Codswallop 2013: The resolutions, the review, the wishlist, the promises

  I always make it a point to have a bit of a review of how my year went during these times, as it is a time for reflection and all that deep stuff. This is probably my last post of the year, but I'm already gearing up for 2014! More posts about writing, social change, health, and my topsy-turvy-ness next year! Thank  you, dear Readers, for being with me on my journey. I would also like to thank the Philippine Health Bloggers Society, which has served as my inspiration and a driving force for me to keep writing. 

  And now that that's been addressed, let's get the ball rolling!  

The Resolutions: How Many 2013 Resolutions I Broke

     Last year, I made 13 resolutions that I planned on keeping for 2013. As I am not Super Woman, I wasn't able to fulfill all of them. I mean, who is really able to keep all of the New Year's Resolution one makes, right? 

     Anyway, let's see the damage.

     1.      Have more time for my family, despite my oh-so-busy schedule. This kind of happened. I was at least able to go to our annual reunion this year :)

     2.      Write more. Write fiction. Write blogposts. WriteWriteWrite! Definitly fulfilled! Dear Readers, we got to 40+ post this year! Thank you for reading my Codswallop! I also wrote some fiction, although not really as good as I want it to be. Check them out here.

     3.      Eat healthier, do more activities, and lose 20 pounds. I mean, I’ve seen myself in college: I was healthy thin! Broken! I blame stress and Erick Bernardo.

     4.      Up my activism and advocacy. Slightly fulfilled. I'm still as active as I was before, although I did resign as officer from the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates. I'm now part of several other organizations. 

     5.      Get my photo taken by a pro-photographer friend. Slightly fulfilled. He wasn't a pro, but it was a photo shoot. Even if it was just me having toast :P

     6.      Visit more places. Go out of town. Go night swimming in the beach and lay down on the sand to stare up at the night sky. Seems like a lot of things for one number but, really, they go hand in hand. Slightly fulfilled! I haven't been able to lay down on sand and stare up at the night sky. it was raining pretty hard when we were on the beach. Maybe next time :)

     7.      Get back to painting. Buy a large canvas and transform my doodles into frame-worthy artwork. Slightly fulfilled! I'm painting something that I have yet to finish but it's just on a piece of paper.

     8.      Take up my masters (Education? Women and Development?) or take up law. Broken because I'm broke.

     9.      Have the guts to send my babies (stories) out there. Have the heart to accept that I am not (yet) good enough. Broken. I have yet to write a story that I really like.

    10.  Pursue my nursing career. Get a certificate of competency from the Nursing Certification Program of the Department of Health in Public Health Nursing. Expand my horizons as a Reproductive Health Nurse. Slightly fulfilled. I now belong to the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses. I am an RH Nurse :D

    11.  Heal someone broken. Broken. Broken someone and myself in the process.

    12.  Help organize charity event. Shed sweat, blood, tears, and sleep to make it successful. Slightly fulfilled. It sure wasn't a charity event, more of resource mobilization for charity.

    13.  Touch someone’s heart. See that person/those people smile. I don't think so?

   The Review (If I haven't been fulfilling my resolutions. what the heck was I doing?)

   
   So if I had not been fulfilling my resolutions, what exactly have I been to?  

   A lot of things, as usual. Here are the highlights and lowlights of  my 2013. Warning: 

Really sappy stuff below.

  1. I was able to to out of town! Yes, because I am poor and busy, I rarely ever enjoy the splendor of being away from my usual routine and into something different. This year, I went to Tagaytay (which is really close) and also to Iba, Zambales (which took 6 freaking hours one way). The Iba R&R was only for a couple of days, but the trip itself was wonderful, and the time we spent surviving the suicidal waves of Iba's beach was nothing short of awesome.

Not the most flattering of pictures, but who cares? I was next to the beach, with suicidal waves!

   2. I did NGO work and went fulltime as a safe, satisfying sex advocate and trained under one awesome lady.

   3. We launched the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses and the Philippine Health Bloggers Society.

PSORHN's Foundation Course attendees

   

PHBS at iBlog9

   4. I was able to train as one of the Emerging Youth Leaders for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.  

With other EYLs. Thank you, guys, for attempting to murder me during our photo shoot. Photo by Pareng Alvin Bernardo.

   5. I was able to participate in the Million People March in the wake of the PDAF scandal.

A group of protesters at the Luneta Park. Behind them, the iconic Manila Hotel.

   6. I left the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates as an officer.

  7. I broke someone's heart (and broke my own in the process). But I believe he is happier than he ever was with me, and I'm glad. And me? Let's just say that I have yet to learn what Tina Siuagan, Likes Manglal-lan, Ruth Allen Braga and several other more  experienced ladies have tried to teach me... I should write a blog post about that.

   8.  I lost friends. 

   9. ...And found and loved new ones (even if, technically, I found some of you before 2013). Thank you: Likes (we've been brought together by what should have torn other girls apart - our crushes on really hawt writers); Ate Joanne (for listening to my stupid love stories, which is solid proof that I should stick to telling tales about man-eating mermaids); Yzak (for the infuriating emoticons -_-, etc.); Julius (for the memories); Ma'am Ria (for being one of my inspirations, for believing in me, for being our older sister, and for being a true Super Woman); my PSORHN-mates for being awesome advocates; my PHBS co-members, especially Ate Grace , for helping me become a better blogger; my bhebhes: Drei, Erick, Raim, Anthony (even though I see you once in a blue moon);Joey-baby-bear (for being the cuddliest, most scheming mentor evah) ; my one and only Kuya Dave (for being a true Gryffindor. I love you); and Sir A (for teaching me magnanimity among other things). People. I fucking love you (not the other way around, you pervs -_-). Please don't disappear in 2014.

10. I still have my best friend Krissy after all these years. And we kick zombie butt well together. I also still have my other best friend, Sayori (why the hell do we NOT have pictures?) 

BIYBF! (But I'm Your Best Friend!)

    11. I am part of the youth steering committee for the Asia Pacific Conference for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APCSRHR, dubbed as "apcrasher". The conference is on January 2014! See you fellow SRHR advocates =3




    12. I was able to post in my blog every month! Hurrah! ^_^ Thank you, dear readers, for reading my stuff. ^_^


   The Wishlist (coz it's the Holidays)

    1. An owl plushie. 

Isn't it CUTE?

   2. Books (of course!), specifically the Hunger Games series, the Game of Thrones series, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, and a bunch of new stuff from Filipino writers, please. You can also get me Manila Noir, Demons of the New Year, The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction, and any Visprint-published stuff.
   3. An SLR camera.
   4. The opportunity to go back to school and study.
   5. A/more trip/s out of town.
   6. A charity event I can help out in. 
   7. A decent Filipino horror movie.
   8. More raket. 
   9. Change.
   10. These really cool stuff for book lovers. 
   11. Arts and craft stuff. Acrylic paints. Paint brush. Canvas. I recently acquired a canvas bag and I would like to make it one of my little projects this year.
   12. Paper lashes. Although I think I can make my own :P

Delicate and beautiful, paper lashes are actually kind of a luxury item.

   13. Accessories. YES! I've developed a penchant for weird accessories over the last few months.  
    I recently acquired a couple of dragon ear cuffs and a snake one. I was born on the Year of the Dragon and I have a pet snake so I thought that would be appropriate.

Here are some of the stuff I already have.

Here are some of the stuff that I want: mermaid ear cuff, nail and gladiator rings, and dream catcher earrings.

  

So as to not sound ungrateful, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the people who dished out stuff for material things to give me. Thank you to the following: Darion, for an Anne Rice book about werewolves; Krissy, for the teddy bear; My brother and sister-in-law for a different kind of book - one filled with lovely eye shadows from ELF; my office mates for the accessories and key chain; Raim for the incense to ward off bad vibes; Joey, for the cute blue house key chain pasalubong; Sir A, for the watch; Sayori for coming home for the holidays and the accessories; and lastly, the people who gave me money, without which I wouldn't have been able to buy this miraculous little potion called Physiogel.

     Thank you! <3 comment-3--="">

Special mention to Krissy, the first guy who gave me a teddy bear! ^_^ This little guy's name is Duesberg.



As of December 29, 2013:

Kahit wala na yung mga nasa taas. 'Eto nalang:

The health and happiness of my precious ones.

 

  

   The Promise(s)

     For my 2012 end-of-year post, I wrote down 13 promises I hoped to fulfill this year. To be blunt, it wasn't effective, so this year, I'll make it simpler for myself and write just one promise. Here it is:

I promise to live my life to the fullest, which means I shall live a healthy life because I deserve it, I shall not be afraid to try and learn new things, and I shall love others and myself without expectation and condition.

I hope you had a good 2013. Happy New Year, everyone. I'm looking forward to 2014 with you. 

^_^ 

A/N: I have been writing this post even since mid December, and there have been several things that happened since then. This is one of the most significant: Right now, one of the friends I've mentioned in this blog post, Ate Joanne Oliveros, is recuperating from surgery. If you're one of my friends who believe in God, then please pray for her. Regardless if you're a believer or not, I hope to ask for your assistance. Ate Joanne is in for a long recovery and she needs all the help she can get.

Let us start the New Year right, everyone. Time and people are precious, after all.
 

Catharsis: An Insight to Grief

Please excuse me. I know I have pending posts that I'm supposed to have written first, but you see, dear Reader, my December 29 has been quite devastating. I need to write about it. I am not ashamed to admit that I've spent my day sleeping, forcing myself to eat for sustenance's sake, being completely out of it, and generally crying. So please excuse me. This is a cathartic exercise, written for my sake more than for anyone else's.

For a while now, I have been going through a phase almost akin to depression. Clinical studies show that depression happens because of (1) major life changes such as changing schools and leaving home and (2) losing something/someone important, such as when an important person dies or you go through a divorce. 

Clinically speaking, I should not be depressed. I have a good job and a bit of extra writing work which I love. I can buy things for myself although not anything fancy.  I was able to give my precious ones something this holiday and that makes me happy. I have this blog to feed my thoughts into. I have good friends both in and out of my advocacy. Granted, I lost my ex boyfriend, but I believe he is happy and that is enough for me to stop questioning my decision to let go and to stop asking the "What if"s.

The clinical researches are right, though. Today, I have lost one person. My great aunt Espie succumbed to renal failure after fighting for years. 

When I was in high school, we had a project in Sociology. We were supposed to immerse ourselves in a different culture and talk about how government works. We stayed at my Auntie Espie's place in Cavite. She cooked for us and accommodated us in their home. It was a weekend well spent and my classmates and I had a good time doing our project. She was a very warm woman. And now she's gone. I suppose it's selfish to keep her when she was obviously suffering. In some ways, I'm glad it's over and that she is no longer hurting. That does not take away the pain though. We went to Auntie Espie's wake and I had no choice but to miss out on Ate Bebang's wedding.

I received the message about Aunt Espie's death after having come from Perpetual Hospital in Las Pinas. Earlier today, I received a message from a friend regarding a fellow advocate, Ate Joanne. She has been admitted to the ICU. And I can't do anything except hold her hand and tell her we'll go boy hunting and search for true love when she gets better. The feeling of worthlessness is heavy.

The feeling of worthlessness is also the cause of my depression. People, I believe, are only truly real if they have a defined purpose. I believe I do. But for the one person who I feel for more than others, I feel purposeless and thus dispensable. You see, I know where I stand, and it is upon nothing. No wonder I can't even make this person happy. I only wish for this person to find happiness, even if it's not with me. That doesn't mean my heart is not breaking, however...

More than a hundred sunsets

marks the time of which your name escapes my lips -

like a whisper of the winds,

spells upon sand,

and hopes cast into the waves,

so that perhaps the universe can hear

of my deep affections for you.

To see you smile,

I would take the stars from heaven

and lay them at your feet.

But I have no wings to fly

and only have my heart to offer.

It's heart breaking that what I want is something you can't give - a place in your world, and maybe just a little place in your heart.

I want to tantalize you with my intellect, and may be show you that I'm more than an outspoken woman. But that doesn't happen. I don't think you even listen. Maybe I'm stupid to you.

I want to take you to meet my loved ones because I am utterly proud of you, even as just my friend, but that has never happen and I don't think you'll ever want me to meet yours. I think you lied to me when, once upon a time, I asked you if you're bothered by being seen with me. So I made sure that people knew what I am to you exactly - nothing. I kept away and answered questions about our connection as something amiable but distant. If you did not want to be associated with me for whatever reason, I understand.

But then again, I am nothing more than a convenience and a hobby you can pick up. Something to play with because I am willing, because I happen to hope to be more than that, because I happen to hope to make you happy.

It's New Year's Eve, and there are just so many things to do. I have a couple of talks coming up on February, my Final Coaching programme to launch on the 2nd, an international event I'm helping organize, I have my advocacy work, my friends and family to care for. Yet, all I want is to grieve alone.

Grief is selfish, but I'm sorry. Perhaps selfishness is exactly what I need, even just for a little bit. I just need a bit of time to cry. Will you wait for me, Reader? I promise not to do anything stupid. I promise to be back to my old self as soon as I can... But for now, I just need to weep for the things I've lost, for the love I'm losing, and for the mortality of those who I believe to be precious.

Wrapping Papers and Writing (Why Blogging About Health can be as Sari-Saring Kalamay as Possible)

Codswallop means nonsense, and I chose this name for my blog because when I started writing, I knew that I would never be confined to just one topic, that this blog is meant to be a combination of all things I feel strongly for. 

Codswallop is a niche-less blog, which is probably why it's not popular. Or perhaps people just don't enjoy my writing? I honestly don't care much (but thank you, dear Reader for staying through my insane ranting...much love!). I write because I have something to say and because I don't I will literally turn psycho. That is enough for me. Despite being niche-less, I tend to focus on several topics that I hold close to my heart: advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights, women empowerment, and social and political trends and change. Occasionally, though, you'll find that I've gone insane and I've written about make-up and the arts (literature, my short stories, craft and the like). If I've really gone over the edge, I'd probably post something about my love life (or the lack thereof). Hey, it's my blog.

I've been blogging for four years, but have only seriously done it for 2 years. I've been writing since I realized that you don't become a writer - you work your arse to be one. That was when I was in Grade 4, about 15 years ago (damn I'm old). This post is merely to share my insights about writing.

Here are a few points:

1. There are no original stories, only original angles.This is something I've learned from attending several writing workshops. Whether the kind of writing I'm learning is literary or journalistic, this always comes up. The story you're writing is the same story another writing is writing. The plot you've thought of might have been used already. Just think of the parallels of The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. And if you're covering a story, you can be sure that someone else is covering it as well. When it gets published, it's quite possible that what you've written mirrors what somebody else has. 


There are no original stories. In literature, we try and go around this little unpleasantness by turning to a plot-driven and/or character-driven technique. The way a character reacts to a kaskas plot makes the story more interesting. For instance, a husband and wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a typical story. We've seen it a thousand times. A man and a mananaggal wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a different story all together. And then of course there is putting a spin to an old plot by devising some sort of twist in the end. 

So how do we make an unoriginal story our own? By attacking it in a different angle. We see this in many feature stories. If, for instance, we're writing about Lito Atienza's contraceptive ban in Manila, we will probably find stories containing the 5Ws and 1H - a typical straight news. We will also probably find a story of a woman with 9 children who doesn't want to have more but is once again pregnant because she can't afford to buy a condom. Same story, different angle.

2. Health is an interdependent issue. As a nurse, this is something I know in theory and practice to be true. Nurses are everywhere, and those who believe that we are only meant for the hospital are in serious need of a re-education. Health is so intertwined with the many aspects of human life that to talk about health effectively, you must be willing to touch those which affect it.

Last year, I was lucky to have been part of the volunteer team of the Forum for Family Planning Development. The Forum staged a play at Greenhills called The Vagina Monologue (in Filipino). This play is well known all over the world. The play told different stories of vaginas, but ultimately pinpointed the disgust, the hesitation, the the refusal of saying the word vagina and talking about the issues connected to it. This is in particular importance because in the world of sexual and reproductive health and rights, patient education is one of the most important elements. Unfortunately, in a culture which propagates malice in uttering names of body parts related to sex, patient education becomes ineffective.

This year, I was lucky enough to have finished a 9-week course on AIDS. The first three weeks were hardcore science, but we eventually came to lessons on changing ideologies and action as a form of preventive measure against HIV. One of the things we discussed was Scenarios from Africa, a group which makes films. Yes, I was taking an AIDS course and we talked about film making. We even watched some and wrote reflections on it. The films made by Scenarios from Africa relate to the many aspects of HIV/AIS - from preventive actions to surviving the disease psychologically. You see, tapping the arts is quite important in information dissemination and health.

 If you're interested in reading more about what I learned from the AIDS course, you can also check up my write-ups here, here, and here. The second link will lead you to our discussion on Scenarios from Africa.

I have always been vocal about my criticisms regarding various religion. This is because religion has got its hands deep in the culture of a society - which means it affects the way of thinking of people, specifically by the ruling class, the legislators, the executive power. This is true particularlyin the Philippines. The RH Bill was dragged through congress for 16 years, contraceptive budget was all but abolished in Arroyo's time (Arroyo is a well-known ally of the CBCP), and now the RH Law is still under Status Quo Ante due to roughly 16 petitions, most of which filed by religious groups.

Kenneth Keng of Filipino Freethinkers in a bishop outfit. This satirical protest is both about secularism and the RH Law.

Literature is one of the driving forces of society. Don't believe me? Just how many kids have read the Harry Potter series? On the other end of the pole, just how many hormonal 13 year olds have read Twilight (excuse me while I suppress a shudder)? I am a fan of Filipino literature an, and if you rummage around my little Codswallop, you'll find some reviews of local books which I love. Recently, I wrote a review for Wakasang Wasak, which is a collection of novellas. One of the stories there puts emphasis on secularism and the RH Law. Talk about a badass social commentary.

When I was in high school and college, I went through what adults would call "period of teenage angst". I was a complete emotional wreck and parasuewed up suicidal stuff wasn't far from the surface of my head (along with pathophysiology of heart diseases and the suspicion that God had a screwed up sense of pretty). I turned to art: painting, doing stuff with my hands, beading, writing. It saved me from spiraling into complete depression. 

During my 4th year, I took up Mental Health Nursing and was quite lucky to go on duty at ethe Philippine Center for Mental Health. One of the first things we did with our patients was to give them paper and crayons. Apparently art therapy is pretty damn real. (So excuse me if I post gift wrapping stuff here. That is apparently a healthy thing to do. It keeps me mentally fit, which, according to the WHO is part of being healthy.)

Below is a picture of one of the paintings I did when  was in 4th year. It's Charles Mason inspired, with lots of rage and teenage agony in between. Mom had me throw it away because it looked demonic, according to her. Given the emotions I pulled it out from, I don't blame her for seeing it that way. Still, I'm quite glad I made it. It's called Eve.

 

3. Monotony is codswallop. If we're all going to write about the same thing, using the same style, the same language, and the same angle, then we, as writers, are destroying creativity. We don't need to exist as writers, only as someone who mimics the ideas of one main source. 

To fail to seek how to creatively tell the same stories - that, to me, is nonsense if you dare to call yourself a writer.

Keel blogging everyone.

Wakasang Wasak: Horror, Tentacle Porn, and Badass Social Commentary

Some people would call him vain. The nicer ones would refer to his social media antics as "strongly opinionated" whereas others would just say he is "panira ng trip". One thing is for sure: Siege Malvar has got to be one of the bitchiest persons in my Facebook friends list.  I love him.

Siege Malvar is also the author of one of the books I've enjoyed most this year. A definite jump from his previous books, Wakasang Wasak is, much like Sir Siege himself, a dare to what is conventionally defined as good literature. I think literary purist would frown upon his tabloid-style literature. I think he makes it a point to piss off a lot of people just because it's fun. He certainly stepped on a lot of toes, particularly when he killed off a sparkly pedophile vampire in one of the bonus stories. I could almost here the fan girls screaming.

Wakasang Wasak is a collection of three novellas focusing on three lady protagonists who are, in their own right, strong women. One is a woman of the world, a successful, beautiful woman who can't seem to find true love outside the many good (and not-so-good) lays she's having (Kama ni Stella). Another is a probinsyana-turned- call center girl who is determined to win her town's most prestigious pageant (Mutya ng San Isidro). And of course there's the character that I really love - the demon arse-kicking, sparkly-vampire-killing witch (Where Angels Fear to Dance).To top it all off, the genre is horror. You can see why I've gone gaga about this. 

WARNING! There may be spoilers.

Kama ni Stella makes me want to read Lovecraft. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have yet to be introduced to the Mythos (yet I have the gall to call myself a horror fan - somebody give me a Lovecraft book!). Kama ni Stella tells of a story of an independent, beautiful, strong-willed woman who - surprise - has difficulty finding true love. Of course, there's the occasional romp in the haystack, but after the sex, she gets left behind. Sounds familiar? The story also touches on the delicate issue of rape. Then, of course, there are the more titillating aspects of the story, such as tentacle porn. Not familiar with it? Google and...erm... enjoy, if you're in to those stuff, 

My favorite in the collection is Mutya ng San Isidro. Don't get me wrong. I'm no pageant junkie. When Philippine reps kept landing on the op spots of international beauty contest, I thought it was cool, then immediately turned my attention to what I thought were more progressive thoughts... like the lunch menu. Mutya ng San isidro is not your typical beauty pageant story, however. Written with a biting humor and an unapologetic the penchant for cuss, this novella tells of a probinsyana who asks her fabulous baklang best friend to help her train for the most prestigious beauty contest in her home town. And so comes the bitchy/witty side comments about goody-goody pageant rival, the tormenting practice of how to walk in high heels, the occasional lusting-over-that-hot-probinsyano-boy moments, and a bit of discussion about the cult of the Flying Spaghetti monster. And of course there's the mystery of why some people in town are very much against their daughters entering the contest to be the town's next Mutya. 

Mutya ng San Isidro is a nod to Stephen King's common theme of the horrors of a small town. It also touches heavily on the issues of superstitious beliefs (which we Filipinos are quite prone to) as well as secularism and some religion's obvious interference with Philippine governance. I think it's these issues that make Mutya ng San Isidro terrifying - that superstitious beliefs can have such a hold in a person (or in a town, in this case) that it can affect the lives of people - or the lack thereof. Quite fitting, since something like this is still happening today in what is supposedly a sane, logical society.

If you're into reading about a girl kick arse both with her fists and with magic, then you'd probably enjoy Where Angels Fear to Dance. Our protaginist here is kind of klike Alexanda Trese, except with a great deal more bitchiness. Where Angels Fear to Dance has a great deal of magic and action, plus some celestial orgasm. It also pokes fun at some of pop culture's more dubious 2013 creations, such as Gangnam Style. 

For many people, Wakasang Wasak may be a joke. I think it partially is. After all, jokes are always funny and I've spent quite a lot of time laughing at the characters' interactions and how the author wove the story into life (and in all the most inappropriate places as well - like the van from Ayala to Paranaque). I have also been intensely terrified by the reflection of the real world intertwined with man-eating beds and gays lusting over hot men. The fear of empowered women, the intervention of religion on politics and legislation, the power of superstition, especially on uneducated people, and a peak at the industry which capitalizes on women's desire to complement what society thinks is beautiful. 

It is the writing style and the themes of the book which makes Wakasang Wasak something to take seriously - while having a good laugh at the same time. 

P.S.: I would have taken a photo of me reading it, but I can't find my damned book T_T

Something Silly: Effie Trinket-Inspired Make-Up Experiment

 

A few weeks ago, I met up with some of my advocacy friends Sir Alvin, Kuya Dave, and Raim, for a meeting, but just like any advocacy meeting, we started out with some fun first. We watched the first half of The Hunger Games (the first movie), mainly for my benefit, because I have yet to see it. 

We ended up with a dare: I do Effie Trinket's make-up look and Raim will give me PHP300.00. He said he's raise it to PHP500.00 if he sees creativity. Because I really want to raise the money (and because I don't know when to say no to a dare), I accepted. The money would be of great help because I've been trying to raise funds to donate to Yolanda survivors. 

(By the way, people, I'm still SELLING MY BOOKS! Shameless advertising time!)

The make-up itself is pretty simple - white face and lots of pink. The tricky part is the lips. In the movie, Effie's lips are much smaller than her real ones. A little concealer did the trick. Here are some pictures of the prep: 

The first things I did was to clean my face, moisturize and block my eye brows. Yes, people, that is Elmer's Glue Stick I'm holding, and yes I'm putting that over my brows. In the pictures, Effie has very light eye brows, and since I have full, dark brows, blocking them before applying concealer/foundation makes life easier. Excuse the harassed looking face.

As for the face, the aim is to make it as white as possible. I did this by using my cream concealer as foundation. I then set it with my regular face powder then used a kabuki brush to buff it in. 

For the eyes, which are a deep pink color, I first used a cream-based make-up as base, then followed it with a combination of a purple and hot pink eye shadow. I simply swept everything on my lids. If you don't have a cream-based make-up, whip out your pink lipstick and dab some on your peepers.

The lips were a bit of a challenge. After erasing my natural lip color with concealer, I used a pink lip pencil to sketch the shape I wanted - which meant small, almost pouty. I used the pinkest lipstick I could find and dusted it with the same purple-pink eye shadow combination earlier. I cleaned the edge of the lips with concealer.

The last thing I did was to put on false lashes. In the picture, Effie is wearing these gorgeous paper lashes which I would really want to get my hands on. Unfortunately they cost 12.5 pounds, WITHOUT shipping fee. (If you want to give me a gift, a pair of those falsies would be amazing!) So I decided to make my own simple ones. I got a pair of falsies at ATC last week. They cost me PHP80.00. Not bad, right? To make it more interesting, I sketched out a couple of butterflies on black paper, cut these out using an ordinary cutter, then glued them to the lashes.

I ended up with this: 

Not bad, if I say so myself. 

The only problem with this look is that I didn't have a wig, so it's not complete, really. I do have some kind of flower but I didn't use it. I ended up with this as the complete look: 

Not really an exact copy, but the idea is to be inspired by the make-up, not copy it. I guess I should have contoured a bit - after all, Effie has a narrower nose than I do. And next time I should have more props, like a costume and a wig, But it was fun doing this. In fact, it was so much fun that I made a video afterwards. I'm no longer posting that though. I get allergic when I see my face on my blog too much. 

I'd also have to admit that I look silly, sporting this look. In fact, it would take a lot more persuasion if I am dared to wear this look in public. But looking silly is a small thing compared to the cause. What does it take to put on make up? Not much, just time and a bit of patience. What does it take to extend your hands to help? Nothing much, just compassion. I'd like to do something more, if I can, to help those who have so little, simply because I have so much more than they do right now. 

Those who survive  Yolanda may have lived through the storm, but they are still in need of assistance. Right now they are slowly getting back on their feet, but hundreds, if not thousands, are still in need of any help they can get. Let us not stop our efforts. 

Happy holidays, everyone. I hope you enjoyed my silly little look as much as I did putting it together.