble across this little challenge). Plus, it’s automatic documentation for when I feel down and out and want to be reminded why I am doing this in the first place.

Also, this is my blog, I do what I like~

WHAT ARE THE THINGS ON YOUR LIST? I have not come up with the list yet, but here are some things I’ve been thinking about:

1. NEW ROOM (SORTA) — by which, I just mean: clean it
2. NEW MODE OF TRANSPORTATION — by which, I mean: learn how to drive
3. NEW LIFE SKILL — some ideas: how to change a flat tire, how to install a light bulb, etc.
4. NEW ADVENTURE — by which, I mean: go somewhere in the Philippines I’ve never been to before, and then write about it
5. NEW FRIEND — by which, I mean: diet and exercise. …yes, the friend in question is my body. Is that lame? I don’t know anymore.
6. NEW RESTRAINTS — by which, I mean: budget plan and savings. That I will actually follow.
7. NEW DIRECTIONS – by which, I mean: make more things (always, all ways).
8. NEW PACKAGING – by which, I mean: fixing up my portfolio
9. NEW LANGUAGE – by which, I mean: finally learn parseltongue French
10. NEW ROOTS – by which, I mean: look for opportunities in other places
11. NEW CREATIVE SKILL – by which, I mean: learn an instrument, or how to draw properly, or how to use a different sort of paint, or sew, or what-have-you
12. NEW BRAIN JUICE – by which, I mean: read more

Not a final list, and obviously some will be hard to keep track off because they are supposed to be habitual, but I think this is a pretty well-rounded list. What do you think? Do some sound stupid or unnecessary?

In any case, each time I embark on a goal, I will explain why it is there and how it will help me.

DO YOU HAVE A DEADLINE? Not a concrete one. I’d like to think of this as an ongoing process, really. Ideally, though, I finish these things as soon as possible, so I don’t feel as useless as I do. Fingers crossed for me?

I guess the main point of this challenge, really, is to just extend myself, because I don’t feel like I have been doing that enough. I am honest and upfront about what I feel like are my failings, but I think it’s about time I followed through.

And I suppose this is an attempt at doing just that.

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What areas in your life do you feel like you can improve on?

When news broke out that poachers destroyed a reef five times the size of Manila, I was devastated. It’s so sad to me that the Philippines is blessed with so much biodiversity, and we wreck and ruin, instead of nurturing and cultivating what we have. I am mad that people thought they could do such a thing, and a little frustrated because I can’t really do much to stop them.

When I was younger, I didn’t really consider myself a “sea person” up until the last few years, when spending time near the water really gave me peace of mind and quieted my soul. My best friend, Isa, wrote about how one cannot help but falling in love with the ocean. I love being in the water. After I get over the initial panic of being in a body of water with creatures can’t sea swimming beside me, I embrace the feeling of somehow being one with the earth.

I missed Blog Action Day, which calls people to band together and make noise on June 8th, on behalf of the Philippine seas. But, just because I am lazy and forgetful, it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. It’s a little bit sad for me, knowing that at the moment, this is the most that I can do: declare how much I love the sea. I plead to the people who have more power than me to move and do something about this.

Here are some photos from Bohol. I am not very good friends with the ocean yet, and Sarie is urging me to give diving a try. I’m hoping there are still places left for me to see. (Tubbataha and Coron, I’ve got my eye on you.)

Continue reading MARRIED TO THE SEA….