Ellipse

I have been a MAJOR Imogen Heap fan since hearing Hide and Seek. Her music has always been soothing and ethereal, and moving, and all out amazing, that I just can’t compare her to any other artist. A million thanks to twitter, Heap fans like myself get constant updates on her coming album and its process, which makes Ellipse all the more special. It makes the album a lot more personal that even though we’re not physically there exerting all that creative effort, just seeing how much work was put on this album, and hearing the tracks (which are btw, amazing!) gives listeners a sense of excitement. Listen for yourself here.

Ellipse hits stores August 24th/25th, I’m assuming it arrives in Manila at around that date too. If it doesn’t, well, at least we can listen to it online till it does. And do give some love to Imogen Heap on her official twitter. <3

Review will be posted soon, when I update this post. The internet connection seems to enjoy being at a snail’s pace.

Lovin’ a creative challenge

Earlier today meand my parents celebrated my dad’s birthday. ‘Twas fun, and we are all officially insanely stuffed. Post hearty lunch, my parents asked me to re-create the dishes we just enjoyed. I can cook, and I love to cook. But that magic, will take some time. I am no kitchen godess, nor chef. But I love a challenge, and I love making something new. I love being challenged creatively, and find myself producing something I never thought I could actually pull off.

A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me to photograph him and his partner. Ta-dah! I immediately said “yes”. Well, one, because I absolutely HATE turning people down. And shoots are always fun! I love photoshoots, and literally rolling on the ground just to get something good. I’ve never photographed a male model, and this would be the second time I’d actually shoot a couple. This would be new, really, but I’m insanely excited, I’m planning it already! The location’s been set, and I’ve already been there, so all that’s left are concepts, schedules, and the lovely issue of equipment.I’ll be honest. AllI have is a camera, one lens, two batteries, a reflector, and my pop-up flash that I’m still trying to get accustomed to using. I hate pop-up flash. Fortunately now, not so much. Me and my pop-up are starting to get along.

Here are some of the cameraphone snaps for the shoot’s inspiration.

I have more in mind, but that I’ll be saving for when we actually meet. There are so many things to do and so little time. This is just ONE of the MANY things I have to get done by the -ber months. [Which is in a few weeks!!!!] Yes, I cannot stress it enough. Stress loves me. But, as Tim Gunn would say in Project Runway, “Make it work!!!” And so I will. Ciao.

New Blog

I have a new blog. It’s slightly different from this one. Most of the posts would be artsy, really, rather than personal what-nots. So don’t expect rants or anything remotely political on the new blog. What you can find there are old and new works of mine, some news, and features on artists and blogs that hopefully inspire you as much as it did to me, and well, reviews on albums, movies, books, and possibly even TV shows. And then, kill this blog. This one, this very blog you’re reading now. Well, not really. But it is a possibility. For now, it’s something I do hope serves it’s purpose: A Blog-folio.

There isn’t much there yet, but it would be nice if people checked that blog out too. And before you go sharing that I can’t spell “Orange” right, the whole “Oringe” thing was intentional. For phonetic purposes, I want people to pronounce my blog that way: OH-REENDJE STI-LETO. And not OW-REYNDJE STEE-LEH-TOW. I’m working on a third blog as well. Specifically dedicated to my accessories business, which I killed a few weeks ago.It’ll be up and running in timefor your holiday shopping, I promise you that. Link to that will be posted soon. As soon as I get the layout all done and dandy.

H

Fare Well.

The past few days have been quite…intense. Yes, “intense” is one of my favorite words. From the insanely hectic deadlines of last week, to the passing of an icon, so many things have happened in to little time that I’m still trying to get things to sink in. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would know that former president Corazon Aquino has passed, and was buried yesterday. It was quite an event, and despite the sadness that the nation has shared collectively, I am happy to witness how much love the people of this country was able to express to someone who has genuinely cared for the people. The recent events showed me that despite the loathing I have for majority of the country’s politicians, and the current state of the country, there is still something about being Pinoy that we can truly be proud of. It honestly is overwhelming seeing how many people turned up to grieve with the late president’s family. If you missed the news, seriously, where were you? And what were you thinking? The sheer number of people who showed up, and the number of people in cyberspace who showed ther support and shared their sympathies shows that we do appreciate what Tita Cory has done for this country. Good people with good intentions will always win the hearts of the masses.

I was born during her term as president, but I grew up on the term after that. What I do know of her is what I’ve been taught in history classes, and the stories generously shared to me by people who lived to experience the events that let to her presidency. What I know of her is that she is a woman of great courage and strength. She was someone clearly underestimated at the beginning, but proved that there is more that meets the eye. That with the right intentions and guidance, someone tagged as “a simple housewife” can lead this nation. She is a champion of democracy, the face of the many Filipinos who deserve freedom to express their thoughts and desires for the country. If it was not for her, and how she inspired a nation, we wouldn’t be as free to say whatever the hell we want about anything and everything we please. The youth wouldn’t be as empowered as they are now. And for that, I am grateful. So I bid fare well to an icon. I know you are happy with the angels above. Thank you for the gift you have shared not just to this country, but to the world. You may have left us physically, but your deeds leave you immortal in the hearts of every Filipino.