LATE SEPTEMBER SMALL JOYS



First off, let me say,
"Look Sophie!!! This is me with a panda bear named Nameless! Nameless is the youngest son of me and Panda bear Isha!"
My brother's daughter, Sophia Nicole Abad, actually once YMed me a question:
"Uncle Tobie, is your Panda Bear Isha a REAL Panda bear?"

Sweet girl. Miss her so much. Wish Isha does get to meet them soon.
Can't wait to see Sophie again and tell her, "She isn't a real Panda bear, Sophie. But Isha is something much much more better. She's real."

Yah. Am being a sugary mess here.
Heheh..

Its late September (not to mention late in the morning... 5am to be precise) and I can't sleep. Earlier in the day, you see, I met up with my sweetie for lunch. Panda Bear Isha and I decided to head for Amici near Don Bosco Makati for a taste of their delectable treats and dishes. After spending more than we expected (Php500 for bistek, blue marlin and prawns!) we found ourselves delightfully stuffing ourselves with the food until we could no longer swallow any more. Diet Sarsi helped us gulp down every succulent bite! Absoutely no regrets, however, on the cost for the food was very much well worth it!

For those who've been keeping tabs with my blog, you're probably aware of how amusingly parallel Isha's and my life has been as of the late. On the very day I finally was effectively resigned and free from ABS-CBN, Isha landed on ABC Sports. I've been getting sniffy and crampy. She's been getting frustrated and hot-headed. Its almost as if we literally "exchanged places" and are walking in each other's shoes! I guess it is ultimately another sign of how perfect we are for each other. I do tend to get her stomach cramps during her monthly cycle. At times, she picks up when I feel bad. And there have been those strange and unexplainable times we mentally link up without meaning to (God knows the many times we've worn the same color motif without planning to do so. Mushy diba!)



And we've hit seven months.

Wow... it really takes a while for that to sink in. I've been with her for seven months now. Not too long ago, I used to spend months on this blog bemoaning my single-hood and the pathetic qualities of dating and courtship. And here I am now, happily sharing my life and its experiences with someone who loves me as much as I love her.

Yep, I am blessed.

Just sent to Ma-an the script I wrote for the short film she wants us to make. Entitled REFLECTIONS, if things go well, it will be a short film we plan to enter in the Cinemalaya for the coming year.

Also, finally got around to uploading the tenth issue of Diliman in the other blog I made for the comic. Eventually, all existing 14 issues will be online for your reading pleasure. Considering making a "Special Edition DILIMAN printed issue" to be sold in Komikon, but I have no idea where I can have my work printed, photocopied, then nicely bound. Especially considering how horribly matakaw my work is on blacks (mumurahin ako ng mga photocopiers). I am open to ideas, people!

Oh yeah, I don't get it.


I really don't get this. Up by THAT MANY SPOTS? What on earth?!?! Are there really THAT many people interested in my rants and statements on life? In my fiction? In my artwork?

Anyway, as a show of appreciation, I decided to update the side bar menu to contain easy links to many of the stuff I have written and posted over the years.

Its raining hard. Winds blowing coldly all over. Life goes on.
Thank you Lord for all your blessings.
And here's to finding more ways to share them with you all!

JOIN the LEAD SLINGER contest now!

BLESSED MONTH
Its been a very hectic, eventful and memorable series of weeks for me as of the late. From finally breaking free from ABS-CBN Global Limited to Panda Bear Isha and I finally reaching our seventh month together. Found the courage to actually submit something to Cinemalaya and am currently finalising the script of a short film Ma-an and I will be working on. Then, almost like an additional cherry dropped into my ice cream, news of Siglo:Passion having won in the recent National Book Awards reached my ears.

Wow!

And it isn't even October yet.

Sadly, with the mad rush and complicated clearance needs that I had to accomplish, there too were sacrifices to be made. My "Picturesque" speculative fiction entry to Dean Alfar's blog will have to remain unsent, perhaps saved til next year? Or maybe (if courage finds me willing) submitted to some other competition or collection.

Also had to turn down two possible rackets in order to ensure I have proper time to handle our family business. But I definitely am not letting go of what could be an actual feature full-length movie that I might co-write. Egad. Here's to someday walking down some red carpet and waving at the cameras! Or even better, raising some award and saying the usual spiel of thank yous to everyone including God and neighbors.

hansoexposed.com

STILL LOST OVER LOST

Just finished Season Two. Damn show. Love the depth each character has. Love the interplay of relationships. But I do hope they end it in the third season cause if they stretch things too long, people are bound to get bored or frustrated. But this ad rocks! Absolutely!

MORE PICTURES!
Just decided to try and catch up with the horribly delayed updates on what the Garapata's been up to. Some pictures won't have their captions yet though until I get some details (like name spellings!) straight, but for now, enjoy the huge gallery of pictures!


OMG! Free Book! - thanks to ZoneSeek for the free copy of the second book of Clive Barker's Arabat! Discussions on Speculative Fiction and many other things happens in his forum every now and then. Stay posted!


MY BABY GLOWS! - Yep, my Panda Bear Isha is so beautiful and lovely that she really shines from within! I am so much a better person now than before thanks to her.


ME AND MY CANNON - Visited Fort San Pedro (Thanks Isha!) and had fun taking a picture with the cannon that was once posted here to defend the place. Mind you, my Panda Bear decided on my pose!


PATAY SCANDAL - Isha catches two ghosts making out!



HIGHSCOOL LIFE, O MY HIGHSCHOOL LIFE... - Met a bunch of Isha's old Highschool buddies back in Sacred Heart. Sadly, I don't recall all their names. There's Hannah, Maui, Kristine, and Jaydee. Oh crap, I do remember the names, just not exactly who has which name!


MINUS THE HEADGEAR... - My sweetie loved this picture more than the first one I posted. Here's hoping my physique either stays this way or get's even better!


SON OF A BEACH! - My sweetie and I take some last few pictures before bidding the beach goodbye. Unable to truly enjoy Shang, Isha joined us at Tambuli and had a chance to enjoy some sun and sea.


DWAGON! - My sweetie beside one of the Guardians of the Taoist Temple. Mukha daw doggie!



NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAMERA... - ..when you're sleepy and vulnerable, or you'll end up with embarassing pictures like this! Hehhehehe


ONLY IN U.P. - ..which is actually too bad. The Philippines could use more creativity all around.


LOVE CONQUERS - Yay! My sweetie ate Chicken Feet! Nothing is impossible now!


OYSTERS! - Pretty good for their price! Check them out at Sideline, Cebu.


SING!!! SING!!! SING!!! - Me, Isha, Burp and John Lim. Beers. Wine. And Spice Girls. Nuff said.


PANDAS CLIMB PERFECTLY - My sweetie conquered this wall. I only made it halfway up.


GARAPATAS SUCK! - Yep. I conquered the "Beginner wall" but failed to reach past halfway with the inclined wall. Oh well, more practice I guess.


ETO ANG AFTER - Yep. Don't even ask about our battered hands and thighs.


ANG GANDA - Ruthie (hope I spelt it right) with my Panda Bear.

WOW: I got an Award for being part of this project!
The National Book Award goes to Siglo: Passion, edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Vincent Simbulan, published by Kestrel IMC, Mango Books, and Quest Ventures.

Comic books have experienced amazing and welcome growth through recent years, seeking both polish and distinct identity from the manifold influences they bear on their staples and stitching.

Siglo: Passion is proof of just how far comic books in the Philippines have evolved. Full-color, edgy, and moody, Siglo: Passion also boasts of top Filipino creative talent, not just great comic book talent: Nikki Go-Alfar, Lan Medina, Reno Maniquis, Edgar Tadeo, Hiyas De Guzman, Vicente Groyon, Honoel Ibardolaza, Paolo Manalo, Andrew Drilon, Carlo Vergara, Jason Banico, Marco Dimaano, Quark Henares, Antonio Abad, Ma-an Asuncion, Gerry Alanguilan, Jaime Bautista, Michelle Soneja, Cyan Abad-Jugo, Luis Katigbak, Jonas Diego, Joel Chua, Ariel Atienza, Jeremy Arambulo, Angelo Suarez, Rafael Kayanan, Leinil Francis Yu, Jose Illenberger, Jac Ting Lim, Camille Portugal, Oliver Pulumbarit, Wilson Tortosa and Ma. Camille Francisco.

That it defies easy classification is part of its significance, as is the fact that Siglo is closer to a literary anthology than it is to the funny books. That it emerges so full-formed in the category that features such exemplary finalists shows that Comic Books have indeed come of age. It shows that valor lies in trying to do what has not yet been done before and Siglo: Passion does it with pride, for which we honor it today with the National Book Award for Comic Books.


=====================
See Ruel De Vera's actual delivery of this speech at a video here:
http://alanguilan. com/sanpablo/ 2006/09/at- national- book-awards- komikero- video.html
Thanks to Gerry Alanguilan and Budjette Tan for the transcript and video. Thank you to Dean, Nikki and Vinnie for letting me be part of this.

SOME PICTURES (for now)
Since the net cafes (like most Net cafe's in general) don't seem to have Adobe Photoshop in their offer of software, I decided to try using Paint! (egad) to at least share some pictures of our trip here in Cebu so far.


On the Plane - thanks to my Dad and his friend, we got two-way Business Class tickets for only Php1,800 each! Talk about sweet savings for a memorable trip!


A Visit to the Taoist Temple - Part of doing the Tourist thing, visited the Taoist temple and checked out the sights. Clambered up 100 steps to reach the temple which positively throbbed with energy. Neither my Panda Bear nor I could find it in outselves to step inside and try the "wishing" thing, cause deep down we could sense there was real power here.


Church Visiting - Visited three Churches in a single day, and with three wishes in my heart, I dedicated one to Jam-Tolites, one to the family and one to everyone who is important to me.


Magellan's Cross - Strangely over-looked by so many tourists and visitors, I found myself simply enthralled at the fact that the real cross was encased in this wooden cross on display; An ancient relic from a time before Catholicism became a common faith in the land.


Tambuli! - With Isha and her brother Rob, we checked out the (lumot) beaches of Tambuli East and West and had fun nontheless in the sun and the sand. Isha stayed with her friend Majo at Shang, however, when the sun dipped low.


Nyaks, pogi! - Hmm... Guess I lost *some* weight while here.


Bo's Coffee for a night cap! - Isn't my Panda Bear Isha just adorably beautiful. I love her so much!

Missing you all but having too much fun here to really want to go home yet! Heheheh! Sadly, I got work to return home to (September 11 - 15 is my last week of work) but I can't wait to contact Ma-an and tell her I finally finished writing her story. The script needs a bit more tweaking but I feel I captured the story I wanted. Just have to finish mine too in order to make the cut-offs for all Cinemalaya submissions!

Anyway, catch you guys soon enough!