by Kath C. Eustaquio-Derla You are such a loser, says Veronica, my bitchy alter ego. Oh my God. I am being stood up again. Where the fuck is he? Did he hit his head this morning and suddenly forget that he asked me out tonight? Did he, like, die or something? Or does he really enjoy pushing me around? Or do you enjoy being pushed around? Veronica counters. I hate her. Five minutes pass. And then five more. With every passing minute, my super inflated ego is taking a beating while my inner bitch is flexing her muscles, preparing for a…
Month: March 2016
Challenging Creativity: An Interview with Artist Elyoo dela Cruz
by Karz Montealegre In June 2015, artist Elyoo dela Cruz posted on Instagram a portrait she painted of Frida Kahlo. Perfectly capturing Kahlo’s prominent features, it was a vibrant take on the Mexican painter’s portrait that could easily pass as a character from a storybook. View this post on Instagram 1/100: Frida Kahlo. In an attempt to (force myself to) practice using gouache, I'm doing portraits for my #the100dayproject #illustration A post shared by elyoo (@elyoodelacroix) on Jun 1, 2015 at 5:01am PDT It wasn’t the first artwork Elyoo shared online, but it was the first of a hundred—a start to…
Story Submission: ‘Malas’
ni Jane Galvez Hindi swerte si Kim sa mga pa-raffle. Noong elementary palang s’ya, hindi s’ya nanalo ng kahit anong papremyo sa paaralan. Kahit nga consolation prize, hindi s’ya nakatanggap. Pero hindi ibig sabihin noon hindi napipili si Kim sa mga bunutan. Sa kolehiyo, s’ya palagi ang unang natatawag sa recitation sa tuwing class cards ang bunutan ng guro n’ya. Paminsan naiisip ni Kim na siguro malas s’ya, kasi nabubunot lang s’ya sa mga pagkakataong ayaw n’yang mabunot. Kahit nga sa exchange gift, ang kalimitang nakakabunot sa kanya ‘yung mga taong mukhang ‘di nag-iisip sa ipang-reregalo. Noong nakaraang taon, pinag-isipan ny’ang…
Shelfwalking: The path towards being OC
by Karl Mabutas Nothing beats the refreshing look of piles of books lying around in your wonderful space. It is greener than nature, whiter than crystals, and shinier than the most expensive gadget you currently have. Why, you ask? Because those are the visual representations of your page-by-page success. The look and feel of recollecting your fun plot times with John Green, J.K. Rowling and the likes are too good and must be kept in the best condition possible. And today, I am about to unleash my beasts out into the virtual wilderness. I am to give a tour of all…
Bookbed reviews: ‘The Hometown Hazard’ by Dawn Lanuza
by Nina Arquiza THE STORY Jules Coronado has been away from her hometown for almost a decade but when an intruder breaks in to her childhood home, she finds herself coming back. Changes evidently took place in her small town, including her childhood best friend’s younger brother, Kip – now tall, slightly scruffed, all grown up and caught climbing into their garden wall. Kip Villamor has a mission and despite Jules’ doubts, they team up: going on fieldtrips, tackling unsuspecting men, and trespassing offices to dig up dirt. But Jules has secrets of her own, one that might be exposed –…
Bookbed recommends: #ChildrenFirstStoryBooks by UNICEF
by Bryan Meniado I often hear or read the expression: “Education begins at home and our parents are our first teachers.” It’s a cliché but I cannot deny that it’s true and that it always reminds me of the vital role our parents play in our development prior to attending school. And so our home is where we first learn, where we first attempt to know and explore. A month ago (last February 19, to be exact), I was reminded of exactly that, of how I navigated through childhood towards becoming who I am today, at the launch of #ChildrenFirst!StoryBooks. The…
Shelfwalking: To read is to travel
by Alfonso Mangubat I realized when I started out my blog that it was going to be about books and travels, hence the full name, The Manila Traveler AND Bookworm. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?), I got caught up in the traveling part, and now I’m making up for it by creating this list of my top 10 books. There are actually a lot of books on my shelf—about 120 or so—but there are a few that have withstood the test of time and favoritism. So here goes and I hope you’ll enjoy! (Just a note: Titles from 10 to six aren’t…
