Did you see the paperclip in Ratatouille?

It was in the scene where the rats were having a party, celebrating Remy's return to the colony. The camera panned across a group of rats making music and there it was, a silver paperclip held and used like a musical instrument by one of the happy, partying rats. Here's the interesting trivia bit: in France, a paperclip is called a trombone, and of course, the movie is set in Paris. How cool is that? (I love all the layers in this movie. Right, Yelley?)

Go and watch if you haven't yet - and make sure you catch the trailers to see Lifted, the hilarious Pixar short film. I love Ratatouille though (the movie and the dish!) - it's a classic you-can-be-who-you-want-to-be tale for idealists like me.

Je voudrais aller a Paris. Peut-etre je vais decouvrir beaucoup de trombones avec les points violet.

Yellow, Purple and Fjupy in San Diego

Wow, it seems that there are yellow-and-purple flowers anywhere I go! I took this while walking in downtown San Diego, on the way to Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues with my two best friends from high school.

When I asked Julia and Trixy to help me pray that 2007 be an Extraordinary Year for me, I didn't think that I would be blessed with a Fjupy Reunion! (Yes, God always does exceed our expectations.) It has been ten years since our high school graduation and two since our last get-together, but spending time with them negates all the time and distance we ever spent apart. These two are my fjupy womyn forever and I know we'll be friends until the very end (and longer), our husbands will be friends (John and Ade already are!) and our children will be friends too (will they also be the Bimbo-Bitch-Brain or the Lover-Lunatic-Poet trio?) - now that's something to look forward to.

Part of the Fjupy Friendship is our archive: part journal, part time capsule, part scrapbook; a companion between the three of us, recording our experiences and random thoughts. We've had three archives between us since our high school days and I brought a new purple archive with me to keep the tradition alive. We had the unveiling of the archive at our favorite Starbucks in San Diego. We only had two days together but we all had a great time (as these photos clearly show; thanks again, Ade, for being our official photographer!), including fjupy conversation about being Third Culture Kids and how our lives are forever changed because we're TCKs. (And thank you, Julia, for telling me about the cool TCK book! This deserves another blogpost for sure.)

Now in relation to my story, you may remember a character named Julia who uses the paperclip to bookmark her favorite prayer (and yes, Psalm 37:4 really is my favorite prayer). This character embodies both fjupy womyn as Julia and Trixy have been instrumental in strengthening my faith and prayer life back in our high school days. We had a lot of fjupy talks on big fjupy life-topics such as God, love and our futures. I'm not sure how many other 18-year-olds had deep-and-meaningful conversations like ours, but I always knew we were a little different and out-of-place ("in a world of silver paperclips"... hee-hee). Oh, and Viktor who flew the paper airplane is named after Julia's younger brother.

I can't wait until the next fjupy reunion...

Note: Fjupy (pronounced as "fyoo-pee") is a Swedish-like word we coined up to mean... well, everything! It can mean whatever we want it to mean, but usually it means deep-and-personal, pure, great, amazing; an adjective for those wow-I'm-speechless moments; a catch-all word to describe what Levin (my all-time favorite character from a Russian novel) meant when he said "words desecrate the loftiness of emotions" in Anna Karenina. (Yes, if you haven't guessed yet, I'm the Brain in the trio.) Levin is fjupy. YPC is fjupy. Love is fjupy.

Yellow and Purple Chihuly at The Phipps Conservatory

I don't know if I'm making a big deal out of seeing yellow-and-purple patterns all around... but seriously: it seems like a lot of people like this color combination too! (Yes, I am not alone.)

My last night in Pittsburgh was spent at the Phipps Conservatory, in awe at Dale Chihuly's amazing creations. It didn't bother me that I was alone (and spent nearly $25 on cab fare going to and from the hotel) - I am just so happy that the folks at DDI told me about this exhibit. There I was like a happy, lost kid, armed with my trusty hand-me-down Nikon Coolpix (nearly 200 shots in 2 hours!), absorbing all those vibrant and yummy colors, swirls, and light. Words can't explain how amazed I seriously was; I was teary-eyed at some (maybe because the small pieces, like this purple-and-yellow vase, cost nearly $6,000!), giddy with disbelief at others (how did he do that?!; but for the most part, I felt like I was in one happy dream.


I've never seen art quite like this and I'm glad I was able to capture some of them. These are my favorite yellow and/or purple pieces, but I've put up more of my favorite shots in my (yikes-I'm-such-an-newbie-phlogger) photo blog Elsewhere for you to enjoy.

Dale Chihuly now ranks high up there with my favorite artists like Vincent Van Gogh, Rene Magritte, Georgia O'Keefe, Gustav Klimt and May Ann Licudine. Chihuly at Phipps: Gardens & Glass runs until November 11, 2007 so if you're anywhere near Pittsburgh, you shouldn't miss it!

Where in the World is the Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots?

If my tracking is up-to-date, my Yellow Paperclip has visited at least 17 countries in the last two years. How cool is that? But that's actually only 7% of the world. If you have my book (or if you've sent it out to friends around the world) and your country isn't tagged yet, do let me know so I can update this map.


Click here to create your own Visited Countries Map

I love this site - it's so reminiscent of my growing up years with Carmen San Diego and oh-so-TCK. Thanks to my cyberlaundrywoman friend for sharing this. Hopefully, the Yellow Paperclip will find its way to more countries and continents soon.

A Project and A Song

Imagine life like this
we live as if we're paperclips
Oh it never seemed so clear to me
why our lives could be so separated like paper sheets
piece by piece we put together
and hold as one to make one big bind.
One big bind.

I wonder how many songs there are about paperclips... but this is the first one I've heard. And I love it. Click here to listen.

The more interesting thing is how I came across it. Check out this blog I stumbled upon. I'm just so thrilled to hear there are more people out there getting fascinated by the paperclip. At least I know I'm not that strange. :-) But I'm even happier that worlds continue to collide. Thanks, Jayvee and Jun for sharing my story with Guitarchic!

Welcome to the USA

What a sweet welcome to jumpstart my short U.S. trip - a bright red paperclip said hello as soon as I stepped out of the plane from my NW72 Nagoya-Detroit flight yesterday afternoon.

I'm here for a short trip: 5 days in Pittsburgh for DDI's annual International Marketing Meeting and 3 days in California to see the fjupy womyn in San Diego and Ursula in LA. I wonder what other paperclips will greet me here... aside from the striped ones I used to "lock" my suitcase. (My brother, Alec: "Um, you're funny, `Ki... you have paperclips on your bag.")

PS. I know, I know... I have so much blog backlog... it's not funny anymore.
PPS. Hi Don, nag-blog na ako ulit ha! ;-) Kahit short and sweet lang muna...

They Yellow Paperclip in Enzo's Birthday Loot Bag

I can't believe it has been a year since I held newborn Enzo in my arms (read more about Enzo HERE). We celebrated his first birthday at Jollibee and I was thrilled when Rhea told me she wanted to include my book in the kids' loot bags.

My paperclip had a great time surrounded by kids, toys, sweets and Chicken Joy! Here are some snapshots from yesterday's party: there's Mommy Rhea and Baby Enzo, me with friendly Jollibee, and a group shot (look for Becca who is all grown up now!).

Here's the Yellow Paperclip with my officemate's kids - with Ron's four-year old brother and with Janet's nephew Marvin. Sweet! Thank you, Mommy Rhea!

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to Seoul

It was a cross between Amazing Race and Lost in Translation as I made my way to Seoul on a solo adventure on a rainy Wednesday morning. A kind Rotarian brought me to the bus station in Cheongju City, helped me buy my ticket, waited until I boarded the bus... and even waved goodbye from the terminal!

I spent the afternoon checking out hotels for upcoming events in Seoul and shopping in the famous Nam Dae Mun market... all alone except for the essentials: some Won, an umbrella, my trusty Crocs, and a Lonely Planet Korean phrasebook! That evening, I met up with Jeda Kim, an old friend from AdMU, and my colleague Stephanie Nam for a delicious dinner in Yoido, in the heart of Korea's Manhattan-like district.

The rest of the evening was spent walking around the University Belt. Stephanie and I went to Cafe Eros, her favorite fortune teller cafe (my destiny is exciting... ;-) I can't wait for the rest of my life!), and three other cafes before we called it quits at nearly 5 in the morning! By the time I got into a cab, sleepy and tipsy, the sky was fast changing color. I crashed on the hotel bed with the sunrise on my face... What a memorable Sleepless in Seoul adventure! Kamsa hamnida!

Yellow and Purple Flowers in Korea

As promised, here are a few of my favorite photos of yellow and purple flowers. There will be more as the days and weeks go by...

I made sure I placed my "wishing rocks" near a bunch of yellow wildflowers. We were told that wishes come true when rocks are stacked up and placed along the riverbank. I tried to find the most heart-shaped rock I could find. Hee-hee.

I love it how Mama Mary looks Korean! I took this photo after our first Sunday Mass in Okcheong City. And of course I love it how the flowers in the pots are yellow and purple!

This is one of my favorite macro-shots. There are so many purple flowers here in Korea but somehow, they all still draw me in.

A Purple/Pora Hanbok Just for Me

Greetings from Jincheon City! I got to wear a pora (or purple) hanbok, the traditional Korean dress in Cheongju City last week. Isn't it pretty? I saw it in the hanbok store when we walked in and fell in love with the hand-embroidered butterflies and the purple ribbon. I mentioned that my favorite color is purple and I got to wear it! I think I could pass for a Korean girl?

There are so many beautiful yellow and purple flowers here that I've been taking close-up shots left and right. With all the flowers, food and sights, I have a total of over 700 photos in just six days. Will my 2GB memory card be enough? Will I be able to choose a few as my favorite shots? Will I ever tire of taking shots of yellow and purple flowers? (Wait for the flowers in my next post... or should I start another blog just for my Korean adventures?)

A Month in the Life

In less than ten hours, I'll be on a plane heading to South Korea for a four-week exchange program with the Rotary Foundation. Together with two others, I was chosen to be a member of the Group Study Exchange (GSE) Outbound Team to Chungcheongbuk-do (approximately two hours south of Seoul). I look forward to being some kind of ambassador for RI District 3830, the Rotary Club of Makati North, DDI and the Philippines itself.

I'll have intermittent access to email but should be able to check messages at least every other day (... I wonder if I'll ever have time to blog?). I'll also be getting a Korean mobile phone so don't fret if I don't reply to messages you send to my Smart account. As Bing bid me farewell last Friday, she exclaimed: "You'll be a changed woman by June!" We'll see just how big a purple spot the GSE will turn out to be... Until then, annyonghi kyeseyo!

A Picture Book for Papa

Thanks to iPhoto, I was able to make a picture book for my dad's 60th birthday. It's my first print-on-demand book (courtesy of Picture Books) and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. My dad has been taking photographs ever since I can remember and one of his favorite subjects is the humble (and often lonely) bicycle. One of the earliest shots is this bicycle in Amsterdam in 1981. I collected several photos (I love it how he has a hard drive just for his photos... and even a folder specifically for all of his bicycle shots!) and counted exactly sixty bikes (some photos had more than one in them!), worked on the layout on iPhoto (I love how Macs are so intuitive and foolproof!), and sent them over for printing. Best of all, Papa is well pleased with the book.

Remember how I said it's now my personal mission to help others realize their dreams? Papa has always wanted to have his own photo exhibit, and a portfolio is a first step. This book 60 Bicycles can serve as his portfolio. Other possible book projects: 60 Doors, 60 Patterns, 60 Shots of Nikki... Happy 60th birthday, Papa! I love you very mucho!

PS. While I'm happy with the quality of the printing and binding, I was so upset with the delay, considering I gave my photos in two weeks in advance. It was unnecessary stress! So if you want to make picture book through them, just make sure you don't have a super tight deadline. (But, plus points for them though: they replied to my I'm-an-unhappy-customer email and gave me a 15% discount.)

One Step Closer to Another Big (and Shared) Dream

I beat the official deadline by an hour and 58 minutes. At 10:02 PM tonight, I clicked "SEND" to an email I sent to the Board of Judges of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Attached were my scanned official forms, my resume and of course, a copy of my story. But I really should say our story, or even better, his story.

I have always dreamed of submitting an entry to the Palanca Awards (okay, another tick on my checklist!), but my friend has always dreamed of having his own children's storybook. I find myself drawn to helping other people realize their dreams (yes, it's pay-it-forward time), so when I found out last year, I told him to join the upcoming PBBY-Salanga and the Palanca Awards. He felt stuck and didn't know where to begin; I really wanted to help so it was but natural for me to volunteer and write a story for and with him.

The result is a collaborative story: one I wrote with a lot of inspiration and guidance from my friend, with the help of YM messages, Skype calls, email and SMS exchanges. It's the first time I collaborated with someone to write a story and it was a very good experience. I'm happy with how the story turned out. We submitted it to the 2007 PBBY-Salanga Prize last year but unfortunately, it did not make it. We'll see if the stars are aligned to get us the Palanca Award... and sending it out is a big step closer to our dream! It must be the craziest, fastest-and-most-furious time in my life right now (get this: editing a book on leaders, running after a big sales prospect, managing a regional project, preparing for an upcoming four-week trip to Korea, getting ready for my dad's big 60th birthday... whew!), but I'm really happy I took time out to do this. Once again, it's the most perfect time to quote one of my most favorite quotes of all time: Dreams mean work. (It's the last line in Coelho's By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept and has been my YM status message for the last few weeks.)

As much as I want to go public, I can't quite disclose the subject, plot and the name of my friend just yet. We'll have to wait until the results are out on September 1st. When we hear the great news then, we'll definitely celebrate with a bang!

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to Portugal

What a nice surprise in my inbox today from Susana, a good friend of May Ann:

Hi Nikki! I don't know if you remember us: we are the twins from Lisbon, Portugal. We commented in your blog a couple of weeks ago. As promised, here is the picture of the two of us holding your/May Ann's fantastic book. We wish you all the best and hope to see many more books from you!

P.S. Oh, and I forgot to say: in the picture, Patricia is wearing the white shirt and I am wearing the brown one.

I'm so happy the Yellow Paperclip found its way to Portugal, but even happier that it has made twin friends. Here's hoping for more books too!

Easter's Yellow and Purple Spots

My countdown to Easter was spent at The Karis retreat house, a beautiful sacred space in cool Tagaytay, at my second Jesuit silent Holy Week retreat. I had four days to sloooooooow down, rest, refresh my weary self and relish in God's Silence... and yes, to appreciate His yellow and purple creations!

My spiritual director was Bro. Oliver Dy, S.J., a.k.a. Bro. Ody - truly a blessing and a kindred spirit when it comes to our love for stars and words. It was wonderful to share my personal history with him (which is not complete without the story of The Yellow Paperclip, of course!). He enjoyed reading my story and saw glimpses of Aquinas' medieval theology - now that's a first! But more importantly, Bro. Ody helped me to identify and articulate the ever-elusive yet present thread of Providence working in and out of my life. I was just so happy that the gift of writing stories is, and will be, an important element in my continuously unfolding life story. Storywriting has taken on a completely new meaning for me and I can't contain my excitement for the work and service ahead. I am humbled beyond words. Thank you, Lord!

You're invited to visit my prayer blog for more Easter reflections. May our Every Day be lived as Easter Day!

PS. Look at our photo closely. Doesn't it look like I have Easter bunny ears because of the plant behind me? Hee-hee.

A Paperclip, A Teacher and A Doctor

Here's to the third storybook... and more to come! I wrote in my last post. They always say (have you met "they"?) be careful what you wish for. I guess they're right: I just found out via email that the second story I wrote for the Great Men and Women of Asia - Children's Series will also be published! I am thrilled beyond belief.

It is the story of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, a Japanese missionary doctor based in war-stricken Afghanistan. Dr. Nakamura won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Peace and Understanding in 2003 for "his passionate commitment to ease the pain of war, disease, and calamity among refugees and the mountain poor of the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands" (read the entire citation here). The story's title is A Lucky Doctor and it highlights his fascination with bugs and how he felt "lucky" (yes, that's the word he used!) to be able to see beyond cultural and religious differences. I can't wait to see the illustrations... and the book itself! I was informed that the book launch will be sometime in July or August. What a year this is turning out to be...

Next up: the Palanca Awards! (I can already hear them saying: "Be careful what you wish for, Nikki..." Hee-hee.)

It's Sweeter the Second Time Around

I have a second book! WOW! I was taken completely by surprise when I saw my name staring out from the cover of Khan: A Teacher of Everything on a shelf at The Podium's Ink & Stone last Friday night. I didn't even know the book was already available! Khan: A Teacher of Everything is one of several stories in Great Men and Women of Asia - Children's Series, a partnership project of The Bookmark, Inc. and Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation to bring inspiring stories of real-life heroism to children all over the world. Click here for more details and some thumbnails of the books.

Khan: A Teacher of Everything honors Shoaib Sultan Khan who won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1992 for "his nurturing self-reliant development and bringing hope to the forgotten peoples of high Pakistan" (read the entire citation here).

Thanks to Quix P. Maiquez, another amazing artist, who made wonderful illustrations for my story (I'll upload some photos as soon as I scan some pages!). Thanks also to young Elijah, a good friend of YPC, who inspired the title (I knew it was a great idea to brainstorm with him before writing the story!).

It's sweeter the second time around... and now I can proudly say that I'm really a writer (and not just an I-got-lucky-kind-of-writer)! Here's to the third storybook... and more to come!

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to Cebu

I was in Cebu for a couple of marketing events last week and it was good to find time to meet an old friend Mia Zamora. Mia and I share similar interests and backgrounds: she's also from Ateneo, an HR professional and also a writer! She writes for Kikay, a weekly fashion + beauty + lifestyle column of the Cebu Daily News. Click here for her archived articles. The Yellow Paperclip is happy to have a new friend in the beautiful Queen city of the South!

A Yellow and Purple Valentine

Alec (or fondly known as "Klutz" - our mutual term of endearment) is the sweetest brother in the whole world. (And yes, I say that proudly even if he is my only brother in the whole world. Hee-hee.) He left this on my window sill. If the card is too small, it reads: Hope you like these yellow flowers with bright purple... flowers! Aawwwwww... Thanks, Klutz!

Backblog (Backlog ng Blog)

I wish I had more time to write. If I did, I would write about...

• The Magic of Teacher Mauie
• Noli's Unique Kids
• The Yellow Paperclip Visits an Animation Studio
  
• A Dream Come True (Almost) for My Friend Johnny
  
• Writing for Grown-Ups
• Don and the Joy of Believing in Paperclips
• The Yellow Paperclip Goes to ISM

I have a Stickie note on my desktop to remind me of my backblog. But I thought I'd post it up here as a baby step to making it real. Eeeep. Find time, Nikki... please find time.