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.