A New/Old Look

I chopped off all of my hair. Yahoo!

It was one of those just-do-it moments. I went to my trusty hairdresser, Lucy (yes, Lucy of Lucy Britanico fame!) in Glorietta and she gave me a drastic haircut... but not so drastic because that's how I had my hair around this time last year. But it's much shorter this time around. (Well, at least I won't be needing a haircut in the next few months...) Goodbye boring ponytails, hello funky-messy-look!

PS. I just realized this post has nothing to do with paperclips. Oh well.

The Yellow Paperclip Meets Yayie and Mike... and Will be Going to Zambales!

Yayie is an old friend and carpoolmate from the good ole Ateneo days. I ran into her in Megamall last week and she said she bought two copies of my book: one for her and one for Pamela, a little girl she sponsors through World Vision based in Zambales.

I met up with Yayie and her boyfriend Mike for lunch today. The last time I saw them was sometime in 2003 I think, at the height of LOTR. I remember Mike teaching us how to write in Elvish! (Yes, he can write in Elvish! His journals are in Elvish! Wow!) It was great to catch up and talk to them about the adventures of the Yellow Paperclip.

Until the next lunch in Ortigas!

PS. September 24, 2006: I got an email from Yayie with this picture of Pam. I hope she enjoyed my story! Thanks for the photo, Yayie!

Ang Dilaw na Paperclip na May Batik-Batik na Matingkad na Kulay Ube

Kailan ka huling nakakita ng paperclip? Maaaring nakita mo ako noong isang araw. Kakaiba ako sa karamihan ng mga paperclip. Oo, tama ka! Ako iyon, yung paperclip na na sa mesa ng titser mo.

Sa dinami-dami ng mga paperclip sa mundo, siguro ako lang ang dilaw na may batik-batik na matingkad na kulay ube. Alam mo ba kung saan ako nanggaling?

Thanks to Becca's grandma and Anna's mom, Mrs. Ludy Carreon, my story has been translated into Filipino! And thanks to Bing, I did my first ever storytelling session (Yes, in Filipino too! Well, okay, maybe more like in Taglish!) yesterday at the ATDSummer Festival of Learning in the Hilum Community in Quirino. There were approximately 50 kids, ranging from 4 to 15 years old. It was great to see them responding to the story. Becca helped me with turning the pages and doing a show-and-tell of our simple props (ie. a bowl of silver paperclips, a paper airplane, a globe...) - great job, Becca!

Father Joseph Wresinki, founder of the ATD Fourth World Movement, wrote: The world will change one day because we will have listened to the children of the poorest, and because these children will take their destiny in hand. As Raymonde reminds us, "When I grow up, I'll do what you do! I'll teach children to read and write." The world will change because we want it to. Humanity will be renewed, and freed of poverty.

I love how the Yellow Paperclip knows no boundaries and appeals to kids and kids-at-heart regardless of age, gender, class or race. I hope the Yellow Paperclip can be a small spark for the children of Hilum to continue their love for reading, writing and the arts. I pray that the Yellow Paperclip can, in its small and humble way, change the world - one paperclip or one kid at a time.

A Tribute to my First Bright Purple Spot

Glenn, I owe you this much (and more). Happy birthday, Stripe!

Just like The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots, this story links many different people, places, ideas and experiences. Flashback to 1997 when the idea for this story started with Glenn David, a friend from the Ateneo de Manila University: he and I would often see paperclips around campus - on the benches, in between pebbles in the Quad, on the library steps, along the sidewalk or in other strange places. We often wondered how they got there and where in the world they had been.

That's how I started the A Letter from the Author page at the end of my book. But there are so many more stories within and between this one. I thought I'd write some stories on the occasion of Glenn's birthday as we celebrate 1) his 27th year, 2) his newfound happiness and 3) our renewed friendship.

Without Glenn, there would be no story. It's as simple as that. It was Glenn who noticed the lost paperclips first, who wondered where they had been, and who felt sorry for them because they weren't living out their purpose of "clipping" onto something. He insisted that we save these lost paperclips so that they could live happy purposeful paperclip lives. It's this childlike and daggy (read: kenkoy or dorky) quality about Glenn that makes him so lovable. Could it have been his passion for paperclips that made me fall in love with him?

Glenn and I were inseparable for the next five years - my four years in Ateneo plus one more. It was five amazing years of daggy (but 100% real) love and shared passions (paperclips, children's books, musicals, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, video nights, iced coffee, kite flying and nonstop conversation). Together, we skipped, egg-rolled and made silly faces at each other. We had our share of rollercoaster emotions, both good and bad. We grew up together in these five years and knew each other so well. But growing up has its consequences. While we grew so much as individuals and in our relationship... we also unfortunately grew our separate ways, and ultimately, grew apart.

Glenn and I decided to break up in 2002. I needed time and space alone, and I thought it best that we spend as little time together as possible. So we stopped seeing each other (except for those once-a-year Christmas reunions of Ateneo friends) and hardly talked. I shut him out from my life, and concentrated on work and reconnecting with old friends. He focused on work and got involved in a new relationship. 2002 is significant because it's also the year I said I wanted to have my own book - one of the Top Three Things I Want to Do Before I Die.

Glenn and I reconnected in 2005, again a significant year. He went through a painful end to his new relationship, while I had won the PBBY-Salanga Prize. He was one of the first people I shared the happy news with. He was there at the National Children's Book Day celebration in CCP in July 2005 and from there, I slowly worked towards saying sorry, melting my stony heart, and finally making peace with him. We met up occasionally for dinner and coffee, chatted on YM, and slowly caught up with each others' lives.

Glenn and I, together with his old college friends, had dinner and coffee yesterday, on the eve of his 27th birthday. Soon after the clock struck midnight, I had the honor of meeting Claudine, Glenn's girlfriend, after he had just recounted to me their kenkoy-but-kilig stories, from their first date to his current state of bliss. Within a few minutes of meeting her and seeing how truly in love they are, I saw how good they are for each other. He has started skipping, praying and writing children's stories again... so she is definitely good for him! I'm so truly happy for both of them... so happy that it hurts (in a good way).

Glenn and I have come full circle, with the help of our Yellow Paperclip. I can't help but feel that this is all part of Life's Conspiracy - yet again. Without Glenn, I would never have seen paperclips in this special way. Without his childlike wonder and our shared passion for writing, I probably would not have taken the interest in children's literature seriously. Without the break-up, I would not have had the time, energy or the new connections (eg. Yelle, Gang, Mig) to write my story. Without the PBBY-Salanga Prize, we would not have had an excuse to meet up again and get reconnected. I believe everything in life happens for a reason and during the worst times, I'd often ask why (in the bigger scheme of things) things had to happen as they did and what his role was/is in my life. Now I know: Glenn made my big dream come true.

This behind-the-scenes story of The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots is one of the biggest adventures and purple spots of my life. I am amazed and overwhelmed at how things happened and worked out. I have absolutely no regrets. After almost four years, I am finally free of my emotional baggage (whew...) and can sincerely be happy and at peace with Glenn. I look forward to more happy stories from him and Claudine, just as I look forward to the time when I can share my own kenkoy-and-kilig stories of my own with them - with or without paperclips... but hopefully stories about a man who loves me and sees me as a bright purple spot in his life.

Glenn, thank you for saving paperclips for us, for loving me like you did, for letting me fly away, and for not giving up on our friendship. You are the Stripe to my Yellow, and together or apart, we can grow wings and be hopeful and happy. You are, and will always be, one of my life's biggest and brightest purple spots.

I Saw 4 Paperclips This Morning

Yes, FOUR! They continue to follow me around. At around 7:20 AM, I walked from the parking lot on Exchange Road to Pancake House at Pearl Drive for a breakfast meeting with my team. In that short ten minute walk, here's what I saw...

A White Paperclip with My Morning Shadow
"Good morning, Nikki," it seemed to say to me. I took several photographs of it in reply. (Who cares if so many people gave me strange looks. Hee-hee.)

Up Close (and Personal) with An Old Friend
This is the same blue paperclip from last week's post. It's deeper in dirt but it's still struggling to be noticed in its bright blue-ness. I wonder if there are others who notice it like I do.

A Paperclip and A Friend
This is the third paperclip I saw this morning. And look! It even had a friend next to it. Can you see them? Perhaps I could have a story about all other office supplies: a red-and-white striped stapler, a neon-green tape dispenser, or a glow-in-the-dark rubber band? Hee-hee. I wonder if the blue paperclip and the rubber band came from the same person?

A Yellow Paperclip... without Bright Purple Spots
I wonder where this yellow paperclip came from? It's slightly bent out of shape so it must have had a rich and colorful life.

I'm glad I had my camera this morning. Here's to many more paperclips to see, find, think of and write about.

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to Pampanga... and then to Idaho!

I'm so excited! Five books will be traveling quite a bit in the next coming weeks. I dropped the books off at the Air21 counter this afternoon at the Alabang Town Center. By Wednesday, they should be in Angeles City in Pampanga. By mid-May, they should be somewhere in Idaho.

I got an email last week from Claire, a teacher, part-time writer for the Idaho Press, and on-the-way mom. What a surprise! I haven't quite traced where she heard about the Yellow Paperclip, but she says she is on the constant lookout for new Filipino books for her kids to teach them about being Pinoy. I warned her that the book is hardly a Filipino folktale! Yet she still ordered five books. She asked me to send them to her mom in Pampanga who will be visiting Idaho in a few weeks. Wow, these books will be some of the most well-traveled ones!

Claire, I hope your family, especially Benjamin and his baby brother, enjoy my story!

Lost (and Found) Paperclips

I see these paperclips as I walk to work, in the short distance between the parking lot and the Philippine Stock Exchange Center. I know I'm probably one of the few, if not the only person who has seen them. And I've been seeing them for several days now. Can you see them?

El Clip Amarillo del Papel con Puntos Púrpuras Brillantes

That's The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots in Spanish! (Well, at least according to a quick free translation on the web!) No, it hasn't been translate YET but thanks to a new friend, my story just might be in Spanish someday in the future.

I had dinner with two new friends from the Powerbooks Megamall Book Club tonight after we had our book discussion on Pride and Prejudice. One of them, Zoe, will be flying to Barcelona in June to take up a three-month Spanish program. I knew her from the good ole Ateneo days, but I think I only really got to know her tonight over a three-hour non-stop gab fest. She's a writer (yet like me, was also intimidated with literary groups in college), closet kikay-girly-girl, a language buff, and a true romantic (I can still remember her argument when we discussed The Time Traveler's Wife: "There are worse things than waiting. I'd rather wait than settle.") I think it's cool to get to know people outside the confines and expectations of college.

Thanks to Zoe, she got me thinking about trying out for a French language scholarship. Perhaps I can dream and work for Le Trombone Jaune avec les Points Violets Brillants?

A Yellow-and-Purple Merienda

To share my happiness with my DDI family, I thought of having a simple but yellow-and-purple merienda this afternoon. Can you guess what yummy food I bought?
A big thank you to our resident photographer, Wacky Salazar, for these awesome photos of butter macaroons (yellow) and an ube cake (purple) from Goldilocks. Here are more snapshots of our little celebration.

I wonder what our merienda will be for next quarter's royalty check. Any suggestions for fun yellow-and-purple food?

The Yellow Paperclip Gets its First Paycheck

Yahoo! I got my first check yesterday from Adarna based on September to December 2005 sales of The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots. It can't buy me a house (just yet) but I'm still one happy kid. I have to share my happiness...

One Red Paperclip = A Dream Come True (Almost)

Wow. Kyle has sure gone a long way since he posted on my blog last year. His dream of trading One Red Paperclip for a house is almost fulfilled. After a cross-continental trading trek involving a fish-shaped pen, a town named Yahk and the Web's astonishing ability to bestow celebrity, MacDonald is getting close. He's up to one year's free rent on a house in Phoenix. This, according to a recent report on CNN. Read the full news article here.

One red paperclip, something so small and seemingly insignificant, can bring you so much. Kyle shares his biggest lesson: If you say you're going to do something and you start to do it, and people enjoy it or respect it or are entertained by it, people will step up and help you.

The Yellow Paperclip Meets Fr. Stein, a Jesuit Friend

Fr. Thomas B. Steinbugler, S.J. is a dear friend from many years back. After a wonderful prayerful and paperclippy Holy Week, I dropped by this Easter Sunday to give Fr. Stein a copy of my book as I had promised.

Our friendship started sometime around 1998 or 1999 in my sophomore year when I went to confession at the Gonzaga Chapel in the Ateneo. I don't remember what I had said, but it must have been significant enough for the kind Jesuit priest to slip me his calling card through the confessional box and invite me to breakfast the next day. I remember being pleasantly surprised. He read my mind (How will I know who you are...?) and reassuringly said: "I'll be the only old Caucasian fellow there."

Fr. Stein and I had breakfast at Pancake House along Katipunan Avenue the next morning. We shared sausages and pancakes, and thoughts about life. I can recall him saying that all Jesuits wish it were like the good ole days when they could have regular one-on-one talks with students, when they could build friendships with all of us. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. We took a tricycle back to campus. I remember the feeling of happy disbelief: Wow, did I really just have breakfast and share life stories with a priest? We became email buddies after that, with a healthy exchange of questions and stories about God, relationships, books and love. But eventually, we lost touch...

Until I tracked him down more than five years later (it was on my To-Do-List) and paid him a surprise visit in November 2004, just weeks after I found out about winning the PBBY-Salanga Prize. He is now with the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) house in the Sonolux Building in Ateneo. I was the more surpised when he remembered me and our email conversations! After telling him my happy news, he gave me a practical, one-liner piece of advice: KEEP WRITING. He also told me to come back into his life every couple of years. I will.

As strange (or pretentious) as it sounds, I really think The Yellow Paperclip is meant to connect and reconnect people from different worlds. One of my mom's best friends, Tita Vicky Faicol, had worked with Fr. Stein at EAPI for many years. Tita Vicky's six-year-old nephew, Elijah, reads my story almost every night and named the Paperclip "Lorenzo". When I told him about the PBBY-Salanga Award, Fr. Stein asked if the prize is named after a certain Freddie Salanga. The late Alfrredo N. Salanga turns out to be an activist and archenemy of many American priests during his time in the Ateneo. How strange and cool is all this?!

Fr. Stein, I look forward to seeing you again soon. I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for your friendship throughout the years. I promise to keep in touch.

Prayers (and Paperclips) this Easter Weekend

I spent the long weekend in glorious silence at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches for an individually guided Holy Week retreat organized by the Center for Ignatian Spirituality. Prayers, yes, of course you can expect that... but paperclips?

On the first day, mid-morning of Maundy Thursday, I saw a yellow paperclip on the side of the road. Later that day, as I walked in silence around the beautiful grounds, I saw a blue one, then a red paperclip. Three paperclips. One for each full day I'm in this sacred place. (I think it might be too much to link three paperclips with the Trinity. Hee-hee.) The three paperclips stayed with me, happily clipped onto my cool prayer journal from Yelle. I couldn't help but smile though; thank you, God! Imagine: three paperclips in one day! Wow! In the deep silence of my heart, You make me truly happy... with or without paperclips.

On Good Friday, I gave my spiritual director a copy of my book. Bro. Charles is an angel: in his earnest, most authentic self, armed with a ready smile and a generous heart, he helped me articulate my feelings and identify God's footprints in my life. My storybook was a symbol of God's love and desire to realize my own deepest desire. My big dream came true, and for that I am completely grateful. On Black Saturday, I saw another blue paperclip near the Main Hall's garden. But I used it on a note for Bro. Charles that afternoon. (So it's now a Pilgrim Paperclip. Hee-hee.) On Easter Sunday afternoon, I visited my old Jesuit friend Fr. Stein at the Sonolux in Ateneo and gave him a copy of my book as I promised during my last visit in late 2005. (This story is for another blogpost!)

Lines from one of my favorite e.e. cummings' poem capture my Easter weekend: i thank You God for most this amazing day... this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth day of life and of love and wings... (now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

A Model for a Day

Today was the photo shoot for the magazine feature. Eeeep. It was awkward and unnerving. It was so intimidating to be around so many pretty skinny girls with flawless skin and clothes that hugged them in the perfect way. It was uncomfy sitting in a high chair, feeling underdressed in just a white t-shirt and jeans. I got transformed by the expert (yet kind and patient... and funny!) make-up guru Ara Fernando. I announced from the start my honest disclaimer: This is my first photo shoot! I was so happy to hear her reply: Don't worry, you're in good hands.

Oh and I sure was! An hour (or two?) later, after sharing some laughs with Ara and realizing we have common friends (more connections!), we headed to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf next to The Ortigas Park. There was just the round table, a chair, me, my paperclip... and my smile. I didn't realize how hard it is to look and feel naturally happy when 1) there are people staring, 2) it's windy and so my hair kept getting messed up, 3) it's mid-afternoon and I felt my face was melting (it wasn't though), and 4) I was upset because of not-so-good news at work that morning. I hope my eyes weren't sad in the photos. Oh well. We'll see.

I haven't seen the photos and I haven't read Nikki's article. I'll post them both once I have them. Eeeeep. I hope the magazine turns out great.

5,000 Paperclips = 5,000 New Adventures

Adarna House ran an initial 5,000 copies of my book. According to their marketing department, all copies are out in bookstores around the country... and they have no more copies in their stockroom! WOW! And just when I was thinking of sending it to Oprah... Hee-hee. I hope we'll print some more copies... especially since the mag feature will be out by June. Hooray! You can just imagine: it's another my-heart-is-bursting-happy kind of happy time. I'm one happy kid.

If you're one of the 5,000 with a Yellow Paperclip as a new friend, pause to think: if you have a paperclip, what colorful adventure will you start today? Let me know so I can include your stories in the sequel. (Yes, thanks to an impromptu brainstorming session with Papa last month, it looks like we have a sequel... and possibly even a prequel! I just need to get it out... and write.)

GOAL: 100 Spots in 2006 (and More)

When we set goals in DDI, we want them to be SMART objectives. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. When I pitched to blog for www.2dobeforeidie.com, I needed to write my goal in a SMART way too. So I wrote: By December 31, 2006, I want the Yellow Paperclip to travel to at least 100 unique spots.

Here are our bright purple spots since August 2005:

1. Anaheim, California
2. ATD Street Library
   
3. Ateneo de Manila University
   
4. Bangkok, Thailand
   
5. Blue Eagle GK Village
6. Boise, Idaho
   
7. Boston, Massachusetts
8. Cagayan de Oro
   
9. Cincinnati, Ohio
10. Davao
    
11. De La Salle Zobel Library
12. Delaware
13. General Santos
    
14. Gunalda, Australia
15. Gurgaon, India
    
16. International School Manila Elementary Library
    
17. Jakarta, Indonesia
18. London, England
    
19. Los Angeles, California
20. Malate Church
21. Melbourne, Australia
22. Milpitas, California
23. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
24. Montreal, Canada
    
25. Muenster, Germany
26. New Jersey
    
27. New York City, New York
    
28. Newport, Kentucky
29. North Carolina
    
30. Norway
31. Ohio, Cincinnatti
    
32. Oxford
33. Park Ridge, Illinois
    
34. Peru
35. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    
36. Polytechnic University of the Philippines
    
37. Queensland, Australia
38. Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches
    
39. San Diego, California
40. San Francisco, California
41. San Jose, California
    
42. Seattle, Washington
43. Seoul, Korea
    
44. Singapore
45. Slovenia
46. South Cotabato
    
47. Suffolk, England
48. Texas
49. Toronto
50. Vancouver
    
51. Victoria, Australia
52. Xavier School
53. Zambales
    

If you have my book and you're in a unique spot that's not on this list yet, do let me know! In the next nine months, where in the world will the Yellow Paperclip go?

But what is it really all about? Ultimately, the goal is to make the world an even smaller place, to connect people and places and things like they've never dreamed possible, and for people to realize that hey, we're not so different after all. I want to do this one Paperclip at a time. Yeah, I know, it sounds idealistic and almost foolishly childish... and that's what I love about it.

I've been tagged as the Princess of the World Cafe. Let's see if the world agrees.

The Yellow Paperclip Gets an Email from a Girlfriend

Here's another great surprise in my inbox. I can hardly contain myself. What a way to end a crazy-busy week at work! End with a bang!

Greetings from GIRLFRIEND magazine! We are one of the newest titles under Mega Magazines & Publications, Inc., the first maga-logue (magazine and catalogue in one) in the country. We cater to single working females aged 21 to 28 and we have everything from fashion and beauty to career, relationships, and fun.

I got your contact details from my Editor-in-Chief Gina Abuyuan, who suggested that we feature you in the magazine. Every month, we intend to feature a woman achiever. For our second issue, which will be out in June, we're hoping that you'd grace our pages.

I must admit that I know very little of the book you wrote that won an award, so I was hoping you'd grant me an interview soon. Of course, we will also be requiring a photo shoot with you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me through this email address. Thanks so much!

Nikki Domingo-Constantino
Managing Editor, GIRLFRIEND magazine
Mega Magazines & Publications, Inc.

And of course, this is yet another conspiracy in my life: Gina is the cousin of Dona, one of my sister's best friends. I met Gina at Dona's bridal shower last November when Ate and I partied the 80's way. I will contact Nikki soon. I can't wait. The Yellow Paperclip can't wait!

953 Books... and Counting

I got a copy of the 2005 sales report from Adarna House today. As of December 2005, we've sold 953 copies of The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots. Wow! I think we may have already passed the 1,000 mark by now. I am stunned in disbelief and excitement. Here's to the next 4,000+ books...

SHAMELESS PLUG: If you want to buy a copy (or two), check out the Adarna House shelves in Powerbooks, National Bookstore, Fully Booked, and Books for Less stores. Or, if you'd like a copy with a personal message, you can send me an email at yellowpaperclip@gmail.com and we could plan to have coffee somewhere so I can pass you the books. A book is only PhP65.

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to Milwaukee

Who would have thought...? Here's a wonderful suprise in my inbox on a Tuesday morning:

Dear Yellow Paper Clip ladies,

On my coffee table, I found your wonderful book, chilling in the 32 degree weather here in Milwaukee, WI. Do you know where it was before landing here? My 16 month old son, Zach, had just come back from Manila, and he brought a dog-eared, apparently well-used copy of your book home with him.

I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed the story and the illustrations, just as much as Zach probably did. Congratulations on a wonderful job. I hope to keep reading this with my son until he is 10 (the recommended reading age!). I look forward to more books from the two of you.

Best regards,
Diwata

The Yellow Paperclip Meets Jayvee

Over savoury and sweet crepes at Cafe Breton tonight, Jayvee and I talked non-stop (pauses were punctuated with "hellos") and caught up with each other's lives. It has been many months since we last sat down for a long chat. I ran into him in Greenbelt one night last month and we agreed to meet up soon.

Jayvee is the Managing Editor for m|PH, the country's most visible home-grown magazine on mobile technology. But he is also SGV-DDI's first ever student trainee back in 2001, when I was also new (so we learned and struggled together). Jayvee is a teacher, an urban farmer, a photographer and writer. He is an uber-blogger as he writes and gets people bugged. Jayvee is also a cool connector with links to my family (KV), old friends (Ails), colleagues (the old DDI folks) and new friends (Dickoy). An evening with Jayvee is guaranteed good conversation across a variety of topics, with lots of hee-hees, interesting insights and funny facial expressions (so do you think he looks like Mr. Bean?). And that's what I got... and more.

I gave him a copy of my storybook so I can get bugged! Woohooo! I can't wait to be bugged by Jayvee! Abangan...