I wanted to do something before the year end so I’m sharing with you this project I had in mind which is to play 20 OPM songs on ukulele.
Thank God, Jaytee Taquiso exists in this world She makes Youtube tutorials on how to play songs on ukulele at a beginner level. She’s so good and she especially arranges songs so it’s easier for newbies to learn.
I’m still thinking about how to share the whole process- probably just a single blog post featuring a collection of epic fails
If you’re interested to join me or if you just want to know the chords to the above songs, I’ve created this database on Notion which you can access too!
Though I’m not able to go hoard books at an actual and physical Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), I’m glad that I get to have the opportunity to know more Filipino writers and books that try to recover and reimagine the Filipino history and culture through webinars like this.
Charlie’s book, Children of the Postcolony, is a collection of essays about the Filipino intellectuals “who have contributed to the foundation of the cultural archive of decolonization“ namely Edith L. Tiempo, Fernando Zobel, Bienvenido L. Lumbera, E. San Juan, Jr, and Jose Maria Sison that raise a few concerns about the Filipino decolonization:
How would Filipinos be able to break free from the corruption of the American interference?
How was the interference affected the forgetting of the early history of the postcolony?
How do we go about the process of reconstruction when contamination is inevitable?
Is Filipinization a Filipino idea or an American one- is it a corrupted idea or a revolutionary idea?
Charlie said that the book wasn’t meant to criticize the past, but to provoke the scholars and students to “reconstruct those lost years in Filipino memory.”
Hoping to attend more webinars of this kind. There are two more events for the month of November which you can attend:
Hindi mo naabutan ang limited screening ng Dahling Nick sa opisyal na Youtube channel ng Cinema One? Mapapanuod na ang Dahling Nick sa Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino na gaganapin sa ika-31 ng Oktubre!
She’s Perfect is a 3D animated short film which centers a girl named Mahalia, who tries to fix the hole in her chest. No one can see the hole except her, and she can still see it transparent through her clothes, no matter what she wears.
Binakol Sa Dahon
by Gary Tabanera,
“Binakol sa Dahon” is the tale of Ester, a mother falsely accused of a crime she did not commit. Judged and unfairly tagged by her family and an overly superstitious rural community, she becomes the unwitting target of abuse, cruelty, and violence, but her spirit is kept alive by her resolve to survive the ordeal. Through it all, she discovers the meaning of the word ‘family’ and summons from within a version of herself that would have been wise to keep hidden, a woman, who, despite the viciousness of the world, and her unbridled power for vengeance, chooses love and the tenderness of a mother’s heart over all.
Hakab
by Mel Aguilar-Maestro,
What does it really take to breastfeed and sustain life in the Philippines? In spite of the key legislations on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in the Philippines, it has remained one of the top nations with the least number of exclusively breastfed children, and still has a stigmatised breastfeeding culture. “Hakab"“ explores the narratives of mothers in the Philippines coming from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds braving the challenges of a repressed breastfeeding culture in the Philippines.
Night Shift
by Mariel Ong,
While inside the car, a battered driver answers her ringing phone. On the way home, she picks up a passenger and drops her off. Troubled, she quietly follows the passenger until she reaches her own apartment. She begins to hear mysterious voices. These voices become louder until she goes outside to enter a different room.
Adira
by Jorzheema Hamid,
Adira is a 16-year-old Tausug girl who was forced by her parents to marry a man twice her age. Isolated and with limited freedom, Adira must find her voice as she escapes not just a tragic night but the manipulated beliefs she was fed with.
Noontime Drama
by Kim Timan and Sam Villa-Real,
In the confines of her own kitchen, single mother Sonia struggles to prepare the perfect Kare-Kare with her daughter Leslie.
PROMETHEUS UNBOUND ni Ruben Cuevas (alias ni Jose F. Lacaba)
“I shall never exchange my fetters for slavish servility. ’Tis better to be chained to the rock than be bound to the service of Zeus.” –Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Mars shall glow tonight, Artemis is out of sight. Rust in the twilight sky Colors a bloodshot eye, Or shall I say that dust Sunders the sleep of the just?
Hold fast to the gift of fire! I am rage! I am wrath! I am ire! The vulture sits on my rock, Licks at the chains that mock Emancipation’s breath, Reeks of death, death, death.
Death shall not unclench me. I am earth, wind, and sea! Kisses bestow on the brave That defy the damp of the grave And strike the chill hand of Death with the flaming sword of love.
Orion stirs. The vulture Retreats from the hard, pure Thrust of the spark that burns, Unbounds, departs, returns To pluck out of death’s fist A god who dared to resist.
***
Ang mga larawan ay kuha sa pelikulang Dahling Nick na mapapanuod sa Youtube chanel ng Cinema One.
So the House would like to pass this bill making September 11 a day to celebrate a dictator.
The Marcoses never waste time trying to revise the history and the truth.
FILIPINOS URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP: A CALL TO ACTION
art by the wonderful @franshookie-art (DO NOT REPOST this image without their specific permission. check out more of their art on twitter.)
hi, all.. i know that a lot of our focus is on the BlackLivesMatter movement atm (which is wonderful and should’ve happened a long time ago), and i hate to distract you from that, but there’s something horrible happening in my country, the Philippines (yes, the one being lead by the so-called Filipino version of Donald Trump), right now.
our national government has passed a bill that’ll essentially take away our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and fair trial. it’s called the Anti-Terrorism Bill, but we’ve dubbed it Terror Bill. here’s a summary of what it entails:
if you want to read the actual bill in its entirety, here’s alinkto the official Senate of the Philippines website, where you can download a pdf copy. i’d like you to keep in mind the political climate in our country, though, and just how rampant corruption and police brutality are here.
it has already been passed by the Senate; all it needs is the House of Representatives’ approval, and it will be enforced. if you want to help stop this from happening, here are a few ways:
sign and share thispetition. we’re so close to 300,000 signatures!!!
send e-mails to the Office of the President and the Senate. there’s an e-mail protest currently going on. i have qualms about copy-pasting the message, but ultimately, this method is a lot more effective than petitions:
these posters were made and posted by @tentenyukkion twitter.
educate yourself about the bill and how it will affect us when it’s approved. here are some news articles, editorials, and thought pieces to get you started:
spread the word. on social media, our tags are #JunkTerrorBilland#JunkTerrorBillNow, but don’t stop there; tell your friends and family. please. people need to know this is happening.
your help could save the lives of millions of Filipinos, and we’d really, really appreciate it. i don’t usually ask for much, but when it comes to urgent issues like this, i can’t stay silent. unlike with BLM, i can speak my truth about this because i know personally what it’s like to be a Filipino citizen and to live in the Philippines. i hope it’s heard, and we keep an ounce of what little dignity we have as a “sovereign” country and rights as a “sovereign” people.
some of you might unfollow or get mad because this isn’t strictly studyblr content, but it’s not about aesthetic right now. i need your help. we need to hurry.
thank you for taking time to read! let’s uphold human rights together. #JunkTerrorBillNow!
Let us educate ourselves. Support us to junk this Philippine Terror Bill.
We’ve always got something new in the works at Yahoo Mail …
Most recently, our mission has been to bring Yahoo Mail to all—no matter where you are, what language you speak, or what device you’re using. And today, we’re happy to announce the expansion of the new Yahoo Mail desktop experience to 30 additional languages, including:
Arabic
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Croatian
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Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Italian
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Malaysian
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swedish
Thai
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
If you’ve been using classic Mail with one of the above languages, starting today you’ll be welcomed to the new desktop experience when you sign in to mail.yahoo.com. You’ll be able to pick a colorful theme, easily find photos and documents you’ve sent/received, and enjoy more new features in the fastest and most responsive version of Yahoo Mail yet.
Day in and day out, Yahoo Mail’s mission spans the world. Wherever you live, whichever language you speak, we’ll continue to work on connecting you with the people you care about.
After work, Stacey and I went on a double-date with Tyler and Emily for dinner! We went to Toulouse Petit! Emily’s visiting from Hong Kong and Toulouse has legit food! Yum :)
Tuesday: On Tuesday, Jillian and Jason came over for dinner. Stacey made salmon for dinner and it was AMAZING! The salad was really good, too! We watched some Fresh Off the Boat after dinner. haha
Friday: I teach at Boeing on Friday’s, if you work at Boeing or you’re related to anyone who works at Boeing, come join the Boeing Taekwondo Club and learn from me every Friday!
After work, Stacey and I went to Mr. Gyro’s for dinner! Their sherwarma plate is just delicious!
After dinner, we met up Tyler and Emily for dessert! Emily is leaving on Saturday, so we decided to hang out once more at Pie Bar! First time for us and it didn’t disappoint! I got the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie… Yeah. Incredible.
Saturday: Before we went out for my mom’s birthday lunch, Stacey went out and got me a Samoa cupcake from Trophy! She’s the best!
My mom wanted to get California Pizza Kitchen! Hey, whatever she wants, she gets! :)
I love seeing her happy. Later that night, she texted me saying that she’s “proud” and that she loves me. My dad also texted me that. I think they’re just happy that I’m finding my way. And they love Stacey. She’s just really wonderful to my family. She went out to my mom’s favorite bakery and got her favorite item. She bought her an amazing birthday gift. She baked her birthday cake again for several years in a row. She’s just the best. Not debatable.
After my mom’s birthday festivities, we went over to Nica’s house for her birthday party! They delayed her birthday party by a few weeks, I think her family was busy. Nevertheless, it’s always so much fun! Thank you to the Mendoza family for hosting an awesome party! Happy Birthday, Nica! Love you!
Jason asked me if I “wanted to checked out Stars in the Sky” with him. Of course, I said “yes!”…. lol Okay, I was confused at first. “Stars in the Sky” is a Korean bar/Chicken spot… lol I was down! It was a great time! Drinks, good food, norebang! The pizza corn cheese is OFFICIAL!!!! OMG! So good! Fun times with my bro!
Sunday: On Sunday, Stacey and I went to Vancouver! I love going to Canada for a few reasons. I love the food, the culture, and I love turning off my phone. lol We went to Banana Leaf, first for lunch! Stacey is in love with their Roti. It’s amazing. I love their Nasi Goreng. I forget what the curry is called but it was DELICIOUS!
Next, one of our favorite gelato spots in the world is in Vancouver! Bella Gelateria! Their Buko Pandan and Torroncino is AMAZING!
We walked around and checked out the shops for a while. Before we left, we grabbed our favorite poutine from Fritz!!!
On our way home, we stopped in Everett for dinner. We stopped at some Cuban spot. It was okay. Not amazing. Not bad. We got the Cubano and Lomo Saltado.
Hope everyone had a great weekend! Have a great week, everyone!
I would like to start by saying that this blog and next blog entry is SUPER late… hahaha It’s because I was in Korea! I'l explain that part later… so let’s rewind back!
Monday: Jillian and Nica came over for dinner and games! We played Taboo and it was a funny night! hahaha I think I took these pics when Nica and I won… LOL They’re a lot of fun!
Tuesday: I started feeling a little sick. I think I got sick from NICA! But who knows… lol Holiday tradition! This is our family movie. I watched it twice this year though. haha
Wednesday: Every Christmas Eve, I go to Mass with Stacey’s parents and then we go to their family Christmas Party! By Wednesday, I was feeling REALLY sick so it sucked. lol After Mass, we headed over to Auntie Lenny and Uncle Rey’s house. I was felt like crap. But I hung in there… I didn’t drink at all. Clearly, they were devastated…
But in all seriousness.. the food was delicious as always!
Auntie Emi made our favorite spaghetti!
Auntie Cadie made our favorite Trifle!!!
We got presents for days…
We always have a lot of fun!
Emily took a lot of selfies lol
Shout out to Nica for the only paying attention to this selfie LOL
I was giving Audrey and Emily piggyback rides. Then Nica wanted one. haha They grow up quick… kind of
This is my family.
Thursday: We sleep over at Stacey’s parents’ house on Christmas Eve and open up presents on Christmas morning together! Stacey’s mom made a vegetable omelet! It was delicious!
Stacey’s parents got me this CRAZY tool set that has literally EVERYTHING! I feel like it was very symbolic… like giving me tools to take care of their daughter… haha I’m corny like that. But really, it was a great gift!
They also got me a bunch of other things including Blu Rays. They know that I love films. Stacey also knows that I love documentaries… in specific, the ESPN 30 for 30! She got me the 5 year anniversary pack on BLU RAY! IT’S AMAZING!!! It’s INCREDIBLE!
Then we had to head back to our place to pack for Korea! And I use “we” very loosely cause I’m worthless when it comes to packing… haha
As we were leaving the house, I took another look at our Christmas cards and felt very blessed…
Then we had Christmas dinner at my parents’ house! It was TERRIFIC!
Friday: We were off to Korea! I hate saing bye to Ari.. lol
So, I haven’t been to Korea in 14 years. Whether it was college, work, or whatever. Something always seemed in the way of me going back. This was just the right time. A few months ago, I found out that my grandmother has cancer. They found out late and she’s opting to not take Chemo. I don’t blame her. Instead of living the rest of her life suffering and in pain. She just wants to live as is. I wanted to see her before her time is up. I wanted Stacey to meet my family. I also wanted Stacey wanted to see my country. I can’t lie, I was worried. Korea is not exactly the most open culture to Westerners or mixed people. But I wanted her to come and be with me cause she’s my rock. My mom also came which made life so much easier. So, we were off!
Saturday: 12 hours later, we were in Korea!
When we arrived at my aunt’s house, they had a “Welcome to Korea” sign for Stacey and they were in Santa hats! haha It was very sweet of them…
I still couldn’t believe I was in Korea with my family.
I saw my cousin’s son for the first time!
Sunday: I wake up in the morning and my grandmother is like “do you want Squash porridge”, and she makes a terrific one. I wasn’t prepared to say “no”… LOL She literally makes everything from scratch…
It was amazing! Stacey and I walked around to see the neighborhood. I think I was just hyper… LOL
They had a BBQ Chicken right next to their house. We have one at UW and my family was surprised when I told them. haha
We ended up buying some stuff at Paris Baguette!
When we got back to the apt, my aunt had food ready! I feel like they were constantly feeding us everywhere! LOL
For lunch, we had plans to eat with my cousins on my dad’s side. My cousin, Han picked us up! I’ve never his wife or his son, so I was very excited! His son, Jin Sol is so cute!!! His wife, Catherine was very lovely and sweet!
We ate my cousin, Sae Wook’s restaurant! All of the guy cousins were there! My sister is the only girl on my dad’s side so everyone except she was there. They all missed her. His restaurant is called H3 Bistro! Koreans, LOOK IT UP!
Afterwards, we went to my cousin, Han’s apt!
Jin Sol was cute even when he cries. haha
Then he went right back to playing with his Uncle’s!
Can’t lie, I was a little tipsy. We had dinner plans back home at my aunt’s house. My cousin, Jin Kyung was over with her daughter, Ji An! I’ve seen photos of Ji An for a while now. I knew she loved Frozen, so we brought her back some Frozen clothes, blanket, and bag pack! She was a little shy at first, but she was sweet and I loved her instantly!
We had dinner and then went shopping!
Then we went to a Chicken and Beer spot. Korea has a TON of them! It’s just weird cause kids can be there… LOL Shout out to Ji An for always being in the background of my beer pictures. It was not intentional. LOL
After drinks, Ji An wasn’t as shy no more… haha
Sunday: After breakfast, they drove us by the Blue House (The Korean equivalent to the White House) and a national park. Every park have these exercise machines… haha
Sidebar: Coffee is EXPENSIVE in Korea… but they have a Coffee Bean everywhere!!! Stacey and I were happy about that. haha
We were walked around insadong and some other spot. lol Churros are apparently popular in Korea.. haha
Then we walked over to Gyeongbokgung!
Then we went to a market and ate a bunch of food! haha
After we got back, we went out for dinner with the family… LOL We literally ate all the time…
Handsome Asian Xian Lim is a Chinese-Filipino actor, model and singer. Xian Lim is already a pretty cool name but his full name is even cooler (Alexander Xian Cruz Lim Uy). If you tried to parse it as a Malaysian or Singaporean Chinese name you would only get confused.
Nicole Scherzinger is an American-Filipino recording artist, actress and television personality who rose to fame as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.
