Embodiment

Last night, while I was busy waiting for HoMM5 to finish downloading, I decided to drop by this old LiveJournal community I used to be a part of last 2006 just for kicks, since I did not join it on purpose this year because I know I would forget about it and I wouldn’t be able to do it. What is it, exactly?

The LJ community is named Embodiment, a year-long project to write one journal entry a day for the entire year. It’s a really cool project which I totally failed when I first joined. Heh. People post ideas for posts, and these lovely photos of their journals, where I suddenly feel insecure of because I couldn’t be as artistic as they are. I loved seeing the photos, reading some of their entries and seeing how they decorate it all, using all kinds of things from receipts to rub ons to stickers to newspapers, drawing with various mediums such as pencils, bic pens, colored pencils, crayons, watercolor…basically anything that writes. There was one journal entry there that spoke of heartache, and it was just a green page with a heart in the middle, which looked like it was bleeding and the words, “It still hurts.” Ah, so painful, yet so beautiful. They made artsy pages about finding themselves, their family, letting go, dating a guy named Neil, school, new beginnings, and…so many things.

It’s too late to join the project (sadly), but I just checked my offline journal and I realized I’ve managed to write one entry per day for the past twenty-eight days. Interesting. Most of them are prayers/quotes, while some are actual entries which talk about…well, personal stuff.

As I read the entries on the Embodiment LJ community, it strikes me again how…bright and sunshiney I can be. I swear. I can’t remember ever writing any angsty entries in my journal (lovesick ones, yes, but not that angsty or emo…I cringe whenever I write anything emo –;)…most are positive stuff. Like there’s a better day tomorrow and things will be okay and all that. Not that that isn’t okay…it’s just…I don’t know, nice, I guess. Nice how I can still write in my journal even if I’m reallY okay — more okay than the other journals I read online, at least.

I used to ask myself before, when the main reason of my journaling was because of some heartache, if I would still journal if life is all okay. If I don’t have some boy I’m pining for, if my heart doesn’t feel like it’s about to be crushed anytime by my own expectations. What if I actually had a love life…would I even write at all?

I stopped writing regularly in my journal for about half a year, especially when I started my new job. I was more concentrated into blogging, and it was only lately I started writing again. It made me realize that it’s not always about love lives. I admit that I end up writing a bit more in my journal when there’s someone tugging at my heartstrings, but I have a feeling that even if that specific part of my life is okay, something else will come up. And it will be worth writing about…especially when I need to unload. Because everyone needs something to vent out on, and this is one of the best ways, yes?

So I guess we could call this journal (and the next few blanks I have in my drawer waiting to be filled) a mini Embodiment-like project for myself. I’ve always loved reading through old journals (even if it makes me cringe so much!), and it would be really cool to have journals to chronicle the entire year, right? Especially this Big, Fun and Scary Year, right? :D It may not be as artsy…but still, it’s my journal, and that should count for something. :)

Me From Here (Exit East)

I just realized that I have so much music in Triskal that I barely listen to, which is why I spend half the time pressing the next button when I’m listening to all songs. This is bad, right? I should get rid of the other songs already, even if I don’t need to clear any space.

Anyway, one of the songs I have been listening to a lot lately is a song from one kind of obscure Christian bands around, Exit East. I got to listen to them through Yahoo’s LaunchCast, I think. I’ve had this song for the longest time but it took me a while to really appreciate this, much like how Las Vegas invisalign dentists give you “invisible braces” to fix your teeth. In the same way, this song crept up to me until I gave it a listen, and now it’s on repeat. This is a really nice and relaxing song, and the message is quite beautiful too. :) Enjoy.

ME FROM HERE
Exit East

I thought, I caught,
A glimpse of You in the field,
In the, smiles of,
My two boys,
Mercy makes me feel like

Running on the water, reachin out much farther,
Than where I’ve been,
Growing in Your grace,
Looking for Your face,
In everything I am,

And I, I want to know, I need to know Your
Love, I want to know, I need to know Your
Love, I want to know , I need to know Your
Love, Take me from here.

I’m still, learning,
The things I ought to know,
Somehow, reach out,
To the ones,
That You’ve brought me to, (It’s like)

Running on the water, reachin out much farther,
Than where I’ve been,
Growing in Your grace,
Looking for Your face,
In everything I am.

Underneath the phrases,
Far from all the places,
Of where I’ve been,
I want to be where I see,
Nothing but Your glory,
In all I am…

Handwriting Meme

I’m stalling. Fine, fine, I’m procrastinating. I have one more thing to finish today (well two things actually, but one can wait until tomorrow), but I haven’t done a thing. Argh. It’s 9pm, I should get moving…but after this post. :D

This meme has been done a couple of times over at LJ, but since I update this more than I do my LiveJournal, I’ll post it here. Rules are simple:

On a piece of paper, write and answer the following and then take a picture/scan it:
Name:
Age:
Location:
Current music:
Favorite movie:
Favorite book:
Describe yourself in 5 words:
Something weird about yourself:

So…here we go:

I was too lazy to scan it, so I just took a picture using Aslan’s iSight through PhotoBooth and edited it via Photoshop.

I remember taking a picture of my own handwriting a couple of years ago, when I still participated in message boards. :D My teammate told me last Friday my handwriting looked like it was computerized…but I really don’t think so. I personally think it’s still messy, with the non-uniformed size letters and whatnot. Or maybe I’m just being OC. Heh. I’m glad it’s not too chicken-scratch handwriting, though, or doctor-style penmanship, like the ones who do plastic surgery in Baltimore have. My cursive is okay, reminds me of a teacher’s handwriting. :D Oh, and I can write straight in unlined paper, so yay, because I like unlined paper for my journals.

I’m always curious about other people’s handwriting. So come on, do this! If you have did this, or have done this before I posted, do post your entry so I can check them out. :)

But first…I will work. NOW. Must finish this before 10pm. I’ve got 40 minutes.

Refresher: It’s Not About Me

So my past week has been…crazy. I had at least one meeting every single night. I’m the head of a project team for our account for this quarter (which feels really heavy even if it’s really not since it’s mostly checking and whatnot…but I feel like I should be the one setting the standard for the entire year because I’m the first leader on rotation), became an officer for IBS Club for the entire year…and both of that is on top of my work. Then there’s actual work, which is not that demanding but obviously eats a lot of time and is my number one priority when it comes to the office.

No, I’m not complaining. I actually like this, the feeling of being busy and all. It can get me a bit bewildered at times because I feel like I’m so inept, and that I couldn’t possibly talk to the people who I will be involved with because I lack authority and I hardly know them. But overall…I think I can do it. I know I can. And besides, I did say I’d do something new this year, and this is definitely something.

Then I learned last Friday what my performance rating is for 2007, and I’m not really allowed to say what it is…but it’s definitely good. :) The results of that would definitely help me in whatever I want to accomplish later this year. I’m pretty sure I still can’t afford to have happy hours in San Diego, but it will definitely help me with my Aslan bills and probably Mission: Sydney. And I’m really, really grateful about it. As much as I don’t really like being on spotlight, it sure feels nice to be recognized.

BUT.

(More…)

Calling Cards and Logos

Early during my high school years, when having a computer is still a big thing and the Internet is not as popular, one of the things that we all love exchanging with each other besides letters and stationeries are calling cards. Weirdly shaped, differently designed calling cards that only contain our names, addresses and landline numbers. No cellphone numbers or email addresses yet because they’re not yet in; the most you can have in your calling card is a pager number, which only a few people did not have.

Of course I used to have one, and it was made in good old Microsoft Word…or was it Excel? Haha, anyway, I lost all of them, and I never got to make anything else because I never saw the need for it when I stepped into college. Oh, and I never got my own calling cards back in my first job because I resigned before I could have one made, and the only time I have my own calling card now at work, which I rarely use and has the wrong landline number. -_-;;

I meant to make blog calling cards for the next blogger event so people could remember my URL, which I never made because I got too busy with work and I totally lacked the design skills to make a kick-ass logo design. ^^; I could make a totally plain one with just my name and my URL but that’s just…a waste of paper. There are professional people and places to get nice business cards done, like LogoYes. LogoYes specializes in logo design, which can be used in your business cards to give them a professional feel. LogoYes provides a quick and easy to use step-by-step program tha helps you create your own logo AND business card. There’s a wide variety of logos for you to choose from with different themes to fit your business need. Also, there’s different layouts of calling cards to help you pick how you want your card to look like. There’s not too much fancy stuff, but the quality of design is pretty good. Look at this design I made for Godchicks:

Looks nice, doesn’t it? Not to flashy, but good enough. These card designs aren’t free though (Logo designs for $69 while Logo and Cards for $99), and it’s not that cheap for simple blog cards like that but I think, from the ease and flexibility for how things are done, it’s worth the bucks. :)