mxtrix

Nothing is ever original in this world. No one is truly unique. We all share traits, ideas, values, and even preferences with other people. In a sense, we are a combination of everyone we've interacted with. However, Sadelle Mariano begs to differ. She is not some sort of combination. Better yet, she fills herself just right. She's all that she needs. That's a fact, and people are just an unnecessary annoyance in her life. Yet, when things go awry, and Sadelle ends up in a never-ending loop of changes dooming to disrupt her routinary life, does she bask in the shared celebration of her existence with other people? Or does she isolate herself in glorified individuality?We are fragments of everything we've experienced, people we've interacted with, along with our own values in life. Will Sadelle realize, then, that things and people, to a certain extent, mirror one another? That in a manner, we're like secondhand stories as our pages are read but felt differently by each reader?/book cover by sugararmy07…

mxtrix

Balikbayan boxes have long been a symbol of giving practiced by overseas Filipino workers to their families and even friends. This has been a tradition withstanding time from different generations. As Filipinos, we uphold the idea and belief of being family-oriented and sharing. We are a collectivist culture. Manifestation of it is shown in one way through balikbayan boxes. Yet, with a culture transcending generations, have we taken the time to value the essence of what giving is, or have we boxed ourselves in our own individualistic notions?…