Weekend

Waking up to no sound of alarm has been a very rare routine to me, working hours during weekdays have not allowed myself to linger and curl up longer in the comfort of bed and sheets. To make up to all those uneasy mornings, I always make the most of my weekends, enjoying being in bed and simply wasting my time. This weekend however, I've got a little company to spend my Saturday morning, a little book of love and chilling playlist. Weekends cannot start any better than this.

Naela Ali, a local illustrator and writer, has released the second book of Stories for Rainy Days. I love the first release so much and I expect more of her alluring love stories on the second book. Similar to its first volume, this second release tells more stories about love and heart-breaks, although it is quite obvious that the author seems to be very much in love during the process of her second book. Happy stories are all over this book, even though there are some heart-breaking stories in between. I relate so much more to the previous book, but this second volume of Stories for Rainy Days is still a nice company in gloomy weekends. 

I wrote about how I love and relate to the first volume in previous posts. 

One fine weekend would not be complete without some relaxing tunes to be a company of. Waking up to the sounds of easy songs are much better than waking up cursing each day for starting too early. Here are my tunes for the weekend.

Stories for Rainy Days by Naela Ali.

Photography by: Michelle Sal. / iPhone 7

February Tunes

Since it is the month of love, I made a playlist of some of the love songs I enjoy recently. These tunes feel a lot like falling in love to me (not that I am in love or anything) and every song has an ambiance and a mix of R&B and hip-hop vibe. It is a nice company during lone hours, spending some alone time with nothing but book, music, and maybe a cup of whatever it is. I happened to be re-reading this collection of poems when I reviewed these tunes, I might as well write a few words about it.

I stumbled on this book when I was walking around a bookstore, it's been months ago since I bought and read it. This book is a collection of poems written by a local illustrator and writer, Lala Bohang. She writes and illustrates very well, and I genuinely love her sense of humor in every work she does. Going through each page feels like reading my own mind, The Book of Forbidden Feelings offers stories of love and personal struggles in relationships, written in poetic style with dashes of sarcasms here and there. It is relate-able (most of the poems), witty, and complemented with lovely artwork. As fun as the book seems, some poems do not relate to me as much as Naela Ali's stories do, probably because I have never went through the kind of relationships Lala Bohang had; Overall, I'm enjoying this book, even though I don't relate much with the love stories, but the sarcasm and other attitude in most stories feel a lot like me.

The Book of Forbidden Feelings by Lala Bohang

Photography by Michelle Sal. / iPhone 7

Friends of the Rain | Fall 16 Playlist

It's been raining a lot lately, the days have been chilly and the city has been gloomy. Sunny days have passed  now, but I love the current weather as much. I have not been able to snooze through the day though, portfolio revising has been keeping me away from being idle. I miss the days where I don't have anything to do and does not feel irresponsible for being lazy, with a laptop, favorite TV shows, and a sheet of blanket.

These day offs are not day offs. Now that I have finished my study, I feel the need to apply for vacancies soon; I feel a bit of guilt every time I'm not doing anything productive, my parents have been hoping for me to start working right away, that's why. I don't think I'm ready to give up the unemployed days just yet, but maybe it's just me being sluggish. In my imagination, being employed would mean giving up the fun days of being able to do anything and go anywhere, anytime. I have mixed feelings about being employed soon and actually growing up, but let's hope everything turns out well and I'm able to work things out, following my future plans regarding to career directions.

In the mean time, to complement the gloomy days ahead, I have made a playlist of songs that I have been in love with lately. It sounds a lot more arranged and better than the last playlist I had, but I'm still practicing and experimenting with various sounds and genres. These sounds are the company to rainy days and the splash of color in dark days. These songs are most definitely going to be on repeat months ahead.

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Photo Journal: Bali Pt.2 | Summer 16 Playlist

While sitting by the waves and having sands wrapped around my skin, I found myself having the best moment of sanctuary in quiet beach and suitable playlist. Nothing beats the sensations of sounds collaborated by the ocean and your favorite songs. During my visit to Bali, I visited a couple of divine beaches in different areas. Every morning, I rushed to the beaches to have the seaside all to myself and a few others; the quietness had always amazed me. Without the buzz from any other human beings, I enjoyed my time remarkably.

To celebrate summer and my recent trip to the breathtaking beaches of Bali, I made a photo journal and a curated playlist which had been the soundtrack of my summer. I cannot wait to fly back to the island.

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Dreamland Beach (New Kuta) | Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Kuta

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Blue Point Beach | Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Kuta

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Finn's Beach Club | Pantai Berawa Road, Tibubeneng, North Kuta, Badung, Kuta

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Photograph by: Michelle Sal. / Nikon 1 J1