Thursday, August 06, 2026
7:39 AM |
Looking for Lost Things
I was unpacking my bag last night, ready to charge my devices. Then I found out I could not find the small black bag that contained my laptop charger. Asked Renz if it's in his car. Not there. So I went to sleep, hoping to wake up early to retrace my steps late afternoon yesterday. In my head, I was already calculating the cost of buying a new Mac charger. [Not cheap.] Woke up very early, a miracle for a someone who is not a morning person. Emptied my bag one more time, hoping that the charger is just in some weird spot hiding. It's not there. Went out and went back to the last classroom I was in, hoping to catch the janitor who I was sure would be cleaning the premises for morning classes. Janitor was very helpful, but it's not there. Went back to the last restaurant I was in where I ate an early dinner before catching Spider-Man. [Is it in the theater?] Finally, it was there, in the resto! Apparently, the small black bag fell to the floor without me noticing. [Sigh of relief.]
Moral lesson: I was able to sleep well because my laptop was dead.
Also, I'm glad Dumaguete is small enough to allow this adventure of retracing our steps to find lost things.Labels: life
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Wednesday, August 05, 2026
9:00 PM |
Today Was Surprisingly Fine
I dreaded today because I had to wake up early for my translation class where we were going to talk with a guest over a translation project; then segue to a judging stint over Zoom which I expected to be all bakbakan; then segue to a three-hour film class. I was wondering if I would even have the energy to do all that. I made sure I had at least seven hours of sleep, to wake up early without becoming groggy. Turns out, my translation class went well, and the conversation with our guest was fantastic, and bitin. Turns out, the judging stint was a breeze, and we were all unanimous with our choices. Turns out, my film class would also go well [despite an interruption], and I ended it with a screening of Spike Jonze's Adaptation, a great movie. I'm just grateful today turned out to be a really good day despite my expectations
[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 303.
Labels: poetry
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Wednesday, July 29, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 302.
Labels: poetry
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Friday, July 24, 2026
I was feeling better at the end of the day after a week of battling the flu, so Renz and I finally got our much-needed and well-deserved body+foot massage combo. Later, going home in Renz’s car near midnight, I got this very unfamiliar feeling of utter calm.
And then I realized that it was so very nice not to feel the low hum of anxiety of having a big event looming in the horizon. It has been like that since the start of the year, and now I can finally just ... relax a little.
[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 301.
Labels: poetry
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Wednesday, July 15, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 300.
Labels: poetry
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Sunday, July 12, 2026
1:15 PM |
My Mercury in Retrograde Story
What’s your current Mercury in retrograde story? My mental health spiraled at the beginning of July [essentially, a patch of burn out], and yesterday, my Mac Air kept restarting. Was awake most of the night to figure out what to do, then around 3 AM, found a solution by going on Safe Mode and reinstalling my old OS, which took two hours. And after doing that, immediately installed Tahoe. Problem solved, but what hassle that was.Labels: burnout, computers, life, macbooks, psychology, retrograde
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Wednesday, July 08, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 299.
Labels: poetry
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Friday, July 03, 2026
We just had our closing ceremony for Pamati: Let the River Rest tonight, and tomorrow, the Puerto Princesa Underground River reopens and this will be my first time to experience this natural wonder. This has been a satisfying work trip for UNACOM. Every time I get asked to speak, my ADHD brain always wallows in some form of impostor’s syndrome. Will my talk make sense? Will I impart usable knowledge? Do I have the right to talk about the things I am asked to talk about? Tonight, a huge part of that doubting got erased by the responses some of the participants gave. [One even quoted me!] So, yes, I’m happy. And I’m glad I took part in this pursuit of using art and creativity to do environmental conservation. Would love to do something like this for Lake Balinsasayao. Padayon!Labels: environment, life, teaching, UNACOM, UNESCO
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6:19 PM |
The Universe Has a Sense of Humor
The truth of the matter is, I was most curious to visit Puerto Princesa, because this is the hometown of my first boyfriend, my, ehem, college sweetheart. Thirty years have since passed those days, and sixteen since I last saw him. So I finally went to Puerto Princesa proper today, and when I got off the van, guess who the first person I saw was.
Him.
It was ... an awkward reunion. But I think this officially closes a chapter in my life, hehehe. The universe has a sense of humor.
Labels: life, love, travel
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Wednesday, July 01, 2026
9:56 PM |
In Puerto Princesa
Just hazily documenting my first day in Puerto Princesa today. I flew in very early, after spending a very short night in Manila in transit to Palawan. Did not get to see much of the city proper of Puerto Princesa because I was soon whisked away by the service van provided for by UNACOM, all the way to Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort in Sabang. I thought it would be a short ride, but to my groggy surprise, it took almost two hours to get to our destination — 75 kilometers away from the center of the city — and I thought we were in another town altogether. But nooo, I would later learn Sabang is still very much a part of the city.
I'm here for UNESCO duties, to be one of the resource speakers for Pamati: Let the River Rest, a cultural festival honoring the closure of the Puerto Princesa Underground River for three days, with film director Dante Nico Garcia as lead coordinator. [The Underground River is one of the UNESCO-designated natural heritage sites in the Philippines.]
When I arrived this morning, however, I was practically a zombie from lack of sleep and the general tiredness of travel, that I purposely missed the morning session, and staggered to my assigned room, where I immediately took to bed and knocked out for five hours. Later in the day, I attended parts of the afternoon session, and tried my best to finish my presentation due tomorrow morning, but residual sleep also took over. I finally joined the screening of a documentary titled Fragile Frontier while having dinner with the rest of the participants. The film is about the impact of Typhoon Odette on Palawan, directed by Jessie Cereno and produced by the UNESCO National Commission for the Philippines [UNACOM]. [It is narrated by Silliman author and cultural worker Jane Timbancaya-Urbanek.]
I will always find travel to be essential in my work in culture. When you are surrounded by like-minded people of other places who share your passion, and finding them doing their thing in surprising ways you never thought possible, it’s a charge that rejuvenates the often flagging spirit. I’m privileged to be able to do this, and now I’m here in Puerto Princesa. I needed this injection of inspiration after the relentless barrage of June.
Labels: art and culture, ccultural work, life, travel, UNACOM, UNESCO
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7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 298.
Labels: poetry
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Tuesday, June 30, 2026
They’re implementing a new online system for faculty loading. And I was like, yey. Then I find out they’re making it three times more difficult with all these roundabout way of approvals and signatures. And I was like, grrrr.
Labels: life, silliman, teaching
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Wednesday, June 24, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 297.
Labels: poetry, Pride, queer
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Wednesday, June 17, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 296.
Labels: poetry, Pride, queer
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Monday, June 15, 2026
6:47 PM |
Hinay-Hinay Lang...
Finally letting my mindscape, and my life, return back to normal after the beautiful tumult of the past two weeks: a workshop and a home improvement project following each other was an upheaval I had no idea would take so much out of me, I actually ended up sick for a day or two, mostly from the stress and the unbearable heat. But I’m happy with the results, and I’m about to pick up where I left off…
Truth to tell, when I was in the middle of the grind, of the mess of home improvement last week — for example, bringing out all my books slowly, by small batches, to a corner of the anteroom so that the carpenters and painters could do work — I had to summon all the patience I could muster, despite being so tired and stressed out, by repeating a simple mantra: "Hinay-hinay lang." [To translate: Just surrender to the slowness.]
It helped.
It kept me sane.
And that is what I'm also telling myself right now as I return back to normal: hinay-hinay lang.Labels: life
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Sunday, June 14, 2026
11:00 PM |
Apartment Reveal!
Finally done! After nine days of repainting, renovating, reshelving, and replacing things where they should be, I’m finally done with my small home improvement project. [My scheme of red and black together feels like me, now.] Spent two days of those nine flat on my back with fever, however. But today, I finally got my new bed, and the last touch I needed was flowers to brighten up my small apartment. But everything’s done, and tonight I hosted a small dinner for Renz and Tita Melisa to celebrate. This 50th birthyear has really been something.
Labels: life
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Friday, June 12, 2026
9:00 PM |
Shelves Reveal
Everything’s in place. Red walls, black shelves. It took four days of painting and carpentry and three days of arranging everything. This is the Filipiniana part of my library, and for the first time all the books are in their rightful places, arranged in alphabetical order by author. My new bed arrives on Sunday, but for now I’m done. But then suddenly I’m also getting feverish now. Oh, man.
Labels: life
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Wednesday, June 10, 2026
7:00 AM |
Poetry Wednesday, No. 295.
Labels: poetry, Pride, queer
[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich
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