HO HO HOPING

As the years go by, my Christmas wishlists grow shorter and shorter. Contrary to the wishlist above, a Moleskine and a ticket to Wanderland aren't the only things I want.  I want a better body, better art skills, and better grades. I also want to try new things like creative writing and drawing (because I can't draw for shit). I'm actually looking forward to 2016 because I'm seriously hoping for it to be a hundred times better than 2015. I have no clue what's ahead for me next year but as cliche as it may sound, I'm taking it as an opportunity to become a better person.I just hope my frail body doesn't collapse due to lack of sleep while I try to attain everything! 

As fun as the year was, I can't wait for the fresh start that the new year brings. 2015 was a year in which I celebrated mediocrity. I wouldn't let the same happen to 2016. (We deserve nothing but the best for ourselves *sparkle emoji*)

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

PS. I'm apologizing for the lack of blog posts. School has been over for a while now but I've been too stressed to write about anything. But hey, I'm collating my snaps and I can't wait to post a play by play of what's been going on in my life!

There is a place in the distance

So, the #prob1n5ya tour continues! The background song couldn't have been more fitting because I looked forward to this weekend for so long, it actually appeared in my dreams. But to be honest, I was dreading my trip to Bacolod for a brief weekend because of the schoolwork I'd be leaving in Manila.  Heck, I'd trade all my schoolwork for another Masskara experience! Just like the song, I got what I wanted but it went away so fast. :'( School was cancelled the day after ourtrip. Had we stayed longer, we could’ve gone on a road trip to the farm. :-(

Read on for a play-by-play of the video!

19 Thousand Year Old Soul

Last September 5, I had to go off the grid and avoid any form of media for 24 hours as an assignment for my MASSCOM class. Since staying home would expose me to temptation, my family and I planned to go to Alabang for the voter registration. I purposely left my phone at home just so I could focus!

By the time we got to the venue, it was packed with people and we had run out of slots already. As if by reflex, I took my phone out only to remember that I was fasting. My thoughts were there but I just lacked the outlet. I would have tweeted instantly and mindlessly complained but I realized it would be better to keep the negative thoughts to myself. I thought about how negative my newsfeed was most of the time and that I didn’t really have to add up to all the negativity. Read on to see how the rest of my day went :)

Oh Brighter Days!

Yesterday, I got the chance to shoot the Oh Brighter Days! collection for Heima designed by Googly Gooeys. I just couldn't pass up the invitation to shoot. Everything inside Heima was so picturesque! Plus, most of my idols were in the event. I kind of hoped they painted on the spot just so we could see some art in action!

I'm so down for more shoots like this! In case you want to do a shoot, just hit me up on any of my social media sites (@AldeaAllana) or through aldeaallana@gmail.com. Also, I'm finally on Bloglovin'!

Life Lately v.1

I turned a year older so I bought myself a new watercolor palette. I upgraded my student-grade 8-color palette to the 16-color palette. If that doesn't scream maturity, then I don't know what does! But in all honesty, I’m dreading adulthood because I honestly don’t want to be held accountable for any of the choices I’ll make. I just want to avoid any form of responsibility. The best birthday gift would’ve been the abolition of my strictly imposed curfew (19 years in but I still have to be home by 10PM).

On that same week, I facilitated a Leadership training with a few of my batchmates and upperclassmen. It was really weird getting called "Miss" by 7th graders but it felt so humbling to have shared my experience as a student leader back in high school. I have no clue how I managed to facilitate all day despite having only an hour of sleep.

Also, I really got into writing on my journal with Halsey playing in the background. Is There Somewhere is the perfect song to listen to when it's past 3AM and you're alone with your ~*feeligngz yuck gross ew*~ 

The frequent trips to Pearl Drive and Shangri-la have turned mundane but my friends make my trips superkaduper fun! If I'm not in Pearl or Shang, I’m practically rotting my summer vacation away at home. As much as I want to write, there’s just nothing I can purge out of my brain!!! I feel like I’ve been drained of all my creative juices but luckily, I came across Camie Juan’s blog and picked up the “Life Lately” prompt. Along with this, my friend Ida tagged me in one of her blog posts. Let me just answer these questions like those passé Multiply surveys!

Fairly Local

Week 28 was pretty dreary. I spent too much time at home but I realized it was the perfect warm-up for the hectic week coming up. I’m bidding goodbye to the wonderful age of 18 and saying hello to my last teen year! I’m old!!!!!

After eating a really good serving of Pad Thai, I fearlessly held my phone out the window to capture Kapitolyo before a rain shower. I spent the afternoon tutoring but the most valuable lesson I learned was never to run around the condo with my socks on because I slipped and imagined my self falling out of the window.

As the Sun Goes Down (My Story v.3)

My Story v.3 (April - June 2015) from Allana Aldea on Vimeo.

Here's how my summer has been so far! I went from a trip to the South, a solo flight to Bacolod, then coming back home after a month. I initially thought my vacation was terribly undocumented until I saw everything lurking in my phone. (I was bedridden for two weeks, nothing interesting could happen, right?) But hey, my recent trip to the city of Smiles was the absolute best! I'm glad to have shared four weeks with the best company I could ever ask for.

0:20 Lizzy's birthday
0:54 Post-beer pong
1:07 My sister being weird
1:54 A pimped out tricycle which I found beyond amusing
1:57 Our worst fear (a.k.a a spider crawling while we watched Ang Nawawala)
2:10 Probinsya pets

Song: Sun Goes Down - Robin Schulz ft. Jasmine Thompson

Bacolod in Bullets

Oh, the city that prides itself on its food and warm culture. Leaving had my heart as heavy as my stomach after eating Inasal.

• Eating Inasal (most important on the list)
• Going on photowalks with my cousin
• Doing big-girl stuff like opening bank accounts

Starry Night

"I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

I came across this quote on Instagram and it pretty much summed up my last few weekends in Bacolod. We went from camping, to a family dinner, to a crazily funny night. The sky's just too pretty to stay indoors! (which is basically why we were roaming around the streets of Lacson way past our curfew #badass)

I've been home for a day and this is pretty much the only thing I've done. I have a few more posts under my sleeve!

Back to Back

Wanting to take a break from the mundanities of home life, I tugged my cousins along to the colorful city of San Carlos. It too us nearly five different tricycle rides to tour the city. The most amusing about it was that the rides were pimped out to the nines. And by pimped out, I mean skeletal motorcycles decorated with neon lights as the side cars boomed with blaring bass. Much like Manila, nothing in the city was every idle. Here, the equivalent of the MRT are buses waiting to be filled with passengers.

Strange how the most casual of things here can feel so liberating. Normally, I wouldn't eat street food right off the street but I was thrilled to try San Carlos' version of kwek-kwek. The local delicacy are made with eggs, then coated with flour and deep fried to orange perfection. I found it odd that instead of mini quail eggs, the city’s version was made with a regular-sized hard-boiled egg. I thought about how I could eat the entire thing in one bite until I saw how they actually ate it- sliced and doused in a sea of sweet sauce. Though I was initially grossed out by the service, it was just amusing to try something new. The amusement of eating street food left me wanting to have more even though I was on the brink of vomiting my last serving. (Plus, another source of amusement: watching a pink sky set over a football game.)

Bad Blood

The title is totally irrelevant but it was playing during a 30-minute drive to a little pottery stand by the road in Panuolan, San Carlos. The very interesting trip gave me a chance to witness how pots and jars come to be from a little slab of clay.

Screaming Color

Lately, I found myself lurking art blogs (1 2 3) out of my spare time because I’m in need of inspiration but I came to realize I’m surrounded with so much. Now, I’m climbing up to my house’s roof deck to paint the afternoon away! (I kind of regret not bringing a sketchpad to the province. I’m stuck with a not-so-watercolor friendly notebook and my Moleskine.)

These are just a few of what’s inside my planner. After discovering what brush lettering is, it got me hooked! I pretty much just doodle whatever’s playing or where I’ve been. I’m still on the road to learning more techniques and tricks with watercolor. I’ve been using the same watercolor set (Prang, 8-color palette) I’ve owned since 2011 and I still have so much paint left. I honestly don’t know what I did to make it last that long!

Jet Pack Blues

Two hours on the road brought us to a fairly new beach resort in the municipality of La Libertad in Negros Oriental. After having gone from another road trip during the previous day, I wasn't as eager for the trip but once I stepped off from the pick-up truck, I knew I was in paradise. 

You can breathe

A thirty-minute drive from San Carlos City would take you to the small town of Calatrava in Negros Occidental. Two years ago, this place served as my residence as I studied for my college entrance tests. Seeing how much has happened between then and now, it felt soothing to return to the same environment. It was calming to know that some things remain constant despite having gone severe changes. I took a break from the spontaneity brought by life in the city and returned to my roots. As they say, “looking back is a requisite of moving forward.”

Having slept for only a few hours, I don't know what prompted me to start the day so early. It was only a few minutes past five yet the sun seemed just as eager to begin with the day. I thought I'd woken up straight into a photo as saturated tones of orange peeked through my glass windows. I could hear the roosters greeting me with a good morning, something I didn't get to hear so often. Life here was just slow, and it made me realize how much of a breather it was to have such pacing outside the hustle and bustle of the metro. Impulse here was thinking I could bike around as soon as the I pedaled my way on what I jokingly call "the road to sexy" as I try to get back in shape, having already eaten so much during my stay. The road here was no competition. I shared the road with a few early risers, some goats (yes, goats), and avoided every dog as my fear of getting chased resurfaced with every stray in sight. 

My biking led me to the shore not far from the house. From the dock's mouth, I proceeded to walk until the end as I feared falling off again. (Years ago, I slipped and fell off the same dock and thought it was going to be the end of me.) As I walked, I encountered a local who greeted me with a smile.  For a few minutes, all I could hear was the crashing of waves into the rocky dock, with barely any murmurs in the background. I stayed alone with my thoughts and left before it got too sentimental. Plus, my cycling shorts were too short and I simply had to change before going for another round.

I don't know what fueled me to write since I've only begun to appreciate how people combine these words coherently. I suddenly woke up at dawn and thought, "right now, I want to write." And all the words just came pouring. Maybe it's the pressure that came with my blog's new look, wanting to accompany it with better content? 

Now I'm on the outside

With three more months of summer still ahead of me, I flew solo for the second time and got my butt back to Bacolod. I was home alone for a month and just decided to book a flight because why the hell not? I've been craving for authentic Chicken Inasal for the longest time and got satisfied the moment I stepped off the plane!

The day after my arrival, I had Calea's Pistachio Sansrival (10/10!) for breakfast, had my favorite dimsum from Cebu for lunch, then headed to a family friend's farm for dinner and post-dinner drinks. One thing I love the most about Bacolod is that I get a feel of the province without having to compromise the benefits of living in the city.I enjoyed the Bacolod breeze so much that I comfortably sat through a 3-hour road trip on the back of a pick-up without any fear of getting an asthma attack.

A week down and I’ve already been to so many places. I’m looking forward to where this spontaneous adventure takes me next!

My Story v.2

My Story (February - April 2015) from Allana Aldea on Vimeo.

I've made a habit of saving my snapchats because I had so much fun making the first one. This one ranges from babysitting to a trip to Cebu to ending my first year in La Salle. With my Frosh year coming to a close, it was very timely that I got asked if I had any tips for an incoming frosh. Since my LPEP was exactly a year ago, it gave me a good chance to reminisce and think about what I would’ve told my pre-college self. I'd probably tell her that those black pants made her hips look huge… But kidding aside, there are some things to remember as you go through your first year in college.

Your academics should be at the top of everything. My mom booked a flight to Cebu in the midst of finals week. Upon arrival, I had to film myself delivering a speech because I was going to miss an important presentation. I also had to think of a way to submit a hard copy of my final paper (while I was at the beach) because my professor didn’t accept online submissions. As much as I wanted to swim right away, I just couldn't put my academics off. I wouldn't risk my grades for something that can wait. 

Surround yourself with good people. During my LPEP, the first person who talked to me was a nerdy guy who asked if he could sleep on one of the benches in the lobby. Little did I know that the same guy would be the first to show up at my party and become one of my closest college buddies. I’m just grateful I went through my frosh year with good company and that I spent the year with people I wish I’d met sooner. In college, you're going to meet different kinds of people and it's up to you to decide which ones you're going to keep.

Be active. During my first term, I solely focused on my academics as I was just getting introduced to the system. I just wanted to get a feel of a chill college life. Come second term, I applied to become an executive under my batch government and on my third term, I landed a spot in The LaSallian as one of their layout editors. It would help if you applied in orgs which are relevant to your chosen profession as these orgs allowed me to experience a professional setting despite being a freshman. (plus, they’d look good on your resume!) If you're worried about the workload, the 4th tip will be helpful.

Balance your time well.  Time management is key! My planner has these hourly markers that help me track my tasks and finish it at a designated time. But in between tasks, don't forget to allow yourself to have little breaks when your workload gets too heavy.

Anecdote time! I once saw a photo on Facebook that said “Pick two: sleep, social life, academics.” I once spent an all-nighter on a documentary while I constantly updated my Twitter. I live by the saying “Ang tulog, nababawi. Ang grades, hindi.”

Be open to change. After spending over 10 years in the same school, going to La Salle was such a breather due to its liberated environment compared the shackles of an all-girl Catholic school. You’re going to be in classes WAY different from the usual high school setting (I once had a class where 1 point was equal to 1% of your grade) and deal with professors who have varying teaching styles. The transition won’t be as smooth but you’ll pretty much enjoy the ride.

To cap it all off, college isn’t always what you expect it to be. I always had the notion that college would equate to independence. For years, I was driven to and from school by my parents so the thought of commuting on my own was so thrilling. The thrill ended when I found out my phone was stolen at the MRT station on my second day of school. Suddenly, the independence wasn’t as great but it was a good learning experience. I’m glad to be walking away from the year with a handful of knowledge and memories that go beyond the walls of a classroom.

She a Fashion Killa

My friend asked me to do a photo shoot for our batch's fund raising activity. Despite a big setback (which was the shirt itself), we promoted and sold the shirt really well! Here's the product of three different shoots and really heavy (mass) editing!

Fresher than you!

Summer called me early as I took another trip to Cebu in the midst of my finals week to visit the ever glorious Virgin Island with my family and a few family friends. Compared to my first trip, we took very little photos but had way more fun than last time! Still, my photos couldn't give justice to the clear waters surrounding the island. Read on for my photo diary of the trip!

My Story

My Story (October 2014 - February 2015) from Allana Aldea on Vimeo.

Just a few (low-quality) snippets of the things I post on my Snapchat story. This doesn't really pass off as a "One Second A Day" video because they're just different parts of my day so, I'm not quite how to address it properly. I didn't know I managed to save most of them up until I lurked my own phone. It was pretty fun looking back at the things that happened during my second term in college. Now, I'm looking forward to documenting the rest of my small adventures despite its quality!

Isang linggong pinagipunan, isang buwan mong inabangan

There couldn't be a more fitting title than a line from Sandwich's Sugod. I knew I couldn't miss this year's University Week culminating concert when I found out its lineup. Who could pass up an offer to see Never the Strangers, Itchyworms, Sandwhich, and Hale for free? I even had to rush out of my org's office right after a meeting just to make it in time for Never the Strangers. And I had to go through a crowd with a (far from-dry) henna tattoo on my arm. Still, I'm grateful for the experience.

Here's a few photos from my first university week! 

Bonus: It's Valentine's and I spent it doing something I love doing. I haven't been to a show in MONTHS and it just felt good to shoot after so long. 

It's gonna be a great day

I went deep into the south with my family last week to visit a religious site in Lucban, Quezon. We practically spent 13 hours on the road that day. The hours spent in the backseat of my family's car gave me time to take a load of photos. Here's a photo diary of my trip!