Happiness is only real when shared.

I would never have thought that I would get myself inked, let alone get a tattoo on my back right on top of my spine! It’s not even like I’ve been itching to get a tattoo my whole life but just did not have the courage to or has not been allowed to. Trust me, I have high tolerance for pain so courage is out of question and parental consent has never been an issue. I’ve never been that crazy over tattoos and I have not even tried its substitute- henna. I don’t really know what came over me; I guess this is a result of my plain love for art in general. About three or four weeks ago, a good friend told me that she and the BF were planning to open a tattoo studio near the BF’s place. I felt like it was the perfect timing for me to try it out. After weeks of openly talking to my friends/officemates about my intentions of having my back inked, it finally happened last Sunday! Turns out, another friend who has been dying to get a tattoo since I-don’t-know-when, was very eager to have his ink done that weekend and insisted I tag along. I was already sure about getting a tattoo anyways so I didn’t really bitch about getting it done this soon.

Sunday felt like a movie in fast forward. I remember getting in a cab with my friend, he was telling me how nervous he was and how the day’s activity felt like going to a ghetto place to do drugs, I responded by saying that I was also nervous but I felt more like I was on my way to the dentist than doing drugs just because I’ve never been a junkie my whole life. And then fast forward- we were in a cab again, on our way home, proudly talking about how we survived getting inked, talking about the pain and pleasure, how we were both in disbelief that we finally had ourselves eternally marked. Credits roll along with the soundtrack (U2's Bloody Sunday) playing in the background of black. I wake up and it’s a Monday and I’m a little hung over. Sunday’s events begin playing in slow motion and I start filling in the gaps. Everything in between the fast-forwarded scenes is flashbacks of pain and pleasure.

My tattoo’s almost completely healed as I'm writing this and now I feel like I carry a constant reminder in my back. Right below my zodiac sign says “Happiness is only real when shared.” Yes, that’s taken from Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, which chronicles the life of the vagabond Christopher McCandless. That phrase stuck to my head after I read the book and has since become a personal mantra. I agree with the guy, unshared happiness is really not happiness at all. It’s called something else; you all know what that word is. I'm happy with how things turned out. The tattoo looks nice and I didn't have to deal with infection. I'm surprised because it healed really fast! Planning to get a tattoo soon? Please check out my friends' tattoo studio- Wicked Ink!

Location:

Wicked Ink

Urgello St.
(Across Kool Hangover formerly Jardin)

wickedink18@yahoo.com

0933-1952416

wore: Baleno V-neck Tee, Terranova Skinnies, Vans Half Cab, Rayban Wayfarers

Breathtaking sunsets are made of these.

the beach,

coconut trees,
clear skies,
the sun,
and
GOOD FRIENDS!


Location:
Bantayan Island
Cebu

Black, gray and white summer.

Identifying colors is definitely not one of my strongest fortes. Since I-don't-know-when, my ability to recognize some of the most basic colors just switched off. Blues have become violets, browns became reds, even grays to pink! For someone who's obsessed with art, I guess you can call this bad luck a curse. Yes, I am color blind (there are exceptions of course). Ask me what my favorite colors are and i'll answer- black, gray and white! Are these even considered colors? LOL Anyways, I did some experimenting when I took these photos of my good friend, Fritz. Hope you like them!

model: fritz
photography: archer
locale: bantayan sland

She glows like sand under the sun.

she didn't want summer to end
she thinks the other seasons are bland
all she cared for is sun, sea, and sand


model: rea m.c.
swimsuit: the swimwear project (tie-dye/bandeau)
photography: archer
locale: bantayan island

Summer just ended, errr...just got extended!

the beach

survival kit

surviving...

tan retouch

Rea, doing what she does best!

pose with Fritz!

enjoying the beach

enjoying the beach even more!

Darlene laughing at the boys...

tanned!

sunset

tagay!

If there's such a thing as an extension to the summer season, my version of it would be my quick trip to Bantayan Island over the weekend. Warm sun, blue skies, clear waters, white sand- I couldn't ask for more, I was in paradise! I just could not say no to Fritz when he invited me to this trip. His friends from Davao City came to visit him over the weekend and he wanted to take them somewhere nice. We initially thought of taking them to Malapascua Island, as breathtaking as that island is, it was too laid-back, quiet, for his friends' taste. Bantayan Island was the perfect choice! And I've been itching to go back there after not getting enough last holy week- not enough sun and swim because the island was overcrowded. The trip was overall fun except for the bus ride home. But hey, bus rides (especially those in buses with no air-conditioning units) are not always fun. It was bad enough that it was my trip back to reality, worse, I was going to take that trip with only half my ass seated, and in a bus that planned to take every person on the road in. So imagine how comfortable this bus ride was! (insert sarcastic face here) The only good about that bus ride was the view from the side windows. About halfway on that 4 hour trip, I witnessed the most breath-taking sunset. As I was watching the sun hide behind the mountains, I started thinking about things. That its not going to be summer everyday and at some point it has to end. Leisure trips are just temporary detours and you eventually have to get back on track the moment you arrive home. You know what I'm talking about! So goodbye summer, see you again next year!

Location:
Budyong Beach Resort
Bantayan Island, Cebu