Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Jazz Music Starter Pack

A stack of vinyls, Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash

A few weeks ago, I was going through playlists in Spotify in search of a genre that would fit my mood, and I stumbled across a playlist that included jazz and blues music. This led me to continuously listen to a lot of them, and I am really loving it! 

Don't get me wrong, I've heard at least one here and there before but none of them really captured my interest. I want to share five songs that caught my ears as I first listened. There are a hundred more songs that I love but these are some songs that I listened to before I ventured even more deeper into this genre. 

1. Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra 

Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a Jupiter and Mars

2. La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong

When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom

3. Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin

This song is really interesting! It may seem like an upbeat song but it turns out the lyrics are about a murderer. 

Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red

4. Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean Martin

Everybody finds somebody someplace
There's no telling where love may appear
Something in my heart keeps saying
My someplace is here


5. Mr Sandman by The Chordettes

Mister Sandman, bring me a dream 
Make him the cutest I've ever seen
Give him two lips like roses in clover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over



Do you have any jazz music recommendations? What kind of music do you listen to?

Friday, November 17, 2017

My Younger Self Gave an Advice to My Present Self

Photo by Konstantin Dyadyun on Unsplash

There was a point in my life when I feared being happy, nervous of what may come my way. I like to think that I'm happy most of the time. Although there's always this thing in the back of my head that warns me that if I become too happy, the negative or sad events will come to me right after. The only light that keeps me going was it's opposite, on when you're sad or feeling very down, sooner or later the smiles and the new fresh air to breathe in will come. 

After a few months of this going on in my head, I came to realize that it was just natural. Obviously, you can't be happy forever nor be continuously sad. It was plain logicI think life is like numbers, odds and evens. They always go alternately.

Just awhile ago, I was scrolling through my social medias until I realized I haven't touched my Wattpad account for so long, it's been more than a year actually. After multiple guesses of what my password could be, I got in! The first thing I went through was my drafts, since I've unpublished all my works before I went on hiatus and while I was reading each of them, I was so surprised, I don't even remember writing them. Reading each chapter that I wrote was a suspense for me and the last I've written would be a cliff hanger.

There was this particular chapter I wrote in one short story that truly surprised me most of all, it was written in a text message style and it gave me the words I've needed to read all this time.

"People  say that when you laugh a lot, you'll cry later on."
Sent 10:18 pm.

I watched as the words Thale sent through a text message burned through the screen of my phone. I thought about what he meant, and I typed my reply carefully.
"What do you think?"
Sent 10:20 pm.

"It's Fate's game. When you're too happy, things will go downhill later on. It's like, the universe is mocking us or something. What do YOU think?"
Sent 10:25 pm.

"I believe it's what reminds us that we are human and we can't have perfect lives, but we can live a great one instead. Think of a concrete wall, without holes or cracks, no lights would come in. The holes may represent the problems we face, but because of these, they give us the opportunities to actually see and get to know ourselves better and maybe even get to meet new people."
Sent 10:39 pm.

"That's  a long message ;)"
Sent 10:40 pm.

"Haha. Who started the subject? ;)"
Sent 10:42 pm.

"But what if it's a big hole?"
Sent 12:47 am.

"Even better. It'll be more brighter."
Sent 1:13 am.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

5 Valuable Things I've Learned at 16

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

Today marks the day of my seventeenth year! I've honestly enjoyed being sixteen so much and yet it flew past by me without me knowing it. This year has made me go through a lot of experiences that let me gain so much new knowledge. Before I say farewell to sixteen, I decided to think back through everything and pinpoint out all the most memorable lessons God has given and blessed me with.

1. You're not too young or too old.
Of course there are situations when this isn't applicable but there are also times I feel like I'm too young or not well experienced to do something, to take those steps that I have a passion for. Like writing which I stopped doing because I fooled myself into believing that I stopped because I lost my interest in it, and yet the real reason is my lost motivation and my constant convincing to myself that I'll just do it in the future. Like creating a short film which I postponed for so long after watching a lot by others that made me doubt myself, thinking that I'm a broke student who couldn't afford any gear or software for me to create a great one. I learned to try and create first steps, it might not be immediately great, but it'll get there eventually.

2. Its okay to repeat clothes.
I used to think that my wardrobe was empty (sometimes I still do) and I came to realize that it's actually filled with mountains of clothes, I just wanted something new. I always craved for new shirts or pants even when I had a lot before me, and that's not healthy. It came to me that I don't have to wear the same outfit twice in a row, yet I can make the most of what I already have, try out different ways to style it and create an entirely new outfit.

3. Don't be afraid to be alone.
I stayed at home most of the time, sprawled on my bed, and my devices in my hands. I didn't go out unless I go out with friends, buy groceries with my mom, or walk my dog. If I want to go to the mall or anywhere else, I always drag my mom with me. It didn't come to my mind that I was like this until my mom pointed it out, asking why I couldn't go out to enjoy myself, by myself. As of this month, I've went out twice and I loooved it. Getting a sundae for myself or strolling around in the streets or taking a break in the park or just having time with myself. Alone time can be quite essential in our lives, not just one where we stay in our homes, but out our comfort zones. 

4. Say thank you.
I have quite a funny experience with this, because I've gotten so used to giving my thanks that in almost everything, I say thank you. Like when someone accidentally bumps at me, "thank you!" or when I hold open the elevator while other people are entering, "thanks!" People would look at me funny and I'd be trying so hard not to face palm myself at those times. Which leads me to tell you guys that mere thank yous aren't enough. I learned to  use it in a daily basis yet not in a way that I don't hear myself anymore, rather, still have my sincerity in those words.

5. Don't be lazy to walk your dog.
As much as I love my dog, walking her at night (since she takes short walks both morning and night) is something I'm always too lazy to do. What I didn't know was how I overlooked the importance of this to our dog, Shara, and how much it means to her. This situation can be related to other circumstances. Not doing something out of laziness because it doesn't benefit you in any way is not how the world works. You can never do anything alone, at some point, you'll also need the help of those around you. 
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