Saturday, January 31, 2009

out of site

When was the last time I posted something here? Ages. Yes, ages. I don’t know what to say anymore. My brain is deep-fried! Papers here, university registrar failure there, and plans here, graduation there, I am mentally and physically exhausted that putting in a short blog is one glorious achievement. And the result of such strenuous activities? I am officially an asthmatic after knowing that wheezing sounds in the chest and heavy dark bags under my eyes don’t go well together. This is inaugurated last February 23 in the midst of a commissioned painting exhibit, an upcoming literary folio launching, a responsibility in the forthcoming Arts Month celebration and a tiresome thesis workout. Well, good luck to me. I just wish I could get through this all well and above average.*


*sounding a bit like Darth Vader.

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

16th iligan national writers workshop call for submission


The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), the Mindanao Creative Writers Group, Inc., and the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) are accepting applications from writers to the 16th Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW) to be held on May 25-29, 2009 in Iligan City.

Sixteen (16) slots, five each from Luzon and Visayas and six from Mindanao are available for writing fellowships to the INWW. Of the slots for Mindanao, one (1) is for the Manuel T. Buenafe Writing Fellowship for Muslim or Lumad applicants.

Applicants are required to submit five poems; or, one short story; or, for the novel, a summary and 2 chapters for the work-in-progress; and, a one-act play in Filipino, English or in Cebuano.

For entries in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Waray and Chavacano, translations in English are required. Please submit along with the application form two, 2X2 photos. The application form may be downloaded from this site. Please submit a hard copy and a CD with the manuscripts encoded in MS Word97. Unpublished works are preferred. Applicants must have attended at least one regional/local writers workshop, no exceptions.*

Writing fellows will be given free board and lodging and a travel allowance. Applications must be postmarked on or before February 15, 2009. No applications or manuscripts will be accepted if sent after postmarked dates or by fax or e-mail.

Applicants are also advised to keep copies of their manuscripts since these will not be returned. Send all applications to the 16th INWW Director, Christine F. Godinez-Ortega c/o OVCRE, MSU-IIT, Iligan City. For more information contact Pat Cruz or Alice Bartolome or Cherly Adlawan, tels. (063) 3516131; or e-mail: patcruz@yahoo.com /
cherlyadlawan@yahoo.com /
*now this is something new. I wonder why they have changed the rules.
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9th iyas creative writing workshop

(Click on the image to enlarge.)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

guilt-free







Pit Señor! Viva Pit Señor!

This line has droned into my ears for a couple of hours. I even think I still have that jovial electricity running in my bones right now. Last weekend, I and Marianne have finally attended a Sinulog festival. The experience is worth it. It’s not because my eyes have been served with sights of actors, politicians, and heavily decorated Cebuanos parading the streets on a semi-hot Sunday morning (miraculously, it’s not that hot). It is the people I am with and have met that make the whole festival unforgettable. What more, they make libre and make us buhi for two days! The only times we pull our wallets out from their comfort zones: ibog-ibog moments.

From malling, resto-hopping, window-shopping, to pure lounging and lazing around, we have separated ourselves from the academic routine that has plagued our minds for months. We scream, “We need a break!” (Actually, I did have a reason to visit the province. I needed something not found in Dumdum).

We’ve met familiar faces from the university publication, have seen new faces from different crowds, and have met people who we least expected to meet. Some have even made for themselves “effective” tour guides, persuading us to walk for kilometers just to reach a drinking pub that is crowded with yuppies and the not-so yuppies. Relatively, every single step in that trip is fine. The bottom line for this experience is that we truly love employed “friends.” Till next time!
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Monday, January 12, 2009

2009 golden globe winners

I’ve seen this movie just last month and it's more than "good." Stripped off the usual Hollywood fare, it makes me question why can’t Filipinos create a film as good as this? And to underline that it’s really great, it wins all four major nominations in the 2009 Golden Globe Awards. The movie is “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Amazingly, Kate Winslet wins both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for “Revolutionary Road” and “The Reader” respectively. Mickey Rourke, Colin Farrell, Sally Hawkins and Heath Ledger receive the other film acting honors and "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan delivers a speech on the late Ledger’s behalf.

The positive early buzz for the movie “Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a dud though. It didn’t receive any awards.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Slumdog Millionaire *WINNER
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road

Best Motion Picture - Comedy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona *WINNER
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-LuckyIn Bruges
Mamma Mia!

Best Performance By An Actress
In a Motion Picture – Drama
Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road") *WINNER
Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married")
Angelina Jolie ("Changeling")
Meryl Streep ("Doubt")
Kristin Scott Thomas ("I've Loved You So Long")

Best Performance By An Actor
In a Motion Picture – Drama
Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler") *WINNER
Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road")
Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon")
Sean Penn ("Milk")
Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")

Best Performance By An Actress
In a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
Sally Hawkins ("Happy-Go-Lucky") *WINNER
Rebecca Hall ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
Frances McDormand ("Burn After Reading")
Meryl Streep ("Mamma Mia!")
Emma Thompson ("Last Chance Harvey")

Best Performance By An Actor
In a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
Colin Farrell ("In Bruges") *WINNER
Javier Bardem ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
James Franco ("Pineapple Express")
Brendan Gleeson ("In Bruges")
Dustin Hoffman ("Last Chance Harvey")

Best Performance By An Actress
In a Supporting Role In a Motion Picture
Kate Winslet ("The Reader") *WINNER
Amy Adams ("Doubt")
Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
Viola Davis ("Doubt")
Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler")

Best Performance By An Actor
In a Supporting Role In a Motion Picture
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight") *WINNER
Tom Cruise ("Tropic Thunder")
Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder")
Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess")
Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")

Best Director - Motion Picture
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") *WINNER
Stephen Daldry ("The Reader")
David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon")
Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road")

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") *WINNER
David Hare ("The Reader")
Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon")
Eric Roth ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
John Patrick Shanley ("Doubt")

Best Animated Feature Film
Wall-E *WINNER
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda

Best Foreign Language Film
Waltz with Bashir (Israel) *WINNER
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany
)Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Gomorra (Italy)
I've Loved You So Long (France)

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
R. Rahman ("Slumdog Millionaire") *WINNER
Alexandre Desplat ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Clint Eastwood ("Changeling")
James Newton Howard ("Defiance")
Hans Zimmer ("Frost/Nixon")

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"The Wrestler" from "The Wrestler" *WINNER
"Down to Earth" from "Wall-E"
"Gran Torino" from "Gran Torino"
"I Thought I Lost You" from "Bolt"
"Once in a Lifetime" from "Cadillac Records"

Best Television Series - Drama
Mad Men *WINNER
Dexter
House
In Treatment
True Blood

Best Performance By An Actress
in a Television Series – Drama
Anna Paquin ("True Blood") *WINNER
Sally Field ("Brothers and Sisters")
Mariska Hargitay ("Law and Order: SVU")
January Jones ("Mad Men")
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

Best Performance By An Actor
in a Television Series – Drama
Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment") *WINNER
Michael Hall ("Dexter")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors")

Best Television Series – Comedy/Musical
30 Rock *WINNER
Californication
Entourage
The Office
Weeds

Best Performance By An Actress
in a Television Series –Comedy/Musical
Tina Fey ("30 Rock") *WINNER
Christina Applegate ("Samantha Who?")
America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty")
Debra Messing ("The Starter Wife")
Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds")

Best Performance By An Actor
in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock") *WINNER
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Kevin Connolly ("Entourage")
David Duchovny ("Californication")
Tony Shalhoub ("Monk")

Best Mini-Series or TV Movie
John Adams (HBO) *WINNER
A Raisin in the Sun (ABC)
Bernard and Doris (HBO)
Cranford (PBS)
Recount (HBO)

Best Performance By An Actress In a Mini-Series/TV Movie
Laura Linney ("John Adams") *WINNER
Judi Dench ("Cranford")
Catherine Keener ("An American Crime")
Shirley Maclaine ("Coco Chanel")
Susan Sarandon ("Bernard and Doris")

Best Performance By An Actor In a Mini-Series/TV Movie
Paul Giamatti ("John Adams") *WINNER
Ralph Fiennes ("Bernard and Doris")
Kevin Spacey ("Recount")
Kiefer Sutherland ("24: Redemption")
Tom Wilkinson ("Recount")

Best Performance By An Actress In a Supporting Role
In a Series/Mini-Series/TV Movie
Laura Dern ("Recount") *WINNER
Eileen Atkins ("Cranford")
Melissa George ("In Treatment")
Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters")
Dianne Wiest ("In Treatment")

Best Performance By An Actor In a Supporting Role
In a Series/Mini-Series/TV Movie
Tom Wilkinson ("John Adams") *WINNER
Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother")
Denis Leary ("Recount")
Jeremy Piven ("Entourage")
Blair Underwood ("In Treatment")
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getting better

I am two places behind from my classmates. But I know my work will have a mind of its own (soon) and from then on everything will be a piece of cake. And I want it a Cashew Caramel Crunch! Well, here’s a list of what I’ve sent to my teacher.

Attached in this email are drafts:
1. Outline
2. Abstract
3. Preface
4. Statement, Purpose, and Scope
5. Related Literature
6. Revised Interview Questions

When things are getting better, I’ve just received responses from poets Marjorie Evasco and Christine Godinez-Ortega! What great things to ponder on when some other variables in life start to get a little bit perplexing. Anyhow, let’s just hope that other writers would respond to my questions.
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Sunday, January 11, 2009

not just a post to update this blog

"Tire yourself with the bounty of other people's love
and not by the absence of once-held affections."
Jan 11 / 09 (01:14am)

I didn’t really know the drill. The dog followed you and you stopped. It took for a while before you found your senses back and tried to talk with the dog. It barked. It was not a daunting bark but something pleasant. Maybe even polite. This dog is worth keeping, you said to yourself. But you left the dog and continued towards your destination knowing that someone else owned it. But it ran after you, chased you. You stopped again and asked why: Something wrong? Master’s gone? No one to shelter you? You gave the dog a hug. And that was all. But the dog must be so down and dejected it licked your face. How cute. But still, I believed you were thinking that you had no right to own the dog so you left. As you arrived in your place, the dog ran away outside, its padded feet leaving a series of thuds in your heart.
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Sunday, January 04, 2009

skeletal

This is not how I look for this brand new year. Actually, it’s the opposite. What is skeletal right now is this paper that I have been trying to work on for the past months. In a few hours, I’ll be back in Dumaguete to face three more months of sharpening and head-knocking before plunging into doom, I mean, plunging into the oh-so “liberating” world of employment. If my paper remains to look like this, I’d probably escape the fate that I might fall in. Good thing? No.

While Rico Blanco is busily screaming about crabs and mechanical rabbits from hell which is then followed by Gnarls Barkley suggesting everyone to run away, I just can’t seem to pull everything in and make a coherent thought out of the chaos floating in my mind. And wait. Never blame Rico and Gnarls for the malnutrition of my project, a project that I must finish before the month of Valentines, because I work more efficiently with noise. For a sole creative writing major in a big university, whose classmates never go beyond the number of seven, it is seriously what I need.
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