all new

I've been keeping myself from uploading the new layout I created for this site. Ang plano ko, itatapat ko sa new year para kahit papaano ay symbolic. Isa pa, I was again having trouble with formatting my blogger template kasi nga hindi ako familiar sa css. But alas! naayos ko din sya after countless attempts. Suddenly, I couldn't wait til January 1 any longer. Kaya heto, bago na ang damit ng site ko even though we're still two days short of the new year *smirk*

christmas came early

I first heard of this indie band called Acoustic Reserve a few months back. They're great! It's not often that I get excited over a band nowadays but this one's different. That's how great they are--at least to me. And if you're partial to Toad the Wet then you'd like their music too. Long story short, I sent them an email saying how much I enjoy listening to their music and in the reply they sent they promised to send me a copy of their CD.

To be honest, I was hoping but I wasn't really expecting they'd make good on their promise. They mentioned in their email that they're in the midst of writing songs for their second album so I assumed they'd probably be too busy to bother.

So you can imagine my surprise and utter glee when the mail came and with it the CD. No exaggeration, I literally shrieked when I saw it. And I was shaking with excitement as I tore open the CD packet.

Right now, I'm still reeling...

This is what their album cover looks like. Its called Lost with Neb and its my first Christmas gift this season. It has 14 tracks all in all. Among my favorites are Sarah Walks In, Holding on and Tuesday Morning.

Abril, if you're reading this... I'll burn you a copy

the EB that was

Last December 4 was a busy day for me. Iyon ang araw ng fans day ng PHR at iyon din ang araw na nag-EB kami ng ilang members ng TRW. It was great. It was fun. Pag-uwi ko sa bahay at around...hmmm...2am! (gumimick pa kasi ako after)... plastado talaga ako!

Here are some pics courtesy of D Elusive Soul.

this is may and rowena outside QC Sports Club

left to right: barbie, may, joan, rowena

rigodon: joan, may, barbie, rowena

rigodon na naman: barbie, may, rowena, joan

oops! i failed to get the names of barbie's friends, far right is of course joan. this pic was taken inside the function hall where the fans day took place

left to right: sir joen (totally oblivious), rowena, may, and barbie with friends

left to right: the martha cecilia, joan, rowena, and may

left to right: the martha cecilia, joan, rowena, and may

left to right: me, joan, rowena, and may...behind us is the buffet table na nalimas!

left to right: kenji, me, rowena, joan, and may sa kenny sa tapat ng QC sports club

here's us again...nilibre kami ni kenji sa kenny (o diba it rhymes)...thanks again kenji!

more hahaha

been checking out more of this paul guys site.

grabe, super funny talaga this person is!

here's another link

hilarious

this site is laugh out loud funny. believe you me!

as in HAHAHAHAHA funny

ella if your reading this... ba't di ka pa nanganganak, ha?

anyhoo, click the link sis at baka sakaling ma-induce ang labor mo

what makes a good novel?

"what makes a good novel?" 'Yan ang tanong ng kasama ko sa mailing list na kinabibilangan ko at `eto naman ang naging tugon ko...

Susme! Aking katotoo, di yata't kay hirap namang sagutin ng iyong katanungan. What makes a good novel? Makulay na characters ba? Mabilis na pacing? Buhay na buhay na paglalarawan? Nakakaiyak o nakakatawang plot? Beats me. *kibit-balikat* Hindi ko din alam at duda akong malalaman ko ang sagot dyan ngayon o sa hinaharap. I guess depende yan sa nagbabasa. Marami ang nagsabi sa akin na maganda daw ang "the alchemist" kaya bumili ako ng kopya, binasa ko ang simula--isang taon na sya sa akin hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa din natatapos. Iba lang marahil ang panlasa ko kaya hindi ako nagandahan sa kanya. I think it was April who posted something similar to the point I'm driving at. Sabi nga ng cliche, beauty is
in the eye of the beholder.

What makes a good novel...Alam mo, parehas lang tayo, iyan din ang madalas kong itanong sa sarili ko dati. May mga theories naman akong narating (emphasis on the word theories kasi haka-haka ko laang at plural kasi dalawa sila). Una na ang pagiging alpha male ng bidang lalaki ala Lorenzo Empire slash Lothario slash MC novels. Ikalawa, ang pagiging "out of the mold" ng mga kuwento tulad ng mga gawa ni Rose Tan at Arielle. Whether or not tama ang haka-haka kong `to, hindi ba't pangit naman kung sasadyain nating tularan ang panulat nila para lang magarantiya na papatok ang mga libro natin? Lalabas kasing hindi na ang "totoong" tayo ang author ng libro natin. Kumbaga ay nawalan na tayo ng identity, nawalan na tayo ng self... and where's the fulfillment in that?

My advice is don't pressure yourself too much. Huwag mong hayaang pangunahan ka ng takot. Magsulat ka lang ng magsulat. Hindi man magustuhan ng lahat, mayroon at mayroong matutuwa sa libro mo. Hindi puwedeng wala. And from the few, over time they'll increase in number. Yan ay kung pananatiliin mo ang kalidad ng panulat mo.

Kailan lang tinanong ako ng kaibigan ko kung nakakasulat na ulit ako. You see, dumanas kasi ako ng dry spell recently. Ang sagot ko oo pero hirap pa din ako kasi napi-pressure ako. Aminado akong kasalan ko din naman kaya ako nagkaganoon. Pini-pressure ko kasi ang sarili ko. Gusto ko kasing maging magandang-maganda-maganda ang kuwento ko. Katwiran ko, how can I jump higher if I don't raise the bar? Isa pa, ayokong biguin ang expectations ng iba sa akin, imagined or otherwise.

Ang payo sa akin ng kaibigan ko, huwag ko daw intindihin ang iisipin ng ibang tao. Bumalik daw ako sa pinagmulan ng lahat. Bakit ba daw ako nag-shift ng career? Bakit ko ba daw napiling magsulat? Ang sagot: kasi gusto kong magsulat. Iyon na `yon. Tapos ang usapan. Gusto kong magsulat kaya magsusulat ako.

Ikaw din, huwag mong isipin ang ibang tao. I-pursue mo lang ang interes mo. Ang kailangan mo lang naman ay panahon, right attitude, tiyaga at disiplina sa sarili. Ang talent naman ay nahahasa. Besides, you'll never know if you do have the talent unless you try.

And finally, kung ang kagandahan ng novel ay makikita batay sa dami ng bumibili, dehado ang mga nagsisimula pa lang dahil wala pa silang masugid na mambabasa. Mas marami ang mga nobelista ngayon. Mas mahigpit ang competition. Pero kung hindi tayo magsusulat at maglalabas ng libro, kailan pa tayo magkakaroon ng masugid na mambabasa? We have to write now. We have to write frequently. We have to write well. It's a tall order but it's the only way to earn our fan base.