The office is a beach

I love the fall of daylight in the smoking area

Or maybe not. But if, like me, you work in a less corporate environment, you can go to work in summery attire without getting a memo from HR.

Perfect Weird-Weather Music

The weather this week has been distressingly unpredictable. One minute it's hot, the next it's pouring, then it's hot again. To keep my sanity, I listen all day long to The Sea and Cake. The band's music--consistently excellent but never too demanding--helps me maintain my equilibrium. Below are the CDs I have by them. Try looking for their songs. You'll love them.



One Bedroom (2003)


Everybody (2007)


Car Alarm (2008)


The Biz (1995)


The Fawn (1997)


The Sea and Cake (1995)


Glass (2003)



Oui (2000)

11th April 2009, La Union

Sunset over LaUnion

My friends surfed while I had hotdogs and beer. It was perfect.

10th April 2009

At the Marcos Musuem...

The dictator on his wedding day

Good intentions or sheer ambition

Drafting a speech

Rant of a deluded and fallen dictator

In Vigan...

Calle Crisologo

A beautiful ruin

Full moon over Vigan

A night scene

9th April 2009, Laoag, Ilocos Norte

Lighthouse at Cape Bojeador


Commemmorative plaque


A window in the lighthouse

Stairs

Spiral staircase inside the tower

Internal workings

The light in the lighthouse

A view from the very top

The windmills at Bangui

Just pretending to be lost

Self-portrait on sand

View from the viaduct

8th April 2009, Laoag, Ilocos Norte

A tableau of things I can't live without.

Spent the entire afternoon at the hotel coffee shop. Finally finished Sophie's Choice. Enjoyed a big chunk of the April issue of Vogue. Consumed a pot of coffee. The cigs, I didn't count.

My friends thought I was foolish to travel 9 hours just to sit and read, but vacations like this are the only times I could have uninterrupted time for reading. It feels positively luxurious to indulge in it.

Travel Companions

I read the magazine cover to cover during the trip. I'm not a fan of Beyonce, but I admire her will, determination and work ethic.

The stories I've finished in Jhumpa Lahiri's second story collection, Unaccustomed Earth, are utterly brilliant. I can't wait to finish the book.

7th April 2009, Manila

I'm not good at travelling light, but for the four-day road trip that took me and my friends to Laoag, Pagudpod, Vigan and La Union, I managed to pack everything I needed in this surprisingly roomy bag. And I managed to leave my laptop at home. Fantastic.

3 Watches I'll Ever Need (I Think)

Patek Phillippe Calatrava 5120G, for dressy days

Issey Miyake "Twelve" watch by Naoto Fukasawa, for casual days

Lego, for when the day is otherwise cheerless