Thoughts on a Clear Mind and Waking Up Early

Today's Coffee: Bon Vivant French Vanilla with condensed milk made on Viet Coffee Drip 

I miss words. I miss how it feels to see the letters come together into words then into sentences until they form a perfectly constructed paragraph that shows a part of me. I miss how I would sit quietly and have my imagination dictate my fingers across the keyboard. It's hard to have those moments these days.

Here I am typing while my iPad is playing QI episodes. At the same time, my phone dings telling me I have messages from friends. I hear vehicles passing by and then there's the loud sound of construction upstairs. My mind is not clear. Definitely piled up with all the backlogs, work tasks and personal agenda.

You know what I should do? I should wake up early. Having a 1pm-9pm work does not mean I can get up at 10 in the morning. I should be awake by 6am like the old days.

Laura Vanderkam in her book "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast" said, "If it has to happen, then it has to happen first." Mornings are important as it gets you into the right pace. I usually wake up early on Monday mornings despite the whole world hating Mondays. Then I slowly go back to my regular hour as the days pass by. On the weekends, I am awake just in time for lunch. I used to have the habit of not being able to sleep past 11:00am. My internal clock was messed up by my previous jobs. I need a fix.

I find it that I can write better if I wake up early. I get to read in the morning, ponder about breakfast then have the satisfaction of drinking coffee while watching British shows.

Maybe it's Vanderkam's book or the coffee talking right now but I really do having solitary time to write in the way I want. I guess I have a lot of backlogs because I don't want the usual rundown of how the trip went on my blog. I want them to be stories that will remind me that I traveled for a reason.

I need to wake up early everyday again.

Post-Yolanda Thoughts

Today's coffee: 1/4 cup milk, one teaspoon sugar, 3/4 freshly brewed Bon Vivant French Vanilla

Since Yolanda hit the Philippines, my timelines have been flooded with both positive and negative news on the matter. I have my fair share of stories posted but somehow I shared more on Twitter. But whatever the case, you cannot deny the fact that you are inhumane if you feel nothing about it.

My memories of Leyte cannot compare to those who has families and close friends there. My memories of Leyte was that of a fresh graduate thrown to a province for a research. This naive, little girl who wanted to make a difference and who heard stories of students studying under UP's ladderized program. I went around Palo and its neighboring towns to interview health centers. I stayed alone in Robinsons Tacloban for my off hours. I journeyed to Rafael's Farm only to realize I have no way of going back except riding with the staff on a truck. I came to admire UP SHS for its program. I interviewed people who are passionate in making a difference for their provinces. That trip was when I felt truly independent. I wanted to see more of the Philippines. So right now, it's really hard to stop the tears when you see photos and read stories about the typhoon.

I hope people continue their support for the provinces. Not just the usual band-aid help but long term plans to help them live a life again. It may not be the same life with the same loved ones but at least to have the hope that something better is coming along. Despite the pouring clothes and food donations, these people would need a livelihood. I remember one article that said the fishermen wanted boats than food as donations. Boats cost more but can help them rise faster. I was glad to see that trauma counselors are now being deployed. A child should not be haunted his/her whole life with such tragedy. If it was possible, I would just erase all those images of dead bodies from their memories.

Philippines need more long term solutions. The Philippines need policy makers and rulers who look for sustainable development. Because let's face it, storms will continue to come and a part of our country will suffer once again. As the saying goes, "it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark". We need local versions of Noah today.

Doctor Who Thoughts

Today's coffee: 1/3 fresh milk, two teaspoons of sugar and 2/3 freshly brewed Batangas beans

I've said it over my Twitter account but I will say it again: this week (especially on Saturday) is a great time to be a Whovian. Before anything else, I would just like to clarify that I am not the screaming fan girl who loves Doctor Who because of its young, handsome doctors. Given that my favorite doctor is David Tennant but I owe it to his theater acting and adorable expressions. Or the fact that he was the doctor that came to Agatha Christie's life. Two fandoms colliding right there!

It's a great time to be a Whovian because it's Doctor Who's 50th year. You get a special 50th anniversary episode, lots of minisodes and specials including one featuring another of my favorites, Brian Cox. You also get to enjoy reading forums and comments sections in Facebook where fans argue and dissect even the smallest things in a trailer.

So why do I love Doctor Who? Is it because you get a sonic screwdriver that basically makes a Swiss knife ancient? Or because I grew up enjoying mysteries and science fiction rather than your typical Sweet Valley High stories? There are a lot of reasons why someone would love Doctor Who. Here are some of mine:

1. It gives you time and space. The Doctor is a great history teacher although the historical accuracy is not there. It peaks your interest on things and let you create your own adventure. The Agatha Christie episode was equally enjoyable for a Christie fan as you hear novel titles and characters inserted in dialogues and get their own version of how and why Christie disappeared for eleven days. But more than that, you see a world bigger than your own and it just makes you want to go out more. You may not have a TARDIS but you've got your sense of adventure and passport.

2. It makes you feel more human. Doctor Who has shown both human strengths and flaws throughout the years through the Doctor and his companions. You can argue over who makes the best companions (for me it's Sarah Jane, Donna and Amy Pond) but all of them have their own flaws which makes them human. You get a whiny companion or a selfish one at some point but aren't we all? You can never be a perfect companion in any relationship. The Doctor still got a lot of awesome people on his side.

3. It fuels your imagination. If you're a Whovian, chances are you are afraid of statues unlike other normal human beings. Blink is the first ever Doctor Who episode I watched and it remains to be one of my favorites. Daleks appear like big salt and pepper shakers but they are one of the best villains of the Doctor Who world. Doctor Who stories are just full of creativity and sometimes it allows your imagination run wild. So many worlds waiting to be featured even with 50 years of stories told.

4. It gives you a character to love. Whatever the age or gender, chances are you will like someone in the Whoniverse. I love the fact that there is a Christmas episode with Astrid as a companion and a Classic Who companion named Zoe. I've been a Donna at certain points in my life. I want a love story like Amy and Rory. I want a friend whose like the Fourth Doctor (and his scarf!).

General reasons as I don't want to spoil the experience of watching and falling in love with Doctor Who.

It's never too late to be a Whovian or even to watch a couple of episodes. Here's one of my favorite videos on Youtube to pique your interest: