a flashback breather

A moment of muni-muni before diving to work today.

Today I woke up with two tags from people belonging to two distinct spheres of my life yet both are interconnected by literary writing: one a photo tag on Instagram by my writer-friend from the Dumaguete workshop and one an email with a sudden memory flashback from another writer-friend during her UP workshop days where I was working as a graduate assistant. I ended up missing these two distinct batches of people, my Dumaguete posse and my writer-friend who's also from my lesbian circle of trusted friends. I ended up telling my lezfriend about a sort-of fallout I had with another writer-friend she knew and met before. Strange how things turn in this life, really.

I just paused and reflected on stuff as I went about my ways this morning when I was having my usual breakfast of cereals and now coffee. Telling my friend via email of a painful story made me realize that some stories in my life, small heartaches here and there, are best kept out of my journals. I don't think I want some memories to be stored in my journals but it's good to tap them out of my brain-consciousness, too, via another way: processing and sharing them with my trusted souls. So I guess that's what I did today, shared this not-so-small-but-really-disappointing heartache I had with a writer-friend, which I also shared with my top-of-mind/body/heart trusted soul today, my sweetheart. I also had another mini-heartache I realized yesterday, after attending a queer-themed talk, which I shared with my sweetheart over the phone in our daily talks. And that helped me immensely. No, I don't think I have to make taktak these mini-heartaches on my journals anymore. I don't want them to be logged into the annals of my life's records. I'm just glad that the universe sent me these trusted souls to whom I could also bear my soul when it's hurting. 

I have been so lucky, really, in this life. And this small note is a reminder for me to be always thankful of the ones that stick, and to just let go of the ones that slide. As my sweetheart said, I have to let it go before it causes me physical pain, these mini-heartaches. Yes, here I am, doing that. 

So as I heed my love's advice, I bid you good morning. Life is short; let go.

Sweetheart selfie September 2014 edition. 

Let go and let smiles take over.

Visayas, stay strong!

Funny how the universe makes you see your life in certain perspectives.

Have you seen the news? Take a look at this photo from Dumaguete:

From Dumaguete Metro Post's FB: Dumaguete Rescuers hold on to a rope as they form a human chain to rescue 32 passengers and crew, including an infant, of ill-fated M/V Ever Transport III, which sank after running aground off sitio Canday-ong, barangay Calindagan, Dumaguete City at 4 a.m. Saturday, after it was battered by big waves brought about by Tropical Storm Sendong. (photos by Melissa Alexandra B. Pal) [as reposted in FB by my journalist friend Inday Espina Varona]

And this aerial shot of Cagayan De Oro:


Aerial View of Cagayan de Oro City during the wrath of Typhoon Sendong. Video courtesy of National Grid Corporation
of the Philippines (NGCP)... Capt. Israel Ranario (pilot) and Mr. Emmanuel D. Abellanosa, Head,
Mindanao Operations and Maintenance


What a weekend this has been. Many dead. Swept away by flash floods. Been texting my good friend KK who just went home to Dumaguete last Friday. She's okay but her relatives in CDO have another story to tell, one that's similar to my own relatives' tales in Provident Village circa 2009.

This was our version of that:

A view from where I live, September 2009. Cars floated like rafts.

News. Old news, new news. Same same, different location, similar devastation. Ondoy then, Sendong now. No need to tell you about that. (But if you're curious, this was my account of that, plus this update for my relatives abroad). I tell you, it's still traumatic for us here in Marikina sometimes. I still secretly panic whenever there are strong rains.

I was just there in CDO last June, but only in passing on our way to the Iligan City PBB auditions where I volunteered as a writer-interviewer. My first time visiting those cities, and I vowed to return to CDO sometime to explore more, since it looked really promising. Iligan was another city totally devastated by this onslaught. So sad. And of course, I don't need to tell you how relevant Dumaguete is in the hearts of literary writers in English who have been to the Silliman workshops, myself included. So yes, this is indeed sad.

I was planning on blogging another thing today, actually since yesterday, but of course bigger things like this news of the weekend makes my concerns a tad irrelevant and, to a certain degree, insignificant.

Funny how life shows you what's important. So we'll park that thought for now, and blog about it some other time.

In the meanwhile, those of you who subscribe to worshiping a deity or supreme being, please pray for my countrypeople in the Visayas region. They need all the help now. Search the Philippine Red Cross for details on how to help. Many other avenues are accepting help.