A Writer's Mind

"Time flies". I keep saying this cliche. But it's true. I just realized that my last post was five days ago, yet I feel like it's only the day before yesterday. Anyway, here goes the first topic that came to mind...

Even though I have had experiences in writing during my school days, I can't say I'm that good at it. It's just that it's nice how you can express or talk about any topic you want when you write.

Also, a writer gets his mind to work not just his hands. As the imagination or line of thought continues, so does the typing. What really does make writing work? Not just for the writer but for the readers as well. Hmm, I believe your main goal should be to pour life into your writing. It's not just about grammar, we'll it does play a role; but then you should be able to make your reader continue to read it to the end.

In Journalism, there's this K.I.S.S. rule I recall which means Keep It Short and Simple. 

Let's support Philippines in Miss Universe 2011!

 Miss Universe 2011 pageant coronation will take place in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12 (Manila Time). That day will also be the final chance for people to vote for their favorite or supported candidate. The online voting twist will ensure the candidate who makes it to the top spot that precious slot in the semi-finals.

Our very own Shamcey Supsup will compete and represent our country in the said event. Let's show our support by casting votes for our nation's pride.

Since we Filipinos are known for being avid internet users, we have a big chance of pooling that huge number of votes which will help determine the fate of Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2011 titlist in the competition.

Here's how:

1) Go to the official website of Miss Universe.

2) Click here to automatically go to the vote page or navigate to "Candidates" section.

3) Browse through the list of candidates and search for Philippines.

4) Click on the "Vote" button that can be seen beside the contestant's name.

5) A window will pop-up with the following fields to fill in:

• Email address
• Country
• Code

6) Tick the checkboxes certifying that you are 16 yrs. old and above and agrees to the rules.

7) Make sure to choose "10" on the scale image which means you very much like the candidate.

8) Click "Submit vote for Philippines". If successful, you will see the confirmation message shown below:

(Successful vote confirmation)

9) Do the same process ten times. Note that you are allowed 10 votes per day per email address.

(Ten painstakingly submitted online votes are all worth it.)

Happy voting! Excited and hoping for Miss Philippines to bag the crown. Until the final day of the event!

Wedding Bells

Church. White gown. Flowers. Candles. Rings. Doves. Bridal car. Cake. Buffet.

These and more are present in a traditional wedding. I've been a bridesmaid four times and a maid of honor once. The wedding I attended almost a month ago was that of my uncle. Being a maid of honor is different. Your role brings more responsibilities compared to that of a bridesmaid.

Here's a handy guide for the maid of honor (with some notes of my actual experiences):

•     Coordinate with the bridesmaids. This could include keeping them informed about fittings, pre-wedding parties, or anything else they need to know.

Get to know the bridesmaids and make them feel at ease.

•     Host a shower with the help of the bridesmaids. This includes planning, setting up, and splitting the costs.

•     Host, plan, and set up the bachelorette party with the help of the bridesmaids.

•     Pay for your wedding day attire. This includes your dress, jewelry, and shoes. The bridal party is responsible for purchasing their own attire; occasionally a very generous and thoughtful bride will purchase these items for you, but don’t bet the farm on it.

Here in the Philippines, entourage attires are either rented or made-to-give. 

My Best Sis

Ate Ruvy Jane's name means "precious gift from God". She's born in the Year of the Pig under Taurus zodiac.

My sister inspired me to follow her footsteps. She consistently excelled in school since Elementary up to College. I admire her silent and studious ways. She's labeled as the silent type but she has alot to offer when she decides to speak out.

We grew up with me only two years her junior. Oftentimes, people mistake us for twins. It makes us smile knowing we're not. Our mom raised us with lots of love and care. I recall how she buys us the same dress, shoes, bags, wristwatches just in different colors when we were little. Ate used to be pink ranger while I had to settle for yellow. I didn't mind until a different girl played the character.

Two Years Ago

Two years ago, this was the worst week of my life. I don't wanna go into detail for fear that it would just bring tears to my eyes. I am writing this down to somehow chase away the uneasiness I'm feeling lately every time my mind wanders again to past events, usually before I sleep and when I awake.

The main thing I'm holding on to is the fact that my big sister is strong. I know she is. And you may be wondering why I'm using present tense, it's because I want to. She will continue to live in my heart forever.

Before, she would chide me and call me crybaby whenever I get too emotional over something. And remembering the words that she told me about a month before she passed away, "You must learn to be strong for our family", I am keeping it in mind that I must live up to it. Whenever sad thoughts come my way, I have learned to force myself to think of something else, happy thoughts are better or rather thoughts of what I need to do and anything else that would make me forget about the harsh reality of our loss. I'm not sure if it's okay that I'm better at holding back tears after what happened. But I'm doing it so my mom and our family won't cry with me. Some probably think why I seem not that affected but if you only know what I'm going through inside, you wouldn't wish to be feeling the same way I do. Ever wanted to go on top of a mountain and shout away every worry, fear, sadness.. all pent-up emotions? Then you very well get what I mean.

Until now I can't be completely sure of God's plans. But I know He will get me and my family through. And I know Ate Ruvy Jane will be happier if we'll continue to do our best and be strong for her and for us. It's never easy but we need to. What I always pray is for her to be at peace and happy where she is right now, with God by her side. I miss you so much, My Best Sis. That's how your number has been stored in my phone since, you know that. I love you.

Camiguin: A come-again island

I believe this would be my longest post so far, narrating experiences I had last summer.

The plan to go to Camiguin was only realized early April. My family and I aren't the type who splurge money on travels especially since we have other more important things to spend it on. Nevertheless, since I thought I could leave from work, I decided we might as well take the opportunity to have our vacation after five long years of having done so. That agreed, I bought tickets for our Cebu to CDO trip. Since we have relatives there, we decided to go via Cagayan instead of direct Camiguin. I was happy enough with the promo fare we got to avail of, an air-conditioned Super Ferry 12 accommodation at P699 per pax.

April 18. My aunt Betty's birthday. Also turned out to be our departure date.

Departure time is 9:45am. We got to the pier an hour earlier, as advised by the ticketing office so we'll have ample time to go through terminal procedures. As expected, the port terminal is a picture of chaos. I really wonder why there's no systematic process since for me Cebu is a well-developed city at that. Anyway, on the security side, I do acknowledge their efforts of making sure our bags are scanned and sniffed by canine dogs and our picture was taken before we can proceed. Since my mom is a senior citizen, we got to skip the long line of waiting to be given a priority number and instead our tickets got stamped with priority boarding. After that, we were ushered to a shuttle bus which will bring us to the ship's location. It took less than 5 minutes for us to get there.

On board, I got the chance to continue reading the book I brought - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Once in a while, my mom would want me to accompany her to the CR since the female toilet is relatively far from the decks we were assigned to. We were able to tour around the ship. We heard that Superferry 12 is the biggest. It is a relief that we are traveling through calm seas. The prices of foods in the ship's canteen are twice or triple the usual when we're on land. No wonder since you have no choice but to buy there should you need something that you weren't able to bring. Note to self: Bring every necessity with you when traveling, to avoid the costly purchases. Despite that, mom decided we buy a bottle of C2 to have something that tastes sweet since we're only able to bring mineral water. It cost us P50 (now that made me wish we bought one at the supermarket). The consolation though is that it's cold. Just what we need.

We arrived in Cagayan de Oro at around six o'clock in the evening. Got to spend the night in my grandparents' home to get some rest before leaving for Camiguin right on the next day. Expect an early start when on a trip, it gives advantage in securing transportation. From Balingoan - CDO to Binoni - CAM port took more or less an hour aboard a Shuttle Ferry. I'm not sure of the fare since grandpa arranged it for us, yay! This vacation by far is where I took the most number of pictures. I wanted to remember every part of it as much as possible. It's really a good thing that relatives joined us, "the more the merrier" rule really apply when you're on travel mode.

My mom and aunt were surely happy to visit their birthplace. I am just fortunate to be a daughter of a mother who lives in Magting, Mambajao, Camiguin. It's always a relief to have a place that's ready for us to settle in. The home that belonged to my maternal ancestors has this welcoming aura I've never forgotten since I was a child. Considering the limited time we have for time flies faster when you're enjoying, we immediately planned an island tour. It would be convenient if you have a transpo ready to take you anywhere you want to go. I saw posters near the pier advertising multicab and vans for hire which service costs around P1,500 for a whole day trip. That's worth it already right?

First we dropped by Sagay Church.

 According to Grandma, Sagay brings back wonderful memories of her relationship with Grandpa. I was touched by her story and inspired by their almost fifty years of marriage.

Worthwhile Sunday

Home and feeling a bit exhausted from the long day I just had. 

In the morning, I stood as godmother to baby Yessah Ghianna on her baptism and attended mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Thanks to Fatima and MJ for the invite. We all had lunch at Royal Concourse afterwards where I really had my fill of the sumptuous buffet. That done, I joined my folks again in Ayala. After a tour around the mall to check some items on sale, we decided to try and queue at Cinema 4 to watch a free movie of the Japanese Film Festival. Whether it's just good timing or us being deserving of a treat, we got in! With my mom as senior citizen and my aunt, I sort of got tagged along and given the same balcony ticket upon the Japanese man's approval after the ticket issuer asked him if the daughter's good to join her folks. So glad he did or I would have settled on a seat that's not beside them. Guess what movie we were fortunate enough to watch? Summer Days with Coo! That added more to the excitement.

(Drunk Coo)

The movie's surprisingly nice, I tell you. I do like anime since before, watching them with my sister. Summer Days with Coo made me laugh and cry at the same time. The emotions are too strong that you can't help but be moved. Even though Coo is a kappa or a water sprite as referred to in the movie, it's a character that amazed many who watched earlier. A story of friendship, family unity, you name it. It's so nice that people applauded when the movie ended. For sure I won't forget about Koichi and Coo's adventures for a very long time.

 (Nice color block we saw outside the cinema.)

Feeling tired at the moment but it's all worth it. I hope you all had a nice day too!

Shaky Defenses

Why does it always get to a point wherein defense mechanisms come into play?

When you're feeling awkward, out of place, what do you do? I bet most would rather hide than face the world with the least confidence. Others would perhaps get challenged by their peers that they'd end up pretending to be someone they're not. Some who are a bit on the heavy side where weight is concerned tend to be overly confident in the sense that they always give the message "Try me if you dare". But deep inside, defenses could easily crumble anytime when weakened.

Being TRUE brings both joy and disappointment. But with how you'll most likely feel like a thorn's been removed, is it not worth giving a shot? Pretension causes so much unhappiness and feeling of betrayal to yourself that you should shake the thought of doing so as soon as its ugly head surfaces. When you allow yourself to be the best that you can be, people who are willing to accept you will love you more. Those who don't are not deserving of you after all.

Japanese Film Festival 2011

It's the time of the year once again!  The 13th Japanese Film (Eiga Sai) Festival  is open showcasing free movies from August 2 to 7 at Ayala Center Cebu - Cinema 4.

Check out the screening schedules below:

AUGUST 2 (Tuesday)

7:00 PM - The Chef of South Polar (125 mins)

A comedy film centered on academics doing a research on the world's core. In their frustration, they learn activities to pass the time despite being in a freezing environment.

AUGUST 3 (Wednesday)

7:00 PM - Climber's High (145 mins)

A true story drama where journalists in Japan are tasked to cover a plane crash accident in their own territory.

AUGUST 4 (Thursday)

7:00 PM - Yunagi City, Sakura Country (118 mins) 

A story about the bombing in Hiroshima depicting the lives of laid back people living there and how they were affected by the incident.

AUGUST 5 (Friday)

7:00 PM - Villon's Wife (114 mins)

A melodrama of a loving wife who suffers from her relationship with an alcoholic and womanizer husband after a war in Tokyo. Based on a semi-autobiographical novel.

AUGUST 6 (Saturday)

1:30 PM - The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones (139 mins)

A story of survival where mountaineers set off to conquer the peak of  Mount Tsurugidake.

4:30 PM - Summer Days with Coo (138 mins)

An animated and family-oriented film about a young boy who found a fossil on a riverbed which children would love and adults will be made to reminisce their carefree days.

7:30 PM - One Million Yen Girl (121 mins)

A story of a girl who's goal is to save one million yen after going out of prison and became the center of gossips about her family's conflicts.

AUGUST 7 (Sunday)

1:30 PM - Your Friend (125 mins)

A story of a writer who visits a school of children with problems, where he met a student who captured his interest.

4:30 PM - Summer Days with Coo (138 mins)

An animated and family-oriented film about a young boy who found a fossil on a riverbed which children would love and adults will be made to reminisce their carefree days.

7:30 PM - Feel the Wind (133 mins)

Athletes' story of rekindling their love for sport when given the chance to fulfill their dreams as runners.

What are you waiting for? Let's relax, enjoy and learn some Japanese!

Fire Facts

Godsend JP joined a Fire Prevention Seminar to which he shared his knowledge to me. I find it interesting that as ordinary people we still have so much to learn about fire indeed.

What are the types of fire?

Combustible fire (wood, paper)

Kitchen fire (LPG)

Flammable fire (fuels)
Chemical fire (chemicals)

Nuclear fire (nuclear power plants)

Electrical fire (electric gadgets, wires)

What composes fire?

Fuel - the stuff that feeds fire.

Heat - is produced by fire and causes it to arise.

Oxygen - without it, fire will die out.

How to eliminate fire?

Temperature Cooling

• Spraying water over fire reduces the heat.

Starving

• Since fire is produced by fuel, as much as possible it must be deprived of it.

Blanketing

• We often hear about people wetting blankets with water during fire, it's true. It helps us deal with the heat better than nothing at all. Also, blanketing a burning item eliminates oxygen which in turn diminishes fire.

Foaming

• I guess most people like me think that the water used by firemen is plain but depending on the type of fire, sometimes it's mixed with chemicals that would help subdue the fire better.