writer's block (doh)

according to wikipedia- WRITER'S BLOCK is a condition, associated with writing as a profession in which an author losses the ability to produce new work. the condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial , a temporary difficulty of dealing with the task in hand. at the other extreme, some "blocked" writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers. . .okay. okay! haaaaaayyy, i' m so having it now. after writing this starting statement, i have to go back to 'lower case' everything, for some reason, i forgot that  i intend not to use upper case in my blogspot unless extremely needed. why? --style lang! so what will i write about? nothing. i can't even start to continue with my literature review, i've been 'blocked' for weeks now. but here's an idea that came up seconds ago--- i'd like to share the latest from the philippine daily inquirer, ranked according to how i liked reading them (not how i liked them)  :)

1. erap on gibo: what a pity, he's most qualified (erap's brains are somewhat regenerating-wow!)
2. gov't debt hit P4.44T in january (i told you so, 4 is a bad number!)
3. marc abaya loves his cheetos (i love him, he loves his cheetos, his cheetos loves me, fine!)
4. china quake kills 400, buries more (there's always something to remind me of 'life is short', amp!)
5. happy to see 2  pals move forward in show (AI didi said so about crystal and siobhan, i say so too!)
6. palito's last movie screening on sunday (now when he is deado, as with FPJ...they're doing it again!)
7. politics stalls biomass plant project (oh my gas!)
8. evat and and watered-down cheaper medicines act are not pro-poor (PMAP can afford a full-page?!)
9. bishops condemn basilan bombings (what's new? what else can they do?...they condemn a lot lately, next!)
10. GMA accepts 'green award' (@#$%^^&* !!!- my keyboard isn't working now!)

:) have a great day!
[postscript (i seem to be having a lot of these lately): the picture? those are tombs in himlayang bayan (resting place a.k.a. public cemetery), your unique linking of the pic and the text is always welcome (winks)]

of atty. adel tamano, and of hurried (somehow-bad) writing

what could be more delightful to a blogger but to have a subject that's open, vulnerable and yummy (read: clean and handsome)? that was my feeling when i got invited/adopted by the gensan bloggers, one saturday evening (thanks to kuya-ng-gensan-avel and ganda-ever-so-much-boss-banker orman) to join them in meeting atty. adel tamano---i was del-ighted! adel, as he is fondly called by many is vying for senator in 2010's circus-of-an-election. i am not a block-voter, i have never been... and guess what, i have him in my to-vote list for 3 reasons:

1. he is qualified to be one of the leaders of the land (being a realist-academician, a lawyer, an economist, a good public speaker and a writer)
2. he is a son to one of the few good senators of our times, and a hands-on-slash-cool-father (to 2 cute kids)
3. he is a true-blue muslim ( i am a true-blue catholic but i have grown to understand, respect and love islam since i transferred to mindanao state university, you will too-trust me on this).

while waiting for him, i am stating and  restating in my mind the questions i intend to ask him. (i have in my list at least 3 questions:)

1. how much (in your heart) do you want to serve the philippines/filipino people?
2. what are your (target) priorities given the chance to serve the country as a senator?
3. are you proud to be a muslim, how do you deal with non-muslim colleagues?

i was able to ask these questions (other bloggers too) and got satisfactory answers (thanks heavens)--- i was afraid i might end up loosing faith (happens all the time lately).

1. he first remarked he didn't want the position too much to do dirty tricks/gimmiks but he later admitted he wanted it just as much as he believes in a dream/vision of a better land (still)
2. his target priorities (to my joy) are the youth and the education sector. he is quite confident he'd be able to put his funds into good use by prioritizing scholarships and retoning skills of the stakeholders in the said sector. he however confessed that he might not do as well if he will be given a cabinet position in such sector 'coz of its wide and deeply-rooted issues, problems and concerns. (it's human to be afraid)
3. he is proud to be a muslim and he understands what muslim youth have been feeling when joined with the christian majority. he learned to blend, respect and have harmonious relationships with non-muslim colleagues nevertheless (somehow,even moros couldn't tell that he is one of them---but he is, with all his mind, heart and soul)

these and other questions were answered in both serious and funny manner (he might consider being a stand-up comedian too). adel surely knows how to charm people (his 'artistahin' looks is both a blessing and a curse) as much as he knows how to make them listen when he is seriously stating a point. after about two hours (yes! 2 hours and we didn't even notice!), the meeting ended in a very light mood (some even went to KTV with him- missed it, i know he sings well, heard he is 'kundirana baby').

oh well, this entry is (long-)overdue, as usual... and yes, is in need of some polishing (i can now imagine my journalism-mentor-now-friend-gilbert tan wondering if i ever learned anything from my writing classes (too few, sad but true)--- but what the heck! i made it. congratulations for making it to this almost-last-line too (hopefully, you are still okay). finally, i learned 3 good lessons from the experience:

1. adel isn't just a pretty face- he is young, he has a vision, he wants to serve and he is getting my vote (yes, i didn't change my mind...now, if only i could save enough for my fare come 05/10)
2. one shouldn't underestimate the power of youth-vote, the z-generation even if they don't vote, they influence others (especially those who are so-oh-visible online) hence, they must be well-equipped with information and guided opinions every now and then
3. my words in parenthesis are my favorites (coz unlike others who consider them negligible, mine is done for emphasis--- why? style lang! :) )


[postscript: thanks to arnel joshua lim and orman manansala through ms. jinky for the pictures]

33 is just a number

22nd of march, i turned 33, oh well, earth years. i, as usual received lots of greetings (not lots of gifts though: the number of gifts received is inversely proportional to the age of the celebrator). even as i managed to feel well and do some little celebrations, it was nothing compared to the stresses i had. thanks to the finals exams, exit papers and the ever-dreaded (so far) comprehensive exams.

it's been 4 days since then, and only now have the birthday material sank in my thoughts (it's funny how it managed to squeeze in during times of fever and wishing-you-were-numb-moments). i have turned 33, i always feel 13, now i feel 53. it's been 2 years since i decided to pursue a postgrad that's somewhat far from what i intend to www.sakura-withdrawalpangs.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-life-so-far.html . it's been a year since a crying-almost-angry-young lady called and asked me to halt the curse to her father (turned out that this year, she's the sweetest greeter ever) www.sakura-withdrawalpangs.blogspot.com/2009/03/birthday-blast-indeed.html .

what is in store for this year? i have been feeling pains in some parts of my body which the paranoid in me might insist as a sign of cancer or tumor or 'dying soon' disease. i have been hearing the same thing happening to some people who are close to me. apparently, my mind-disease is contagious (that's the punchline, laugh now). i have found "one true friend" and several good others; them, just enough to keep my sanity on hold. my boyman and manboy are managing well without me, so they say and sadly make me feel at times.

okay, this is the time when i have to battle with my inner demons and finish what i have started. it's a long long walk. i'd run if i have to. but for now, i need some peace. may i rest in peace?

cousin sarah's mission

a month ago i got an email from my tita regarding her daughter's so called mission: she intends to collect funds for Leukemia Foundation of Australia and yes, hairs for the kids (with leukemia, and undergoing therapy). i thought it was great for sarah to think that way. after all, not all teeeners think about other people the way she does. we were proud of her (reminded us of my sister who died of leukemia @ 9) and even more proud when she pledged to have a shave for the cause. some of her friends did the same (so brave). now, her mission was semi-accomplished (coz the battle isn't over yet, right?)-- she raised some money for the foundation, and she now have a new hairdo ( i mean, no hairdo?). still pretty, with our without it.

at a loss

it's been 3 weeks. still i can't build my ideas/framework/path to my exit paper. what's happening? i'm at a loss. inspiration, where are you? spark of genius, where are you? adrenaline rush, where are you?...ohm ohm ohm. i tell you, this will be a nonsensical entry. i have to let this out or else this will poison whatever sanity i have inside. four more papers for the various courses i foolishly took this semester. one major project for the german class. one overly-fundamental written exam for a core subject...and review review review for the five comprehensive exams to be taken at exactly the same date as my 33rd birth anniversary. those and the framework of my exit paper (they love to call it dissertation) ---> the cross-eyed bear. waaaahhhh!!! my escape? funny thoughts while supply lasts... see pictures. but yes, i must wake up and do start producing before it's too late. kill me- kill me quick!

oh well, class field work:zambales

it started out as a class requirement: to experience nature and understand its system as affected and affecting other systems. it started out as a map: to determine the sources and possible impacts of toxic waste to nature. it started out as a study tour: to see how people took care of animals that may have been harmed intentionally or unintentionally by human activities...took it with a bad heart coz those out-of-school-vicinity-trips is way too costly for scholars like me. imagine me computing for the relative cost of the trip in terms of my daily food supplies.

but how did it end up? it ended up with me being tired-yet-fulfilled, sad-yet-hopeful, broke-yet-happy... this is one class requirement/mapping/study tour i'd never forget.

proud of my mentor

Crisis-generated Socio-economic Coping Mechanisms by Overseas Filipinos. This is the title of the research proposed by my mentor Dr. Alvin Ang and his colleague Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano that was short-listed for the 2009 Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development. About 500 researches were submitted and the paper was awarded the 3rd place. Dr. Ang and Prof. Opiniano recently went to Prague to present their paper and yes, to receive their honors. This paper is only one of the many papers on economic development and macroeconomics done by them and I am doubly proud of him. . . proud to be one of his mentees, proud to be one of his students, proud to be one of his friends. May his foreseen Years of Expansion continue. Kudos!