AWAY FOR 7 DAYS

I'll be away for a whole week for the workshop, and while I'm ecstatic about the whole thing, I feel a bit guilty because I'll be leaving a lot of work behind. First, my partner Camille will have to take my workload (I'll make it up to her, I promise!). Then there are writing rakets that I might have to finish in Iligan if I want to meet my deadline (all due on June 3!). One is for a major glossy pa and I have no resource materials yet. RAR. Bahala na. Haha I'm just so sabog right now I'll probably just go home.

Things to do before I leave: sleep, pack, figure out how to go to Iligan from Cagayan De Oro haha, file expense reports and declutterize my office table (ergo, I might come to work tomorrow morning), email Jonas for the writeup that I owe him, contact resource persons/research for my articles, clock in more sleep.

OMG Michelle just dropped by so she could apply makeup on me. She wants me to sport the smoky look. Haha! Lovet!

THE OFFICE!

What was a simple email inquiring on where to hold our meeting has turned into a series of funny emails with almost everyone of us pitching in and talking about the meaning of "LR," "LQ," "BW" (busy working haha!). Sixty two emails, all in all, which finally ended with the suggestion that we come in costume for tomorrow's meeting! (Jonas as cowboy, Eric as talong, Jane as tupa, etc. etc.)

Haha!

I really love it here.

I GOT THIS FROM LJ

9 LASTS
1.) last time you smoked: last Christmas season
2.) last food you ate: Charlie Chan Pasta :)
3.) last guy you like: his name starts with the letter D haha
4.) last movie you watched: Bourne Identity, last night
5.) last phone call: Mark
6.) last song you listened to: Look Away by Chicago hihi
7.) last tv show you watched: American Dad! Lovelovelove this show
8.) last drink: Red tea from Yoshinoya
9.) last thing bought: Food

8 HAVE-YOU-EVERS
1.) dated a best friend: Nope.
2.) been arrested: nope.
3.) been on TV: yes
4.) eaten sushi: yes
5.) been on a blind date: yes
6.) been in love: yah
7.) bungee-jumped: nope.
8.) skinny dipped: nope.

7 THINGS YOU ARE WEARING
1.) black shirt
2.) my POWER ring hehe
3.) my default ring (have had it since I was 16)
4.) black pants
5.) red wedges
6.) underwear haha duh
7.) scrunchie

6 THINGS YOU HAVE DONE TODAY
1.) Drank coffee
2.) Edited articles
3.) Replied to dozens of emails
4.) Uploaded a photo (Flickr)
5.) YM with my bestfriend who now has a brand new love life, this time with a blue-eyed pastor's son woohoo!
6.)

PEOPLE YOU TRUST THE MOST (it's in no particular order)
1.) Mark
2.) Mel
3.) Guia
4.) Reagan
5.) Thad

4 FAVORITE THINGS
1.) Books!
2.) Stilettos!
3.) Tops from People Are People!
4.) Coffee <3

THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1.) Stay in Nepal (kahit for 2 weeks lang)
2.) Raise beautiful, funny, talented kids
3.) Write a novel :D

2 CHOICES
1. vanilla or chocolate: chocolate.
2. hugs or kisses: BOTH

1 PERSON I WANT TO SEE RIGHT NOW:
1.) D

YESTERDAY

Managed three shoots yesterday. That's from 8AM to 7PM! When I got back to the office, Michelle did my makeup so I'd be ready for a much deserved nightout. Haha! According to Michelle, "ang kulit namang makeup-an nito." Because while she was performing magic on my fez, I'd keep YM-ing, checking mail, typing, typing, typing. Hehe. The result was fab though. I know squat about makeup but maybe it's about time I learn the thing? I'm turning 25 in a couple of months for pete's sake!

Anyway the "nightout." Rache and I did nothing spectacular, we just stayed in Starbucks Eastwood and remembered the craziness that was Boracay and took pictures of my brand new bling bling and planned for the next beach (or falls?) getaway.

Am watching Little Women now.

Goodnight!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

These days, I'm hardly seen at the office. Always out for shoots, meetings, a couple more shoots. Hay. I really thought May would be an easy month.

Pointless entry; just making another excuse to post this photo of mine, taken by Cos (Vincent Coscolluela). Mavs said I look 15 here, so huzzah! My eyebags betray me though. Hehe.


Taken during a shoot.

DEAR STARRY-EYED SELF

Your words will not save you.

Remember that.

OH T-REX, I LOVE YOU!

HAHA. Classic!

SIGH

So many things (happy thoughts, ideas, fears, plans, weird plans, will-it-be-good-for-me-in-the-long-run-or-am-I-just-being-stubborn plans, whatifs, WWJDs, sad musings) going on inside my head right now.

Some friends are at a crossroad in their lives right now. I'm wondering, maybe I am, too?

Hay. Changes.

MMMM

Forever by Jason Flatowicz

You said you'd
never fall down
the stairs again,
so I tripped you,
to remind you
there is no way
to control your
destiny as long
as I hold you
back, and that's
why I flew away,
giving you time
to escape until
it was time for
us to meet
again, and we
will meet again,
over and over.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), the Mindanao Creative Writers Group, Inc. in cooperation with the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (MSU-IIT-OVCRE) announce the 15 writing fellows to the 15th Iligan National Writers Workshop on May 26-31, 2008 in Iligan City.

LUZON
Samantha G. Echavez, UP Diliman (Fiction in English)
Sarah Jane D. Sebastian, UP Diliman (Fiction in Filipino)
Erick Dasig Aguilar, UP Diliman (Poetry in Filipino)
Evangeline B. Gubat, Ateneo de Manila University (Poetry in English)
John Lorenz S. Poquiz, University of Santo Tomas (Poetry in English)

VISAYAS
Fred Jordan Mikhail T. Carnice, Silliman University (Poetry in English)
Nino Manaog, Ateneo de Naga University (Poetry in English)
Leonilo D. Lopido, Leyte Institute of Technology (Poetry in Waray)
Luciano L. Abia IV, UP College Tacloban (Poetry in Waray)
Efmer E. Agustin, UP Visayas/Abuyog (Fiction in Cebuano)

MINDANAO
Krisza Joy P. Kintanar, UP Mindanao (Fiction in English)
Marius Angelo G. Monsanto, UP Mindanao (Fiction in English)
Ma. Elena L. Paulma, UP Diliman, (Poetry in English)
John Philip A. Baltazar, Xavier University (Poetry in English)
Xer Jason D. Ocampo, UP Mindanao (Poetry in English)

Panelists this year are Ma. Rosario Cruz Lucero, Leoncio P. Deriada, German V. Gervacio, Victor N. Sugbo, Merlie M. Alunan, Jaime An Lim, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, keynote speaker, Antonio Reyes Enriquez and Christine Godinez-Ortega, the 15th INWW Director.

Highlights of this year’s workshop include the launching of the 14th INWW Proceedings titled, Fire and Faith in Writing edited by Godinez-Ortega and published by the MSU-IIT OVCRE; a lecture by INWW alumnus, Ralph Semino Galan; the Jimmy Y. Balacuit Literary Awards; and, the launching of the Manuel Buenafe Writing Fellowship and the Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen Writing Bursary.

HAPPINESS

Dear Ms. Echavez,

Congratulations! You have been chosen one of 15 writing fellows to the 15th Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) to be held at the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), Iligan City on May 26-31, 2008.

As a writing fellow for fiction (English) from Luzon..."

AAAAAAAH I'm so kilig. Beyond words!

GOOD MORNING WORLD

Later, Thad, Reagan and I will make the long trip to Los Banos. Reagan’s moving back to Manila so we’re getting his stuff, bring them home. The thing is, we’re meeting at 6-freaking-AM! And no surprise here, I’m still awake! I’m entertaining the option to stay up until it’s time for me to take a bath because seriously it takes titanic efforts to rouse me especially if we’re talking about two or three hours of sleep here. Nevertheless, I’m excited about the road trip,because Los Banos is such a charm – last year, I went there on a whim, left the office at 4am to take the bus to this lovely town where I walked and walked until I reached the foot of the Mount Makiling, took pictures of flowers jumping at me with their brightness, sat under a tree to study the view before me: a universe of rice fields, infinite and golden under the aggressive sun. And I’ll be with these two guys who make me laugh the loudest! It’s gonna be crazyyy.

Last night felt like a Friday. Went home with two boxes of pizza, camped with my brothers in front of the TV to watch the last episodes of Death Note. I FINALLY CAUGHT THE FINALE! Made me sad. Yagami Light, I pained for you. And Ryuk! “We killed boredom, didn’t we? It was good while it lasted.” Yes yes, it was. Sad it's all over.

Last day of April was awesome. Coffee breaks outside the office, surprise three-way-calls with two of my darling-est highschool friends, animated conversations about the rock scene here in the Philippines haha! Come to think of it, the entire April was simply the bomb. Pre-Boracay get-togethers, Mark’s Salubong plus subsequent Coffee Nights, Boracay with the Borakada, bowling tournaments and inuman sessions and overnight swimming and before-and-after exposés through emails and 100-ways-of-using-a-towel-moments…one April night, my friends and I also explored the possibilities of paper plates too! We’re so loony it’s lurvely.

What else to say? Oh yeah. I opened a savings account. Haha, I know, right? Why just now?

It’s past 4AM. Should I even bother to sleep? I might just resume reading Ninotchka Rosca, who keeps assaulting me with her battalion of sinewy words.