Mar31

An Easter morning reflection

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As I write this, I am watching from a misty window as the sun take its proud place in the morning sky. The perfect, orange ball hovers over the sea which I am fortunate to view, and my only wish at this moment is to be able to open to window (or walk out from it) and take a clear, unobstructed view of what truly is morning glory.

The sunrise from my misty window in Penang

The sunrise from my misty window in Penang

It is Easter Sunday morning, and I am here at Penang, Malaysia. I am covering the Penang World Music Festival, but this trip to me is so much more than that. It comes at a time when I am in dire need of a big lift and a hefty dose of inspiration, right after all the possible stressors of life converged to give me a big blow and pull the rug from under my feet. It’s been weeks since I felt any semblance of peace, and this moment–right here, right now–feels like a gift. I am watching the sun over the sea from my hotel room; I am writing; I am at peace.

The fact that it is Easter makes me think about the many rebirths and “reboots” that I need in my life right now. I need to take better care of my health; I need to take better care of my heart (literally and figuratively); I need to take care of my space and home and create a real sanctuary for myself and the people I love. I need to be more energized at work, too, but I figured that taking care of health, heart, and home will take care of everything else.

I also need to immerse myself in new experiences–to live in the world again with fresh eyes and with all my senses sharpened. I need to go out into the world and once more feel a sense of adventure… I need to let serendipity take over and allow the Universe to surprise me.

* * *

By now the sun has turned golden. It is like a king standing mightily proud and watching over its kingdom, protecting everyone with its bright, healing rays. In many ways, it is like the Christ that rose from the dead, hovering above humanity and protecting and healing all of us with the miracle of resurrection. It’s been years since I thought of anything remotely Catholic, I admit, but today that thought feels just right.

As we go about the rest of our day today, may we all find greater purpose with every step, with every word, with every decision, with every action. May we pour greater intention and energy into the things that truly matter to us so that we can live more fully and experience the gifts of the Universe more completely. Perhaps, one of the gifts of Easter is that we are given the opportunity to reflect, kill the bad habits that need to be killed, and renew ourselves in order to live better, fuller lives. Perhaps, one of the gifts of Easter is time. The fact that we are still here today means that we have another opportunity to right the many wrongs of our lives and move forward with more peace and in a state of grace.

* * *

Yesterday's sunrise

Yesterday’s sunrise

By now, bright golden light has filled the horizon, and even the sea has turned into a shimmering, flowing blanket. I would like to end this reflection with a prayer for all of us:

May our eyes and senses be sharpened to the many wonders, gifts, and miracles of life. May our hearts be fuller and overflowing with love and joy, and may our hands be instruments of healing for ourselves and for others. May we all be channels of joy and inspiration, and may we radiate with the kind of light that we ourselves need during moments of darkness. May we be the vessels of the very same love and light that we need in our own lives, and may we pour out this love to everyone we meet. May our lives be shining examples of what it means to be reborn, to be given new chances, to have fresh starts.

*Namaste*

Dec31

How Little Rich Girl did in 2012, according to WordPress :)

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 16,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

Dec29

Freshly Pressed: “Water SignZ”, the world’s first album recorded with a single water bottle

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Dear friends, readers, kindred spirits all,

I am super thrilled to announce that, finally, my husband’s first solo album is ready and hot off the (indie) press! It has been christened Water SignZ, and it is the first and only album in the world recorded with a single water bottle.

Yes–you read it right–a single water bottle.

“Water SignZ”, the world’s first and only percussion album recorded using a single water bottle | Recorded by Paul Zialcita, album and CD art by Niña Terol-Zialcita

You see, my husband Paul is a percussionist, and for over 10 years now he has been enamored of the whole concept of making music out of recycled instruments. Like many percussionists, he started out performing with Latin instruments until that fateful day when, as his story goes, he passed their water cooler at home (as he had done countless other times before that) and tapped it just for fun.

What he heard amazed him. There were so many sounds and textures–coming from just one water bottle! He decided to play around with that flat-bottomed, five-gallon water bottle, and THIS is what happened after that:

It’s been an amazing ride since then, and I’m honored to have been present for most of his journey. Paul has performed using his water bottles (hence christened “aquadrums”) for everything from huge concerts to intimate gatherings, advocacy events, and corporate affairs alike–for everything from the United Nations to Greenpeace to the Malasimbo Music Festival–and he has even held drum circles for children and cancer patients. Paul’s aquadrums have also accompanied him to performances in the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia, the Cracking Bamboo International Percussion Festival in Vietnam, and the Homeless World Cup in Italy (where we got married!), and they have pretty much been with him through the ups and downs of the creative life life. (It also paved the way for our spoken word/poetry+percussion collaborations!)

As someone who is privy to his joys and pains, his dreams and frustrations, his triumphs and failures, I can say this with all candor and sincerity: I am immensely proud of my husband, and extremely grateful to that humble water bottle for everything that it has brought to our lives. :)

I am equally thrilled to have been my husband’s collaborator for this project, as I’ve had the pleasure of designing the CD and album art out of Paul’s photography. (I did a bit of post-mastering audio clean-up, too–thanks to Garage Band!–and likewise have producer credits :) )

“Water SignZ” by Paul Zialcita | Album photography by Paul Zialcita, album art by Niña Terol-Zialcita

“Water SignZ” by Paul Zialcita | Album photography by Paul Zialcita, album art by Niña Terol-Zialcita

We’re test-driving the whole package to a small group of family and friends, as a post-Christmas/”Age of AquariuZ” gift, but you’ll soon be seeing more details about the album, its humble beginnings and back story, and order/download details here. In the meantime, I’m just so thrilled to have reached this milestone in my creative and life partnership with my husband, and I hope you can share these good vibes with us. :)

What more can I say? :) It’s been a real blessing to be living the creative life, and I bow my head in gratitude and awe to the Universe. This is an awesome way to cap what has been a great year, and I look forward to more creative adventures in 2013!

Dec29

2012: Year-End Review (Part 2: Personal Highlights)

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Little Rich Girl's 2012: Year-End Review

Looking back at the year that was, it’s evident that I wasn’t in a good place in January 2012. I was coming off my lowest-ever financial year—when I realized, quite painfully, that I should stop accepting freebies and GCs (gift certificates) as payment for my work because they won’t pay my bills—and I somehow didn’t have the confidence to dream and plan for myself.

How did I get here? I often asked myself.

Ah, because you didn’t fight enough for yourself and your right to fair compensation, was my Wiser Self’s quick, smart-alecky retort.

My Wiser Self was right. Up until that point, I had always thought of money and compensation as a “bonus” to doing what I loved to do. “If you do what you love, the money will follow,” I used to remind myself. My experiences in 2011, however, taught me that I should always ensure a fair financial exchange especially when I was doing what I loved. I could take psychic rewards, but my bank, the utility company, and the supermarket won’t. GCs can feed you for a meal (at a certain restaurant), but it won’t give you the basics that you need to live. It was obvious, but I had to learn it the hard way.

That realization, and a few more, set the tone for my 2012. My dreamboard for the year showed me that I needed to learn to value myself and my work, and that I needed to create a safe haven for myself in order to unleash my creativity and be at my best.

Here are other things I learned along the way.

January

“Self-Portrait #1″ by Niña Terol-Zialcita

  • Learned how not to settle for less than I deserved
  • Saw that, if someone wants in their team badly enough, they’ll find a way to give you what you need in order to perform at your best
  • Realized how much I truly value freedom and creativity—and gave myself permission to unleash my creativity
  • Got a great gift from the Universe in time for my birthday, and saw that if you ask hard enough for a miracle (and truly want it), you will get it

February

  • Learned to dive into the (relatively) unknown and accept new challenges
  • However, started to get violent reactions from my body (an acne breakout in my 30s???), telling me that some things were wrong inside and out. The take-out: Always listen to what your body is telling you.
  • Realized how much I truly love working with others, and how much speaking in front of an audience is a gift that I must continue to cultivate

March

  • Surrendered to the fact that I just love traveling to work and learn new things. If traveling (and getting the best service in the house) can be a regular part of my work, I’d be so happy.

April-May

  • Realized that writing, teaching, and bringing people together are what I do best. These truly are non-negotiables in my life.

June

  • Happily saw that financial goals can easily be met if one has a clearly defined target and the discipline and focus to follow through

Freedom!

July

  • Learned a very painful lesson in humility and relationships, and about the value of never taking for granted the people that you love the most
  • Learned to stand up for myself in a different arena
  • Realized that, sometimes, the world can choose to pull the rug from under your feet just to test your resolve and teach you new lessons—because it so easily can

August

  • Learned the true meaning of forgiveness and unconditional love
  • Learned, too, that we should give ourselves time to feel, grieve, and heal. Things don’t get stitched up overnight

September

  • My most nerve-wracking month in 2012. (See Part 1 of my year-ender HERE) Was in my element editing, packaging publications, and giving talks—BUT learned the painful lesson that the person who juggles too much is, in the end, a clown who will drop some very important balls.
  • Saw how truly patient, understanding, and supportive my husband is of my work
  • Is grateful for the opportunity to get away (even for just a short while) and rediscover just how blessed I am to be with somebody I love THIS much!

October

  • Reconnected with the importance of family—through thick and thin!
  • Saw, again, how much traveling—especially with those I love—truly lifts me up and inspires so much creativity in me
  • Learned the sometimes-painful value of honoring one’s commitments

November

  • Saw why it is truly important to sharpen oneself up every day, so that when opportunity strikes—BOOM!—you strike with it
  • Gained the confidence the dream big and BIGGER (!!!) for myself and my work
  • Once again, was fueled by travel and the opportunity to connect with different people from different cultures

December

  • Saw that confidence is contagious and attractive—but it shouldn’t make you feel cocky
  • Realized firsthand that money cannot buy integrity, and that one shouldn’t be blinded by perks and prestige
  • Was humbled with the realization that, if you take good care of your people, they will save you’re a** (especially where K-Pop is concerned :P )
  • Realized even more how much I truly, TRULY love my family; found great joy in making sure their needs AND wants were met this year
  • Overall, learned to love and treat myself better :)
Illustration by Pete Rich

Illustration by Pete Rich