priorities

The NDCC just reported that Ondoy-related fatalities have reached 296 277. While everyone’s busy donating money/clothes/food, volunteering to pack goods for the victims, or wading in flood to help and rebuild, the House of Representatives

- junks the impeach rap versus the Ombudsman

- approves P2B budget for – no not for relief funds – Con-con

This chamber’s inhumanity is unbelievable. So many areas just got swept by the storm, and they approve money for CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION? There are bodies still reeking in places that even the Navy couldn’t reach.

I cannot wait for 2010 and the change in leadership. I don’t know, maybe there’ll just be more of the same, but I just want her and her allies out.

And don’t she dare say she has nothing to do with this, it’s the House of Representatives, etc. OH PLEASE. I simply can’t believe that the members of the House are doing this without a little cash, a little somethin’-somethin’.

Maswerte kayo’t hindi kayo inanod ng baha. Sana man lang sinuspinde niyo muna ang mga pagpapasa’t pagbasura ng kung anu-ano para tumulong. Ni hindi niyo man lang sinubukang magkunwari.

* * *

I was listening to this song this morning.

Look down, look down
Don’t look ‘em in the eye
Look down, look down,
You’re here until you die

The sun is strong
It’s hot as hell below

Look down, look down,
There’s twenty years to go

I’ve done no wrong!
Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer!

Look down look down,
Sweet Jesus doesn’t care

I know she’ll wait,
I know that she’ll be true!

Look down, look down,
They’ve all forgotten you

When I get free you won’t see me
Here for dust!

Look down, look down
Don’t look ‘em in the eye

How long, oh Lord
Before you let me die?

Look down, look down,
You’ll always be a slave
Look down, look down,
You’re standing in your grave

aftermath

This is a repost from Kate. Thanks, Kate! I do my compiling over at my Twitter page, being too lazy to compose a blog entry. I hope the information here can help you and the people you know and love.

Image from ondoy.tumblr.com.

Those in the Makati area may drop off donations for victims of Ondoy – lots of FRESH water, sleeping mats and blankets, medicine, baby formula, toiletries (diapers, sanitary napkins especially), clothes, ready-to-eat food (that doesn’t spoil easily), etc. – at the INQUIRER office: 1098 Chino Roces Ave., corner Yague and Mascardo Sts., Makati City (from Buendia going toward Saguijo, Shopwise and Kalayaan Ave.). Call 897-8808 for more information.

ELSEWHERE

MANILA CARITAS: Ondoy relief goods accepted by AKAP BATA at Caritas Manila compound, 2002 Jesus St. Pandacan, Mla. Tel 5612568

RED CROSS: Interested volunteers may visit our National Headquarters at Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila near Anda Circle. PNRC NHQ encourages volunteers to help in repacking the relief goods for the victims of Tropical Storm “Ondoy”. Contact us at 527-000 or 143.

People in the south may volunteer: Red Cross Alabang – ATC along Zapote Road fronting NBS call 8097131 for info.
Red Cross also posted a list of places to drop off donations and volunteer for Ondoy relief ops). For pledges and support, you may email fundgeneration@redcross.org.ph.

Donate via text: Text RED amount to 2899 (Globe) and 4483(SMART). The service accepts the following amounts: P10, P25, P50 and P100 for SMART and 5, 25, 50, 100 and 300 for GLOBE. Donation goes to Red Cross.

TULONG TOMASINO: Donation Drive for ONDOY Victims

PASIG
Radio station RX93.1 welcomes relief goods at 17F Strata2000, F Ortigas Rd, Ortigas Ctr, Pasig City

QC
More hands needed at Balay Expo call Tulong Bayan hotlines: 0908-6579998, 0939-3633436, 9137122, 9136254, 9133306; Operation TULONG BAYAN Hotlines: Cubao – 913-7122; 913-6254; 913-3306; 0908-657-9998; Makati – 710-8804; Rosanna 0917-830-5053

World Vision on Quezon Ave still needs volunteers for the packing of relief goods. Text or call Pam (09178623209) for details.

INSA at Miriam College is accepting donations (needed: clothes, slippers, blankets, mats, candles, toiletries, rice, canned goods, water, and medicines – paracetamol, oresol, neozep, carbocistine, betadine, bandages, medical tape, alcohol). Volunteers are welcome.

MAKATI ROCK ED PHILS: Gather clothes towels bedsheets shoes. Bring to Mag:Net HiSt Wed. Sep30. (via Twitter @quarklovesyou)

METRO MANILA/LISTINGS
+ All branches of Fitness First are now accepting donations for the victims of Ondoy

+ A compilation of sites for donations and volunteers for ondoy victims: here via techie.com.ph.

+ A listing from Inquirer here.

+ A listing via Spot.ph here.

+ A listing via GMANews.tv here.

ABROAD International donors can now send donations to Phil Red Cross rescue ops via Paypal! Info here

STILL KNOW PEOPLE STRANDED/MISSING?

+ Fill out the form with info on your missing relatives/people needing to be rescued: here.

+ NDCC Missing Person Hotline: Marikina: 0920-9389914; QC: 0921-6555262; Pasig: 0918-9356318 Cainta: 0917-5606241.

+ If you know anyone still stranded on their roofs in Marikina/Cainta, text 09175408921: names, address, ages & current situation.

+ To check on missing loved ones or report areas in need, please call Sagip Kapamilya hotlines at 4110011-13.

notes on the storm

‘Ondoy’ dumps heaviest rainfall on Manila in more than four decades

- When I heard on the news that the storm would hit land Saturday, I didn’t think too much of it. I mean, we get a gazillion storms every year.

- That day I even woke up early, thinking I could go for a jog if the rain had stopped. I couldn’t hear anything because the windows were closed. I pushed back the curtain and boy oh boy.

- A flatmate had work that morning; she came back minutes later and said she couldn’t cross the street, the water in front of the condo had already reached her knees.

- An office mate informed me through text that the front steps of our office was submerged in flood water. Dahil ganito kami sa Makati, y’all.

- It ain’t just Makati, it turned out. At around 2 p.m. my sister sent a text message saying there’s water now entering the first floor of her boarding house (she lived in Manila), and that she couldn’t contact our brother, who left at 10 a.m. for Bulacan.

- I managed to go online briefly, and a friend sent a message through chat: This is the first time a storm has ever scared me.

- I stayed glued to the TV. At one point, actress Jennica Garcia, Jean Garcia’s daughter, called Startalk to say that the Marikina Riverbank had overflowed, and that there was now water reaching the second floor of their house. She was crying and begging for rubber boats.

- It was so surreal.

- Later we heard that Ara Mina’s sister, Christine Reyes, was on the roof of their house with her pamangkin, also asking for help.

- My brother was still missing.

- The news said that several towns in Bulacan were now flooded.

- At around 7 p.m., my brother finally sent a text. He was stranded in Isetann.

- My office mate, who lived just behind the office, couldn’t get home. She texted me at around 11 p.m.

- My mother texted: There is now water inside the house.

- At 7 this morning (Sunday) my brother was still not home.

- I watched TV and was infuriated by Kris Aquino’s cheeriness. “They just pledged 2,000 bottles of VitWater. VitWater’s the one with Pacman, right? Okay yan o, may nutrients pa.” Te, te, bagyo kasi ‘to, hindi piyesta. Imbiyerna!

- Brother finally reached Bulacan at 10 a.m., 24 hours after he left Manila.

- Now I’m looking outside the window, and it is sunny. If you’re cranky and tired like me, you’ll probably consider the sunshine as an insult.

- I hope you guys are okay.

is full of glee is full of

Oh, Kurt.

And Victor Garber! Oh, Victor Garber.

I crush him. I crush him haaaaaaaaard.

meanwhile, somewhere in texas

Click here to read the September issue of The Houston Literary Review. “News About the End of the World” is on page 4, just zoom in.

Love the cover art.

notes on the mibf 09

I went on Saturday with fellow book fair first-timer Eula. Promised myself that I will only buy local books, since I’ve already amassed several foreign books from the bookstores and other book bargain sales. Promised myself that I will never buy another book till mid-2010. No, really. Control yourself, damn it.

-          Wow, ang laki ng SMX.

-          Wow, books.

-          WOOOOOOOW.

-          First stop, Visprint, so I can finally get me those dead-tree versions of the Trese books.

-          I did not recognize Trese author Budjette Tan. I asked, Magkano po yung Trese?

-          Eula’s spidey sense tingled, and so we asked Manang Cashier. She said, “Oo, siya ‘yun. Papa-autograph kayo?”

-          Me, to self: SO KUMUSTA NAMAN YUNG KABOBOHAN MO, ELIZA.

-          Went back to the author. Budjette asked, “What’s your name?” I felt the temptation to say, “Pedro”.

-          I went, Oh I’ve read the first seven issues online, so-and-so is my favorite. Nagpa-charming ang lola mo para maitago ang katangahan haha.

-          No, I don’t think it worked either.

-          Kajo (Trese artist) was also there. Woo-hoo, great art!

-          Pre-ordered the third Trese book. Nawa’y hindi mawala yung libro at makarating naman siya sa ‘kin before October 18.

-          I want a Trese poster featuring the Kambal, nyorks.

-          UP Press. Got Nouveau Bored by Marc Gaba (I am in love with the cover art, seriously), You Are Here by Mabi David, and Libot ng Durungawan by Allan Popa (I haven’t read a Filipino poetry collection in a long while).

-          Ateneo Press: Got The Highest Hiding Place by Larry Ypil.

-          Ayos ‘tong book fair, at least I didn’t have to go all the way to UP or Ateneo just to buy the books. (That’s what I did to purchase the Conchitina Cruz books.)

-          Can’t wait to crack these books open and be inspired and write my own stories/poems and all that cal.

the farthest shore covers

I think I’m in love.

From editor Joseph Nacino’s site:

But really, this is just an excuse to show you the final front cover art for The Farthest Shore anthology done by the excellent tyron caliente. Granted the cover is for the PDF download, the art will still be available on the actual website itself.

because the rain can’t stop me

Friday. Dinner and coffee with Ace, who was overflowing with chika. I was bombarded with stories even before we could properly sit. I loved this of course. I particularly enjoyed the “promdi moment in New York” anecdote: standing in awe of Times Square, immobilized by the sight—and being pushed and prodded by New Yorkers, who were nice enough to call her “bitch”. I mean, they could have used harsher words. She was in the way.

Also, I didn’t know it was possible for alienation and homesickness to force you to watch Daisy Siete. I had never thought of turning to the Sex Bomb dancers for comfort. Interesting. Haha.

* * *

Saturday. Gig Book photo shoot with Mandy Navasero. I went with Andrea, who had French classes and knew the place, and also because Makati is still for me a senseless collection of streets. Hay, kailan kaya kita makakabisado.

Ms Mandy’s studio is housed in a building filled with art galleries and all sorts of pretty things. Even the restaurant inside looked like an art show! (Thank you to Andrea and the menu displayed outside the glass doors – if I were alone I would have gone inside the restaurant and looked at the display, nodding every now and then in appreciation, instead of, you know, sitting down and ordering. Wonder what the staff would have thought of me appraising their furniture like that.)

We took photos! I’ll wait for Andrea to upload.

Oh wait, here they are:

These stuff are actually inside the restaurant:

Andrea also smuggled me into Alliance. Now I want to take French classes. (French or Japanese? I’ll toss a coin, maybe, or consult my savings. I think Alliance offers cheaper rates than the Nihongo Center.)

(I am waaaay too lazy to apply for a master’s degree – I know this now. Le sigh.)

* * *

Thanks to Charles, I have finally gotten my hands on the Sept. 12 issue of the Free Press, which contains my story, “Reunion”. (End subtle plug.) This issue also has an article about the Free Press Lit Awards and holy shit, Tim Yap was there? I thought Sasha was only joking.

* * *

Charles also lent me two books: Year’s Bet SF 14 and The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction Vol. 3. I now tenderly put them atop my overwhelming pile of unread books (I now have 10 in my list; I’m halfway through Eden Express and Blind Assassin, almost done with The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty.). And yet, and yet – I dream of going to the Manila Book Fair to purchase more. Am I insane? (Yes.)

* * *

Sleepaway, an anthology of writings on summer camp edited by Eric Simonoff – I recommend this. Contains some of the most interesting essays and short stories I’ve read so far. What happens inside Jewish summer camps, leftist summer camps, music summer camps? Lev Grossman talks of a music summer camp he once attended, where the campers during an unsuccessful softball game avoided the ball “for fear of spraining their long, limber fingers”. James Atlas, in one of my favorite essays in this anthology, talks of a summer camp for intellectuals and writers, where instead of flashlights they were asked to bring Bic pens, and where nobody played baseball and the “tennis court was deserted”. In a letter to his parents he rattled off his activities (panel discussion on modern poets, Shakespeare Festival, jazz music and Chekhov) and ended with “Culture! I can’t take it anymore; send comic books – anything.”

rocket kapre launches into (cyber)space

Click on the banner to go to the website, or if you want to go straight to ze goodies, you can click here to read the FAQ, or here to read what some crazy sexy people replied to the question:

Rocket Kapre will also run a series of interviews (“On the Far Shore”) featuring the authors of The Farthest Shore. Up first is Kate Aton-Osias.

Now. Who’s behind this insanity?

At present, Rocket Kapre (the blog, the imprint, USOK) is run by Paolo Chikiamco. A lawyer by training and a writer by inclination, in 2009 Paolo resigned from one of the top law firms in the country to establish Eight Ray Sun Publishing Inc., driven to take advantage of the burgeoning ebook market to allow Filipino Speculative Fiction authors a chance, not only to reach an international audience, but to eventually make a living from writing.

Paolo’s articles have appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Online Chronicles, and Code RED Magazine. His stories have appeared in the Digest of Philippine Genre Stories, A Time for Dragons, and the Farthest Shore. He won third place in the 2009 Carlos Palanca Awards in the Short Story for Children (English) category. His greatest escapade was sneaking in to watch Total Recall when he was 12 years old. It was totally not worth it.

Paolo can be found on twitter or at the Bahay Talinhaga blog.

Visit and spread the word. Support Filipino authors!

gig book, or i try messing with children’s lit

It’s true, I’ve never before tried writing a story for children. Well, because.  But I read them, I enjoy them. I’ve heard about the Gig Book contest from an online friend (she posted a link), but I ignored it. Because I don’t and can’t write a story for children. Because. Then Gig Book announced an extension, then I had an idea, then I actually enjoyed working on this idea in my head, and I thought, Might as well write this and find out what happens. I wrote it in one night, edited it the next day, and emailed it that afternoon.

Last night, in ze email:

PRESS RELEASE: 2009 September 7

GIG CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Gig and the Amazing Sampaguita Foundation, Inc. (GASFI) is happy to announce that ten stories won the Gig Book Storywriting Contest. [redacted] Arranged alphabetically by title, the winning stories are:

A Boat, A Banana, And A Smile by Hernani Pizarro Geronimo
A Tale of Tong-its by Sylvia L. Mayuga
Jeremy’s Magic Well by Eliza Victoria
Judith And The King Of The Sea by Andrea de la Cruz
Lost at Sea by Raechelle Castellon
Quintin And His Violin by Joaquin Carlos U. de Jesus
See, I’m Holding Daddy’s Hand by Edilberto B. Sulat Jr.
The First Day by Cherrie Anne Remoroza
The Perfect Present by Kathleen Aton-Osias
Why Uncle Martin Can’t Fix My Bike by Czarina Vijulet Jusi

I know two people on this list: Kate “Kathleen sa tunay na buhay” Aton-Osias (who won a Palanca this year), and Andrea de la Cruz. Congrats to us, ladies!

If all goes well, these books will be published by August 2010 as “full-color, fully-illustrated” children’s books. Sounds awesooooooooome.