Dear BIR
Six years had past since I graduated from college and learned the difference between gross and net income. And I have also been working for six years. Whenever I would get my salary increase, it is a bittersweet moment. There is joy in the feeling that a company rewarded you for the work you've put in. But there is bitterness in seeing how much of your actual income is going to your taxes.
Ideally, you should feel good contributing to the country. However, with all these issues on the government's corruption, most especially the Napoles and Senate scandal, seeing 25% of your income going to taxes, feels like you have been robbed.
It doesn't help that the BIR has been very aggressive (and ruthless) in charging our taxes. Dear Lord, they even made a distasteful ad to drive their point.
So here's a short and sweet open letter to the Philippine government (most especially to BIR and PNoy):
Sincerely,
Cj de Silva-Ong
Musical Time Machine: After All This Time by Itchyworms
I always believed that just like how water refracts light, that is how the heart perceives time. The heart doesn’t recognize chronology, it may only knows two things: stability and brokenness. And we don’t realize it, but the heart could be the time traveling vehicle we’ve all fantasized all along.
Even just by hearing the intro of Itchyworms’ new single After All This Time, I can’t help but get transposed to my vague memories of the 80’s. (I’m born in ’87 but I’ve lived vicariously through John Hughes’ films. Some Kind Of Wonderful is my favorite.) But this musical DeLorian just didn’t take me back to the 80’s, it took me back to the most painful heartbreak of my life. And it’s no aged film, every memory is Blu-ray clear.
But every thing (and every person) has its limits - even heartbreak. After all, a heartbreak is just a memory. Yes, you can come back to it any time you want but there’s nothing you can change about it. You can only navigate your life now and the decisions you will make, pixels that make a clearer picture of the future. Like what Ely Buendia’s character in the movie San Lazaro said:
Thus, make art.
Make art that could possibly get used for your favorite band’s new single.
Nakakakilig, it’s available in the iTunes store, all ready and easy (and affordable) for download.
Thank you so much, Itchyworms, especially Jazz Nicolas. You don’t know how much happy this made me, it actually glued together some of the cracks of my heart!
Take It Easy With KEDS
When I saw the movie Limitless, I told my boss I wanted to have some NZT-48.
But he told me this: "Hoy de Silva, that's not what you need! You need a chill pill."
Oh yes, I'm the office Ms. Intense and I'll forever be acting busy and all fiery. Wincy even joked once that my only chill time is when I'm asleep. But hey, I do have my own form of relaxation - ART! I usually unwind with some of my favorite music while sketching or painting.
And this weekend, I wanna try sharing my relax-time with all of you! Let's all TAKE IT EASY and have fun tomorrow at:
This October, the UP Junior Marketing Association and Keds Philippines bring you: “Take It Easy with Keds”, an exciting outdoor picnic of food, drinks, hyped with a splash of fun and games that’ll keep you wanting more! Come and join the fun at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on October 20, 2012, Saturday with a program showcasing the latest trendy and preppy Keds looks, the new Keds Ambassadors known as the Kids for Keds, as well as celebrity guestings, and a whole lotta freebies from Keds.
Take It Easy with Keds is the UP JMA Strategic Marketing Team’s event for this semester. It holds as a picnic-carnival coachella style of event that will showcase the Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel of Keds shoes. The events is proposed to be set during the day in an outdoor environment, where people can relax, breathe, take a break from work, and purely have fun with the booths and games set for them.
The picnic scene isn’t just like any other picnic in that gaming, food and drink booths will surround the area, a program to showcase Keds products and endorsers (fashion show, Kids for Keds from the three chosen colleges, Keds ambassadors) will be hosted, hopefully by celebrities, who will be sited at the event. Take it Easy with Keds is meant to promote Keds’ Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel to its main target market, mainly college students, and everyone else who wants to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of work by TAKING IT EASY. Stop doing what you need to do. Start doing what you want to do. ‘Cos it’s time to take it easy with Keds.
So boys and girls, see you tomorrow! I'll be painting walls and probably some pair of Keds!
Ang Kauna-Unahan Kong Aklat Na Pambata: Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin
Una kong nakilala si Ikaklit sa klaseng Panitikang Pilipino 19 ni Prof. Eugene Evasco noong tinalakay namin ang kwentong pambatang Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin na sinulat ni Bernadette Neri. Sabi ni Sir Eugene, hindi raw na-publish ang kwentong ito dahil walang mainstream publication na gustong tumanggap dahil sa “maselang” tema nito: ang isang homosekswal na pamilya.
Naisip ko, ang isang kwentong singganda ng Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin ay nararapat na mailathala at maibahagi sa nakararami. Kaya’t ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na hahanapin ko si Bernadette Neri at magpriprisinta na lang ako bilang ilustrador. Tutulungan ko siya sa abot ng makakaya ko para mabuo ang aklat na ito, indie kung indie.
Makalipas ang apat na taon, hindi ko inakalang matutupad ang isa sa mga “major” pangarap ko!
Sana makapunta kayo sa pormal na pagpapakilala sa publiko ng aming aklat, ang book launch ng Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin. Setyembre 13, 2012, 3:00-5:00 PM, sa CM Rector Hall, Bulwagang Rizal, KAL (CAL), UP Diliman.
Muli, maraming salamat kay Bernadette Neri, sa pagtitiwalang mabibigyang buhay ko ang kwento niya. Kay Sir Eugene Evasco - kayo ang dahilan ng lahat (kung hindi ko kinuha ang klase ninyo at nabasa si Ikaklit, wala naman ang lahat ng ito!) Salamat rin sa team: Siyawi, Ate Powti, at Ate Jeni. (Excited na akong makilala kayo nang personal!)
Para sa inyo, mga kaibigan at kakilala online, kung interesado kayong makakuha ng kopya ng aklat na ito, maaring mag-email sa akin sa contact@cjdesilva.com at publikasyong.twamkittens@gmail.com (Subject: IKAKLIT)! Maraming salamat muli!
Heto ang isa sa mga paborito kong spread sa aming aklat!
Independence Day Inspired Keds
When Keds Philippines asked me if I can design a pair of Keds classics for our country’s Independence Day celebration, I did not think twice. The theme is definitely close to my heart and it’s not the first time I designed a pair of shoes inspired by my passion for our country. (Back in 2003, I designed another pair of sneakers inspired by our country’s national heroes and traditions.)
So here’s my newest custom-painted pair of Keds! Not to be too deep, but when I was coming up with my concept, I thought that shoes will always come in pairs - one can exist but cannot fully function without the other. Just like revolution and freedom. In our country’s context, we needed the revolution to gain freedom, and the idea of freedom fueled our fire for a revolution.
This pair is officially on auction! There is only one pair of Keds with this design and I don’t repeat designs. It is in Women’s size 6 (but Keds’ sizes are a bit bigger than usual. I’m usually size 7 but the size 6 fits me well.)
To participate:
- Minimum bid is at PhP 1,600.
- Bids at PhP 10 denomination (example: PhP 1610 then PhP1620)
- Follow and tweet your bid to @KedsPH and @cjdesilva with the hashtag #KedsPHauction (example: “PhP1610 @KedsPH @cjdesilva #KedsPHauction”)
- Bidding starts now and ends at 11PM of June 15, 2012
- For payments, you may deposit it through PayPal or bank deposit.
- To claim your pair of Keds, I can personally meet up with you or ship it to you.
Thank you, folks and start bidding now!