Question Time

SHIP'S LOG: With hectic schedules ahead, A poses a question (or three) to readers, reflecting her feelings about blogging at the moment.

All bloggers encounter that ever-present stumbling block to consistent posting (and, one hopes, universal acclaim): Real Life. Just when I was looking forward to writing a steady stream of updates, I find out that my new semester's schedule makes it impossible to commit to anything new or vaguely interesting.

Now I'm confronted with the choice of (a) leaving you high and dry, with stagnant RSS feeds, or (b) writing as many posts as I can manage over the remainder of the holiday, to be published at regular intervals. So what say you, dear readers?

Another thing that's been worrying me is blog content. I know we started A Plus B in the Sea focusing on fashion riffs on our favourite movies and books (boy, do I miss our Play Pretend series) but lately posts have been rather random. In fact, B mentioned that we're so close to turning into a travel blog without enough Manila. That was pretty frightening, the realisation that one might have lost one's way. Ships drifting off course and all that.

Or is it? Is it losing one's way or simply finding a new one? I know, I know, 'way existential', especially after recovering from jet lag.

But seriously, what are your thoughts on the topic of evolving blog content? What do you miss about A Plus B in the Sea t-minus two years, perhaps something we can get back? What would you like to see on our blog in the future? Lifestyle (easier to write) or travel (harder) diurnals or a return to 'fashion'?

Let's go, let's go, I'm listening!

Overseas: April Day, Edinburgh

SHIP'S LOG: Snapshots of a Scottish holiday—wet, cold, yet still glorious, with a surfeit of sweets, cherry blossoms, and grave stones. 



I spent my summer hols as a human Baedeker for my siblings' first trip to Europe. Background reading—Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall (lifesaver!) and A History of Britain by Antonia Fraser—map navigating, language interpreting, currency conversion mental calculating, photo taking... you name it, I had to do it. But what FUN.

I'll likely write more detailed travel posts on No Modern Ariadne, but here are some of my favourite photos. Mostly ones on those rare sunny days.

And yes, I think we did spend too much time in old churchyards. :))

















Isn't my sister pretty?!

Post title taken from Norman MacCaig's poem, November Night, Edinburgh.

A wears clothes that weren't warm enough.

Outfits: Down in Hipstertown

SHIP'S LOG: Bloggers United 3 profits in hand, A and B find shelter from the thunderstorms in Makati's most gentrified warehouse and with bowls of piping hot ramen.

Long time no see, old friends. B and I saw each other for the first time in six months (!) last Saturday, which might explain the relative silence on the blog. Manila's a big city—11 million people and counting—but we have to get together more.

Over vegetarian bahn mi and shoyu noodle soup, we discussed fierce Filipino fashion (on sequinned and glittering display at the Bloggers United event held nearby) and bewailed brothers who take 'artsy', a.k.a. blurry,  photos. Oh, and Instagram, that infamous 1 billion dollar Facebook purchase and every twenty-something's guilty pleasure. We the iPhone-less must make do with desktop applications like Flare and Camera Bag (though pretty nifty themselves). Bandwagons, they are made for jumping on. At least until B and I get the hang of our found-or-borrowed film cameras ('But let's save that story for later,' as a Babysitters Club member would say).

A wears her sister's dress, Madewell shoes, old denim jacket. B wears thrifted jacket and dress as well as a trade-in Dooney and Bourke.

Overseas: The National Gallery

SHIP'S LOG: Here is a selection of A's favourite paintings at the National Gallery, to tide you over until A and B meet again, not unlike ships that pass in the night. By any chance, does anyone think the exhibition on Claude and Turner is worth shelling out £sd for?

A Thought-Fox

SHIP'S LOG: A loves receiving packages from far-off places. After another sleepless night, it was wonderful to find a charming ceramic fox necklace from Lou Mary Lou and Tom Holt's May Contain Traces of Magic in the post. 

I'm off to sleep (at 2 in the afternoon, haha) so you might like to read some Ted Hughes (now known primarily as the husband of Sylvia Plath, but I think he's a much better poet). Voila, "The thought-fox" from the Critical Quarterly, 1984:

THE THOUGHT-FOX

I imagine this midnight moment’s forest:
Something else is alive
Beside the clock’s loneliness
And this blank page where my fingers move.

Through the window I see no star:
Something more near
Though deeper within darkness
Is entering the loneliness:

Cold, delicately as the dark snow,
A fox’s nose touches twig, leaf;
Two eyes serve a movement, that now
And again now, and now, and now

Sets neat prints into the snow
Between trees, and warily a lame
Shadow lags by stump and in hollow
Of a body that is bold to come

Across clearings, an eye,
A widening deepening greenness,
Brilliantly, concentratedly,
Coming about its own business

Till, with a sudden sharp hot stink of fox
It enters the dark hole of the head.
The window is starless still; the clock ticks,
The page is printed.

You can read more about Ted Hughes on critic Richard Webster's site here.

So what's your favourite vulpine story? Or are you less fond of Reynard and more a fan of Puss-in-boots?

Looking Back: February

SHIP'S LOG: Snapshots from A's busy last month: heart-shaped donut meriendas, her Swiss cousins (and Nadja!), indulging in a Monopoly Deal addiction down by Kawayan Cove, and FEET. See you in April, readers. :D

Overseas: A Moonlight Movie

SHIP'S LOG: B goes dancing in the dark in Sydney's Moonlight Cinema.

Now, I'm not very geeky about a lot of things but I love me some good teenage musicals. Grease, West Side Story, Crybaby, Hairspray and even, yes, High School Musical. During low points in my life my ringtone would (unashamedly) be 'Get Your Head in the Game'. See, I don't blame you if you now feel the need to close this window and never visit this blog again.

So when my sister mentioned the outdoor moonlight cinema in Sydney I had no qualms about blowing money on that experience. And it just so happened that Grease was playing the only night we could watch. At first I balked at the fact that it was a sing-a-long version. Oh no. Cheesy karaoke style lyrics bouncing along the bottom of the screen? Butchering the coolness that is John Travolta in a pompadour and leather jacket? No, thanks. But hoping for the best, we went anyway.

Since this was as close as I will ever get to an outdoor music festival, I wanted to dress as if I was going to one. It was kind of appropriate since the crowds had to drag their own beanbags and blankets to sit on in the big empty field and wait for the show to start.

For those who don't have their own gear they rent $9 beanbags. And if you didn't think to save money by bringing your own snacks or booze, there were two silver trailers selling chips, onion rings, hotdogs, wine and beer for your convenience. The sponsors also kindly spray bug repellant all over you to keep pesky mosquitos away!

Everyone got there early to position themselves near the screen so we had to wait quite a bit for the film to start. We had so much time that I was able stuff my face with hotdogs, onion rings, chips and then take a 45 minute nap. The crowd at the moonlight cinema is pretty diverse. Mothers with their bouncy little daughters, yuppies on a double date, noisy girlfriends and even adorable old couples.

If you ever decide to go DON'T forget to bring a jacket or blanket of some kind. The old man sitting beside us was so chilly he put spare plastic bags around his feet and hands until my sister gave him our blanket.

Once the show started the crowd got pretty riled up. A cute moment was when everyone burst into a cheer when Sandy mentioned she was from Australia. :) Then when the first few words of 'Summer Lovin'' popped out everyone started singing. Even if you think singing-a-long is lame you kind of can't help but get caught up in it. And whoever made the sing-a-long version really put effort into making the graphics fun. The words kept popping up in really random ways. The hand jive even had a small instructional video in the corner.It cracked my sister and I up.

And, seriously, John Travolta. Hands down.

By the last number everyone was so into it that a bunch of people ran to the open space in front of the projector and started dancing. Until more and more people joined and you could just see this mass of figures dancing in the dark. It was pretty magical and I'm sure everyone was grinning when the lights came back on.

My brother heard two little girls talking on the way out. Keep in mind they've probably never seen Grease before.

Little Girl 1: "Oh my gosh, that movie was awesome!"

Little Girl 2: "It wasn't awesome...it was the BEST!"

My sisters poor boyfriend (who laughed at us for even watching the thing) had to suffer through us shouting songs at him all the way home. It was so much fun and if you're in Sydney you must check it out. I was just bummed out that I couldn't catch the next few shows which included Breakfast at Tiffany's, Ferris Beuller (God, I would jump to dance to the Twist and Shout number in that movie) and Top Gun. Argh!

B wears Element white top, Topshop denim shorts, thrifted boots