Why Pinoys Go to Sing?

I often wonder why a lot of Pinoys are now visiting Singapore. Last February, I went there  with colleagues, I realized why. We like to go to Sing to...

1. Eat...and have our pics taken.

We say cheese while impatiently waiting for our food. 

Because when the camera flashes, we don't want to be caught with a grumpy face. So instantly, we force a smile

or come up with antics.

We are camera-ready even while eating,

and even with mouthful of noodles.

2. Shop...but wait let's have our pics taken first.

But as soon as we entered the shops, the digicam was forgotten. And so were friends. We were left on our own respective "hunting" sprees.

3. Ride the Luge

 and Sky Ride

 and just start clicking even when we're afraid of heights. 

Who would know, with a smile this?

4. Go Tubing at Snow City

and pose for the cam. Thanks to the Snow City photographers who were on stand-by for photo ops like this right after we slid down the slope of ice. 

5. Go to Universal Studios!!!

and ask mascots like Kung Fu Panda, Po for a photo op,

or do whatever and make sure the camera is ready.

We take pics of ourselves solo

or with the group

even of strangers scratching their tummy,

 even in the rain

and pics of rides we took, like The Mummy

(Loved it! Super fun and scary at the same time.

The Jurassic Park ride was a good one. Pretty harmless till you get to the end part.

This one looked harmless but the thrill factor is high too.

For me, the best ride of all is the Transformers!

I highly recommend this ride to all who will go to USS. Do not miss it. We had to wait for a long while because the line was really long but it was definitely worth the wait. It was really like being in the middle of the battle between Autobots and the Decepticons, with fireballs and what-have-yous thrown at you. So cool! Among the rides, this was my favorite.) 

For more about it, check this out:

http://tftheride.rwsentosablog.com/2012/01/20/have-you-taken-part-in-the-ultimate-3d-battle/

Did I say it's my favorite? We actually went back for another ride after we've finished the other rides and shows but the gates were already closed. )


and shows like Waterworld, great production and stunts. 

and just about every nook and cranny of USS!

including this.

Our way of saying, we had great fun here!

Writers, Write Now!

To all the aspiring writers, I encourage you to start writing, keep on writing and write every day for at least one hour. I've put together here some useful links, my favorites, where you can join writing seminars and contests to further enhance your talent.

1. Nanowrimo or National November Writing Month
http://www.nanowrimo.org

The idea is to write a novel with 50,000 words from Nov. 1 to 30. That's practically 1,667 words per day. It's not about coming up with a quality story. It's more of a matter of quantity which is the said no. of words. The fun part is you get to write along with millions of online members worldwide. You receive emails to encourage you and give you tips to keep going. At the end of the month, you will have gained the discipline to write every day.

I first joined Nanowrimo in 2010 but unfortunately, I did not finish my novel. But the good thing about it, on the same month when I was commissioned to write a novella of less than 10,000 words in less than 10 days, I met the deadline. Thanks to Nanowrimo, I finally finished and published my first-ever novel.

2. Panitikan - Your Portal to Philippine Lit
http://www.panitikan.com.ph/

This is a site owned by Likhaan UP, UP Creative Dept. where a lot of announcements on the Philippine Literary world like writing seminars, contests, and related events incl. sale of books are posted.

I found out about  Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines's monthly meet-up on this page. I was so happy my friend Kim and I got to join them this May where we heard Ms. Clarrisa Militante, author of Different Countries, long listed 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize, give her talk on her transition from journalism to novel writing.

3. Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University
http://creativewriting.stanford.edu/about-the-fellowship

If you want to enhance your writing skills, try out for this one. For someone without a formal background on writing, this may seem like reaching for the stars. (If you were me, yes!) For one, the Stegner Fellowship only takes in 10 fellows (5 for fiction, 5 for poetry) out of 1,900 applicants around the world. And although, they do not check your background whatsoever except for your entry, I noticed most of the fellows hold master degree in writing or studied writing related courses.

But I am getting ahead of me. Let me give a brief intro, SF is a 2-year program where a fellow is considered like an in-house artist. Isn't that cool? You will be given a stipend to write and write and write for 2 years. You meet once a week for 3 hours with the rest of the fellows once a week along with some faculty members to exchange ideas on your respective works.

Like I said, they do not require any degrees or tests for admission. All you have to do is send an entry, a short story/novel for fiction and a poem or collection of it for poetry. Then sign up the application form online, pay fee of $75 and wait in March for the result. The deadline for application for the next batch, AY 2013-2015 is December 1, 2012.

4. Writer's Block Philippines
http://writersblockphilippines.com/

I salute the 3 ladies - Ana Santos, Nikka Sarthou, Nina Zialcita, behind this site. It gives out workshops for freelance writers and tips and articles on writing. Its members get discount for such seminars. There is also a page for announcements on opportunities for writing jobs, scholarships, competitions, blogging contests and the like.

I never got to join any of their workshops because I always find out about it last minute.
From this site, I got to learn about Writer's Digest.

5. Writer's Digest
http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-competitions

Would you like to go to New York City for free? Your ticket could be your writing composition.With 10 categories to choose from, like Romance, Horror, Young Adult, you will surely find one for your chosen field.

Other than a free trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in NY for the grand prize winner, s/he will also receive USD3,000, and a one on one attention with agents and editors.


6. New York Times's Modern Love
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/style/fashionandstyle/columns/modernlove/index.html?scp=1&sq=sara%20eckel&st=cse

Why not write about your past or current love life and get published on New York Times no less? Check out the link for a list of previous personal essays on love for idea. Then click on the how to submit link for the rules.

My personal love stories are so boring, I have to be a really good writer to make it interesting enough. So I'm counting on you and do let me know if you get published! Deal?

7. The Guide to Writers Conferences and Workshops
http://writing.shawguides.com/

This site has a list and links of writers conferences and workshops mostly in the US. Some workshops are interesting and got me thinking. If only I had a US visa, I'd be signing up by now.


8. Freelance Writing Jobs and Your Freelance Writing Career
http://freelancewrite.about.com/

A very valuable site heavy with articles that will definitely help you on topics including how to write a query or pitch letter.

9. Jennifer On Writing
http://jenniferonwriting.blogspot.com/

Successful Romance, Mystery, Mainstream author Jennifer Ashley says her blog is a teaching tool for aspiring and newly-published writers. A must read I should say for us writers, as it is loaded with tips based on her own experiences in writing and being published.


10.Bronze Age Media Inc.
http://www.bronzeage.ph/

If you would like to get into DIY publishing, this group will help you do so. They also hold workshops for indie publishers. I got to join their first workshop on self-publishing this May entitled, Authors At Once. Published author Mina V. Esguerra was its main speaker. She has 5 books to her name, all sold on Amazon.com I believe. You can check out her site, Publishing in Pajamas http://minavesguerra.com/ for her experiences in writing and publishing.

There's a page where you can submit your manuscript and they will help you in editing, designing book cover and other steps.


11. Designed by Words Writers' Workshop
http://designedbywords.com/

Another local site like Writer's Block, it holds writing workshops in the Philippines. Like Writer's Block, I haven't joined any for the same reason.

a love story as told to me

I hurt him. I hurt him twice over. I, who said I love him and will love him forever.

We promised each other to stand by each other through thick and thin. We agreed to stand before God and before our family and friends and declare our Love for each other.  We were happy and so were the people around us. We saw the  world through rose-colored glass. Our life was ahead of us. We had it all planned out. All we had to do was show up on the appointed day.

But I didn’t fulfill my part. I was weak, I backed out. Another Guy came into the picture and I disregarded my promise to the one I love, the one I First Loved. Suddenly, I didn’t know who I really love. Suddenly, I didn’t know what love really is.

Just like that, my world took a different turn as I shared my rose-colored world to Another Guy. In the arms of Another Guy, I felt safe but not at peace.  I felt loved but only because I didn’t know what Love is anymore. For he who taught me how to love, he whom I First Loved hated me. He who said my smile brightened up his day. He who said his life will crumble down if I weren’t by his side. He who said he loved me then, hated me now.

But not for long, for he wooed me again. And I took him back, only to dump him again when Another Guy came back into the picture. But when I saw the pain in the face of him whom I First Love, Guilt set in and Joy left me. My world was in shambles. Another Guy left me but I chose to search for Love and Joy but it evaded me.

After a long search, Love found me again and I understood what Love really is. Then I realized that he whom I First Loved is he whom I Truly Love. And the Joy I was looking for is with and in him. But with our history, I couldn’t get myself to even go near him anymore. I do not even know what has become of he whom I First Loved.

But I do not want to hurt him again, the third time, should I count. So I decided for his sake to leave him be. And find Love and Joy somewhere else.

***

I found Love and Joy in her whom I loved, cherished and adored. I promised to love her and she promised to love me too. We watched the sun rise and set together and we couldn’t get enough of it. We watched the stars and the moon together and I couldn’t help but think how jealous they must’ve been of us.

I was elated and my heart cannot contain my Joy. My Joy turned to Fear when my Imagination teased me and insinuated that I may lose her. The very thought scared me at my wits end. No matter how I tried to hold it back, my Fear got a hold of me. I don’t know when that day came and Another Guy took her from me. But I saw her eyes, she went freely.

I thought my world will end without her. I cried to the Heavens to bring her back to me.

What about the plans we made together while we watched the skies? What about her promise of love? I must remind her. I must remind her of the happy days we had, of the promises and plans we made.

And it worked! She came back and together we held hands but we weren’t the same. I found her kisses cold. So when Another Guy came swooping in again, I just let her go, her that I Once Loved.

I thought I'd walk the streets with a heavy heart. I thought my world would crumble down right in front of me. But surprisingly, Love and Joy didn’t leave me. For I had it in my heart all along. Long before I met her, her that I Once Loved.

But  I wasn’t content with just Love and Joy. I wanted more, I wanted Great Love and Great Joy and so I went searching. Until I found both in another girl, in her, whom I Truly Love.

Look What I Found!

My (Some Sort of) Ode to the Rain

An old composition I've written 12 years ago printed under Youngblood column of Philippine Daily Inquirer! I typed my name curious to find what's out there attributed to me and this is what I got. Funny, I sound like a tra-la-la! This was actually my second piece. After I saw this, I tried searching for the other one but can't find it. Maybe they only keep in archive those from year 2000 and up.

I remember writing this not only for my love of rain but rain in UP. Because of its many trees and greens, it's enchanting that when it rains, I feel like I'm a nymph specifically in white flowy sheer satin gown inside a rain forest. ;p

I found a few typos and I thought I'd revise a little. Below is the whole article with mininal changes.

Walking in the Rain

Don't you just love the rain?

In my college days in the University of the Philippines Diliman, I used to walk barefoot from the waiting shed to my house when it rained. I'd get off the ikot jeep, take off my shoes and carry them like a pair of lost kittens because I hate soggy shoes except if they were my sister's. ;p

The asphalt tickles my soles. Its feel thrills and excites me like a child waiting for his turn for dirty ice cream from the sorbetero. The scent of the wet trees and grass is as refreshing as the green, renewing my wearing soul.

Who doesn't sleep soundly to the rhythmic tapping of a gentle shower on the roof, like a loving mother lulling her newborn baby to deep slumber by humming tunes, as the grass and trees sashay to the wind? Like a cleaning agent washing away the dirt and grime, the rain washes away all of one's worries and sorrows.

I don't like bringing an umbrella, although most people do, people who can't leave the house without one. I would rather be caught in the rain than bring a cumbersome stick here and there.

Sure, I can't keep a shoes for a year and there isn't a month I'm without a cold. But what the heck, when it drizzles I like to think that I'm a free spirit wandering like a lost soul in this time and space. Or a fairy in Neverland minding nothing and nobody.

But of course, that's just the imaginative me speaking. I am a nervous wreck who likes to keep things in order and who likes to think that I can control everything and anything. I embody responsibility. The rain makes me forget that side of me.

My love for the rain started as hate. My birthday falls in November. When I was in grade school my 3 consecutive birthdays were ruined by typhoons. Nobody came to my party except for my nearest neighbors,3 kids who happened to be my younger brother's playmates. My friends and classmates who lived in the same subdivision couldn't come. Their parents wouldn't let them, it was raining very hard.

But later in life, I learned to appreciate the rain. I don't know exactly when or how, but I did.

I suppose no child hasn't gone dancing in the rain despite stern warnings from his elders. When I was small, I went out to play in my nylon panties. I was having fun with the boys when I realized my undies were see-through so I ran back home before anyone noticed.

In the province during summer, my cousins and I would shout and chant and implore the gods to make the rain pour harder and longer so we could stay forever in the rain. We did the same even at times when we were confined inside the house and not allowed to play or bathe in the rain. We found contentment just watching a the downpour.

Drizzles regularly attended my pre-school, grade school, highschool and even college graduations, although they were never invited. Old folks said, they're a blessing and I couldn't agree more.

I cannot help but smile when the rain comes. There's something about it that brings out the child in me.

Bo Sanchez Revealed

IS the universe conspiring to bless you or is it going against you? Why do some circumstances get in the way to your success in life? Why do some people seem more blessed than you? Is God playing favorite?

My Conspiracy Theory, A Brief Autobiography at the Middle of My Life, from the bestselling author Bro. Bo Sanchez, the beloved founding leader of Light of Jesus Family, is now out and will open your eyes and mind to the wondrous work of God in our universe and in your life.

The founder of the The Feast, the Sunday prayer gathering which consists of Holy Mass, Praise and Worship, and his power talks, says this is his favorite book yet. And why not, what with a cover showing him and his two lovable boys, Benedict and Francis, all smiling and giggly! But this adorable photo is just for starters. As you turn the pages, you will find intimate snapshots of Bo as a little boy, a young preacher, with his dad, Eugenio Sr., a groom to his lovely wife and as a regular father to his boys.

This is the closest thing to getting to know Bo Sanchez as he pours out his intimate feelings and thoughts behind the good and bad situations that he has gone through life. Most of which, any regular person can relate to and learn from. To understand why he preaches, thinks and writes as he does, you have got to read this paperback and, as he likes to say, be blown away. Be transformed by his teachings and his examples and start living a more blessed and abundant life.

Shop and Save

How to be a Reformed Shopaholic

*published on Mod Magazine Nov 2010

1. Leave the cards. If you are prone to overspending, it may be good idea to leave your credit card -or even debit card- in the house. Easy access to cash or credit makes you more prone to overspending.

2. Plan your purchases. Make a list of items you’d like to buy before heading off to the mall. Write an amount you plan to spend on each item. Stick to your list.

3. Ask yourself, do I really need this now? When you see something you like, ask yourself why you’d like to buy it. Do you really need it now? Or it’s just the pleasure of buying that you’re after? Leave the item behind and go back for it after awhile while you think it over. Sometimes, you can think clearly when the object of your desire is not in front of you. You may even try sleeping over it.

4. Be critical. Think of reasons why you shouldn’t buy the item. Look for damage or defect on the item. Convince yourself it’s not a good buy.

5. Bring a buddy along when shopping. Somebody who’s supposed to reason with you, whose role is to be kontrabida and discourage you from too much shopping.

6. Keep track of your daily spending. Review regularly. In hindsight, you will see how much you could have saved if it weren’t for compulsive buying.

7. Stay away from the malls. Think of other real productive activities like gardening, playing the piano, painting, writing letters or emails & bonding moments with family and friends like baking, swimming, going to mass, watching a DVD at home. There’s a whole lot of other things you can do. Make a list now.

8. Be firm with yourself. Treat yourself like a little kid. Reason with yourself but be patient also and learn to celebrate small successes.

Confessions of a Reformed Shopaholic

published on Mod Magazine Nov 2010 issue

What better time to shop than this holiday season! At this time of the year, we, Shopaholics are given justification to shop till we drop! We need not feel guilty because this is after all the time for giving or in our case, should I say giving in to our vice?

I think Shopaholics should create a group in the Philippines. I’m sure a lot of Filipinas would join the group if only to wear the membership pin as a badge of honor.

Admit it, shopping, although apparently is not only confined to the rich and affluent, is something that we’re proud of as our form of recreation, or therapy. Because if we like shopping, it means we can afford luxury and time as well. It simply means we’ve got money to burn.

But even if we choose to be hypocrites about it, it’s undeniable that a lot of us love the excitement of going to the mall, the rush of seeing the SALE sign, the joy of finding the one or one hundred items we’ve been dreaming about, the pleasure of making that purchase, and the delight of paying through our credit or debit cards.

I, for one , can easily list down 10 persons I know, without thinking hard, who shop excessively. Yes, I’m surrounded and so I’m not surprised, I am what I am. Other than the people around me, I also blame the media, the ad people, the malls, my job, my industry. I belong to the fashion retail industry. I am paid to go to the mall and see what’s new, what’s selling, including buying samples, and often times I end up buying for myself.

OK, enough of the blaming. We are our own after all. We make our own choices. In my case, in every trip I make to the mall or tiangge, I choose to be productive, and that is to make a purchase. If I come out of the mall not buying anything, something must be wrong. The itch has to be scratched. Therefore, I’d make sure my friend or whoever is with me should buy something -- then I’m happy.

Here are the signs that you are addicted to shopping:

• Buying one style of an item in different colors. I’d have two to three colors of the same style of pants or blouse or dress especially when on sale. My credo: if you can’t choose among the available colors, don’t just get one, get two, a few, several or all. One time I loved this pair of linen pants so much, I got two pairs of the same color of the very same style!

• Owning a collection of one item more than an average person would have. My friend, Rissa*, is the first to come to mind. She owns 50 pairs of two-piece bathing suits and 10 one-pieces. She can go on two months on the beach without wearing the same pair. When we’d go to the beach for a three to four-day vacay, she’d change two times a day. It’s like having a fashion photo shoot every day.

• Starving yourself in favor of shopping. My shopping friend Jackie* and I were in Bangkok one time when we realized the next day, after a night of carefree shopping spree that we were out of cash. We didn’t have enough cab fare to the airport! Our solution: we skipped lunch since our flight was 1:30pm and they serve rice meals anyway. We had a late breakfast and we ate a lot since it was buffet. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed and when we were finally up in the air and when the flight stewards were about to serve food, there was air turbulence so they had to hold lunch for some time. We had lunch at 4 p.m. You think we’d learned our lesson? Even if I knew we’d have to skip lunch the next day, I still would’ve chosen to buy the embroidered white blouse with puffed sleeves. Same for Jackie who said, it’s okay for her to starve for as long as she has a new pretty skirt.

• Buying stuff you don’t use just because they’re on sale or they come with a freebie. Another friend, Monet*, knows and goes to every sale in the city. If I want to know where she is, all I have to do is check out which mall is on sale. Chances are she’s there, going there or came from there already, with her unwilling accomplice, her husband. Since I am in the retail business, I should be filling her in as to when and where the mall sales are, but for some reason, she always finds out before I even text her. She can smell it, I suppose.

Now, when I’d visit her, she’d show me her bargain hunts. Some would be something she didn’t even need but because it was offered half off or comes with a free bag or discount card, she bought. Her reason, one day, she’ll find something to use it for. She likes to say, you’ll never know when you’ll need one so better be ready.

• Feeling a pump of adrenalin when shopping that you don’t feel tired or hungry until you’ve bought all you want for the day. Sometimes I amaze myself at how much energy I have during shopping time considering I came from work during the day. Though I easily get hungry, I don’t when it’s the holy hour of shopping.

• Keeping stuff in your closet you haven’t used and worse, some with the tags still on. If it weren’t for Typhoon Ondoy, Rissa would have completely forgotten a luggage-full of clothes not worn yet and some with tags on. She is like Monet who buys say, a dress on sale thinking she’ll soon have a party or occasion to wear it to. Besides, why think twice when it’s on 70% off, is her reasoning.

• Maxing out your credit card. I maxed out three of my credit cards at one time. Slowly, I had them all cut off and paid them all off. I swore off credit cards. One day, I was offered a credit card with waived annual fee on the first year and freebie items. I said, why not. Before long, I had three again. When I found myself charging in dollars when I’m out of the country, I said enough of this already. Before, I swim in debt again, I had the two cut off which I maxed out and paid them off completely. I kept one for convenience purposes especially when on trips and for online transactions also like airline booking. I made myself a rule: I will only use it when I already have the money to pay for it.

• Coming up with justification for your purchases. I have a friend, Jon*, who likes giving himself expensive gifts on special occasions. I thought, what a bright idea! It’s all about appreciating and loving yourself. But I realized it was actually just made up to rationalize his overspending. Why do I say overspending? His idea of special occasions are his birthday, of course, Christmas, and holidays like Labor Day, Rizal Day… get the drift? By early May, he has bought himself his Christmas gift to myself.

Yes, I may be guilty of this addiction to shopping and overspending. But that’s a thing of the past, or so I think. I keep telling myself, I am now a reformed shopping addict, hoping it becomes a reality. I did have a relapse some two weeks back where I splurged on some shoes and bags. There was a sale on shoes and bags andI really needed new pairs of shoes. Though I got a little carried away, I had some restraint. Given the techniques I’ve learned to curb my appetite for shopping, I was able to trim it down to a pair of shoes (I was initially eyeing three pairs) and 2 pieces of bags and some little stuff like a pair of headbands, purple soft-bristled hairbrush, 3-three pack s of socks, five pieces of underwear and a pink purse. To lessen the guilt, I bought my mom, a pack of socks and my sister two pieces of undies. Anyway, I still consider it a success, though small because at least I paid with my debit card which is as good as cash. I really considered all my purchases long and hard.

With the holidays coming, I think I will have to drill my mantra many more times so I may truly say, I am a Shopaholic no more and give up my Shopaholic Philippines pin with pride. Wish me luck.

*Not their real names