My 14th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop Experience

I was one of the fellows of the 14^th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop held at the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Catarman, Northern Samar on July 8-10, 2017. The Lamiraw Writers’ Worshop is an annual event that is being run by the Katig Writers’ Network Inc., a group of writers in Region 8.

It was just a dream for me: to be part of this workshop as a fellow. I considered it as  something  unattainable. I was – and am – convinced that writing workshops are only for those who take writing seriously. However, when the announcement about the 14th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop came out, I felt a different kind of warmth within me. I thought I was blushing at the time. I read this as a sign that I wanted to try something that I had not done before – to have my written piece read and critiqued by a panel of published writers. And this only happens in a workshop where  the writers are and "where the real action is."

Preparing for the Screening

I assessed myself if I could write something and make it to the deadline. I wrote an essay and a poem. I expressed my thoughts in Waray, particularly the Ninorte-Samarnon variant.

Visayas State University: The Day After Yolanda

VSU Eco-park: a showcase of native tree species.

Typhoon Yolanda was a very frightening experience even at Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, Leyte. That's about 109 kilometers from Tacloban City. My family endured Yolanda's wrath for 4 hours -- from 5 A.M. to 9 A.M. on November 8, 2013 -- and we thought we experienced the worst of the super-typhoon.

While the world saw what Visayas went through on that particular day, we had no idea about the extent of the devastation caused by Yolanda in other parts of the region.  Telecommunications were down and VSU was without electricity.  There was no way for us to get news about and from the outside world. It was a very depressing situation. I was worried for my parents and for my relatives in Samar, a nearby island. No matter how desperate I was to hear from them, I had no other choice but to wait for things to go back to their normal state. For how long, I had no idea.

The Other Meaning of Kubkob

Today, 28 October 2013, I will exercise my right to suffrage. Like many Filipinos, I still believe that any electoral process can do wonders for this country.  I have always claimed that right -- to choose the leaders who I think are capable, qualified, and committed to serve their constituents -- since I turned 18. However, this is not the only reason why I always look forward to the Election Day. There is one aspect of elections that has piqued my interest since the day I was able to vote: the Waray vocabulary associated with elections. Number one on my list is the word kubkob.

No Country For Old Women -- A Film Review

Never before has the double standard that exists for aging men versus aging women been exemplified so well as in the film "No Country for Old Women." This avant-garde cinema masterpiece follows the love lives of 24 celebrities - twelve men and twelve women. Their respective spouses/significant others are shown chronologically side by side, and interviews with "the man on the street" are shown to support the biases inherent in this gender-based double standard.

As the male celebrities transition into middle age and beyond, they become "suave and debonair," while the female celebrities of the same ages are considered "obscene" or "crazies in full blown clown make up," with their significant others being gigolos of course. The older male celebs were excused for having younger women than themselves because "hey, they're guys, right? It's expected."

Apparently, major film studios have shunned having anything to do with this movie due not only to the controversial nature of the film's content, but fearing the ensuing litigation from the famous celebrities themselves when they see the contexts in which they are presented. You will be shocked speechless when you see what celebrities were used for this film!

Obviously, the film's financing was done privately, hence the "very limited showing," so don't bother trying to find it on IMDB, but if you ever get the chance to see this film, do so. You'll laugh so hard that you might just pee your pants!!!

The Months of the Year in Waray

Hello. I'm making this quick post for those who are looking for this particular information -- the months of the year in Waray language. (Yes, I got your feedback.) Hope this helps.

January	Enero
February	Pebrero
March	Marso
April	Abril
May	Mayo
June	Hunyo
July	Hulyo
August	Agosto
September	Septembre/Setyembre
October	Oktubre
November	Nobyembre
December	Disyembre

Related Post:
Days of the Week in Waray