that amsterdam feeling

exactly a month now since ive been back from my trip to the netherlands and thankfully that amsterdam spirit is still there—a penchant for action (and not just sitting in the corner waiting for things to happen), a sense of honesty (and telling things as they are although my humour could be a bit harshly weird sometimes), a fondness for social gatherings (with both established friends and new acquaintances and of course with a little booze is always nice), a terrible frugality (which has always been there due to my filipino nature anyway), a value for one's health and fitness (and im hoping i survive this saturday's 5k run coz i havent really been that good about the eating healthy part), an openness to new things (although the yoga chanting while very relaxing really weirds me out still), an aversion for negative constantly whining people and their excuses (as the great donald once said, "i just don't like excuses, ya fired!"), and most importantly, a great sense that everything, or at least most everything, is really borne out of one's choice (and with it , naturally, an urge to create and to celebrate).

---

a poster (campaign) im hoping to get a client for in amsterdam

above's a concept ive been toying with—which today id finally found the time to execute. a poster campaign im hoping to find a client for in one of the coffee houses in amsterdam. if not, i take the "pot kills" route and find an anti-pot nonprofit to run it. not sure about the ipod copyright issues of yet but nevertheless i just had to do it for the fun of it. and at the very least, another work to add to the (quite-lacking) personal portfolio. [il jointman's notes: those dutchies in general really aren't a fan of those coffee houses. it's more those damn hey look how cool i am stoned foreigners who are.]

---

action. action. action. looking forward to a lot of things. and quite excited actually. the 5k run in the morning and barbecue after with office folks upstate new york on saturday. yoga class, picnic in central park and a broadway play at night on sunday. peace one day screening and seeing angelina jolie next tuesday. some wine tasting event at nyu the tuesday after. a gathering with ateneo alumni at the philippine consulate and whatever statement shirt ill be wearing that night. holding a saturday career workshop for the art director's club. a jason mraz concert. an interactive african drum off broadway show. a possible il cone new york visit in november. the christmas trip to the philippines with an overnight swing-by to japan and a 2-day 2-night side trip to see legaspi city and mayon volcano. seeing friends and family again during the best time to be in the philippines. and a christmas party with ("less fortunate", for lack of a better term) kids im trying to arrange for...

---

first things first though. i have not forgotten. the spreek je filipijns personal book is still in the works and is very near completion. just working on the text. but the designing part has been finished. here's one of the work-in-progress spreads—

spreek je filipijns dutch animal world spread