I knew you weren’t expecting a gift from me, much less something as elaborately prepared as this one, but I wanted to give you something personal to mark the occasion since you truly wanted to celebrate your 30th year. I decided to put together a gift that I hope will make you laugh, and realise — because of who you are — turning 30 ain’t so bad.

Celebrating your 30th year with 30 things can be a trying task but allow me this lighthearted attempt in putting together a care package which, as you can see, observes the number’s significance.

Let me start off with (1) 12 paper clips, a paper clip per month to bind memories together in any given year.

Since you like taking photos, (2) a photo album can help store the pictures.

I encourage you to write down your plans, activities, thoughts and dreams on a (3) journal, or any piece of paper. Write them in such a way that you can either make them permanent by the use of (4) pens, use a (5) ruler to check alignment on some, or to measure the distance on another, or to create straight circles simply because it’s silly to do so. Use a (6) permanent marker to put emphasis on some points or all, and you can even use (7) colour pencils to make it interesting. Ultimately, it’s up to you.

Or you can also make them not-so permanent by the use of (8) pencils and I believe we’re all allowed, at least, 3 attempts before we can consider scratching out something from our list. There’s always a (9) sharpenerto keep you writing those semi-permanent plans. With a (10) highlighter, identify the ones you want to prioritise, and then (11) pin it up on your fridge to help remind you.

If you’ll need more than a fridge magnet to help with reminders, there are post its at your disposal. (12) One to help with tiny notes or to remind you of places you can go to and (13) another for tasks that will help get you where you want and need to go.

On the subject of scratching things out, I’ve allocated you (14) 8 Erasers. One for each day of the week, emblematic of opportunities when you need to correct mistakes, plus an extra one for those moments that one eraser simply won’t do.

I also included a simple picker-upper, (15) Words of Wisdom for Teachers. We all can’t have 100% good days so a little self-help thing can’t hurt.

Chalk will always be something that will remind me of you because of your profession. Have ‘em in (16) plain to serve its purpose, straight-up. And for the listless, uninspired days, wherein (17) a touch of colour might help, you’re pretty much covered, too. Of course, I didn’t forget to include (18) a board eraser, something to remind you that as you teach, you aren’t infallible. Admit, erase, and start over.

Since you’re constantly surrounded by books to read, either for work or leisure, a (19) bookmark will always come handy. Can’t wait for the next book you’d recommend that I read, too.

Pick up and read (20) Pugad Baboy, esp on days when only laughter can rectify soreness, and your mood is in dire need of a lift. You’re one of the few people I know who can appreciate something like this. Or go off and sharpen your mind in a different way as you solve the (21) puzzle. That, and because I want you to remember to take time off from work, play with the (22) jackstones! It might also be fun to reminisce a bit, right? Or go spend time with people and this (23) Icebreaker game might help. To let you know that asking the right question will help strengthen friendships and push you to keep on meeting new people.

Time for a bit of kikay stuff. A couple of (24) hair bands might be mighty useful to create the perfect teacher’s bun. It’s always good to keep a (25) hand sanitizer close by because you’re around kids a lot.

Time to take better care of your skin if you haven’t started on a skin regimen — (26) an anti-wrinkle eye cream and (27) a bottle of lotion. What can I say? You really have to accept that it’s all part of growing old up.

Of course, (28) lipstick! Do I need to remind you that you need to take time off to enjoying being a girl? Put it on and go out!

The (29) box that holds everything can serve as a place to keep memories and a reminder that there’s a way to keep things organised.

And, lastly, a (30) hand-written note. Technology has made communicating easy but I hope that a hand-written note is still appreciated over emails, calls, or text messages.

Here’s to embracing your age and getting a kick out of the realisation that there’s truth in the old adage, “age is just a number.” Let this simple gift serve as a great way to remember how far you’ve come and how some simple things hold a bit of wisdom when seen in a different light.

Cheers to a life that’s worth celebrating!

- – - – -

For my readers, since it’s gift giving season, I had decided to share this note with you to serve as a gift guide. It was a themed care package I had put together as a birthday gift to my friend.

The idea is to come up with a box or a bag filled with stuff relevant to a theme you’ve chosen. It can be a set of favourite things, color-coordinated, season-relevant, break-up/get-well kit, or any other theme you can come up with. Trick is to tailor it around the person you’re giving the care package (gift) to. This will certainly make the recipient and the occasion feel special, or extra-special at best.

This is the sort of gift that doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. A package can be composed of an assortment of IOU certificates (think “dishes for a week,” “you get a foot rub,” or “slave forever” sort of thing) that don’t cost much to make or fill it with a painting, doodle notes, hand-made knickknacks, or crafts! Yes, you can even bag candies or crisps if you know it will play a significant role in the theme of the care package you’re putting together.

Have you ever considered putting together a themed care package as a gift? What sort of theme have you tried? Are you done with your Christmas shopping?

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I don’t see myself as a qualified amateur much less a full-fledged artist. Placing 2nd at an art contest when I was 6 doesn’t really make me one. I can’t even say that it’ll be one of my hobbies from now on. I guess, it’s not something I truly wanted to do. If I had, I would’ve taken it more seriously and took art lessons, right? I didn’t.

I doodle when I’m bored, or when I’m looking to distract myself from sinking into the trance of deep thought. I sketched pictures of pictures when I was younger. It’s been decades since I had last held a pencil and drawn something in earnest.

But last night was inspired and magical to me.

It allowed me to loosen up a much tightly-winded structure of my mind a bit. I can still feel how I try to rigidly control my strokes though. Everything still feels calculated and linear. But that burst of inspiration as the image comes into focus, the messy birthing process and the chaotic style became less stressful.

Perhaps I’ve reached a phase when stills and words come up short to help me express what I need expressed. Or maybe, I just need to explore more ways to do so. What I can say is that the couple of hours I spent drawing brought me a sense of fulfillment.

A passing fancy or not, I’m keeping my mind open to it. It’s always better to pander to one’s constructive pursuits and pray that these turn out auspicious to one’s interests.

Have you ever considered all the possible things that you may have a knack for? I’m still in the process of sorting things out myself. All because of this need to articulate thoughts, to somehow make matters uncomplicated or at the very least, out of my system.

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I call her Gigi and she goes real well with MrBoo’s looks, wouldn’t you agree?

It’s funny how things have changed as a read that post over again. From using my brother’s 17″ HP Pavilion dv9000 (March 2008) to my own 15″ Macbook Pro called MrBoo (April 2010). From a Canon 400D called MrX (February 2007) to a Canon 60D called MrSixty (January 2011). The Pav’s dead and MrX is up for sale. Teri’s still very much alive and kicking and I now have Gigi since she’s portable and will come handy to transport digital stash and what nots.

Good thing that Teri is compatible with the Mac OSx, which made the transition easy. Gigi is, too. But let me give you a quick run down on the 411: Western Digital My Passport Essential 500GB/Go Portable Hard Drive with USB 3.0.

What’s in the box: Portable hard drive, USB cable, WD SmartWare software, Quick install guide

Compatibility: Requires reformatting for Mac OS Leopard or Snow Leopard; Formatted NTFS for Windows XP, Vista, or 7 (may vary depending on user’s hardware configuration and OS)

Damage: Php 3,640.00

I also got me one of those cases esp for portable EHDs from Case Logic which made a dent of Php 899.00. And, while we’re on the subject of cases, my bestfriend Mel and I finally got one of those affordable Halo gadget cases for our mobile gadgets. MrE (a Nokia e71) and MrTots (an Apple iPod Touch 4) are now roomies in a canvas case which only costs Php 175.00 (compared to the one at Case Logic which was 300% more expensive than that!).

I got Gigi at a nearby PC Express store while I was at my bestfriend’s house procuring my dose of digital stash. I had Teri with me but somehow was a bit of a snob and wouldn’t let her be touched by anyone else. LOL. I knew I had plans on buying a portable hard drive but I wasn’t planning on getting it that day. Plans change according to needs, I guess. Why is it that these two EHD I bought sits too close to my bestfriend’s influence? Well, I do rely on her technical expertise like when I recently had to buy a new router whom I call MrLink.

MrLink is a Cisco Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT320N, Wireless Productivity. I wanted to get the one with a media server but twas way over my budget. I settled for a damage of Php 4,400.00.

Speaking of my bestfriend, I’ve “officially” started one of my pet projects. Er, well.. I invested a fairly good amount of moolah on it and the only person I told it to is her since she, well, used to be big at doing stuff like this project. It was one of those trips to Santana Grove (ah, my second home!) and popping into National Book Store.

I’m quite excited (like how I feel about new hobby-esque projects I’d start to do) about it. She’s given me tips on tools and things that I should remember to use. I took mental notes. What is the pet project, you ask? Well, I think it’s better if I’ve got visuals ready to show you folks to make telling it all the more entertainingly interesting. For now, I’m trying to put most of my work out of the way so I’ll have time to spend offline.

What about you folks? Added any new gadgets to your tech arsenal? How about new projects?

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Planning for the Christmas gifts for each of them was a bit difficult at first. I knew that anything I buy in the mall can be easily bought elsewhere, hence, not really special. I had wanted to give them something unique and, hopefully, priceless. It’s my way of letting them know that I was very happy to have them all come home and visit. It’s my way of celebrating our family.

Light bulb: Caricatures made by very talented friend, Jo Acierto. Thanks, Jo!

I tried to be all mysterious about it even when I had to ask my sister for photos of herself and her family. I’m glad that their reaction on Christmas morning was a reflection of how they appreciated the gift. Efforts were rewarded.

Every-ALL!

The Manuel Family

The Siblings: Shai, Aaron, Sasha & Arnold

Lola with her apos

Shai, J, C & H

Aaron, Sally, Ahren and Allyson

Me with my nieces and nephews

Tito Arnold with the kiddos

I had wanted them to have something to remember the trip by and keep it for sentimental reasons.

Your turn. What did you get your family last Christmas? I’d love to know your reason behind the gift!

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I had toyed with the idea of doing a post on “33 wishes..” but I reckon, rather than wishing for things, I’d like to start off with an expression of gratitude, highlighting some of the many things that came my way this past year that I’m grateful for.

Friends & Family. Beautiful people I will always treasure and be thankful for.

Old photo of sisters. Circa 2005.

Welcomed by the Coggins at the Adelaide Aiport, Australia 2008 with my sister taking the photo

With my mum, taken last year 2009

Highschool Barkada: (L-R) Candice, Ricky, Mel and myself. Not in photo: Dem, Joanne, Jason, and Jo. Taken December 2009

Cousins, nephews plus my baby bro. Taken December 2009.

CG: (L-R) Me, Raissa, Marivic and Happy. Not in photo: Kanch. Taken December 2009.

Thea, Hannah and myself. Taken December 2009.

There are more folks but I don’t have photos of them. Hehe.

Style Ambassador for Nokia Philippines. I assumed the role late 2009 and expired early this year. Twas the first opportunity that helped me explore and strengthen my support for the efficacy of online media.

Throw in a few other print and TV features that happened last year which I may have failed to mention to you folks (since I, ironically, hardly blogged here last year, heh): Feature on QTV’s Qtube, Interview for QTV’s Fit n Fab and that bit on UNO Magazine.

Work fulfillment. It’s always great that folks recognise the hard work and passion you put in.

MrBoo. Owning a Macbook as been one of my lifelong dreams. Buying an MBP  to reward myself helped in reinforcing the idea of dreams and reaping the fruits of one’s labour.

Mini-feature as a Twitter user on Philippine Star. This sort of thing — regardless of how big or small it is — always put a smile on my face.

Beauty Ambassador for Dove Philippines. Celebrating real beauty and being an acknowledged advocate is an opportunity that I was grateful for. Check out the videos I made for the No Mirror Challenge: A Week With No Mirrors: Day 1 and 2, A Week With No Mirrors: Day 3 and 4, and A Week With No Mirrors: Day 5, 6 and 7.

Getting to experience Mt. Pinatubo. It’s “one place I’d recommend you folks see at least once before you die”. A very humbling, thought-provoking experience.

And the most recent piece of good fortune’s pie that landed on my plate was becoming the Featured Blogger for Fashion & Beauty of Philippine Star’s UNBLOGGED. You can read the first two articles that I contributed: In the name of all things pretty and Wearing the animal print

I can list more things that I’m thankful for and significant events in the past year which will make the festivities complete but the space just might not be enough for them (and I might have a problem remembering them all, gah). For now, I’m content with sharing these few things since it’s just the 1st day of my Birthday Month. I’ve got 30 days left to add on to the list. Besides, once I’ve got my birthday plans set, I’m sure there will definitely be more things to be thankful for.

How about you? What are the things you’re most thankful for so far? And, yea, which of the 12 is your birthday month?

Listening to ♫

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I’m probably asking this question because of a conversation I had with M and R a few weeks back then add the fact that I watched the movie, The Hole, last Friday. The thought of personal fears surfaced and I guess I felt like talking about them today.

Swimming with fishes

It has become a running joke with the folks around me who knows about this little quirk of mine. This fear of swimming with fishes have become the butt of jokes with friends and family teasing me mercilessly about it whenever they get the chance. Yes, folks, call me weird but I’m averse to swimming in any body of water for the fear of bumping into locals. Any fish that exceeds the size of 3 inches will freak me out. Even when there’s a glass separating us plus the idea of being in there with them creeps the hell out of me.

Of course, this doesn’t stop me from enjoying the water whenever I go to the beach. I still swim whenever I can but I make sure to do it in a somewhat controlled environment. I wouldn’t go snorkling or scuba diving. I’d kayak or ride the banana boat but you can bet your arse I’ll make sure not to stay in the water for too long.

Though I really can’t say that swimming with fishes is my greatest fear, it’s certainly one of them. There are other things that would scare me out of my wits. I still sleep with the light on. I’d rather not watch horror movies. I’m deathly scared of ghosts and anything supernatural. Extreme heights (with the absence of any safety measure) will rattle me. I’m afraid to be alone in the house and have it burglarized. The list goes on but if we are to sum it up, I guess you can say that I’m not fond of the uncertain.

I try not to let all these affect me too much. I try not to let it control me; overpower me. I admit that there were instances that it paralyzed me to the point that I couldn’t sleep (I’d crawl up next to my mum when I’m really tired and couldn’t wait for daybreak) or even stay inside the place I was staying because of some certain fear. I know people won’t totally understand it, hey, even I don’t understand it sometimes but I do my best to cope and hope that one day I won’t be as scared as I initially was. There are certain things that I had learned to overcome so it’s possible, right? Like I said, I’m trying.

How about you, folks? Is there something that you’re afraid of? What is your greatest fear?

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Yes, take a seat and rest a bit. It’s time for a bit of a break. No one said that life will ever get easier. Take this opportunity to enjoy some Handorf Humour. Hehe.

Women have been “cleaning the house” all our lives? Pah. LOL on that bit about the dull woman. Canetoads! WTF! LOL.

Are Rottweilers really that vicious? Good guard dogs then. Heehee.

“Who’s your daddy now?!” LMAO.

‘Nuff said. LOLOL.

Hope you folks had a good laugh!

Happy 2009 y’all!

P.S. Photos taken on a trip to Handorf in Adelaide Hills, South Australia. All spotted at this quaint shop that leather goods on the high street.

Photos © 2009 Sasha Manuel

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A couple of bags of Tostitos and a jar of salsa. Check and check.

Lemons. Check.

Ah, yes. Dear old Jose. Jose Cuervo Gold. CHECK!

The mother of all despedidas! Good thing we did it on a Saturday night.

Conquered? Yes. Jose did the conquering though. LOL.

Twas a night caught on tape, which will never air. Ever. Thank god!

I woke up Sunday morning remembering EVERYTHING (er, sort of) and all I can was “there’s always a first time for everything”. LOL. Gawd. I had never pictured myself that drunk — happy drunk, I should add.

Filling the seats at the round table were M, K, J, P and myself. L was there to witness the climactic end to this night of drunken debauchery. P emerged as the winner, last man standing so to speak.

Thanks for making it tremendously fun and funny, guys!

Photo© 2008 Sasha Manuel

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For amateurs and hobbyists alike, here’s an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the idea that you can indeed live by your pen.

Freelance Writing for Dummies is a two-day workshop which aims to take you through the whats, whys, whens, and hows of freelance writing in the Philippines. It’ll help you discover the possibilities and rewards of making this “hobby” into a full-time career.

Workshop will be held on these dates: Tuesday, 04 November 2008 and Thursday, 06 November 2008. It costs Php 1,200.0 per participant and the session can only accommodate 25 people. Download the workshop details to learn more about it and you can register here.

About the Facilitator

Niña Terol, a full-time freelance writer, communications consultant, and emerging social entrepreneur who writes for a living and writes because she loves it. She is a regular contributor for MEGA Magazine and has also written for Philippine Daily Inquirer, myHome, Entrepreneur Philippines, Smart Parenting, Cosmo Philippines, Pinoy World, and Starfish, among others. She has also worked with a large number of corporations, enterprises, non-profit organizations, and government agencies—allowing her to immerse fully in her craft and all its nuances.

Since we’re on the subject of workshops, I’d like to take this opportunity to put the invite out for those interested to further their skills in Cartooning. Jonas Diego of Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters, together with partners Euphony Music Studio and St. Vincent Tutorial Center, is currently holding two sets of Cartooning Workshops on weekends. Full details of the workshops can be found at LifestyleGlitz.

Note: This is a way to help spread the word for friends.

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You can visit my Vote Page on Plurk! And yea, if you still haven’t done it, Add me as a Friend on Plurk!

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