I am, O Anxious One. Don’t you hear my voice
surging forth with all my earthly feelings?
They yearn so high, that they have sprouted wings
and whitely fly in circles round your face.
My soul, dressed in silence, rises up
and stands alone before you: can’t you see?
don’t you know that my prayer is growing ripe
upon your vision as upon a tree?

If you are the dreamer, I am what you dream.
But when you want to wake, I am your wish,
and I grow strong with all magnificence
and turn myself into a star’s vast silence
above the strange and distant city, Time.

Rainer Maria Rilke
Translated from the German text by Stephen Mitchell

For so long, I wanted to learn about photography. Looking at a particularly well-taken photograph – I especially love the dramatic ones with dark hues- is almost like reading poetry for me. Admittedly, I kind of lost a little of the enthusiasm when I realized everybody now seems to go gaga over digital cameras, and later digital SLR cameras, almost as much as people go crazy over cellular phones. That’s a lame excuse, I know. Truth is, at the back of my mind, I know I’d still want to pursue photography. I’m more interested about stories within photographs so I’m thinking along the lines of photojournalism.

Probably simpler and more feasible, photography blogging may be the eventual path I’ll follow. That is, if ever I’ll find the time and the luxury of spending money on a rather expensive hobby. A photographer blog like PhotographyBlogger.com can be helpful in scavenging for the latest information about photography, like the latest technologies and equipment, techniques, and possibly samples of great-looking photos. I know photo blogging isn’t exactly a novelty – it’s all over the Internet; everybody has one, at least every other potential and aspiring photographer out there. But I guess if you have better motivation that just joining the bandwagon, photography blogging can become a fulfilling endeavor.

I saw a pile of resumes recently from applicants at the office and it made me laugh out loud. No, I don’t have anything against prospective coworkers. It just reminded me of my own resume when I was looking for a job right after college. I honestly don’t know how the people who screened me ever decided to give me a chance.

I remember exactly how mine didn’t look like a professional resume at all. I prepared it using an electronic typewriter that my parents bought for me during college (computers were just beginning to be “in” back then, ugh!). The font was very thin and the entries look like typical typewritten letters. I thought it was fine; I told myself, “They don’t expect an executive resume, right?” It was barely two pages, as  I didn’t have any credentials (not that I have tons now, after 8 years), and the photo I used was horrible and I’m not being overly dramatic about it.

At least now I know better. The next time I’ll need to prepare another resume, I’m going to use a professional resume writer. And I’m going to use a better picture – one that doesn’t look like I’ve just woken up and garbed in my bed clothes.

I heard the term “eco-fashion” first in Project Runway but I didn’t really bother to research about what it means. I thought at first it’s about wearing biodegradables. Yeah, that sounds foolish, especially if I’ll say that I was thinking about leaves and stuff, for women’s clothing no less.

Actually, eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers, and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. Eco-friendly clothes are made using organic raw materials, for example, cotton grown without pesticides or silk made by worms fed on organic trees. Harmful chemicals and beaches were also not used; and most are made of recycled or reused textiles. The people involved in the manufacture are also supposedly enjoying the benifits of fair trade – which means they are paid well and are working in decent conditions. Pretty cool, huh?!

So the next time you think about shopping for clothes, think about eco-friendly brands if they are available in your area.