does age matter?

It might be a cliche question but really, I won’t go all Lolita on you.

The question goes to all different challenges an individual is faced in his life. Lately I’ve been thinking how old I’m getting. Hold up! I’m still eighteen. But as look through my eighteen-year-old eyes to the different changes in the world, I’m starting to think how oddly mature and immature I could be.

Does age matter?

I wouldn’t know. Perhaps. The world is govern by laws and the laws says that there is a distinction between the old and the young. The term “of age” is considered highly important in the society. Birthday celebrations are held and anniversaries are upheld by cultures and communities as a wonderful tradition.

huge crush on andrea corr

When it comes to music, I’ve got a gender preference. Haha. No, I don’t know why. No, I don’t mean to offend or anything. I don’t even know if it’s offending to some people.

I love music. Who doesn’t right? I learned in one of my classes in criticism that music is regarded to be the best of all art forms. It could be debatable to a lot of artists out there but the reason given to me was quite satisfactory in my standards.

Music was considered the best of all art forms because of its nature. No medium was needed in comprehending music. Paintings needed to be interpreted from its canvas to be appreciated. Literary texts need to be analyzed from the paper. Music, however, is simply to be experienced. We no longer need to analyze or criticize music anymore. We simply let it flow into our ears. That’s it!

Going back to the gender issue at hand. Well, I don’t know if I’m offending anybody about my preference. Most likely not. I’m far from being a misogynist or a chauvinist, believe me. I like women of course. As a matter of fact, that’s the reason why I prefer women vocalist than men.

I mean it.

In my eighteen years of existence in this world, I have developed a “taste” towards female singers. Their different from male singers, of course. That alone could be reason why male and female are divided into alto, soprano, tenor and base. Don’t ask me any technicalities there, I’m not really good at Music back in my elementary years.

I just like the way women sing. The sound is just so beautiful to my hearing. I like the Corrs. They’re like the

baki: kick butt anime action

Whew!

I’ve just experienced a great avalanche of action-packed anime. I haven’t dropped a wink since last night because I just can’t get enough of Baki the Grappler. It’s an anime series focused on an underground fighting fair with fighters both with martial arts or/and rough toughness fight for the title: “The Strongest Man in the World!”

The series is actually an old one. I remember seeing Baki the Grappler back when I was in high school. I wasn’t that interested in it back then. Now, it’s being aired again in local TV, I’ve decided to watch it. And was I swooped out of my seat!

I decided to buy my own DVD copy of it. It’s pirated, of course. Sorry for breaking the piracy laws. Hehe. It claimed to be complete of all the series but it wasn’t so. The translation was so-so. Then again, I was focused with the story and the animation.

smile of the grotesque

What would you do when you see a perfect nobody? Who is she to you?

She is nothing but a simple smile. Nothing but a two-second memory that seems to haunt your every hour. A curse. Her face is the face of a curse that you seem to crave for. Everything about her. Terrible things await.

My metal bonds are but chains of thread as she pull me. And I willingly beat myself to torment as she bites her lower lip like she’s unsure. Playing the dangerous game of uncertainty. And she wins everytime.

I no longer know her. But when did I know her? I don’t know her. But maybe… I know her.

Her face, her eyes, her nose and her smile. Oh that wretched and wonderful smile. The smile that burns the passion within my cold blank heart.

And then, I bleed.

of redwall abbey and upside-down reading

It’s been quite some time since I last wrote a piece of literature. If literature it be. The point is I think I’m starting to slack from writing poems, short stories and flash fictions.

On the other hand, I still haven’t slacked in my favorite hobby–reading!

I’ve aquired some cheap paperbacks on Bookshop outlets in malls. I’ve noticed Brian Jacques work called the Redwall. I was quite fascinated of how he used ordinary animals as characters in his story. He used mice, badgers, voles, rats, etc. Jetcetera! hehe. It’s quite new to me though the work was copyrighted long ago.

Along with Redwall, there are other works of Jacques that are also connected as a sequel or prequel to the Redwall novel. Mossflower, Pearls of Lutra and Salamandastron were the title of the books I’ve bought along with the Redwall paperback. And I’ve only spent 65 pesos for each one of them.

I’m still searching for other books to add up to my starting collection. hehe. If you want to learn more the Redwall series, try visiting their website.

I also started reading one of Bob Ong’s books called “Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino?” (”Why do Filipinos Read Books Upside-down?) As usual, it’s written in an informal manner. Ong writes as though he’s just talking. I’ve read some of his books and I genuinely like it. It’s straightforward and frank addressing the different issues of Filipinos. I guess he’s one of my inspiration in starting my other blog “simpleng pagong”.

At least I’m keeping myself busy. But I guess I’ll start writing later. And I do mean writing writing! I have to make a portfolio of my works. hehe.

ciao!

birthmark

Both of your shoulders

covered with light

brown skin

that I wish I did not

kiss

when we were alone

together.

They are like two

conquering hands

clutching you

always—

not

letting go.

It has been there years

before I came

to you.

When will I ever

rid of

the light brown

skin, I would like to

get a thin white

knife

and

pierce your

soft plump skin

down to its

firm flesh.

I envy the

mark

that has

rested

around your

shoulders since your

birth.

a glance

In two

seconds

I looked,

you saw.

Our eyes—

we met

like two

bubbles

combined.

In two

seconds

we were

just one

I give

myself

to you.

It then

ended—

pop!

pop!

In two

seconds

I lived

and died

with you.

tips on handling her

So let’s say you’ve got her in your arms–yada, yada–now. But I’ve got to say it’s just half of the road. Once you’ve got her, you still have to think hard to keep her to you. You’ve got to guarantee her stay in your arms once she’s there.

Fine, I’m not the best person to give tips on this but I guess I have a couple of tricks in my sleeve in how to keep her on me. To all my close friends who have a hint or two about my love life, I guess they have a picture of how I handle my girl. I’m really proud to say that we’ve been going out for quite some time now. About three years.

Of course, we’ve got our ups and downs. A lot of downs, really. But by the end of the day, she’s still with me and I’m quite thankful of this. Well, out of this gratitude, I decided to pay forward by sharing some of the many things I’ve been considering in keeping her. They may not be the best tips but I guess they’ve done me some good. I suppose it’s worth reading:

1. Stay Sweet. Very sweet. I guess girls have this tendency of remembering your “sweetness level”. Whenever it comes up! They swell with joy. But whenever it comes down, they panic. I guess this is where the small fights happen. They are really sensitive, these girls. So try matching up with their sensitivity and stay sweet!

2. Buy Her Things. If you can afford, try buying her cute things and stuff. If you can’t, still, try buying her cute things and stuff. Believe me when I say, she deserves the best! I’ve done some crazy budgeting once in a while for my girlfriend. I actually skipped meals just to buy her something. And you know what? Whenever I see her happy and appreciative about it, I can say that it’s worth every cent!

3. Notice The Small Details. It’s another case of sensitivity. The way she wears her hair, her clean hands, her new outfit, her stylish hairdo! Even her new little earrings! Surprise her with the fact that you actually care about how she looks and smells! Of course, you’ve got to be cool in surprising her. Don’t give her the impression of you being an obnoxious prick who notices her in every detail. Just keep it simple and cool.

4. Admire Her Smile. For me, her smile is the best cure to every depressing spell. It’s the one that brightens your days and silences your nights. It’s your sun, moon and stars. Seriously. If you don’t feel like this about her smile, then I can say there’s something odd about that.

5. Write Her Notes. Girls usually like it. Especially when she gets to keep the little love notes. Text messages are also good, but it’s better if you make it stick or in other words, make it memorable! On my experience, the cornier the better. The cheesier the worse. There’s a difference between corny and cheesy. On my dictionary, corny means cute and cheesy means annoying. I’m not really sure about that but that’s how I figure it out.

6. Greet Her At Least Twice A Day. Yup! One in the morning and one in the evening. But it’s better if you greet her more. Make her feel that you’re there and that you care. Don’t be annoying. Be cute, though.

7. Nod On The Right Times. Like I said, make her feel that you’re there. Listen to her and tell her that you do listen to her. Girls usually likes to talk and share stories. If you want to keep her, then you better start to be a good listener. Of course, you should also show that you’ve got some sensual feedbacks for her.

8. Keep Her In A Good Mood. Like my good cousin DaveNorth always say, “Keep her happy!” There is of course a simple logic to it. “Keep her happy to keep her!” It’s that simple, really. Of course, you can’t expect her to stay being in a good mood all the time. But, of course, being the caring and supporting partner, you’ve got to let her know that you’re always there no matter what. In good or bad times, you’re ready to accept her.

9. Steal A Kiss Or Two. It’s self-explanatory. You’ll both like it. I promise.

10. Remind Her. Remind her of the first time she said “yes”. Remind her of the first kiss you gave her. Remind her the first time she cried and how you made her feel okay. Remind her that you’ll always be there no matter how fat and ugly she could be within the next three years. Remind her of the promise you gave of how you’ll take care of her and protect her from every one who dares to offend her. Most importantly, remind her…

you love her.

isla reta expedition

No, it’s not really an expedition. But…

Summer’s definitely here! As expected from normal bloggers, I’m going to show some of my pictures in my trip this vacation. Of course, it’s all cliche and stuff but what are you gonna do about it?

Just the other day, my dad and some of his coleagues took their families in a whole-day trip in Talikod Island which is a separate island from Davao and Main Samal but still under IGACOS. The resort is none other than the famous Isla Reta! It’s actually my first time to be there. I think. I couldn’t recall being there before but, to be honest, it actually felt like I’ve been there before. Maybe when I was very young.

Yay! I hope you too have fun this summer! If you have time and money, try the place. It’s great there. The sand’s white, the water’s clear and the beach is awesome. Check out Isla Reta!

Of course, I’ve got pictures to show off. click on them to know the stories behind them:

me and my brother seeing the place for the first time

me getting buried in the sand by brothers

perverts!

here's us trying to get the croc shoes

look at us!

this is jasper buried by us

we took a barge. illegal. we've reached the limit. notice the people over the barge

carrying my sister

going home

 

proetry and poese

After taking up CW101 under Prof. Jhoanna Cruz, we’re expected to have decided to the form of genre we’re suppose to focus at. In Creative Writing, we’ve got a lot to choose from. Being a fanatic of this course, I’m actually having this dilemma of what to focus on.

I’m lousy at playwriting! That’s a fact. At first, I was still optimistic in trying it out. I did try my best but I guess it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know. It’s the genre of being in the stage. The fact that the considerations that it’s to be performed rather than be read is quite new to me. Don’t get me wrong, I like staged plays. I actually had my share of experience in performing on stage in my younger days. But the writing of the play itself, hmmmm… I think it’s a no-no for me.

On the other hand, I guess I can consider myself to be a reasonably fair fiction writer. hehe. I mean, I’ve made stories that clicked. They’re not that good but I guess people found some potential in the writing. To be honest, I tend to get material to man’s best friend–the television. That’s the reason why my first short stories were kind of cinematic in a way. I like writing stories. Short stories or short short stories/flash fictions. The thing about fiction is the fact that I have the chance to explain myself in a prosaic way which is quite comfortable.

Poetry, however, is something exotic yet mysterious genre for me. And I’m quite thrilled in learning it. Unlike fiction, I find poetry more difficult and less comfortable. The choice of words, the tone, rhythm, rhyme, meter and other technicalities or non-techinalities are like strings tangled together in my mind. And the thing is, I love it! I love the feeling of playing with words and I kind of feel like I’m falling in love with poetry.

So it’s either fiction or poetry. Where should I focus and concentrate? I like both. I can be good at both. But there’s this feeling that only one should precede the other in my choice. What? Help me.

Poetry or Prose.

wuthering me

Yey! Here’s the conclusion of my Wuthering Heights paper. I’ve passed this paper to my instructor but I still haven’t heard his feedback or even know my grade in British Literature 2. And because I really want some feedback from practically everyone, I decided to post a part of my paper here in my blog. And hopefully, I get some constructive criticism to give me an idea of what could be my grade in this paper. So here goes:

Conclusion

Wuthering Heights is one of the most amazing and awful novels I have ever read. It’s all about love, obsessive and passionate love between two powerful characters. Emily Brontё is to be commended to this marvelous work! It definitely stands out in the literary canon during the Victorian Period.

Her characters are either very whole or very flat. She made rich characters like Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar and Hindley. But he also made flat ones like Mr. Earnshaw or the Lintons’ parents.

The plot is very devious and scheming like Heathcliff. Brontё has succeeded in making her characters alive. Her characters are quite consistent and life-like. Though there is of course the hint of being eccentric in her work, Brontё made it in such a way that her message about life and love is told to the reader.

The novel centralized to the plot. After the significance of one character has expired, Brontё immediately eliminates them. Examples of this scenario are the death of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Isabella and Linton Heathcliff. Brontё’s killing of these characters are so sudden that it actually sounds too much of a coincidence.

Wuthering Heights is the kind of novel that would leave you astounded, amazed and at the same time creeped out. It was said before that Wuthering Heights was a work of a mad person.

The novel is very intriguing with its themes and motifs. Considering the fact that it was made in the Victorian Period where propriety is observed, I would say that Wuthering Heights is one of the best works in that time.

Until now, it still does not fail to get the admiration of young readers of today’s generation. Wuthering Heights has definitely worthy enough to be called as one of the greatest additions to literature.

the kiss

Bottle on the
table, half-filled
with water.

Thirsty Amy
approaches the
bottle.

Her lips touch
the opening and
she drinks.

Jim shows up
smiles. She has
kissed him through

The bottle of
clear mineral
water.

Structuralism Notes:
The structure of this poem is somehow derived from the example of John Donne’s metaphysical poem The Flea. In this case, the conceit is actually the bottle of water in the table that both Amy and Jim partook of. Despite the differences of the form, there are still structural similarities like the male’s will to dominate the female and the phallic symbol which is the bottle also suggest meaning to the poem.

not travelling

Here’s another one of my most favorite poems by master ee cummings. I remember my classmate Aaron presenting this poem in front of our class for our American Literature Class. I have to hand it to him. Even our professor, Dr. Genevieve Jorolan-Quintero remarked that the way he performed it was so good that it felt that it was the poet cummings himself was reciting his poem to us. A big hand for Aaron!  

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

ee cummings

how i read a poem

There’s no definite way of reading a poem. There are a lot of critical approaches but the way to read the poem is always subjective. In my AH4, our instructor JC managed to simplify things in her own way. On my CL121 with Sir John and CL122 with Sir Nino, things got a little complicated.

Let’s not complicate ourselves. Here’s what I’ve learned in reading poetry. Here are some rough tips in reading poetry. If you see it defective, I would be more than glad to hear from you.

In reading poetry I…

…better be in a good mood. It’s hard reading poems when you’re distracted.

…read it first. I don’t try to understand it all at once. I just read it and let the words flow. Then, I read it again. And again. And again. I guarantee on your second reading, you’ll see a different poem.

…concentrate on the text first. It is important to look at the poem in a literary basis. Do not jump to conclusions or derive meaning just yet. If the poem said “the rose was torn and ravished”, don’t think of an abused woman just yet. Instead try focusing on the image of the flower torn into pieces.

…take note of the how the poem was written. Look at the line breaking, they actually mean something. Is there a rhyming scheme? Is there a meter followed? How many stanzas or how many lines? Is it a sonnet or an epic?

…depict a setting or a scene. The poem should have one. Feed on images. Where are they? What are they doing. What are the things around them that’s telling you that they’re in a cemetery, hospital, school, cabaret, house or hell? Try to figure out who is the speaker. On verbal address poems, try to figure out the addressee.

…check the symbols. What do they stand for? What could a flower, necklace, wolf, clock, elevator, angel, monster or drop of water mean? Try not restricting yourself to one line of thinking.

…capture the emotions. You’ll get it through the poem’s tone and the way the speaker is talking. Most importantly, try to relate that emotion with yourself. Did you also lose your mother? Did you also skin your cat alive? Did you manage to cut yourself into pieces? Did you ever talked with an alien? Something like that.

…learn more about the theme of the poem. Is it about drugs, sex and rock & roll? Is it about death or time? Is it about rejection or loss? What do you think the author is trying to tell you?

…understand the author and the time. Who is the author? Where did he live? What century did he live on? Why do you think he wrote the poem? Was he inspired by his one night stand with a complete stranger? Did he lose his wife? Or did he really make a poem for his books to sell?

…know if there are other poems like it? Then I compare and contrast them.

Those are some of my tips for now. I really have this feeling that I missed some important points. But generally that’s it! I’ll post another post like this if I remember some points.

I hope this helps!

purple pad craze!

I just realize something. For the past few months, I’ve been discussing a lot about Creative Writing and other related and/or unrelated stuff. But I still haven’t even given you a chance to see some of my works. Well, to make it up to you, I’ve got great news!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to PurplePad!

PurplePad is our Creative Writing Blogsite featuring our works for the past semesters. Yes, it’s a requirement but I would have done one like it anyway. It’s all Professor Jhoanna’s idea to publish our works online.

On that site we’ve got collections of poems (narrative poems, mytho-poems and tankas), flash fictions and memoirs! It’s a one-stop amateur literary site.

Authors or my classmates and I have our own page with direct links to their works. You’ll definitely see their faces there! Learn more about them and get aquainted to the budding writers of the century (hehe..)!

Our teachers and mentors are also listed there. We couldn’t have done it without them.

We’d really want comments and criticisms from anyone who can spare some. Writers actually love them. They hurt sometimes but we like it! It helps us in our writing if people read and critique our works.

Check it out! PurplePad!