Two Years, Calligraphy and Cheesyness

We've been out the whole day and I just have to do this quick post before this days ends to say that hey, Rolando+Laidel turns two today! Two years that I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world. The past two years weren't perfect, weren't all butterflies and fireflies, weren't at all easy but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd rather do life with R with all its downs and rough edges than do it alone. 

Dear God, thank you for two amazing years of your grace and goodness over our marriage. Thank you for giving me the best person to be with in this journey called life. Thank you for writing our love story. Thank you for I know, the best is yet to come.

10 Years Ago, Something Wonderful Happened

24 June 2010, a Thursday.  It was quite a big day for me, a series of firsts I was extremely nervous about---my first day on my first job---and the other first that only God knew about. 

The things I knew. At 8:30 AM in the busy corner of Ayala Avenue, I found myself grimacing in pain and sweating like crazy from walking too fast than I could. My toes were killing me but I could never be late on my first day of work. I'd run a mile in my 3-inch heels, have all the blisters in the world and swerve past hundreds of workers all rushing to get to their office if I had to. Luckily, I managed to get inside one of the skyscrapers in Makati CBD just in time and in one piece. I immediately took the lift to the 28th floor already dreading the crowd of topnotch CPAs in the training room. God, I hated introducing myself in front of a crowd. I hated public speaking. I hated trainings.

My first day on my first job basically passed by with me sitting down and staring down at my notes almost all the time. I was taken aback and everything and everyone in the room intimidated me especially the air of competitiveness that hovered in the room all day long. This was an unfamiliar ground, I didn't personally know anyone. There was no one from my former school whom I could sat

Life Through the iPhone

And just like that, half of June has gone by. It's now officially summer in Ireland and judging by the way the sun has been warming (and burning) us the past couple of days, I think we are in for another hot and lemony summer.  R has been nudging me to go out all day but this morning, I felt this aching need to string photos together, to memory-keep, to write my heart out because no matter how seemingly mundane my days and my activities are these days, I can't let this special month pass by without recording it. I'm staying put till I finish this post.

Life lately has been about new hobbies, summer reads, walk in the park, unanswered prayers and the need to be patient and lean on to God's timing and understanding.

These days too, I depend heavily on iPhone to capture random little things that make up the big picture. And if iPhone snaps are indication of life, this pretty much sumps up how the days of June rolled by:

Reading List - Book 5 to 8

In my attempt to read 30 books this year and in order to keep track of my progress, I have been capturing the books I read as soon as I'm done reading them. If you type the hashtag #laisreadinglist in Instagram, there you'll find the mini digital library I created especially for my reading hobby. Book No.1 to 4 here.

The past Spring time, I enjoyed reading outside and while in transit. I'm now on my Batch 2 and I'm happy to report that I have already exceeded the number of books I read in 2013 (only 7, shame on me!) Thanks to my season of waiting and joblessness, I've just beat the record. And thank God for books. With all this extra time, I'm close to losing my sanity without them.  

So here's my Spring read and a little bit of lame review:

Book No.5 - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Rachel Joyce)

A timely read for me while we were in London. A story of set in England about a man who unexpectedly walked from the south to the north of England to find forgiveness and the courage to love again. This is a story to remind us that it's never too late for anything, practically anything. Very well written. I enjoyed reading the vivid description of English countryside and landscape too aside from journeying (and crying) with Harold. Just some of the many heart-tugging quotes from the book I would like to share with you:

"But maybe, it's what the world needs. A little sense, and a little more faith." 

"Beginnings could happen more than once, or in different ways."

And this one's my favorite:

"It was not a life, if lived without love."

Book No.6 - The Last Week of May (Roisin Meaney) - Set in Ireland and full to the brim of Irish humour and warmth, I found myself enjoying this love story weaved during one spring season in one small town in Ireland. Your teatime kind of a book---relaxed and easy and not lacking the kick of a happy ending. 

Book No.7 - The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) - Because I want to include some good old classics in my list and because it's Spring, I re-read this book from the beloved author who also wrote another equally beloved character of the Little Lord of Fauntleroy, a.k.a Cedric or Cedie. The Secret Garden is a story of childhood adventures, discovery, fears and innocence. It never fails to amaze me how children, no matter how sulky or contrary they have grown into, can easily change into someone beautiful if you just let them run around and have something to  nurture and take good care of. They are that bendable. Not my favorite children story of all time but will surely pass it on to my future kids someday, God willing. :)

Book No.8 - Eleanor and Park (Rainbow Rowell) -  I read nothing but good reviews about this book so I purchased it in Kindle. I thought I'm over the high-school-love-story kind of books (because trust me, I read too many in High School) but apparently, I'm not. Give me weird and misfit but intelligent characters any time and I'll surely dive into it. Eleanor (a red-headed fat girl) and Park (a half Korean/half American) were caught up in a love story that defy being a misfit. Theirs is a love story that gave me that giddy clenchy feeling that felt new and warm and dangerous at the same time. There have been mixed reactions about the ending. But for me, it's as realistic as it could get with them being high school and young. On the other hand, it offered a tiny silver lining which made the book more endearing; it's up to you to take it from there.

I'm now on my Summer reading list and I can't wait to do another round up. Hope you're all having an awesome Summer! :)