Himbing

Himbing

                                     Himbing sa piling mo.

                                                Unos at tag-araw

                                                Nangungutyang magkayakap,

                                                Himbing at payapa

                                                Sa piling mo…

 

                                    Halinghing at ungol,

                                                Uyayi’t sigaw

                                                Na pumapanaghoy.

                                                Umuulan, umaapoy,

                                                …Himbing

                                                sa piling mo.

 

                                    Pumipiglas,

                                                Sumasamba.

                                                Kumakalma’t kumakaripas.

                                                Umuugong…

                                                Bumubulong,

                                                …Tahan at dagundong.

                                                Payapa at himbing

                                                Sa piling mo.

 

                                    Bawat pagmulat mo’t pagpikit;

                                                Pawis at lagkit,

                                                Inaaninag at sinasamyo,

                                                Kahit pa mapalayo.

                                                Hiling kay Bathala’y

                                                Mapayapat’t mahimbing

                                                …sa piling mo.

 

 

        

EXORDIUM

Exordium

  

                                    And hereforth

                                                we shall traverse

                                                Barefoot

                                                To the land of visions

                                                Where we

                                                Seek truth

                                                And being.

                                                Of living free,

                                                Of living true.

                                                Rise above the abyss

                                                Of Nevermore.

  

                                    In this signature

                                                We shall pass

                                                Through the realm

                                                Of distant daydreams

                                                Ever so peculiar…

                                                Yet ne’er in dire need

                                                Indeed do we

                                                Come forth

                                                To meet Bliss and Faith

                                                In the face.

                                                With clown hats on.

 

                                    Let days of sunny summer

                                                And drizzling June

                                                Pass forth.

                                                I remain.

                                                I stand

                                                Amidst the storm.

                                                Along this path.

                                                So mote it be.

                                                All this be true

                                                My love

                                                For thee…

                                                For thee.

THE ENNEAGRAM: I'm a Type 5

TRY THIS TEST AND KNOW MORE ABOUT YOURSELF...I'M A TYPE 5!

http://web.tickle.com/tests/enneagram/?test=enneagramogt

TAKE THE COLOR TEST AND KNOW MORE ABOUT YOURSELF. I'M PURPLE!!!

Click on the link below and know more about your personality!

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Wanna know what my test results?  Click on the link below...

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Enjoy!

Solace

Solace

  

                                    Restless still at such an hour

                                                In the glorious advent of dawn

                                                Reluctance, fear, and chance

                                                Play up my soul.

                                    A wicked soup

                                                Ever so tempting…

                                                Too hot and yet so cold.

                                    A strange brew,

                                                This solace of you.

 

                                    Relentless Fate toying with my heart

                                                A scheming mystic mischief

                                                Guised as Venus’s iniquitous li’l tart

                                    Enticingly sweet and plausibly brittle.

                                                I crash and crumble

                                                Humbled

                                    By this strange brew,

                                                This solace of you.

 

                                     Baleful distress, disdain, and distance

                                                I do realize

                                                To my demise

                                                Excruciating resistance.

                                    Scorn and torn, I let my heart

                                                And mind be still.

                                                Achingly

Departing from sweet insanity

                                    Yet ever yearning.

                                    What vicious stew…

                                    A strange brew,

                                                This solace of you.

 

 

 

 

Women 101: Terminology

This was posted in my network (by teresa) and I'd like to repost it. It's perfectly, hilariously TRUE. So guys, read on and be enlightened...For WORLD PEACE...

 

Understanding a Woman when she uses the following phrases:

 

1.) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right

and you need to shut up.

 

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour.

Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

 

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something,
and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually
end in "fine".

 

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not a permission. Don't Do It!

 

5.) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement
often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you
are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and
arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of
nothing.)

 

6.) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman
can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard
before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

 

7.) Thanks:  A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint.

Just say "you're welcome."

 

8.) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying **** YOU!

 

9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement,
meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but
is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "what's wrong", for the woman's response refer to # 3.

 

WOMEN 101 TERMINOLOGY

Link HILARIOUSLY TRUE... :)

 

PALANCAHAN NANAMAN! Come to Momma...

Palanca Awards Now Open

The Carlos Palanca Foundation announces the opening of the 57th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. The country’s premier literary awards will accept entries until the midnight of April 30, 2007.

The literary awards is open to all Filipino citizens and former Filipino citizens. The competition includes the following categories: Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, One-act Play, and Full-length Play in Filipino and English divisions; Screenplay in Filipino division; and Short Story in Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Iluko regional languages.

This year’s theme for the Kabataan Essay is “The Filipino Value I Would Like to Share with the World” for the English division; and “Ang Kaugaliang Pilipino na Nais Kong Ibahagi sa Mundo” for the Filipino division. This is a special category open to persons below 18 years old.

Established in 1950, one of the objectives of the Palanca Awards is to serve as an incentive for Filipino writers to craft their outstanding literary works. It is noteworthy that more and more first-time entrants are winning in the contest.

National Artist for Literature Edith Tiempo noted that writers should take full advantage of the annual literary competition to hone their craft. “We are all privileged to have a good number of our writers and their best works being acclaimed and applauded – and we, readers and writers may well wonder about the enormity of literary expertise and craftsmanship and long earnest labor that must have gone into the performing of these chosen works.”

Entries for the literary competition may be submitted in person, or sent by mail or courier service to Carlos Palanca Foundation, 6th Floor, CPJ Building., 105 C. Palanca Jr. St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Entries may also be submitted through e-mail in Rich Text Format or in Microsoft Word Document as an attachment, together with the author’s resume, official entry form and original copy of the notarized authorization form.

Complete contest rules and official entry forms may be obtained from the Carlos Palanca Foundation office or via e-mail to cpawards@info.com.ph or palancaawards@yahoo.com. For inquiries, please call 818-3681, local 31.

DOWNLOADS: 2007 Palanca Entry Form, Authorization Form, and Rules and Regulations

Biyaheng Dumaguete...LET'S GO!!!

Call for Submissions to the 46th Dumaguete National Writers Workshop

National Artist for Literature Edith L. Tiempo has announced a March 31 deadline for applications for fellowships to the 46th National Writers Workshop to be held in Dumaguete City from May 7 to 25.

Panelists this year are Gemino Abad, Alfred Yuson, Susan Lara, Anthony Tan, DM Reyes, Marjorie Evasco, and others. They will compose the revolving panel of writers together with National Artist for Literature Edith Lopez Tiempo, and resident panelists César Ruìz Aquino, Bobby Flores Villasis, and Ernesto Superal Yee.

Fifteen (15) fellowships are open for young writers all over the country.

The first screening panel, composed of the workshop's resident writers, selects the writing fellows for the summer based on the manuscripts submitted by the applicants. These selected manuscripts are forwarded to the Director of the Workshop, who does the final screening and formally approves the final lineup of writing fellows.

The writing fellowship covers lodging for the full 22 days of the duration of the entire workshop, a modest stipend, one-way fare reimbursement, and workshop manuscripts and reading materials.

The applicant must submit original manuscripts consisting of at least three to five short (3-5) stories, or three to five (3-5) essays/creative non-fiction, or two (2) one-act plays, or seven to ten (7-10) poems. Stories, poems, plays, and essays in English are preferred. Only unpublished manuscripts are accepted. Works which have previously won in literary contests will not be accepted.

Other requirements include an application letter addressed to Workshop Director Dr. Edith Tiempo; a diskette or CD containing the various submitted literary works encoded in Microsoft Word; a recommendation letter from a renowned writer or literature teacher; two 2x2 pictures; and a brief biodata or résumé.

These must be sent before the 31 March 2007 deadline to Dr. Edith Lopez Tiempo, National Writers Workshop Director, c/o College Assurance Plan, 2nd Floor, CAP Building, Rizal Boulevard, 6200 Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines.

Accepted fellows are usually notified by postal mail, or email, or by phone call, although the announcement is usually published by major Philippine dailies.

Interested parties may also apply for sit-in or auditing privileges.

The National Writers Workshop was established by Edith and Edilberto Tiempo in 1962, making it the longest-running creative writing workshop in Asia. The 2007 edition is sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Silliman University, and College Assurance Plan, in coordination with the Creative Writing Foundation Inc. and the Dumaguete Literary Arts Service Group, Inc. Donors to the fellowship program include Senators Edgardo J. Angara and Mar Roxas as well as former NCCA Chairman Jaime Laya and Ms. Erlinda Panlilio.

Promil Baby ka ba? Nurture your talent: LIRA Poetry Workshops

LIRA Poetry Workshops now accepting applicants

The Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA) is now accepting entries for its annual poetry workshop. The workhop will be held every Saturdays and Sundays of June and July at the College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman, Q.C. National Artist for Literature, Virgilio S. Almario, would direct the said workshop.

All interested applicants are to pass five poems in Filipino together with a short bio-data and a 1x1 picture. Kindly send entries to:

LIRA Workshop
c/o Dir. Vim Nadera
UP Institute of Creative Writing,
2/F Bulwagang Rizal, UP Diliman,
Quezon City, 1101

They could also send it through email at liraworkshop@gmail.com before April 30, 2007.

LIRA is an organization of poets writing in Filipino. It conducts annual poetry writing workshops, spanning topics from traditional Filipino poetry to post-modernism. From these workshops sprung respected and award-winning poets like Vim Nadera, Romulo Baquiran, Michael Coroza and siblings, Rebecca and Roberto Anonuevo. LIRA celebrated its 21st anniversary last December 2006. Beverly Siy is its current president.

Click here for LIRA’s organization profile.

Sa mga manunulat dyan...Rampa na!!!

From panitikan.com.ph:

The 1st Man Asian Literary Prize

The first Man Asian Literary Prize will be awarded in the Autumn of 2007 for an "Asian novel unpublished in English" and each twelve months thereafter.

Submissions – Works must be submitted in English, electronically through the Prize’s website(www.manasianliteraryprize.org) no later than March 31, 2007 in .txt, .doc or .rtf format. Works may be submitted by the current holder of the rights to the English language version.

Partial submissions of at least 10,000 words will be accepted. However, a complete submission must be made within 30 days of the announcement of the Long List or the work will not be considered.

A long list of up to 20 candidates will be announced on June 1, 2007. The short list of five candidates will be announced on approximately Oct. 1, 2007. The winner will be announced on approximately Nov. 1, 2007.

Award amounts – $10,000 to the winning author; $3,000 to translator (if any and if eligible, details below) of the winning work; and a significant amount at the discretion of the Prize administrators to purchase copies of the work once published, for distribution to regional libraries, schools and other institutions.

Definitions and eligibility:

"Novel" implies a substantial work of fiction, usually a minimum of 30,000 words.

"Asian" means written by an author of 18 years of age or older who is both a citizen and resident of an Asian country or territory, which is defined as one of: Japan, South Korea, North Korea, The People’s Republic of China, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region*, The Macau Special Administrative Region*, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

"In English" means works in the English language, whether originally in English or translations of works already published in other languages. If the work has been previously published in a language other than English, the first publication must be no more than eight years prior to Nov. 1, 2007.

"Unpublished" means that the work’s publication date (if scheduled) must be no earlier than Nov. 15 of the year in which the prize is awarded.

Documentary evidence of citizenship and/or residency may be required. Eligibility of any given submission is at the sole discretion of the prize administration.

Translator eligibility: the submission may also nominate the translator of the work for the prize. The translator may not be the author him/herself, nor a member of the author’s immediate family.

Awarding the prize – authors of short-listed works will be invited to attend the awards ceremony in Hong Kong at the prize’s cost. The author must be present
to be considered for the prize.

Guaranteed publication – should the winning work not have a signed publisher nor be able to secure one in a reasonable amount of time, Chameleon Press, a leading independent Hong Kong publisher (www.chameleonpress.com), will publish the winning novel.

Attendance at the Literary Festival – The winner of the prize will be considered for invitation to the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival in March
2008.

* "Citizenship" in the case of the Hong Kong and Macau SARs shall be taken to mean "permanent residency."

ZIGGY MARLEY IN MANILA

Link

 

Random Ramblings: Entry 21807 "Finding Bramasole"

02/18/2007

 

I. Cannot. Believe it.

Too many times have I seen the film (shame, I haven’t read the book), and for the nth time yet, it still draws me into tears. Almost every single element in the story reflects my very life…

In the film “Under the Tuscan Sun,” Diane Lane plays Francesca, a writer. In her midlife. Has reviewed and attended to several books by other people, but never had the time to finally ink her own. She’s quite known in the writing circle, surrounded by great friends…And just when she thinks she’s got everything, Love betrays her. In the face. A dreadful truth she unraveled not by herself. Her seemingly complete life, then, falls apart…She lost her home, her husband, her spirit, her Self…She retreats. And much as she’s reluctant to come out of her shell, she has to rebuild her four walls.

Patty, her best friend (portrayed by none other than the magnificent Sandra Oh), offers Francesca a trip to Tuscany; one which the latter accepted, reluctantly however. This journey opened a new door for her – the doors of Bramasole. An old ancestral, worn down villa quietly sitting atop the hills of Tuscany, Francesca was drawn to it. Several “signs” brought her to its gates, eventually convincing her to buy it from a superstitious sweet old Italian woman. Amidst the appallingly peeling wallpaint, cracked ceiling, and its dust-ridden dark corners, she felt there was no point in going back to where she once was. She chose to start over, in this strange, shabby shelter that she now has to embrace as home.

Her first visitor in the tattered house was a night of turbulence, which she, on her own, survived humbly…And proverbially, just as the sun shines after the storm, the wheel turns…Her fate changes.

There’s a line uttered in the film that struck me with much impact: “…a house for a life I don’t even have…” It is just as empty as I feel at the moment, trying to resuscitate my being with plans and hopes – wishes if you may say so – endeavors, of which I’m not even certain of ever seeing manifestations. But I am hopeful. There is no other way to go on but to keep on trying, to never give up. It will take time to recover. But I will…

Familiar Characters

Patty reminds of my deepest friends – my cousin Yohan, my brother Allan, the women of “The Coven” – some of whom I’ve already lost touch with (which I highly feel terrible about). Althroughout my life, these are the people who know me inside-out. We have shared each other’s joys and tears (and a great number of bottles of spirits, cups of coffee, and packs of cigarettes). And each time I come running to them in my times of weakness, they would always try to pull me out of my abyss – in more ways than one. Unconditionally. And in return, I stand right by them in their times of tears, all ears… They have all moved on. And here I am still, all these years. In very same abyss that I have allowed to swallow me whole; it had taken me away from them…all the more myself.

I find it funny – strange perhaps – that some of the characters are even named exactly as those whom I have encountered in my own journey. Pawel (pronounced Pavew: Paul in English), the Polish young man who was part of the Polish team who helped Francesca renovate her Bramasole: I met this musician named as such, Polish as well, at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia. He’s the bassist of this Celtic band from Poland. No, he wasn’t as young as the Pavew in the story. But we became friends, close enough to share our lifestories in that short span of time. He has a kid as well, he’s not married but is in a relationship just as I. When the festival ended, we parted as friends and remain friends up to this time.

Ah, and then there was this Italian man that Francesca bumped into at the city during a stroll (if you’ve seen the movie, you know the name)…I have my own version of that, but he’s not Italian – he’s French-Ecuadorian. Same name. Same swift romance: the coincidental meeting, the intriguing attraction, the kiss at the beach… Fleeting as the sea breeze did he come into my life; fleeting as the very same sea breeze did he go. Oh well…We could not be together even if we try. And as in the movie, “these things must come naturally.” Another musician, by the way. A bassist as well. (But he has now ventured into dub…God, what is it with bassists? No, what is it with musicians and me?!)

Other characters are reflections of how I think and feel…

The glamorous Catherine – the exact embodiment of my greatest fear. Always the woman of grandeur that she is, she hides beneath her fabulous façade. She has gotten used to being left behind by her (many, I suppose) paramours; her world she lives under a veil of her lavish fantasies. “Never lose your childish enthusiasm,” she says while comforting herself, with childlike charm, by means of a cone of ice cream (exactly how I comfort myself). She lives in the theater of her mind. And when all the lights go down, when the applause fades behind the closing curtain, the truth remains – she is still alone. A harsh reality she cures with a bottle of champagne through the night; to wake up once again for another performance.  My greatest fear: getting old alone and to have to bear with it…At least she does it fabulously. I dread to even think of how I’d go about it, or for that time to even arrive.

“What is it about love that makes us so stupid?” Francesca remarks, pointing out to the old man who brings flowers to the nearby altar every single day…I see this man everywhere everyday. In fact, this man is the first I see at the beginning of each of my days, staring right back at me in the mirror as I wash off the tears that have dried upon my cheeks from crying myself to sleep in the night. Indeed, it pains us to see ourselves having a hard time letting go…But bear in mind that it does take time to heal. We need to go through the process…properly. And soon  enough, we shall awake one day in genuine willingness to finally move on.

Parting, Departing…Arriving

And in the process, indeed, there will be times when memories – both good and bad – come to knock on our doors yet again. Like opening boxes of our old things delivered late and in the most unexpected times, it takes us back to such times we either cherish or would fervently want to wipe out of our heads. Most of the time, we will be caught off guard by them. All the same, do not fear these moments. These memories. Joyous or otherwise, we must learn to accept all that has passed. Only then can we truly move on.

I realize that I have been brooding too much that I have been remiss in appreciating what I am already blessed with. I have a family that loves me dearly, forever there to stand by me amidst every single trial, never ceasing to have faith in all my sacrifices. My ever dearest friends who’ve always believed in me, but whom I have neglected for years; all the same they remain present in spirit with me…I shall make it up to them indeed. And ever most importantly, the one and only man who will never ever leave me, most certain as gravity…my beloved son whom I love so deeply, the one greatest thing that ever happened to me, the biggest inspiration in my life, my stronghold…My angel, my moon. 

My beloved ones, I am ever so grateful that they stand by me even in the most tumultuous times. They have always been there, they are there still, with me. They are the four corners of my life. With all their love, I shall be able to rebuild my once tattered life, brick by brick, a day at a time…

Soon enough, my book will be bound…And my Bramasole, found.

7:10pm

Feb 18, 2007

Random Ramblings: Entry 12707 "Simbuyo't Paglulumanay"

01/27/2007

Matagal-tagal na kong hindi nilalagnat at wala akong oras...

At dahil dyan...Carly Simon, pasok!

"Nobody does it better..."

Patawarin. Magpaka-Little Black Book daw ba ang drama?! My story is way different naman. Wala lang. Yun ang kantang nasa utak ko ngayon, for some reason...

Mukhang nagkatotoo na nga yata ang ultimate prophecy sa buhay ko. Na darating ang panahon na uulanin ako ng problema. Understatement yata yung ulan. Dahil ito, unos, lord...Buti sana kung paisa-isa tulad ng usual na kinakaya ko naman. But no, this time, ga-barkada silang kumatok sa baybayin ng buhay ko. Dahil ba magte-trenta na ko ngayong taon? Hinahamon nanaman ako ng tadhana...

Una, pamilya. Tapos nagkaron ako ng karamdaman: Buti naman pinagbigyan pa ko ng langit, may matres pa naman ako. Pero dilubyo...With their powers combined, ayun, yung dalawang unang problemang nabanggit, naka-apekto sa trabaho ko. Hanggang sa dumating yung point na I had to quit. Kung baga, nag-offer si Banker, at kesa lumala pa ang sitwasyon, nag-deal na ko...

At habang nagpa-party itong mga issue na to sa utak at kaluluwa ko... Eto na, kumatok ang problemang kinakailangan ng matindi-tinding shot ng Omega 6: pag-ibig. Ang level: Bali revisited! Tsunami, lord. In fact kulang pa yun. Isama narin ang bombings, why not...Kulang nalang ma-feature narin ako sa Discovery Channel. At kelan nanaman nangyari? Nung isang gabi lang...

Anim na taon...Anim na taon kong minahal ang taong ito. Anim na taon akong nakipagpatawaran, lumuha, lumigaya, lumipad, lumaya...Ika-pitong taon na sana namin ngayon. Di ba nga, sabi nila, if you survive for seven years as a couple, you're on a roll na. We were two months away from the proverbial "7"...But no. Mahabang istorya, pero sa madaling salita binigo nanaman ako ng lakay ko...

Hindi ko na alam kung may paghuhugutan pa ba ko ng lakas/pakiramdam/konsiderasyon para patawarin pa sya (kung babalik pa sya. Ulit.) matapos ng ilang ulit nang latay ng kapiyudalan nya. Hindi ko alam...Pero for sure, and officially, tanga na nga talaga ako. But then, para magawa ko yun for six years, I must say talaga namang minahal ko sya ng ganun kalalim. Wala nang mas tototoo pa sa pagmamahal na ibinigay ko sa kanya. At alam nya yan...E ganun e...Tila wala parin talagang halaga sa kanya lahat ng yun. Anong gagawin ko...E di iyak nalang hanggang sa maubos yung pait sa dibdib ko. Sabay sa pait ng cerveza at yosi sa labi ko.

Iniisip ko tuloy, sadyang kay malas naman ng pagte-trenta ko...

Pero naturalmiente, hindi ko naman pababayaang hanggang ganun nalang lahat...Hindi ako dadalhin ng tadhana this far kung hindi ko kakayanin lahat ng ito.

Solusyon... Solusyon...

Ano nang gagawin mo, Yanna?

Pagkakataon ko na tong ayusin lahat ng backlog ko sa buhay. Ang naudlot kong libro, tatapusin ko na. Ang exhibit ko masisimulan ko na. Ang flamenco, maitutuloy ko na. Ang proyekto ng pamilya, mababantayan ko na. Ang anak ko, mas lalo ko pang mabibigyan ng panahon. Ang utak ko, mapapayapa na...

Ang puso ko, ewan ko lang lord, sana naman maghilom pa.

Nangako ako sa sarili ko. Na pagpatak ko ng trenta, maayos ko lahat ng ito...

Mahaba-haba pa ang wish list ko. Gusto kong maging UN volunteer. Gusto kong magkaroon ng license for diving instructorship. Gusto kong magtuloy ang community project for the arts na pinagpaplanuhan namin ng auntie ko nun...Given na syempre na gusto kong matiwasay ang buhay...And yes, ultimately: WORLD PEACE! (wave to the audience, smile, turn, and pose)

Centrum lang katapat nito...(Kahit na si Sam Milby pa ang singer-endorser ng produktong ito, kebs na...)

Unang hakbang, lilisanin ko ang kwarto ko dito sa bahay at mamumundok, mamamangka...Haharapin ko ang hangin at alon na dala ng unos na to para humupa...

Haharapin ko ang sarili ko...