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Develop the Romance Writer in You!

Hey there mga eksenadora'ng tulad ko! Look what I've found from My Special Valentine site!


Whenever you pick up and read a My Special Valentine book, does it fill you with the desire to write your very own romance story, but you don’t know where to start? Do you very much want to submit a manuscript, but feel like you’re not doing enough?
Worry no more: From one of our esteemed editors comes a new book that answers your questions… and more! In How To Write A Tagalog Romance Novel, Apple Masallo delivers a very thorough and straightforward guide to writing your own Tagalog romance novel. In it, she explains the very intricate process of crafting memorable characters and an equally memorable plot, handling the intricacies of grammar, and dealing with writer’s block among other things.

You may buy this book at MSV's online bookshop. So bili na mga fwends! :)
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God created the World, and the rest is China

LOL. My apologies for the title. But before you think of anything, let me just tell you that I don’t mean to mock or something. I just find it amazing how powerful China is. Wanna know why? Because of this…

I’m sure nabanggit ko na with my previous blog that my friend Ayin went to US (Georgia to be exact) for three months for some work-related stuff. And since nasa US na rin naman siya, she grabbed that opportunity to tour from States to States. Isa na sa mga iyon ang Florida. At ano pa nga ba ang unang maiisip ng isang Harry Potter Fanatic kapag narinig ang lugar na iyon?



Orlando Florida!
The famous and newly opened Harry Potter Theme Park!!

Yiipppeee!!! Andito pa lang sa Pinas ay sinabihan ko na ang barkada ko na just in case mamamasyal sila ng Florida at dadaan ng HP Theme Park ay magpapabili ako ng HP keychain. At first hindi siya sure kung makakapunta nga sila. But I think luck must be on my side dahil indeed… pumasyal sila Ayin ng Orlando! Kaya naman kuntodo FB message agad siya sakin clarifying about my request. And since barkada ko siya at hindi uso sa amin ang hiya-hiya, nagpabili na nga ako. Kahit mahal! Ha-ha-ha… And Ayin must have love soooooo much dahil hindi niya na pinabayaran sakin ang keychain. Pasalubong na lang daw niya iyon for me. Oh ha??? I feel the lurve ng sobra. Ha-ha…

And when she finally gave to me my pasalubong, laking tawa namin nang makita ang nakaengrave sa likod.

Oh ha? Naman teh! Sa esteyts na nga binili, Made in China pa din? Hahaha.. Ganun nga yata talaga kaunlad ang China. Ultimo US of A ay produkto nila ang gamit. Oh ha? Sana in the near future ganun na din ang Pilipinas. Iyon halos lahat ay “Made in Philippines” ang nakatatak. Ang bongga nun diba?

Wish ko lang!
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My Own Independence Day Celebration

Okay, bago niyo isipin kung gaano ko kamahal an gating Inang Bayan, let me just inform you ahead that this is not a Mabuhay-Ang-Pilipinas-Mahal-Ko-Ang-Bayan-Ko blog entry. Eeksena lang ulet mga kafatid. Since most of my previous blog were a little bit serious and not so0o0o0o ME na talaga. He-he.

So eneweiz, as we all know, June 12 is a regular holiday for Filipinos. Independence Day daw kasi. I won’t lecture you na about Philippine History since it is your responsibility – as a Filipino – to learn and appreciate our rich culture and history. Kung nagtunog “taksil sa sariling bayan” man ako sa umpisa, rest assured na kahit papano ay alam ko pa din naman kung papano natin nakuha ang Independence Day. At pinapahalagahan ko pa rin iyon hanggang ngayon. (Chaarrriiinnnnggg!!!)

At kung ang ibang tao ay nagcecelebrate ng ating Kalayaan, kami naman ng housemates ko ay nagcecelebrate din ng sariling version ng ating Kalayaan. Ano nga ba ang iba pang kahulugan ng Independence? Freedom… Free… FREE! And for us, June 12 is literally our FREE Day. It was also my close friend’s birthday. Kaya naman lunch time pa lang ay nakatikim na ko ng libre mula sa kanya. We went into an Eat-All-You-Can Restaurant by 12noon. Nagpakabusog doon. And then off to SM Cebu to watch the “Nestle’s Kasambuhay Habambuhay Anthology of Short Films.” It’s NestlĂ©’s free movie for its centennial celebration. At ito ang pag-uusapan natin ngayon.

Obviously, ginastusan ng bonggang-bongga ng Nestle ang film. Ang daming bigating artista ang nandoon. John Lloyd Cruz, Eddie Garcia, Eugene Domingo, Gloria Romero at iba pa. The film composed of 10 short films (approximately 10 minutes each film). Walang konek ang lahat ng film sa isa’t isa pero puro lahat magaganda. Liban na lang dun sa isang copycat ng famous “Walang Himala” movie ni Nora Aunor. Ang adik lang talaga ng story na iyon. And of course, since it’s a Nestle film, expect mo na rin na starring ang mga produkto nila. Andyan ang Bear Brand, Nescafe 3-in-1, Nido, Maggie Magic Sarap, Milo at iba pang sikat nilang produkto. Pero keri lang. It doesn’t bother me at all.

For those who failed to watch the free movie of Nestle, here’s a quick rundown:

1. The Howl and the Fussyket
One of my top 5 fave film. The story is all about an eight-year old boy joins a declamation contest despite his “PNF disease.” Iyon bang sakit ng mga tao na pinagpapalit ang “f” and “p”? Iyon yun! He-he… Good thing, he has his ever-supportive mother (played by Eugene Domingo) that decided to assembled a team para mawala ang kanyang sakit. A speech coach (isang call center agent), acting coach (isang lalaki who always play the role of “taong bayan” sa mga plays) para sa tamang emotion daw sa paged-declame and a fashion designer for the kid’s outfit (isang matandang mananahi. I super love the scenes kung saan tinutulungan na nila ang bata. Tawa kami ng tawa!


2. Unplugged
Heartwarming story of a group of football players (kids) who spent their weekend at a provincial home with their coach (Marvin Agustin) where gadgets are not allowed as per Lolo (played by Eddie Garcia). Ang ganda lang talaga ng shots ng lugar! At in fairness, iyon pala ang Hacienda Luisita? Another pogi points for this film is the music na inarranged ni famous Noel Cabangon. Parang “Kanlungan” lang. Iyon bang tipong pakikinggan mo lang siya sa hammock at mag-iimagine ka ng mga magagandang eksena ng buhay mo? Naghahanap na nga ako sa kantang iyon eh. Unfortunately, as of now, wala pa kong makita. :(

3. Silup
(Copied for PEP Review) (Dahil tinamad na kong magsummary on my own. :P) : Silup (which is reverse for Pulis) shows the sensitive side of a dedicated policeman (portrayed by Sid Lucero). Its best asset is its simplicity. The ending of this suspense drama short packs an emotional punch that I'd rather not reveal so that you can experience it for yourself.

4. Isang Tasang Pangarap
(Copied for PEP Review): An ordinary man, whose only pleasure is drinking coffee, discovers that he can see the future by looking at coffee mugs. It has an interesting premise but it has escapist entertainment written all over it. Obviously a tribute to Ishmael Bernal's Himala, Ramon Bautista delivers Nora Aunor's trademark cry, "Walang himala!"

5. Sali-Salita
(Copied for PEP Review): A mother who writes children's storybooks ironically doesn't have enough time to create stories for her own son. Her child lets his imagination run wild in a storytelling game with his grandfather. For a short film, the production values of this film are stunning: viewers get to see a powerful warrior crossing a deserted plain and fighting a futuristic looking robot in order to save a beautiful princess. This segment demonstrates the power of the imagination and the importance of parental bonding.

Gusto ko din kahit papano ang movie na ‘to. Naaalala ko kasi iyong childhood days ko. Iyong mahilig ka mag-imagine ng kung anik-anik? And someday, I would like my kid to do that “Sali-salita” game.

6. Oh! Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Yeah!
The famous Nicos of Nestle Iced Tea is back! At siyempre pa, eto na naman siya sa pamomroblema kay Matina. Musical naman ang genre ng film na ito. Kumakanta sila most of the time habang sini-share ng father ni Nicos ang secret para mapasagot ang isang baba. Love the songs lalo na ang “Abakada ng Matamis na Oo.” Kinanta-kanta ko pa siya pagkalabas namin ng cinema. At bukod kay Coco Martin, crush ko na si Nicos! In fairness, may boses din pala siya. :)

7. Downtown
(Copied for PEP Review): A bittersweet glimpse into the life of an aging man who makes baby steps to get his life back on track. Viewers will get to see vignettes of life in Binondo in this quiet story about love. Like Silup, it has a simple narrative structure but the buildup and the payoff is so much better.

8. Tingala sa Baba
(Copied for PEP Review): Two boys are playing on a seesaw. One of them is well-off and chubby, while the other is less fortunate and lanky. Because of his weight, the rich kid is stuck at the bottom of the seesaw. How will they reverse their positions? This short imparts important lessons about social class, charity, and friendship.

Ito ang pinakafave ko sa lahat. Simple lang siya. Sa sobrang simple niya ay iisa lang ang naging setting – sa isang seesaw. pero ewan ko ba. Touch na touch lang talaga ako sa movie. You will find yourself smiling sa buong duration ng movie dahil na rin sa usapan ng dalawang bata. Ganda ng shot lalo na nung ending. At maganda ang pagkakalapat ng music. (Naks! Parang professional critic!)

9. Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko
(Copied for PEP Review): Direk Chris puts a culinary twist to the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet. The Capule family and the Montano family take their dispute to the kitchen as they try to outdo each other's recipe in their respective eateries. The star-crossed lovers must find a way to unite their families. This Shakespearean parody hits a comedy goldmine.

10. Sign Seeker
(Copied for PEP Review): A torpe, superstitious guy asks for signs if he should ask his crush out on a date. Solenn looks gorgeous as the female officemate who is the girl of his dreams. I know it's meant to be light-hearted, but it gives a silly ending to a whimsical film. I guess John Lloyd Cruz's charm can only do so much.

Siyempre, dahil si Lloydi ang bida, fave ko siya diba? Pero aside from that, gusto ko din ito dahil na rin sa relate na relate ako! Kung ikaw ang tipo ng taong hindi makuntento at duda pa sa isang sign na hinihingi, pwes sapul na sapul ka dito!
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PHR Writers Mall Tour 2011

Magpa-plug lang po. :)

Catch your favorite PHR writers at these dates (see below). Chance niyo na po ito to meet them in person! Especially my friends: Maricar Dizon, Ashley Javier and most of all, my sister Angel Bautista!

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Randomness and Happiness

Okay, sorry for the title. I know it sounds so girly-ish or just some ish, but please bear with me on this. I’m just so delighted I wanna do some happy dance right this very moment. Ha-ha… So eneweiz, let me give you some random, happy things that have happened to me lately.


  1. Finally got to visit Tagaytay. And although I know I wouldn’t have time to really see the city because it was a business trip, I’m still a bit excited about the road trip. Kasi I would get the chance na madaanan ang mga lugar na sa TV or libro ko lang naririnig. Yeah, call me a loser or mababaw ang kaligayahan pero sorry talaga, Bisaya at laking Cebu/Gensan kaya thrilled ako ideyang iyon.

  2. Had the chance to eat their delicious Bulalo at Mahogany Public Market and burger at Mushroom Burger.

  3. Finally saw my dream house (chos!). Sobrang naamaze lang ako (hindi lang ako actually kundi maging ang tatlo ko pang kasama managers) when we saw this not so big house and yet sobrang elegant. Maliit lang ang lot pero andun ang lahat ng room na gusto ko. Attic, music room, three bedrooms, second floor libing room, counter bar and lanai. Oh diba, bongga?

  4. Haven’t done any manuscript yet since second week of April. Oh ha? Ako na ang tamad! Pero hindi yan isa sa mga happy things actually. Pero ang nakakatuwa lang and I still can’t believe it hanggang ngayon) was the fact that kahit naka-dalawang manuscript lang ako as of this year, natupad pa din ang isa sa mga wish ko.

  5. Got a text last June 02 from someone. Pinapapunta nila ako dun ng Saturday (June 4). Pero dahil sa June 5 pa ang dating ko [dun], nagparesched ako ng June 7. Buti na lang at pumayag sila.

  6. And again, napatunayan ko na naman kung gaano kagaling si Bro magplano ng mga bagay-bagay. Ang hirap i-explain, pero ang mga nangyari ay proof na tama nga ang kasabihang “everything happens for a reason.” At gaya ng nabasa ko sa The Five People You Meet in Heaven, “...there are no random acts. That we are all connected. That you can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind.”
Hindi ko alam kung anong mga nagawa kong tama sa buhay at binibigyan ako ng mga ganitong blessings. Ni hindi ko rin nga sigurado If I’m worthy of this. Pero isa lang ang alam ko, ke deserve ko man ito o hindi, malakas talaga ako kay Lord! Halos lahat ng mga hiniling ko ay natutupad. Kaya super duper thank you! Thank you po sa lahat!

So, I’m gonna do my happy dance! Gusto niyong sumabay? :)
 
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