The Erwin Robledo Website

Shrug Shoulders

2006-11-20T20:23:00.000+08:00

I'm thinking of renaming the blog to, "Shrug Shoulders" or something.

Here's the situation. The phone started working this Friday. I should be jumping for joy, except that there's a real loud, cracking sound that's louder than the voice of the person on the other line, and when I connect to the internet, I just get a mere 4 kilobytes per second. Guess what? That's the good news.

The bad news is today, the phone's dead. Again. That's two months of disservice if you count August. And yes, I'm still working at the e-learning company, which by the way requires an internet connection. Let's make matters worse. I'm beyond the deadline, and I'm trying to connect to the internet via my trusted internet cafe (as usual) and the dsl decided to take things slow today.

And I've got a lot of files to upload.

Yes guys, I'm ready to give up.

On a lighter note, I need to write something to the tune of 15,000 words a day to get back to the NaNoWriMo race, and I'm still figuring out how I can beat the deadline tomorrow and attend the Hillsong concert at the same time.

There's Always a Catch for Everything

2006-11-08T16:07:00.000+08:00

Did I mention that the phone line's dead again? For the third time this year? And I just bought a lot of internet cards last Friday so I don't have to go buy some when the load's all used up, because you see, when I buy an internet card I end up buying some other stuff, and I return home with a bag of things and an empty wallet. You know what I mean.

So I'm here again, in an internet cafe, watching stuff from youtube to pass the time. Company policy dictates I am not allowed to work on an internet cafe, so yes, I have to waste time online everyday (another company policy). Stupid PLDT.

I ended up songleading last Sunday with the lack of songleaders. The assigned songleader though showed up. It turns out that her son got sick and she had to stay behind. Do you call that irony?

Anyway, the problem still isn't solved as the sports ministry continues to travel to churches inviting them to the interchurch sportsfest this December. December by the way is that time of the year when the music team has to work double time keeping up with our Simbang Gabi ripoff entitled, "Simbang Umaga" and the various Christmas celebrations. I am tempted to just call the whole singing thing off and let them play, or officiate, or whatever they are supposed to do during the sportsfest. I will invite the break.

A former orgmate gave birth a couple of months ago and wanted me to be the godfather. I said no. That's when I realized how selfish I am. Ha, so I'm not perfect, am I?

Not like I ever claimed it.

Finally, a way to organize the produce of my creative exploits. By dividing it into two groups I can stop being an ass all the time and claim that all my work are sacred and its creative rights all belong to me. I have my first group, work that I get to produce myself and get all creative rights. The second group is work I share creative direction with others. Problem is, I don't have any story/artwork/song in the second group yet.

Oh yeah, and if you're asking why I'm doing this, it's because I realized that everyone has to eat, including me.

Working in the Office

2006-11-03T11:48:00.000+08:00

Guess how many times I could say that? Working in the house has its advantages, but there’s nothing like having officemates on your sides and a supervisor on your back to take the work seriously.

Seriously.

If my workspace were this organized I might get to finish work in half the time! I guess I have to clean the area up this weekend.

My mind is more of a mess than my workspace. It is evident when I turn on the TV and start flipping channels without settling for a program to watch, like I’m looking for something, and I have a deadline on my hands, and it’s NaNoWriMo and I couldn’t find a songleader for Sunday since everyone’s going to Antipolo to promote the inter-church sportsfest we’re spearheading. Focus is the word of the day. Thank God I have a real office to work in.

And I'm Back for the 2nd Time

2006-10-26T20:31:00.000+08:00

Yeah, the phone line's back again, which means I don't have to travel hours just to upload my work in some internet cafe, whose owners already know me and my job. That's what happens when you come in minutes before closing time asking for half an hour to catch up with assignments...for two weeks!

So tomorrow I'm spending the whole day sleeping. Hey, I might get to keep my job after all!

All say, "Thank God"!

At Least It Wouldn't Be My Fault

2006-10-23T19:27:00.000+08:00

It's hard to work online if you can't go online. The phone line's not been working since last week, and there's no indication that it'll work this week. I may get fired because of that. Too bad, I really like the job.

NaNoWriMo is eight days away, and I haven't got anything except a title. And I don't think it's going to stick since it's too long. Not that there are title restrictions, but It's not natural for me to have a title as long as a sentence. Just a preference, you see.

If I do get fired, I guess it's back to the call center for me. Life. This is what you call, "struggling".

Little Things, Big Things

2006-10-16T17:34:00.000+08:00

I wish I have someone with me when I do stuff. I wish someone were with me now when I was looking for a vacant computer terminal in my favorite internet cafe (since they allow me to download stuff) and there was none, and I went back around 5 (for an online meeting) and prayed for one vacant terminal, and there was one. Just one, for me.

Then the online meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow.

I visited a grade school friend who just gave birth about a week ago with some friends. The great time was not meeting AJ (her daughter) but when a friend accidentaly gave out another friend's secret. The discussion on whether to tell or not to tell was melodramatically humorous, at least to me. And the kid was just there, her eyes looking back and forth as if she knew what we were talking about.

Maybe she did, and maybe she'll remember when she grows up. Or not.

So I am seriously considering having a girlfriend already. No more prerequisites like getting a higher salary or a house or whatever. Girlfriend. Now.

Or at least, after NaNoWriMo. Or should it be during November, so I'll know if I can tolerate her jealousy with my writing, and I her bantering about how I don't notice her and stuff.

I should turn that into a story.

Writing Hand's Better Now

2006-10-09T19:03:00.000+08:00

The wrist is still a little bit swollen but I can type without the pain every time I hit the keys. I still wear the wrist wrap though, just in case.

Can't wait for NaNo WriMo to start. The Philippine forums are getting populated already, so that's a good thing.

Melch and I are now against each other. Because of our failure to launch the Silent Destiny product line, Melch decided that we should compete. The first person to popularize the story is the winner.

Yeah, we're desperate.

Ah, back to work.

Ouch

2006-10-05T19:59:00.000+08:00

I hurt my left wrist last week when I slipped while walking down the stairs. I think I mentioned that before. The weird thing is, it just got painful today. I think it was because of the travel I did to the office for a meeting, and to get my pay. The rest of the time I'm working at home, submitting work via email.

It hurts when I type, yet look what I'm doing now! The pain on my wrist overwhelms any other feeling, that sharp sting becoming more and more "interesting" for lack of a better word, yet I continue to record the trivial despite the fact.

How do I describe it? My face could no longer hide what I feel - my wrists being ripped apart, toyed around, and ground together. I tell you that I feel mad already.

But I am writing. Because I have decided to become a writer.

Wow, even typing becomes a chore.

I got my first paycheck so I'm happy. I bought another how-to-draw book, in the hope of reviving my other talent. I spent years developing that one - I thought it deserved a second go.

Saw Melch today, that guy who told me to quit being a call center agent to work at the animation company which didn't pay me? He was the one who referred me to this work at home gig, and we both work there. You could say he redeemed himself there.

Addicted to Words

2006-10-05T01:40:00.000+08:00

The NaNoWriMo forums are up, and slowly people are flocking to this website for one grueling month of agony and nerve-wracking fun as people try to finish a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Some of the ancient participants have posted their shoutouts, greeting the first timers (and ain't I glad the Philippines already has its own forum?).

I can imagine that this coming November, after writing for an hour or so to complete the daily recommended average word count of 1,667 words, I'll sit down and write for my new job, which has something to do with creating lessons for e-learning sites and / or clients. And after I'm done with that, I'll be posting my rants online via the blog (of course) then read a chapter or two of one of the novels spawled all over the floor of my room.

Then maybe, if I have some energy left, I can do some short stories / poems for various calls for submissions.

Oh yeah, I'm feeling it.

My Legs Are Killing Me!

2006-09-28T01:35:00.000+08:00

Not only that. Now I’ve got a sharp pain on my wrist joint from falling on the stairs while walking down the counter to order a burger, my only lunch for the day.

Kim, the newly-appointed Production Team Head, and I spent the morning roaming around Raon and the electronic strip down G. Puyat Street in search of lights for the church anniversary; unfortunately, all we saw were the big, high-tech gadgets used in theaters and discos which were too powerful for the small set we have in the building. We ended up canvassing materials in Ace Hardware in SM Megamall. Yeah, you heard me right. A friend of ours applied for an online English-tutoring job in Ortigas and asked if we could meet. We probably agreed after deciding that we wouldn’t be able to buy anything with the funds given to us, and even if we did have the funds, the lights were too powerful for our stage anyway.

So the decision was to replace the existing lighting fixtures of the stage, buy a few flood and spotlights, and create our own floor lights with incandescent bulbs lined up in a row.

When to replace it is an entirely different problem, which we would not deal with today.

The only refreshing time was when we went up to the fourth floor of Megamall to view the galleries, and even then it wasn’t refreshing since my artistic instincts were shouting at me for not taking care of the talent. My apologies.

All these happened the whole day; so much for work. Right, work. It slowly reminds me of the disciplines needed to get things done, in a painful way.

I'm Still Alive, Thank You Very Much

2006-09-25T19:11:00.000+08:00

Sorry for not blogging for a while. I got caught up with redesigning the layout.

Anyway, what's new?

I found a job writing e-learning tools. And since it has something to do with writing, I'm not complaining, nor have they given me a reason to complain yet. And they have a good track record of paying the people who work for them, so that's a good sign.

My freelance online blogging gig is coming to an end this September. I'll miss working early in the morning.

The music team is getting more and more organized as we implement a lot of changes regarding the submission of the lineups and chords. At this rate, they wouldn't need an adviser by the end of the year.

That's a good thing, if you're wondering.

Now, all I need to do is write. Oh, and before I forget, NaNoWriMo is almost two months away! Be sure to visit the website (www.nanowrimo.org) this October and sign up for the forums. The Philippines now has its own forum thanks to the actions of concerned participants last year.

Talk About Frustrated

2006-09-12T20:53:00.000+08:00

I am at the end of my wits. There is no substantial development in our company, Melchman's Stuff Entertainment, and to think that I spent the whole weekend doing nothing but music for sample games for mobile phones. I have a deadline this Friday and I haven't even finalized the plot yet. Argh!

I want to think that it isn't me. Really. If only I could blame someone else.

Loser.

I am not getting anywhere. I have an idea on how to get things moving. It's reverting back to my former self. I don't want to do that. I hate my past. Sometimes, I hate life.

Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

2006-09-08T04:02:00.000+08:00

I got two books today from BookSale: One is CV by Damon Knight (TOR); the other, 20,001 Names for Baby by Carol McD. Wallace (Avon). Nobody's having a baby; I, as a writer, need a list of names to give my characters. This should be a great help for NaNoWriMo. Oh wait, I forgot. I'm doing fantasy.

Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I reinstalled a journal program I kept a long time ago, before I started blogging. Now I was looking at my past updates, and I was surprised to see that I saved the winning icons for 2004.

I dunno. Now I can officially say that I participated and finished NaNoWriMo two years ago?

A friend invited me to another friend network site. I joined out of courtesy (it would be better to say I didn't want to offend anyone) but really. Do I need to join every network site online? I could barely keep up with the ones I've already signed up with. Yes, Friendster's a little too much for me already. And how many friends do I have over there? Less than 80. That's how antisocial I am. It's not too antisocial though; I have no plans of living as a recluse. Yet.

Christmas Already?

2006-09-03T14:24:00.000+08:00

The internet cafe just played "Jingle Bells" and a horde of Christmas carols followed.

Talk about having an early Christmas.

Meanwhile, the weather is still deciding whether it's still summer or the rainy season.

Necessary Alterations

2006-08-30T02:00:00.000+08:00

I wish I could say that everything I do ends in victory. This one unfortunately, doesn't.

A month ago one of the songleaders asked for my help with one of the church's bulletin boards. I said yes, of course. Anything for one of my teammates. The next thing I know I’m being drafted to another ministry. I should have said no, but I don’t want to say no outright while I haven’t tried it yet, so I said yes.

After being swamped with so many things to do, I now regret my decision. I should have said no. Now the bulletin board is half-done, and I am being pressed to finish it.

So, here’s my decision: I finish the bulletin board, then retract my membership. And next time, just concentrate on one ministry. I seem to work better that way.

This is my fault. I know my limits, and by saying no the project would have gone to somebody else who had the heart to finish the work quick and excellent. Thank God literally that there's going to be a next time.

I noticed a police checkpoint established on the road as I walked home today. What was that for? Are there terrorists in our area now?

I Don’t Feel Like Writing

2006-08-26T13:47:00.000+08:00

Not that I don’t want to write anymore, but that my desire for reading is overwhelming.

Finally, I have noticed some of the problems with my prose, which is why I am putting my pen down to read other people’s work and find out how they do it.

NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. Who isn’t excited? The Philippine team revived its message boards asking everybody else what they would be writing. I still don’t have any idea what I’ll be doing, other than it has to be related to spirituality and fantasy.

Finally, I'm Back Online!

2006-08-17T03:20:00.000+08:00

The phone's working again. I don't have to go in an internet cafe to see what I've been missing.

My writing still sucks. The good news though is, I'm finally writing because I want to, not because I have to submit something by the end of the month.

As it turns out, I had been writing all the time; I just don't jot it down. Go figure.

One's Success

2006-08-06T20:36:00.000+08:00

It was worth all the trouble practicing, scheduling, and transportation. The joint praise night effort was a success.

CTJCC Lagro, Bread from Heaven, and CTJCC Union (that's us) each performed five songs. Let me see if I still remember our lineup:

Glory
Most High
Above All
Here I Am to Worship
One Way

The energy was still up when we performed (we were the last). That was good. The better part of it was some of the youth in our group were inspired to play some worship songs for the church. See? Things happen when you worship through song.

What else can I say? Compared to the other teams, we still had a long way to go. Our lineup contain songs which are extremes: either too powerful or too meditative. Not that I'm saying it's wrong, but these things you don't notice until you perform with other bands. It was a good experience for all of us.

I should invest on a video recorder or a camera so you can all see what we're doing.

Unfortunately the phone line is still down. Argh!

Phone Still Down

2006-08-02T17:48:00.000+08:00

I am at the mercy of an internet cafe since our phone line's still dead. Rumor is that someone stole the phone line itself, and a lot of the residents are fuming about it. Especially me of course.

So apologies if I haven't updated the website on a regular basis. The church's music team will be playing in Lagro together with two other church bands. This should be exciting.

Versus the TV

2006-07-27T19:25:00.000+08:00

I know I shouldn't be slaving in front of it, but I do. At least now I keep it to two hours, maybe three, but that's not all right. In three hours I can finish a lot of writing modules. Three hours mean a chapter (if it's not NaNoWriMo; if it is it means 4-5,000 words).

Our church drummer mentioned that last Sunday. He's having the same problem. It's in our plans that if we move to our own houses, the TV is the last thing we'll get. At least I'm not alone. Still, it's a struggle the two of us have to overcome.

Sometimes I frighten myself with my writing passion. A few years ago this was how I felt about drawing, which now I am apathetic to. That's very scary. What if it happens to my writing as well? My solution so far is to force my self to draw and hopefully get that passion back.

Getting Delayed Again

2006-07-26T20:40:00.000+08:00

The phone isn't working, which means no internet. Sigh. You can blame the typhoon for that.

Anyway, life hasn't stopped just because of the storm. I got accepted in the online comic book writing workshop. See, told you I could do it.

The music team is preparing for August 4, where we will be performing with two other music teams in a joint Praise and Worship event entitled One. Come if you can.

Something's Holding Me Back

2006-07-18T05:12:00.000+08:00

I think my writing skills are improving now. I can write a bit faster than I did months ago. That should be a good thing.

Now I was looking at other writer's blogs and, comparing their rate of submissions to mine, I concluded that I need to write (and submit) more. Getting published on a yearly basis isn't going to be enough for a full-time writer, which is what I want to be.

My problem is that I don't share myself in my writing, and that causes two problems; my writing doesn't connect with the reader, and; I become so careful not to reveal myself that I stall when I write, and so write less.

At least I know what my problem is. That's half of the battle won.

Keeping it Simple

2006-07-15T05:11:00.000+08:00

I deleted around fifty emails today on my yahoo address, most were messages from aquaintances and marketing offers that somehow didn't get deleted immediately. I also created two new folders to filter in mail when they come. I have ten folders right now, and I don't know what's inside. I'll be inspecting the contents in the future.

This is one of the revolutions I have made that started about ten years ago. With a room overcluttered with books from high school and below, unused art materials, and trinkets from who knows where, I was forced to reduce the number of items I had, brutally, not unlike the room cleaning featured in Oprah. Thus started my minimalist outlook in life. Although it makes life easier, it also makes it disposable. What happens is after some deep thinking, I throw away what I don't think is important, and there are a lot of things that clutter life that has no bearing in the future, or in life, or anywhere else.

One thing I found interesting. If I do forget something important, people can remind me of it.

Courage of the Past

2006-07-13T02:26:00.000+08:00

King Arthur was playing on Star Movies, the one starring Clive Owen. I am fascinated by how passionate they fight, and it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite game, Civil War Generals 2.

Imagine this. Union and Confederate soldiers line up in front of each other while they load, aim, and fire their weapons. They don't dodge the bullets; they don't fire and retreat; they stay there, receive the attack, and those who don't get shot reload, aim, and fire. Why?

The game is played in turns. After the opponent finishes moving you decide what to do with the pieces you have, either move them or command them to attack. I say pieces because that's what they are, and in a tactical game you don't get emotional. It's more of an intellect-stimulating game so you attack, the opponent defends, a battle summary is displayed showing how many people died in the encounter, and you go off commanding the next piece. I don't mind not getting any emotional stimulation; that's not why I'm playing the game, so I love it.

However, I can imagine them to be people. Real people. It amazes me that they would actually stand in line facing the enemy to receive their bullets without flinching. What kind of conviction did they have to be able to do such a thing? How glib is the toungue of the commanders to be able to convince ordinary people (this is especially true for the South) to stand in the face of death? With all the leadership skills I have (or I guess, with anyone) I would not be able to convince people to go die like that. Why would you create a tactic that doesn't involve hiding from an enemy during confrontation?

I think that leadership then meant business. I think that people believed in what they fought for. I think the technology that we have in present-day warfare compensates for the lack of leadership and faith we have today. All this causes war to be uglier nowadays than it had been then.

Still Enjoying the Blog

2006-07-12T03:56:00.000+08:00

I'm still experimenting with the two blogs I created yesterday. I saw somewhere that we'll see results after a week.

Can't wait.

I Should Write Full Time

2006-07-11T02:53:00.000+08:00

I found two sites that offer to pay you everytime you blog: soulcast.com and writingup.com. Both sites use the Google AdSense program to pay you. Those are the links on the right. The sites put the ads on the blogs you create automatically, and when people click the links, you get paid. Of course it isn't really as simple as that, but that's basically what happens.

Analyzing the sites carefully then, you don't get paid for blogging; you get paid for the clicks the ads get when people look at your articles. It's not as exciting as one may think, but guess what? I created an account for myself.

Oh well, at least I get to practice writing if nothing else.

The other good news: I recently learned that a local station is airing Christian songs from 6 PM to 6 AM everyday. For those in Manila, the station is 91.5 FM, Edge Radio.

At last, something worth listening to on the radio.

Happy Birthday to The Erwin Robledo Website!

2006-07-09T15:56:00.000+08:00

Even I couldn't believe it. It's been one year already, wow!

I wish I could give the site a facelift as a gift. I will, eventually, after I figure out how much time I still have in this world. Not that I'm going to die or anything.

Or maybe I am.

Weekends are reserved for practice for the main church's concert in August and our choir on the last Sunday of July. That, plus my portfolio, submissions for the workshops, and my blog work. I'm fine.

So there. My happiness right now stems from having life going according to plan.

By the way, last Friday's meeting was cool. We've established the guidelines for one of our games in melchman.com meaning it's up to me to start working on the script. Usually I finish the script, and Melch finishes the game, and it gets filed somewhere. Hopefully it won't happen this time.

Why? Because we have a business manager! That solves talking to clients.

So there. We're all happy. What this anniversary needs is a cake, I think.

Greet the site for me?

Not Quite There Yet

2006-07-06T09:14:00.000+08:00

You know those movies where the hero gets fired up and decides to fix up his life, then cuts to the scene where he's shown as goofing off? Guilty.

I have two more weeks to submit four entries for two separate workshops, and I haven't done anything yet. The culprit? TV (what else could it be?). The justification is, there's so much information on it that it's silly not to take advantage of the technology. For instance, from watching, "Bituing Walang Ningning" I have learned that you can sell a song for P50,000 (my mom watches this. I just glance at the tube every now and then when I get snacks. Really.)

It's one of my very bad habits. I think of something to write, and when nothing comes up, I turn on the TV. The day ends without me having done anything. The deadline comes closer. I get panicky and decide to drop the project for the lack of time. Pathetic.

So. No more TV for me. Ever. Discipline.

The good news though is that I got another part-time writing gig as a blog writer. Imagine writing something like the one I do for this site, and being paid for it. Not bad. I can now do my portfolio in peace, knowing I have the funds to, I dunno, goof off perhaps?

And, the portfolio. I'm coloring a few comic book pages with the computer and I don't feel like I know what I'm doing anymore. It's not like riding a bike; riding an airplane is a more appropriate analogy for it, with me wondering what those buttons are for again. It'll come back to me. I still have one month.

As long as I don't turn on the tube.

I'll be in Megamall tomorrow for a meeting with our resident programmer for Melchman's Stuff (www.melchman.com). I'm not goofing off.

Oh, who am I kidding?

Nothing But the Truth

2006-07-04T03:44:00.000+08:00

A friend from my previous call center job asked me how I was via email last week. She told me they were fine; in fact, they just got promoted. It was so hard to tell her the truth that I quit after I got scammed. Though it wasn't my fault, I did raise the team's expectations by telling them all about my new job and what's life going to be, working on what really interested me for a higher pay. It was really embarassing to have nothing to show. I almost told her I was fine.

Now I know how this friend feels. He was one of the few I looked up to back in the org when we were all fired up believing in the Bible and all that. We met a few months ago in a reunion and he told me he was fine working for the government with all the benefits and prestige, when in fact it was all a lie, as another friend told me (I make it sound like gossip. Eww). I wondered why he needed to cover up his life; it isn't in his character to do something like that.

Pride, of course.

Right there and then I decided to just tell her the truth and be done with it. I was in no way going to be like him. After all, I have plans to fix up this mess. I've got no plans to stay a bum forever.

I guess, if I could speak the truth, I should be able to tell you more about what's going on with my life and my attempts to improve my writing. That means typing even the bad things that happens. This should be hard at first, but we all have to start somewhere.

Hi. My name is Erwin. Let me tell you about myself.

Published Again!

2006-06-27T22:01:00.000+08:00

I got this message in Friendster congratulating me that my work would be included in this book anthology. My first impression was that it was spam, since I have no idea where the message came from. Then I remembered that I did pass articles to that person. Last year.

Well, better late than never.

Blind Date

2006-06-26T15:36:00.000+08:00

My friend set me up with her co-worker and, after church, we headed out to one of the fast food restaurants to get to know each other. The meeting was ok, since it was in the get-to-know-you phase, though I couldn't help thinking about how cool it would be if we had name tags and paper hats. Maybe that would have broken the ice.

No, of course not.

It's not my friend's fault. I have been whining about not having a girlfriend ever since we've known each other. Now she's found someone she thinks would jive with my personality and hence, the date, although I find the lack of drive to look at my date as a potential relationship builder a little odd. I must be in the stage where some other thing is more important (like, oh, I don't know. Writing.).

Or it could be an elaborate rationale for having nothing happen.

That's as far as I'll go regarding what happened. It feels weird talking about the details of a date. Maybe that's why no one does it. And who am I to break tradition? For the record, I went to a blind date, nothing happened, 'nuff said.

Maybe I'll elaborate when I'm doing my autobiography, or a short story. Or a novel. Or poem. Or song.

Hmm. Now I know why such devices were invented.

This is pretty interesting.

Nothing. Again.

2006-06-25T03:43:00.000+08:00

I got a haircut today. That's after five months, so I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror.

And I'm not sure why that became an update. I mean, sure, it's something new, but who cares?

I need to write more. And yes, I'm still working on the new design for the site.

I'm so Wet

2006-06-24T11:30:00.000+08:00

I woke up yesterday to find my room flooded in water. Guess what? I placed all my work on the floor the night before!

The culprit I found out was someone who left the faucet running. All the rooms were flooded. I could imagine how high the water rose to, about three inches as indicated by the water stains on my drawing board. Poor me. I just stared at the mess the whole morning, figuring out what to do.

What can I do? Shrug my shoulders and do everything from scratch.

I'm not sure if there's a lesson here. I would want to say, "Don't put your things on the floor," or "Don't let anyone leave the faucet on," but I don't think that would help in the future. It's like saying, "Don't let hurricanes in the country." Useless. These are things you just have to accept.

Sob.

And thank you Josephine for the post. I appreciate it.

Got Paid

2006-06-21T21:09:00.000+08:00

I finished translating the survey forms last Sunday, and now I got my payment. I'm rich again!

And I haven't finished my portfolio yet for July. I'm rich and dead.

Josephine (the one who referred me for the job) and I had a good, one-sided conversation today. I was the one who had nothing to say (as usual). But it was good nevertheless. I need to stop thinking a bit and start talking my mind. It should be good for me. That's after I finish the portfolio.

And I have a comic strip to do, and an entry for Faithwriters. I'm dead three times over. And I'm not sure if that's possible. Maybe it is. I sure feel that way.

The Translator

2006-06-17T11:54:00.000+08:00

I found work translating survey answers from Filipino to English (one of the few benefits of being bilingual). Just an odd job to pay for fast food dinners and arcade game tokens.

The job should end this Sunday, then I'm back to my regular routine of writing and drawing. It's only a few days till July and I haven't started on my portfolio yet.

Translation: "I'm dead."

The comment of the day, something I found at someone's blog site: "Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener."

Hmm.

I Quit

2006-06-13T17:42:00.000+08:00

Stupid company. They're going to make us work for $100 a month for a full-time, 9-hour evening shift. Umm...no.

Now that I'm officially unemployed, I have a script to finish by the 15th and a portfolio to show by the end of the month. Of course I'll update you guys, although still not as often as, well, everyday. Do I still know how to draw? It's been three years five years since I drew anything of significance. Oh well, I have to start somewhere.

And my writing's improved. Go Erwin!

Anything to take my mind off the company.

Shrug Shoulders

2006-06-04T19:31:00.000+08:00

What can I say? They still haven't paid me yet, so I'm working on my poetry. Yes, I know I should write more. Unfortunately, studying how to write is taking up a lot of my time, and I again apologize for not updating everyone.

I am proud to have fixed the computer all by myself. Well, reinstall the operating system. It's always a source of pride doing something right the first time.

To prove I'm really working on my poetry, I've posted one here. Enjoy.

I've Been Had!

2006-05-23T23:35:00.000+08:00

The plan was to spend the night at a friend's house with my old college buddies after my meeting with Kamakatahan, a poetry group I'm in. The meeting with the group was fine (except the part where I had to read a poem. You were supposed to bring a poem with you during the meetings?) we left at around 10. Then I get a text message that says the old college guys decided to cancel the overnight stay. That would have been good, except now I have no place to go. Our village has a curfew: No one comes in from 10 to 6. So what do I do? I go to Cubao and rent a computer in a 24-hour internet cafe, and that's the story so far.

It's a good thing, I suppose, since at last I made time to update my blog. Boy, is there a lot to talk about or what?

For starters, all of you know that I quit my job at the call center. What you probably don't know is that I left the company because Melch wanted me on his team in a game design company. Yes, it's similar to the company we were trying to keep alive for two years now, but this company he's in has money. And contacts. Everything should have been all right, except that a few of that company's investments didn't arrive on time and we weren't getting paid. That also meant we weren't working. Well today things were looking up as the investment came and we were going to get our monies, this week. Now I can spend my emergency funds and treat myself to a ridiculously-priced burger, which I did, and I'm happy about that. Yes, it might be offensive to a lot of hungry street people, but so what? I don't indulge myself often. So sue me.

The revamp of the site's design is still in the works, together with my writing commitments and drawing commitments and music commitments. See, this is my curse: constant busyness, probably better known as workaholicism or something, which probably isn't my real problem because if it were, I wouldn't be making a blog. Let's just say I'm trying to keep myself busy while things were slow. It's not a conscious philosophy, but I find that I am uneasy with only a few things to do, so I multiply them tremendously until I've filled myself with work, then I don't finish some and get depressed. That only means I have a problem and I'm in the denial stage. Guess what my solution is: don't sleep.

If I don't make any sense, that's because I haven't slept yesterday as well.

I would like to go on and on, but I just remembered that I really don't like talking about myself. And yet I have a blog. Go figure. Tomorrow's a new day; if I remember it I'll post something again and hopefully, I can catch a wink before I do.

Exposed

2006-05-05T22:50:00.000+08:00

A local TV channel aired a news report regarding lowered leasing space in Makati, partly influenced by the influx of call centers in the area. The video footage used showed our old office, which was in Libis.

You might as well take videos of Philippine beaches and call it Jamaica.

We’re watching.

Nothings

2006-04-18T17:21:00.000+08:00

I should be writing, but I'm too happy looking at other people's websites.

Yes, I'm working on how to redesign the site.

Tomorrow's my last day in the office. Goodbye irate customers. Goodbye operations guys who give citations for being one minute late.

You can get fired by being one minute late!

Goodbye. But I don't feel sad at all. Go figure.

Those Who Trust in God Find Comfort in His Power

2006-04-14T16:40:00.000+08:00

The name is Metro Manila Bible Community. I remember seeing its preaching topic for the week displayed across the building like a movie title everytime I pass through Cubao via EDSA. This was years ago.

Ever since I started working at the call center I always had to pass through Cubao going to the office, and to my dismay I only see one topic posted, week after week after week. Up to this day it displays the topic I first saw when I started working: Those Who Trust in God Find Comfort in His Power. Not that it's a bad statement. You would however expect updates. Of course, they are in no obligation to change it on my account, but still.

I am quitting Wednesday. I plan on walking in Cubao for one whole day just for me to create a mental picture of what it looks like now so I can compare it with what I see five years from now. A few years ago, COD was still alive, Gateway Mall was still in construction, and Fiesta Carnival still enjoyed its old building. Do things change fast.

Life IS water - something I learned watching "Rome" on HBO yesterday.

Please, I Can Explain.

2006-04-13T17:44:00.000+08:00

No activity for a whole month! Yes, and there is a reason why: it's called version 2. Plans are in the drawing board to redo the website with a modern philosophy.

When I say modern, that means thinking that everybody can access the site using DSL or faster rather than the 56K speed I assume everyone uses when viewing sites. That also means what's modern to me isn't modern to you.

Yes, i'm a dinosaur. And proud of it.

I've always wanted to be a triceratops.

And no, I haven't started yet. Thank you for asking.

:-(

Failed

2006-03-02T17:54:00.000+08:00

So much for the fiction.

I have no intention of writing anymore after that, but after a day's rest, everything's fine. Aside from the fact that I won't forgive myself for this.

Or maybe I will. After a few more nights.

Two deadlines by the end of the week (here we go again): 3 poems for a fellowship and 2 for our church. 'Hope I do right this time.

Nothing but the Story

2006-02-21T18:28:00.000+08:00

I am feeling very sleepy these past days, and I have no idea why.

The best thing that happened today was I finally had something happen to my protagonist for Tuesday's story. Before, he had nothing to do in the story but to follow the plot. He didn't even change any point of view by the time the story was over. Now, he shifts from an apathetic artist to a person with a sense of purpose, all while not being corny (I think). I'll have a lot to rewrite today.

Nearing the Deadline

2006-02-16T18:24:00.000+08:00

The story deadline is on the 28th. The concept is fixed, and the first draft is being produced. This is the stage where everything you write seems wrong and illogical and you have to shut the internal critic up, who can't stop telling you that everything's wrong.

He's right, you know.

The stall near the office is officially closed, the attendant informed me yesterday. She now helps in another stall that sells affordable meals.

More than meals, I need more books. Heck, I need to go back writing.

Getting Paid

2006-02-14T18:17:00.000+08:00

Finally, payday. Not Valentines, payday. I don't have to go hungry tomorrow.

Or maybe I do. I already told you about the restaurant that became a shoe store. There's a stall in the Food Strip (I think that's what it's called) near the office where I buy my lunch, and it hasn't opened yet. I wonder what happened there.

I might be reading poetry Friday next week in Powerbooks Greenbelt 4. I say might because I was informed that I was to receive an email telling me what I am supposed to do exactly. I haven't received it yet. It took me an hour to get that information; that's how slow our internet connection is. You don't spend an hour to check emails! I have decided to access the internet through internet cafes. It costs a lot, sure, but right now, I lack time rather than money.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have that much funds. Compared to the available time I have to spend on writing and other stuff though...

Dreams Must Come True

2006-02-10T19:11:00.000+08:00

~~Finish coloring comic book pages for Melchman's Stuff~~
X FAILED! Finish Dragon Fiction story
~~Finish comic book script for contest~~
Finish short story for contest

I finished the script in a month. Talk about being a perfectionist. It's up to Master Melch to do the comic book pages and, we'll win.

I've spent a lot on food this week. I thought about going to one of my favorite restaurants in town and was surprised that it was converted into a shoe store! I was there a few months ago! I have no idea what happened; I should have asked the owner.

Work is a little bit slow today, which is good because I can catch up on my reading. Everybody did. The office had the feel of a library, which is good. Birds of the same feather and all that.

I went to the opening of Ingles Manila,an English review center in the Makati area. It's amazing how long we haven't seen each other, and what we've achieved during that time we were all apart. Kudos for a successful opening and I do hope things will go well for them.

Second Month of the Year

2006-02-07T19:31:00.000+08:00

This happened a few hours ago, on my way home. I looked back from my seat on the bus and saw a son kiss his mother on the lips. The first thing I thought was that they were close, then he looked at her breasts.

You do not, for any reason at all that has nothing to do with science, look at your mother's breasts.

I had to redo my assumption and declare them lovers. It happens, although rare. Then I remembered it was February.

I didn't bother to find out if they were mother and son AND lovers. It happens as well, although rarer, and I would not know what I would do if they said yes.

The book signing for the book, Sa Kabila ng Ritmo, was a success last Saturday in Powerbooks Greenbelt 4. I met a high school friend there who used to draw comics. He writes poetry now, to my surprise, and works at a nearby call center as a trainor. It's strange that we're both working now; I can't help but think at that time that we were still both in high school.

Regular Worker

2006-01-29T14:05:00.000+08:00

I'll be working from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon this February. And they told me we work during the night. Talk about honesty.

I will be in the book launching of Sa Kabila ng Ritmo this February 4 in Makati to meet my fellow contributors and sign each other's book, I presume. Unfortunately, I haven't written anything since the start of the year. Heck, I haven't written anything since NaNoWriMo. Some writer I turned out to be. Why? Because instead of sitting down to write, I watch tv. That, and busy myself in renovating my room so it would look like a writer's room, if there was such a thing. I'm just making excuses. I should be writing.

There is this orchid outside the house that I've been meaning to draw since January. I see it everytime I go out, and I haven't lifted a finger to draw it. There is something wrong with me. I am getting lazy. Either that, or I'm turning into everyone else. Or does everyone else dream about drawing orchids?

Much to Do on a Rest Day

2006-01-23T05:30:00.000+08:00

I didn't anticipate that I would be leading new people in worship through song yesterday morning during Sunday Service. Almost all of the long-time members have some sort of job in the background like taking care of the children and greeting the latecomers and running errands and similar activities. Of course there is that second of doubt that maybe not everyone would understand the way I lead worship, but what's there to do when you're already in the spot and everyone's waiting?

Worship through song turned out fine. Maybe a little too fine: we've been asked to sing all throughout the service when it was the custom to sing before and after the preaching and announcements. It might be months before I get on the stage again to lead worship. I can't wait.

Today's my set deadline to submit that script for the contest. Everything's still in my head, so I don't have any time to waste as I've got another pending project this week. I still feel bad for losing the first draft of the script in the bus together with my personal information, although I know I should be over it by now. It's hard to let go, I guess, of things that mean a lot to you.

I plan to redecorate my room so the half of it could function as an office. I've already bought a few containers that I found very useful last week. Next week I plan to install a corkboard on the wall when I get my salary, and buy a few office supplies.

I Lost My Identity!

2006-01-19T15:16:00.000+08:00

I realized I left my NBI clearance and Birth Certificate on the bus when I was in a mall searching for my binder. The first thought was I lost my script for the contest. That didn't piss me off as much as realizing I had documents in that binder as well. So my identity is lost somewhere. I am being held hostage by the unknown yet again.

Work sucks. Just when I thought I was improving this week, I overslept in the sleeping quarters and logged in late. Then I had a few thirty-minute calls, and that's bad. One thirty-minute call is unacceptable for an AHT of 220 seconds. Oh boy, I need to start looking for a new job.

And my personal info is somewhere out there! Argh!

Romans 8:28

2006-01-17T16:12:00.000+08:00

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had a lot of flaws especially with characterization, I noticed, as if the writers were forced to tell, not show, the character’s traits, or had to squeeze the characterization in the so and so minutes the move was given. Is this the trend for storytelling nowadays, or am I just becoming a badder critic? Hmm…

Watching the movie wasn’t all bad. As I edit the comic book script for the second time, I focused on characterization and character action logic. Why would the protagonist (anti-hero) kill one of his comrades? What is his motivation to go to the fairy kingdom? Why does he shoot first and not ask questions later? There is always something good, I guess, to those who seek it.

I opened my second bank account today, and because of a lack of identification I was given a passbook account. I feel so primitive. People actually use passbooks in this day and age? I feel poorer than before. Maybe I should wait for the 90 day period and close the account real quick.

Ok, let’s be optimistic. I’m not planning on withdrawing money from this account; this is purely to accumulate funds until it grows large enough for a time deposit. A passbook would surely hinder withdrawal better than an ATM. Ok, I’m trying hard to be optimistic, please bear with me.

I need more sleep. I need a week’s day off.

Minutes Preluding Sleep

2006-01-10T15:12:00.000+08:00

I think our cat died.

He was a kitten nine years ago, and very shy compared to his more outgoing brother. He'd get out of the way when we walk to his direction, and would be reluctant to touch his meals. I'm not sure what made him trust us eventually; it's more of a spontaneous thing, I guess. He was a good hunter, of rats and lizards, and sometimes birds. He had been suffering from a bad case of colds lately, and then he was gone.

The contest had been extended (did I say that before?) so I have more time to work on the story. The bad news is, so does the competitors. Let's not think about them now. I am going back to the basics to re-learn the craft of writing. I hope I don't have to start from square one all the time whenever I make a masterpiece, but sometimes you'll have to go to the heart of things to be sure of what you're doing.

Yesterday I visited the Melchman's Stuff office and accessed a few online articles from regarding the status of comic books in the Philippines. Those articles ranged from why the sale of comics are doing bad to the reason why comics are so popular in other countries. It questions why comics are being created. Is it an artist's release of creative angst? A medium for communication? A business that could sustain a family? The reason you do what you do is the eye that aims where the artistic stone is thrown. I thought I had a reason why I drew comics before, or even write. I keep forgetting it.

Someday, I'll forget our cat. We call him, "Pusa" (Filipino for cat). I'll probably remember him when another of our pets die, as we all do when we remember the dearly departed. Hopefully, when I dig up the past, I would not see a poor arrangement of bones, but a lazy cat licking his paw, full of life and reason to live. Hopefully behind him, I'll see a younger version of me trying to copy him as he poses, knowing that the more he practices the better he'll get. Maybe I'll ask him why he draws, and he'll give me an answer that would move heaven and hell, and change the face of comic books forever.

What Am I Doing?

2006-01-08T19:09:00.000+08:00

It’s always good to see the work of other authors, not just because you learn a lot from them, but that it also makes you wonder why you haven’t written anything significant that propelled you to fame and fortune since you have that confidence that you can do better than most authors that you read. I just couldn’t wait to grab a piece of paper and write whatever comes to mind after spending a few minutes in the bookstore. There’s inspiration for ya.

I used up my free drink from Starbucks today as I spent time with my cousins who happened to visit our church today. One of them worked in a call center near our place (which I plan work in after my contract with my current office expires) and another is considering full time church work. We talked about irate customers and mobile phones and which digital camera had the best value for the money. In other work, talk about nothing in particular. There’s a poem I read somewhere about how people love to talk about nothing and how people who have nothing don’t talk at all; I forgot what the poem was all about. The point was, it reminded me that I was lagging behind my peers in writing and that’s not a good thing. Plus, I’ve got a script to be submitted this Wednesday that I haven’t worked on yet, and all these things become my motivation to write.

Enough with the window shopping. Back to work.

No Topic Whatsoever

2006-01-06T14:54:00.000+08:00

I've found out that I get sleepy when I lie on my back rather than on my side. It's a weird observation, but when you need to squeeze every available moment to sleep, this is very vital information. So, does that mean I slept well today? No. You can't lie on your back forever.

I'll be singing in church this coming January 22 if my work schedule doesn't change. Ah, at last. I'm feeling a bit devilish lately, especially with not being able to work on the dragon fic, among other things.

Moving Along

2006-01-05T16:34:00.000+08:00

I arrived home around 4 PM, the earliest this week so far. I've been working on some real world concerns such as fixing up what's left of my finances and preparing for the next year (which involves buying a calendar) and making contacting a few friends just to be sure that they're still friends. I really need to sleep more. Hopefully today I get more than six hours.

I haven't made any progress with the script yet, but that's all right (I guess) since there's plenty of time before January 11, the self-set deadline to finish the script. Of course, I also said that of my dragon fiction entry. Anyway, I should be finalizing the plot this week and start working on the script on Sunday; it's a nice plan; now if only I could pull it off.

Aside from sleep, I need to catch up on my reading as well. And my writing exercises. I feel so dumb today not having read or written anything in the past week. And no, the blog doesnt' count.

Failure! Argh!

2006-01-03T16:18:00.000+08:00

Things to do:

~~Finish coloring comic book pages for Melchman's Stuff~~
X FAILED! Finish Dragon Fiction story
Finish comic book script for contest
Finish short story for contest

It's really my fault why I couldn't bring myself to finish the dragon fic story. When did I begin? Yesterday. When is the deadline? Tonight at 12. I've been captured by the essence of NaNoWriMo that I forgot this was the real thing. A lot of grammatical errors and plot inconsistencies won't work for the story. So, I've decided to go on with the comic book script and save my dragon fic story for the contest.

I'm starting to hate work again. Good thing I was able to visit the Melchman's Stuff office and talk about activites for 2006. I guess we'll be serious this year, and hopefully get a lot of money in the process. I need to get myself a planner.

Thoughts for the New Year - Work

2006-01-02T14:39:00.000+08:00

Things to do:

~~Finish coloring comic book pages for Melchman's Stuff~~
Finish Dragon Fiction story
Finish comic book script for contest
Finish short story for contest

Coloring comic books isn’t as exciting as it sounds. You will be captivated by the task while doing the first few pages, but you’ll soon realize that you just need a little over .001% of your brain power to color the pages most of the time. Pretty soon your hands will be doing all the thinking for you, leaving your brain unoccupied and bored. It’s like watching static. Now I thought I was the only person with this problem; it turns out even my old friend Melch hadn’t escaped that predicament as well when he started rendering his assigned pages.

I’m glad that’s over. Today I’ll start working on the dragon fiction and should end by January 4, the deadline for submissions. Just when I thought I could lie down for the whole day doing nothing, I am forced out of my bed by the writing muse to work. Oh, sleep, that elusive luxury, more precious than gold, more desired than silver. It kinda reminds me of the poem I had published (see emanilapoetry.com).

I guess I’m tired after searching for gifts to buy yesterday afternoon. The malls didn’t open until 12 noon so I had to keep myself awake for two hours (I left the office around 9:30) by working on the dragon fiction submission, which was hard to work on when you’re deprived of sleep. It took me four hours to choose gifts to give my folks, and they don't look that good, now that I got a better look at what I bought after a few hours of sleep. Oh well, it's the thought that counts.

At last I was able to watch Spirited Away on DVD. The more I analyze the story, the more the logic eludes me. Either it's because of the tranlsation or it's just me. It might be me. I enjoyed Mononoke Hime better. Creativity wise though, I wish I had thought of the concept. If I did, I might have put some sense to it that would, for better or worse, change the story.

This of course, my own opinion, nothing more.

The Way to Start the New Year

2005-12-31T04:52:00.000+08:00

Things to do:

Finish coloring comic book pages for Melchman's Stuff
Finish Dragon Fiction story
Finish comic book script for contest
Finish short story for contest

The plan was to finish the comic book pages at the last week of December. I have four more pages to go before I'm free of the curse and am finally able to work on my Dragon Fiction, which has a deadline of January 4. Now the most obvious thing to do is to drop the Dragon Fiction (which would not give any monetary compensation) and make my life easier, but my writer's ego states I have to write as much as possible, even at the cost of my own life.

So, there goes my few hours of rest and relaxation each day. I can imagine how horrible life was during NaNo when I had to drag myself in front of the keyboard everyday to work on something that doesn't even make sense, and wow, I'm doing it again! Whoo!

Shrug Shoulders

2005-12-10T22:01:00.000+08:00

Today is for the first official NaNoWriMo general meeting! After 30 grueling days of finishing 50,000 words, the word warriors finally see each other in the flesh and, well, do stuff. How many came?

None.

Ok, so that wasn't successful. I hope next week would have better results.

So there I was, wandering in SM Megamall looking for things new, and I couldn't miss the comic book stores (of course). When I went in a few years ago, I was like, "I can do better than these guys." Now, it's more like, "Oh well, that's not for me." I hate it. Deep inside there's that part that doesn't want to give up. There's that part that's surrendering because of the losses, but I guess there's that kid inside of me, plotting of some great grand comeback to prove that I am wrong. I hope he wins.

I still have to work Sundays, and that's not good. I wish I could quit work. Anyone got P20,000 to pay my bond?

At the End of the Day

2005-12-07T21:24:00.000+08:00

This might sound weird, but I found myself chewing on apple juice. Yes, apple juice. No meat, no skin, no seeds, just pure, plain, apple juice. And I chew as I drink.

NaNoWriMo has finally ended, and I find a lot of free time on my hands. Well, actually it's a couple of hours, and I've reserved that time to work. But no, I don't consider myself a workaholic. It's just that I treat work as play.

Haha. Sigh.

Work is stressful as always as I try to certify myself into becoming a full-fledged customer service associate. Do you know how wonderful it is to walk in the streets at 11 PM when all the stores are close an you're not sure if the person walking beside you is just walking beside you?

And that's my current frustration. Other than that, life is good. At least, so far.

I'm still looking forward to the local NaNoWriMo EB this Saturday. Of course, I'll tell you all about it.

Back After 50,000 Words

2005-12-03T09:01:00.000+08:00

It's my fault. I'm sorry I wasn't able to update you guys. Work is really killing me, and I know it isn't an excuse, but I've got no other reason other than that.

I think at one time I was able to type 12,000 words in a day. See? It's possible. My story however sucks, and it ended with one protagonist marrying an alien, and the other two unknowingly achieving a dream that they had during their childhood. What can I say? It's bad, but it isn't that bad. I'm happy.

Another thing that I learned that I was strangely consistent with my characters. Jess, the aspiring singer, had been a bully because she wanted attention. What happens when she has a rival getting all that? So there's tension. Eric was a prank mastermind, and Bob was a master prankster, described in the middle of the book, so they were able to sabotage the rival's concert. Yes, it's weird, but in a way, everything falls in place. That's what I'm happy about.

I thought now that's over, I could sleep for a whole day. Not so. Turns out I've been missing a lot of activites (such as blogging) and that means some more work, and I'm really tired. Oh well. I've deleted a lot of email, some of those were from friends. If I was not able to reply, you know why (hey, that rhymes!)

Well, back to writing.

What Am I Doing?

2005-11-05T09:04:00.000+08:00

My working title for the NaNoWriMo novel is Asdfasdf. Yes, I have no idea what I'm doing with my novel. So far we have two characters: Eric, the punctual office guy who's two months away from a promotion; and Jess, Eric's friend who was a prankster in high school and is now a struggling singer. The two meet in a fast food restaurant where Jess notices Eric's change from fellow prankster during high school, to the responsible encoder everyone admires. Why did he change? And will he always be that way? Hopefully these questions will get answered as I continue to type 46,000 more words.

I was able to introduce Bob, Eric's officemate who liked the idea of having a celebrity girlfriend after Eric told him that Jess didn't have a significant other yet. Now he was supposed to be a character with a tiny part; one line and that's it. But, you won't get anywhere writing one liners in your NaNo novel and so he developed into this kinda free-spirited character who bolts out of the office to catch Jess perform in a bar near the office.

Now stay with me, folks, and read well. We have Bob, who wants Jess; Jess, who wants to be famous; and Eric, who doesn't have a clue what he's doing in the story. I smell a love triangle in the making, and that's bad. I have no intention at all of making a love story work.

So, in the interest of preventing a mushy story, I am seriously considering turning Eric into this alien creature who, after hearing Jess sing, turns into this huge armored thingy that will enable him to destroy the world, and the only way to stop him is to have Jess kiss him...hmm.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Want to know how I worked on the story? Check out pinoywrimos.blogspot.com.

Surprise Surprise!

2005-10-28T08:18:00.000+08:00

What goes around comes around. An officemate of mine was once a Citizen's Army Training (CAT) officer who bullied this girl during high school. That girl is now one of the team leaders in the company where we work, and she'll be reporting to her next week. When things like that happen in real life, it makes you stop and think.

Today's calls were horrible. Not that the customers I received were irate; I completely forgot everything I learned in the past six weeks. It was quite discouraging. The only solace for me is that everyone in the batch felt the same way.

We’ll be moving in a phase called pre-OJT this Monday, which would last two weeks. After that would be the certification phase where we’ll prove we can handle the calls and be finally designated “regulars”. Where NaNoWriMo fits in this, I have no idea. But I’m sure that with the story I have, I won’t last the month.

“End of Magic” is a good story. Too good in fact, that I’ve decided to take it seriously and turn it into an award-winning novel (I can dream). There’s no way I’ll finish the story in November now, considering how hectic my day job will be. So, I’ve decided to abandon that story in favor of something easier to do: a story that I haven’t thought about yet.

Yes, I have no plot, no characters, no hint of a story. This Tuesday, I’ll write whatever pops out of my head, and hopefully complete the 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Don’t worry; I’ll keep you posted.

That was my plan for next year. Oh well. Things change.

View my original plan here.

And, thanks for all of you who posted your thoughts about the site, especially you, sister Wendy.

How Erwin Robledo Writes

2005-10-27T10:02:00.000+08:00

When I started this blog, what I had in mind was to share to you, dear readers, what’s going on my head while I write, a behind-the-scenes look at my work. I have not done that, and I truly apologize.

I would love to tell you how I thought the things I thought while doing my novel for NaNoWriMo. In the past few weeks I’ve played in my mind the story of a world where magic was fading, a former high wizard was conquering, and a magician’s apprentice was coping with the loss of his abilities while aiding a group in defeating the wizard.

Writing starts this Tuesday. I hope you can wait till then.

What I've Thought About so Far

2005-10-20T07:36:00.000+08:00

Well, it looks like I'll be moderating the Philippine NaNoWriMo forum this year.

This year's entry has a working title of, "End of Magic". The plot forms as I think about it during the one hour break at the office. I really couldn't call it a lunch break since it's at twelve midnight, but it sure looks like one.

I found this stall that serves a decent meal for P20. That is mighty cheap, but the rice serving is by all standards big. That, and four pieces of tofu, and I'm set to work on the plot (NaNoWriMo rules state that a participant cannot start writing until November).

Plot conceptualization at midnight is, interesting. When writers say they prefer to write late at night or early in the morning, it's because of the silence and the assurance that they will not be disturbed while they write. I write at a 24 hour cafeteria while every nightshifter release stress through hearty, noisy, eating.

Well, as long as I write...

I still have no idea how I'll attend the KomiKon 2005 this Saturday and the church's anniversary on Sunday when I'll be working during the weekend. I knew I should have cloned myself when I had the chance.

Now that I'm getting the hang of working late at night, I might start writing again next week. However, that's the final week of training, and I have no idea how the OJT would feel like. Another round of adjustments?

I just want to write.

Thanks for Nothing

2005-10-17T15:03:00.000+08:00

They say it's rare to get a complement from a customer, so when I got one last Sunday for something I did, I became an instant celebrity in the office. Unfortunately, I have no idea which call that came from. I want to feel happy about it, I really do.

If you know what it feels like to have someone embrace you for no reason, that's how I feel. It's like, the thanks is lip service, but deep inside I'm clueless.

There's a lot of food in the fridge, and I'm eating everything that I can. And I got to catch up on my sleeping. Yey!

Finally, we have a Philippine NaNoWriMo forum at last. Things are looking good for the meantime.

Ghosts at Work

2005-10-09T06:17:00.000+08:00

Work ended with talk of ghosts. During the last hour of training the computers were acting up with no plausible reason (yeah, and the sun rises because Apollo rides his chariot. Duh). Then the room got colder, and the only explanation anyone could offer was Billy.

There was talk that one employee went in the rec room alone to get coffee from the dispenser. Behind her was a boy who said hi. She was then rushed to the hospital suffering from a nervous breakdown or something after that. A few more unexplained mishaps like that and Billy was born.

Suddenly everyone was seeing (or feeling) something in the room. Heck, someone said there was a ghost leaning behind me while I was taking notes! Then there were ghosts beside people, and ghosts in the computers, and we scared ourselves out of the training room ten minutes before our shift ended.

Of course, yours truly could only write about the events that took place that Saturday morning, having no ability to see or feel spirits.

Not that I don't believe in ghosts. If you believe God you have to believe in demons. I do believe in supernatural events, and supernatural beings. Maybe it was hysteria back there, maybe it was the real deal, I'm not sure. What I'm sure of is this: Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

NaNoWriMo

2005-10-07T07:37:00.000+08:00

One month. 50,000 words. No rules.

I liked the NaNoWriMo participant images they had last year, then I realized the images are actually the site's logo.

I still think that last year's images were still better.

NaNoWriMo got me started writing. Not that I haven't been writing before that time, but it got me writing seriously, at least recently. But what would I be if not a writer? What?

Sorry, I can't write coherently while I'm asleep. 'Must be why I do poetry all the time.

www.nanowrimo.org

What the Night Looked Like

2005-09-27T08:24:00.000+08:00

Starting work at 9 PM feels weird. At the back of my mind I keep thinking it's Friday, probably because I work late on Melchman's projects then on Fridays. In the office though, you won't realize what time it is. It's always a perpetual afternoon where the lights are dimmed and the only indication of passing time are the wall clocks distributed around the building. They even serve lunch at midnight, if you could believe that. Sure enough, we call our mid-break, lunch.

One of the modules I worked on involved recording your own voice to know how you sound over the phone when talking to a client. I've been soft-spoken these past two weeks, thinking that the sound of my voice improves when I do it. Unfortunately, I sound like I'm talking in my sleep. I've been sounding like this and nobody told me! By the end of the module I was back to my normal voice, which sounded a lot better. Now if only I could stop stuttering...

I had spicy Korean noodles for breakfast. I wish I had an unlimited supply of noodles.

A New Job

2005-09-26T01:53:00.000+08:00

They don't want me to play the drums! The team has found a way to push me back to the vocals yet again! Praise Night's next week, and the team has managed to practice four of the twelve songs they'll sing. Yes, even I want to see the outcome.

I'm staying up late so I won't feel weird tomorrow. I'm training to be a call center agent right now in case you were wondering what else I'm doing with my life besides wishing to be a writer. Well, I need to eat.

Work is from nine in the evening to six in the morning. That shouldn't be a problem as I am nocturnal. Sleeping late isn't just a choice; it's a lifestyle. My lifestyle.

I've been doing some calculations and I've figured I'll be rich in five years. That's how long I'll have to work before something happens with my life. Sob. I just want to write; is that too much to ask?

Pray, Pray, Pray

2005-09-24T03:43:00.000+08:00

I just realized something. Praise Night's next week, and I haven't prayed for it yet. Haha (sigh). If the event fails, you know why.

I have to admit that there might be times that I don't mean what I say when I pray for the food, especially when I'm really hungry and just want to eat. Today however I just had to shout my praise for having chinese soup for dinner. It's something I don't get to eat often enough, considering it's one of my favorite things to eat, surpassing even my craving for french fries, or eggs, but not palabok. Nothing beats palabok.

Right now, I pray for more time to write, and more money.

Oh, the Humanity!

2005-09-22T01:40:00.000+08:00

I have this habit of turning on the TV a few minutes before I get out of the house, just to know what programs I'll be missing. So there I was, flipping channels until I landed on HBO where "Tuesdays with Morrie" was being shown. Of all the things I could miss, why did it have to be that? Why?

While walking along Quezon City Hall I got a chance to see two very old cars on display: one that was used by General Douglas McArthur during his stay in the Philippines; the other was used by former President Manuel Quezon. The cars looked like those used to transport coffins. I forgot what they were called.

I haven't written anything since Monday. Now I'm starting to have doubts whether I did well to get a regular job. Then again, did I do well enjoying something that doesn’t get me cash?

Talk About the Weather

2005-09-17T05:00:00.000+08:00

For some reason the rains decided to visit the city this week. Although I don't go out much, I need the sun. You can call me solar-powered, if you like; without the heat, things happen. Like today I woke up with a sore throat that feels like tonsilitis. I'll have to gargle with salt every hour today.

I'm training to be a customer service agent by the way. I have to eat, and writing isn't bringing food on the table. Of course, I don't have that much time to write, especially with the five hour travel time to and from work. Yes, I should write while I'm in the bus.

Tomorrow's Sunday, my debut as a drummer. I'll tell you how it goes.

Press Release

2005-09-12T22:38:00.000+08:00

Melchman's Stuff is presenting its first PC game entitled, "Sagupaan: The Komiks Fighting Tournament 2005" at the first comic book convention in the Philippines this October 22 at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman.

One big problem we have is converting midi into wav or mp3 format. Anyone knows how to do this?

Online Poem

2005-09-08T23:58:00.000+08:00

Oh joy! emanilapoetry.com featured one of my poems in their site! Go take a look.

Someday, I'll explain what happened to me this week. Hopefully tomorrow or the day after that.

And my drumming skills? It's getting better. Much better.

Another Thing to Hate

2005-09-03T00:44:00.000+08:00

I'm never around elevators often enough to figure out how it works. It should be easy; get in, press the desired floor number, and wait a few until the door opens and you're on the proper floor.

There are two buttons outside an elevator; you're supposed to press your destination (either up or down). I didn't. I thought you're supposed to tell the elevator where you are.

Another thing. There are elevators for the lower floors and the upper floors. The floors are displayed outside and you have to take note of them or else you end up in a wrong floor.

A long time ago, it costed less to ride a bus from Novaliches to Shaw than to ride a bus and the MRT from and to the same location. Not anymore. Boy, am I glad. Taking the MRT is so much faster and a lot safer.

A joke from a local TV show:

Noon:
Pare 1 - Gusto ko nang magpakamatay!
Pare 2 - Di magpasagasa ka sa bus!

Ngayon:
Pare 1 - Gusto ko nang magpakamatay!
Pare 2 - Di sumakay ka ng bus! (because of the bombings, if you didn't get it)

I'm also glad I love walking. It saves me P8.75 from the house to Bayan, Novaliches.

I Hate Computers

2005-09-02T00:23:00.000+08:00

I finally figured this out: computers break trusts. They are dependable at first, easy to talk to, entertaining, charming...everything you ever wanted from a friend, but when the going gets tough, BANG! The AI kicks in and the computer amazingly creates (yes, creates) the most unexpected error messages you've ever seen. There is no way in the world that you can keep a straight face and remember the good 'ol times the two of you spent after it crashes, deletes a file, or turns off without any reason WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST!

In my case the computer couldn't recognize the printer. It's weird if you think about it: they worked fine before, linked by some special technological bond (called a cable) then suddenly, and without warning, they decide they're not friends anymore. "I don't know anyone by the name of HP Deskjet," I imagine my computer thinking. And just when I need to print something.

I had, by the way, written a comic book entitled, "Erwin Robledo Hates Computers" released last January 2005. Only one copy got bought.

Two Months Late

2005-09-01T02:54:00.000+08:00

I've finished two poems for Emanilapoetry. That's all I have to show for today.

Pastor Genesis (our church pastor) is now 23. We finished a roll of cake in two hours talking about stuff. Minstry mostly, writing, and the future. I should be hungry after two hours of drum practice, which is going great by the way (I got one drummer to cover for me on Sunday, meaning I won't have to play the drums until the third week of September).

I can't believe it's September already. Some time ago I said I'll have the site ready for the world by July. And today is the first of September.

Yes, I'll work faster.

A Thing Called Priority

2005-08-31T02:10:00.000+08:00

I would like to inform you all that the story of my intended comic book is taking form already. See, I plan this to be an epic; something that would run for two years at a rate of one book per month. Photocopied of course, unless I find a financer (or somebody volunteers to be).

Hopefully I finish conceptualization by the third week of September. That means I've got enough weeks to finish the first issue in time for the Comic Convention this October. I wouldn't worry if I'd planned a three issue mini-series, but I'm not doing that. This is an epic, with lots of stuff going on. I've never done a comic book of epic proportions before, so this is going to be a challenge. Still, It's decided, and that's what's going to happen.

I haven't written anything about anything since I've found my copy of Civil War 2 Generals and decided to play a few battles. It's a very old game that I bought around '97, and it's the only game I consistently play. I am very much fascinated with that kind of battle: men lining up in a row marching in an open field to meet their adversary in a similar formation, loading their guns and firing on the enemy, the enemy receiving the bullets without flinching and fires back. How do these people just stand and wait for the bullets? What kind of leadership and principle existed in those days that made such an action possible? Amazing.

In ancient times the inhabitants of what would then be called the Philippines took their swords and went head-to-head with Spanish conquistadors, probably under the same state of mind as the Civil War soldiers. Unfortunately, a game featuring the Philippine - Spanish/American/Japanese war has not been created yet.

I have three new stories due this September. Maybe this time (if I stop playing games) my submissions would be accepted.

Kinda Lost Track of Things

2005-08-26T04:41:00.000+08:00

I'm not writing. Instead, I'm helping a friend color comic books. Yes, that dreaded task of using the computer to place hues on two-dimensional characters with the hope that they would look more realistic. If it were up to me, I'd give the characters a good character description without actually describing them (or as most writers prefer to say, show and not tell). The things you have to do for money.

The site is still being updated. Yes, it isn't perfect. Yes, I know that the stories section should contain more than my testimony, and it will, after the weekend (I hope). I've got two deadlines next week, all involving poetry. Plus, I have to start writing comic book scripts again this September. And the comic book story I thought of doing a few days ago? 'Still on it.

And NaNoWriMo's getting closer. Ooh. Scary.

Now that all the problems are laid out, it's time to figure out solutions.

No Need to Click Here - Just working my Feedster.

While I Was Thinking

2005-08-24T01:43:00.000+08:00

I was reading a textbook on economics when I got this idea for a comic book. It’s weird, because the story and economics are totally unrelated, but that’s inspiration for ‘ya: never know when it’ll come; it just does. So I spread out all my comic books to hopefully feed my inspiration and come up with a story that I could write and draw.

The biggest drawback I have is that I lost my drawing skills. I’ve opted to instead excel in writing and let the artists draw for me. Problem is, the artists I work with behave unprofessionally, and so there are only two comic books out in the market that I’ve written.

I want to do more but I don’t have artists! So this time I’ll eliminate that problem and draw the comic book myself (which brings in a different set of problems, like I’m not that good an artist). Think I can? Think I can’t? Stay tuned!

Trouble with the Website Again

2005-08-22T11:19:00.000+08:00

There's going to be a praise night this first Sunday of October in our church. That's two hours of worship through songs to start of the month-long celebration of the church's 25th anniversary. It sounds fun, yes, but the music team only has a month to practice. So I've decided to divide the team into two: one to practice for the praise night, the other to play every Sunday during the service. That way I don't exhaust the team. 'Hope it works.

The team to play every Sunday will be composed of newbies - members less than a month old - to be supervised by two senior members, myself included. They're not that good musicians yet, and we're short of a drummer, which is why I decided to learn how to play the drums in a week.

And the world had just come to an end.

I figure that’s some very bad logic I just did.

I spent over eight hours cumulative fixing up the website, again. By some unknown procedure the greater than / less than (< >) signs of the Blogger tags were converted into its text representation (> <). Could you imagine spending eight hours just figuring out what’s wrong with your site, and find that it’s this just this small thing that’s ruining everything? I guess I should be thankful since it’s just something small and within my technical understanding of websites, but still. It’s like spending the whole day figuring out how to describe orange without saying “orange”. At least I enjoy it when I write, but programming, it’s just not me.

Back to Work

2005-08-20T07:37:00.000+08:00

It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do. Yes, I feel much better now. And so, this is what I've been doing lately:

I encourage everyone to visit the komiks network website and download our mobile phone comics at http://www.komiksnetwork.com/k_kof.htm. Here the future King of Fon meets Yana for the first time, the daughter of the High Priestess of Hor. Go on, have a look. Other downloadable comics are also available including Lyndon Gregorio's Go-Beerkada and Syeri Baet's Carpool,

The blog has links on the right side of the site, the links being some of the sites where I'm at such as faithwriters and emanilapoetry. However, the sites I want to link up with increases, and I've decided to feature this in a separate blog at erwinrobledo-links.blogspot.com. I've finised layouting the page. I should have set it up by the end of the week.

Didn't Make the Cut

2005-08-18T20:48:00.000+08:00

I want to tell you guys that my story would be published, but I can't. I love to say that it's no big deal, but it is. Yes, my Monday adventure didn't pay off, and there's nothing to do but shrug my shoulders and sigh.

Of course, I'll continue writing. If anything, I'll be writing more. Wow, and I thought that I was good. Oh well.

So the next project is a set of haikus and more poetry. Also in the list is a fiction book about the music team in the church.

There's a lot more to tell, but the rejection overwhelms my desire to share. Maybe tomorrow.

What Happened on Monday

2005-08-18T00:36:00.000+08:00

It took me this long to write about it. Did I kill the tension?

Ok. So there I was, with only 200 words written down and 3,300 words to go, and how many hours left till five, which was my set deadline. I was working as hard and fast as I could and the best I could do is five hundred words per hour (that, considering grammar, punctuation, plot consistency and so on). Five o’ clock arrived and I still had 800 words to write. Should I quit? Is this the end of everything?

When you’ve written almost 80 per cent of the content, you don’t quit. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t publish it anymore (it’s my fault anyway, the project was announced last month); the thing is, I’m doing this because I’m a writer, and I am definitely enjoying the story. You know that feeling when you’re just about to work and you’re like, “Oh this again. Boo hoo,” and then later after doing a few lines you can’t leave your work? That’s exactly what happened. I submitted my story around 8 in the evening, via email. Hey, you want a sample?

Jose thought it strange for a half-American, half-Filipino living in the States to be interested in Philippine history more than anyone he had ever encountered, with the exception of his history teachers and an author he had met during a field trip some years back, and those were enough reasons to be interested in a country. Amanda was neither; she was a high school sophomore who swims, skates, watches TV, and plans to study psychology, get a decent job, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after.

They met in a Pinoy chatroom. Amanda appeared an hour after Jose logged in and immediately began asking about the Philippines, its history and present situation, and other interesting trivia. The other chatters were eager to help, and soon the discussion shifted from everybody’s asl’s to a comparison of the socio-economic condition of the country from the present back to a thousand years ago. Jose, who had no inclination or interest in the subject, began looking at the profile of everyone in the chatroom. They were a regular group, all students like Jose living in different parts of the world having ordinary hobbies, except for one who used inline skates to cross a tightrope. One guy was a self-proclaimed rockstar. Another had nothing in her profile. Jose then absent-mindedly selected Amanda’s profile for review.

She was gorgeous! Her picture revealed a gracefully slim girl with dark, lustrous hair sleeping like a child on the milk-white curve of her neck and shoulders, parting to show a round, angelic face with a smile that released a thousand summers, eyes that were kind and innocent, and a nose delicately shaped to perfection. Seeing her webcam appearance confirmed that she was the same person in the picture, and Jose immediately sent her a private message.

I’m glad that’s over. Now it’s time for my poetry submission. Yes, I’ve learned my lesson. I’m starting that right away, after I’ve reorganized my computer files. I become messy when I procrastinate.

To Quit or not to Quit

2005-08-15T01:27:00.000+08:00

I spent half the day talking to three people yesterday, one of my many jobs keeping relationships intact. It doesn't sound like a job though if you enjoy it, but I have a deadline to beat.

As I said, I needed to finish at least 3,500 words. As of now I have...490. I am so dead. Will I finish? Should I quit? Stay tuned!

No Rest Until Next Week

2005-08-13T03:16:00.000+08:00

I've submitted my poem today via email, so there's nothing else to do but pray that all that hard work for one week wouldn't be wasted (translation: I want to win first place). The odds are against me though. Aside from my confessed inability to write good Filipino, there are a lot of talented people who'll be joining.

There's no use worrying now. I've got a 3,500 word deadline on Monday, and I have to figure out what to do in tomorrow's practice. Our official church keyboardist is back and will start playing again during worship through song. He'll be practicing tomorrow at 9; my commitment shouldn't be until 1 unless I feel bad for the team and practice the guitar with the rest of the team.

I have a 3,500 word deadline, and I haven't started anything.

This is because of me. Yes, I'm admitting the fault. It takes me anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours just daydreaming. Yes, I daydream for two hours. And the bad thing is, I forget everything when it's time to write about it.

The moral: dream during the night.

There are three links so far: emanila, faithwriters and isnare. I've placed some sort of content on each of the sites (isnare hasn't approved of my short story yet, still praying) and all that's left for me to do is write two more stories for this site. Then it's promotion all the way.

Yes, I'm Late

2005-08-11T19:33:00.000+08:00

I've got a deadline tomorrow - one Filipino poem I've worked on for a week. A week, for one measly poem! And it's not even that perfect! If Rizal were alive, he'd give me the, "Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika..." lecture. Yes, I'm a disgrace. Oh, misery.

I'm changing some of the links among other things. Of course, you won't see the changes, I'm just stating the fact for the record. Sorry. In the next few days my blog would be a little bit more interesting. It's not a promise, just a goal.

Deadlines. And a lot of them. Oh, misery.

This Good and No More

2005-07-26T00:07:00.000+08:00

It's sad when you think your training should pay off, and it doesn't. I'm not impressed with my FaithWriters article. Right, so much for training. More training required.

I am very confused now, really. While surfing my files (you know, just looking at what I have in my computer) I found a couple of poems I did before I did my training. Why, oh why are they better than the one I'm doing nowadays? Will someone tell me please?

Charter change. One of the topics in the President's State of the Nation Address. We'd be a parliamentary by the end of Arroyo's term, if I'm not mistaken. It makes no difference. Evil adapts in any situation, and unless the quality of leaders is increased, the change in government is nothing more than a localization of the existing oligarchy that we have. Yes, nobody's safe yet.

Try and Try Until You Die

2005-07-25T01:15:00.000+08:00

I stayed after church up to 3 with the Music Team Leader working on the lyrics of the acetate's soft copy. It's a little too late to do that now that all the sheets have been printed, then again better late than never. We had a good time picking on the wrong song title, grammar, capitalization, lines and whatever topic we thought of that makes for good fellowship.

I tried doing a story about a car trip today, the latest FaithWriters Challenge topic. Nothing's coming into my head. I might as well give up. Or not. Then there's that part when I tried to understand European comedy with, "Little Britain". I got some but not all, and I was particular about the dialogue and how European English differed from American English. I didn't catch a lot of nuances, but the comedy's certainly different.

I definitely like watching Ed. It's mellow and not too showy, a story about simplicity that works. If I am going to pattern my life from a TV show, this is going to be it. Average with a pinch of excitement, and meaning, with time to think about all that.

Deadline Is at the End of the Month

2005-07-23T01:24:00.000+08:00

Again, two more articles finished by the end of the day. Fourteen more to go (I missed one yesterday).

My greatest fear is that I might not be able to finish all my intended projects by the end of the month. I've finished all the easy ones and now I have fourteen articles and seven days to do them all. No, I am not optimistic. But gigs keep on coming and in August I actually have more writing to do (and I wanted to catch up on my reading, sob). Oh well, you can't be a writer if you don't write.

I Thought it Was Wednesday

2005-07-22T02:21:00.000+08:00

I finished a fairly decent profile description and a poem for one of the online writing groups. That leaves me with around fifteen more things to do before the month ends. Sigh.

I lost track of time! There are talkshow inserts every Wednesday night in this radio station that I looked forward to listening. I turned the radio on and the announcer greeted good Thursday evening to all the listeners. Thursday night! I looked at my planner (a sheet of newsprint with columns for the days and the tasks for each) and realized it hadn't been updated (I cross out completed tasks). What have I been doing this past days? Then I remembered that I worked on the site the whole Tuesday.

But seriously, what kind of person forgets what day it is?

The Hardest Part of Writing is Writing

2005-07-21T02:12:00.000+08:00

I just finished reading "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, a white-man-destroying-the-colored-man story. Of course I can relate; the Philippines had been colonized in a fairly similar way, with the Spaniards destroying the old way of life with their government and religion, the noble laws and people treated without the proper dignity.

I’ll probably make a report about it sometime soon, but not today. I am too tired not to sleep.

If there is one hard thing for me to do, it’s talking about myself. I’ve spent hours trying to come up with 1,200 words to describe myself for my profile, and all I can think of is blank. I need a little more ego. I mean, sure, I know myself a lot more than anyone does, but how to put it on paper without sounding like someone unlike me is a challenge, especially if talking about myself IS someone unlike me.

Exercise

2005-07-19T02:02:00.000+08:00

I thought about translating one Filipino book into English just to see how the style gets affected by the language. This one is from Bob Ong's Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas:

Kinailangan kong lumabas kanina at pumunta sa supermarket para bumili ng mga pang-araw-araw na gamit tulad ng sepilyo, pomada, deodorant, mothballs, at Yupi Gloworms Gum Candy. Natagalan ako konti dahil sa kahahanap ng murang sepilyo, at sa pagkukumbinsi sa sarili ko na hindi ko kailangan ang Pacencia Biscuits at Sunmaid Raisins. Pero sa bandang huli, talo rin ako. Nakita ko na lang ang sarili ko na nagbabayad na sa counter para sa mga nabanggit na pagkain na wala naman sa budget. Inisip ko na lang na dapat ko rin s'yang pagbigyan paminsan-minsan, tutal pera n'ya naman 'yon. Medyo nakakasama nga lang ng loob dahil wala man lang akong nabiling snacks na para sa akin.

I did translate it word for word, and from that I observed that the humor hadn't been retained in it. The second draft of the translation has that feel of sarcasm (I think) from the original:

I went to the supermarket a while ago to buy some daily essentials like a toothbrush, pomade, deodorant, mothballs, and Yupi Gloworms Gum Candy. It took me a while to look for a cheap toothbrush, and to convince myself that Pacencia Biscuits and Sunmaid Raisins are not essential. "Myself" buying all those items in the end. Well, it was his money. I just wish I'd convinced him to buy me some snacks.

Maybe it's the way I use English that the "funniness" of the article was lost, or I'm just a bad translator. Maybe it's the latter, but that's not the point. The point is, this whole exercise got me thinking about Philippine comedy. I'm only aware of two kinds: no brainer slapstick, sarcastic laugh at the audience's physical deformities. And the spoof, of course. And plays. I have never seen a decent stand up comedy yet. That doesn't mean of course that it doesn't exist, but it must be rare.

Anyway, the original piece is mildly sarcastic and is a feel-good comedy (I am inventing new genres, ladies and gentlemen), the kind that makes you good and happy in the end. In English, it sounds like a sarcastic blog that doesn't make sense. If I don't change the wordings, the piece isn't funny at all:

I had to get out a while ago and go to the supermarket to buy everyday items like toothbrushes, pomade, deodorant, mothballs, and Yupi Gloworms Gum Candy. I was delayed from looking for a cheap toothbrush, and from convincing myself that I don't need Pacencia Biscuits and Sunmaid Raisins. In the end, I gave in. I just saw myself paying on the counter for the said food items not in my budget. I thought that I should give in to him once in a while since it's his money. I just felt bad because I didn't buy any snacks for myself.

It becomes funny because of the weird English. Now that's sarcasm.

I'll be gone until the end of the month. By that time the site will change in appearance. Be excited. See you in a month.

Mushroom Ideas Spring Forth in Dark, Damp Places Such as the Mind

2005-07-13T00:26:00.000+08:00

I opened FreeCell to pass the time while the pages load and got so engrossed that the game defeated its purpose. Go figure.

I finished reading, "Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas" (Judas' Favorite Book). There is actually some use in reading a book about nothing. Now I've thought of doing one book myself (just a thought. If my enthusiasm survives tomorrow I'll start planning on how to start). See, this is what happens when I'm bored and don't know what to do.

I'm planning on writing a book when I've got a lot of pending stories. Go figure.

I've found a Christian comic book artist who appears to be interested in collaborating on a Christian comic book (of course). At last, after months of searching.

I must write. I must write. I must write. How much more lazier (sic) can I get?

Back at Last

2005-07-12T02:59:00.000+08:00

The phone line went dead for two weeks, what am I supposed to do?

I got 200+ messages on my inbox, most of them are spam. If, and I mean if, these were legitimate emails I'd be happy, in a weird, sarcastic way, but no. They had to be spam. Where is this world going?

The government is safe for now as Resign-Arroyo groups got to sleep and feel good during the weekend enough to retract their statement. It's a funny political move, enough for them to lose their credibility, then again the whole situation is. She did say sorry, for crying out loud. And what in the whole freaking world is Villanueva doing? I'm thinking its the communist in him that's talking. The task given to the Christian is to obey what is lawful, and a forceful overtaking of the Presidency is not lawful. It's just as simple as that.

Great. This should be another count against us.

And to think, while the whole world is talking about more important problems such as the London bombing, Filipinos create these pro- and anti-Gloria resign parties, and switch positions faster than you can change channels with a remote. Boy, what a game.

Five Poems By Friday

2005-06-28T14:14:00.000+08:00

I'm always out of the house to work on my identification problems. That should be finished by the end of next month. Ha, and I thought I'd finish the website by the first week of July.

I am going to pass at least five poems by Friday for a compilation, and one story by the end of the month. I'm thinking that I'd use my sample for this site, meaning I'll have to work on another one to replace it. Oh well, as long as there's work.

Show Me the Money!

2005-06-24T21:09:00.000+08:00

I got a check for our efforts to produce a mobile phone game! That's both good and bad, because I don't have any "legal" identification with me! Hahaha!

I have to go get myself some cards that tell people that I'm me. Then I can shout.

The first draft of my short story is complete. And, I thought of another story on my way home from the bus. Buses are great for making stories. Unfortunately, the fare went up. Argh.

I Close My Eyes

2005-06-23T06:52:00.000+08:00

I worked on the computer the whole day yesterday doing my part of the user guide for this mobile phone game. I turned the computer off at around 11 PM, with a promise that I'd go back and finish work at 1 in the morning. So I set my alarm to go off at 1 and dozed off.

I woke up at six.

The casting officer never called. That must mean I didn't get the part, which is a good thing, now that I think about it. Since shootings would be on Saturdays and Sundays, I wouldn't be able to attend the Gaiman Tour this July (yes, I'm looking forward to it). What was I thinking then? If they do call I'll probably say no.

On a lighter note, I bought myself a copy of Buy and Sell and found this company looking for a cartoon colorist. I got curious and submitted my resume, and got a call a few hours after. Guess what, it's the same company I worked for two years ago! Same coloring company, different boss, different location. I'm going there to meet the guys and update my contacts list. I missed work.

That doesn't mean I'm going back. Not unless they allow me to go part-time, or make me boss or something.