Sierra Madre/Boston Celtics Almost-Victory

I loved looking at Mt. Sierra Madre - one of the longest mountain ranges in the Philippines - up close, and for the first time too! I got a breathtaking view even if it was only from the car, as my friends and I together with my husband Raffy made our way from Lingayen, Pangasinan (for a beach getaway weekend, which turned out to be so much fun!) down to Tarlac to go to my friend Sheen's house.

The canopy on the road, too, was just beautiful. All green and refreshing. I took several photos and here are a few of the good ones I think.

I don't know if my posting these was meant to be delayed. Because just today, over at Staples Center in LA where the NBA Finals are, the Boston Celtics  - the winning "green team" of the NBA - lost to the LA Lakers in an action-packed game 7. *Wail* Being a fan and bullying the Lakers fans in the office backfired on me!

Here's to the Celtics' almost victory, and to the Sierra Madre that I've seen up close finally for the first time!

Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite

It's actually a book that my Creative Director recommends, basically for creative people to become more edgy, think out of the box. Check out Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite here. The phrase also constitutes...well, the mantra that I'm trying to imbibe for myself right this moment.

To be a well of ideas that never runs out, I think this mental state will do me a lot of good. Although it runs a bit contrary to that philosophy in another book on thinking and making decisions, entitled Blink. I've yet to read it, though.

Author Paul Arden, who also wrote other books on advertising and creativity such as It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be, was the Executive Creative Director of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi during its hey days. His British Airways campaign is always regarded as one of the best advertising campaigns of all time.

A year before he died, he wrote a book entitled God Explained in a Taxi Ride, which (according to Wikipedia) "attempted to explain the meaning of life in 125 pages."

Take-home for me: Artists or writers like me always strive to find the best, most out-of-the-box, wowing ideas everyday...but at the end of the day always turn to God for life's true meaning I guess.