If we don’t go out, Manila has nice weather! It’s humid and no rain. This time of the year, it’s almost impossible to stay home without aircon on almost all day. Even in the morning after 7 o’clock, the weather can be unbearable. It makes you melt bit by bit. It’s summer!

I don’t mind staying home. Like in Jakarta, there’s not much we can do in big cities except shopping and dining. I haven’t gone dining so far since we enjoyed doing things at home. But shopping yes, we did a bit. Bookshops here are big and have a quite good range, I never got bored checking out. The price is also reasonable, quite significant I must say, so visit a bookshop guarantees that I will walk out with shopping bags. How much I want to tell myself not to shop for books, I am rarely successful. Especially because lately I have good company to read Filipino literature. My friend got the books from Amazon that I believe the price will not fall under $10, here any local print is hardly priced at over $6.

Nice that since I visit Manila regularly, I come to know more and more people in Indonesia that have connection with the Philippines. This morning, a well known writer-cum-psychologist shared her joy knowing that her short story is published on the weekly newspaper in the Philippines. She explained to me how she is connected with the nation, she is half Filipino! How would I guess? I thought she is pure from Timor where her father belongs to royal family. The world definitely has become smaller that helps people from two different worlds meet their soulmates.

Yesterday we watched movie. The scene from medieval era I’m not keen to watch. Simply because we arrived late for the famous SATC 2. Watching movie has become an alternative of outings in big cities. Last February I noted a record of watching 5 movies within 3 weeks here. It’s impossible to happen when I live in Ubud, even in Jakarta because of the traffic. It’s fun though but… funny enough that I also follow the American tradition of having popcorn in cinema! It gives me a slight headache after a tumbler of MSG-ed popcorn but who can resist? Indulge now. It’s not my routine (I have started saying it for too many not-so-healthy routines now).

Today I feel inspired by Marc Jacob. I just own my first MJ handbag. A red cotton tote with funky hot print of HIS drawing, Japanese style. I thought the idea of having a really funky but affordable yet exclusive line is brilliant. I keep processing a new concept of store for Neru that I have been working on for months now. I have some ideas but it’s so hard to materialize although I know the theory of believing in it can speed up the materialization.

It’s not easy for me to believe in small things these days. I can't help. Start small, think big; that’s the message I tell myself over and over again. My logic says not to do small things but look at my shop. I might have been wasting time but again… everything has its own time!

I will challenge myself to do my part this visit in Manila. Like Sy said, I have to create to make my shop different. I like it when he said… "I believe in making!" I have to nurture back the belief I used to have. Making!

Artwork by MJ, not mine but in the same line.