slacker mommy files

    Neil Gaiman has to be my most favorite writer ever. He can write down the most surreal landscapes and the most entertaining adventures. I first read his Sandman series back inn 2004 and afterwards, I was totally hooked. Then in 2006 I bought Neverwhere and it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, only it was much darker, much more dangerous and definitely much more fun. Reading Gaiman would be best described as “like reading a dream that came to life”.

    In 2005, Neil Gaiman came here to promote his book, Anansi Boys. I wasn’t fortunate enough to go to his book signing and anyway, the only thing I would have done then was oggle and have daydream fantasies about him. I was still in college, meaning I was practically penniless. A year after that, I was happily surprised that the G-man was, with the helped of Fully Booked, sponsored the 1st Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. He saw a long tradition of realism in Philippine fiction and he wanted to promote fictional unrealism among Filipino writers and comic book artists. It is quite something that a multi-awarded writer would come and take the time to try and introduce a new way of writing here in our country. Imagine just what the bookstore shelves would contain then, when writers are encouraged to let their imaginations go where no one has gone before. It would be a welcome change from the harsh realism that is prevalent in our current literature.

    I like reading fantasy fictions but most of the fictions that I get to read are those written by American or British authors. It is a shame really, since I know that we have such rich collections of oral stories of the supernatural and the fantastic and no one has bothered to write anything based on those, as least as far as I know. Fantastic stories are relegated to the children’s section of bookstores, confined in children’s books. I guess, that fact is starting to change now.

    On March 17, 2010, Neil Gaiman will be coming to Rockwell to announce the winners of the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. This year, aside from awards for prose and comics, there will also be awards for short films entered in the contest. I wish everyone who participated the best of luck!

    I wish I could go there next month. It would be a great time to meet my favorite writer in the flesh, and maybe get him to sign my copy of Neverwhere. It would be one of the coolest events on my life. Anyway, we’ll see then. On this note, I leave you guys with this clip aired on the 1st Graphic/Fiction Awards, to present Neil Gaiman.

    It is now February 15 and there are about 82 days left before the 2010 presidential elections. Debates and forums are being held in these and those places, as well as public mudslinging and marathon speeches about political platforms and rehashed promises. Nearly everybody has an opinion on each presidential candidate, everyone has his own manok (bet), and everyone has a say on what should be done to the Philippines on a national level.

    For me, I’m just a housewife, a mom, and a pseudo-hermit. What does the presidential elections have to do with me? Could anyone guarantee me that if I vote for Noynoy, I will be ensured that I can land a suitable job with relative ease despite my qualifications, or the lack thereof? Or if I vote for Villar, that I would be able to walk the streets of Metro Manila with my children without fear of being mugged or such? Or if I vote for Jamby, would she be able to effect the necessary changes in national health care so that I wouldn’t’t have to present my passbook before I get the necessary medical attention that I need? I do not have the luxury to be idealistic about the politics in this country. First and foremost, if I would ever vote for any candidate, I have to keep my children’s welfare in mind.

    I am aware that there are various national issues that need to be resolved: the civil-military unrest in Mindanao, educational inadequacies, unemployment, poverty, plunder, graft and corruption, et cetera, et cetera; but I am more concerned of issues that relate almost directly to me and my family. I ask again, what is politics to a housewife anyway? I would really like to read and examine each presidential candidate’s platform and discern for myself whether the changes they are selling to the people are actually feasible, and if I can entrust to them the future of my daughters. So far, I have only skimmed through three political platforms: those of Nicanor Perlas, Gibo Teodoro, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva. I still want to scrutinize these propositions for change that these gentlemen are publishing. It would seem that they already have strategies mapped out. Maybe by reading more into these, I might have a clear idea if these plans are actually doable and implementable, especially in the current societal environment and in six years of their office.

    I would want to believe that among these people running for the highest political office in the country would be one who will be really able to alleviate the immediate problems of our land and gradually effect changes the changes that they envisioned. I am still without a candidate to vote for, but should I finally decide on anyone, I hope that they will be able to lay out the foundations of a great future Philippines for my daughters.

    It’s Valentine’s Day once again. It has been an ongoing joke that on this day, the earth will shake the world over. Go figure. Still, it is a day surely anticipated by many couples in all the globe; today, every couple has all the right to be corny, cheesy, or even kinky, if the situation permits it. It is a day for those who are in love.

    On the other end of the spectrum are the broken-hearted and the unattached. These people either spend the holiday in their own homes or in the bars, either by themselves or with other friends in more or less the same romantic situation. Some mope and are depressed, others celebrate their freedom from the shackles that come with being involved. It is a day to confirm one’s independence and freedom.

    Somewhere in the middle of these, are those like me, who would be celebrating Valentine’s Day with their families. To me, at least, Valentine’s, like most other holidays that come to pass for the last couple of years, has become almost indistinguishable from any other day of the year. It may be because we stay at home a lot, but mostly because with two kids running around the house and bouncing off the walls, it’s pretty hard to think of any other stuff than them.

    Like today, for example. We went to Lyka’s ophthalmologist to get her eyes checked. She was a bit cranky so it was rather tense inside the doctor’s office. At first, she was such a behaved child until she got bored and started a head-splitting tantrum right then and there. I was constantly tempted to rap her sharply if only to make a point that she would probably not understand at all. So I had to swallow bitter chunks of my own impatience and try to console her as softly as I could, and make her cooperate with the poor patient doctor with the practiced smile. In times like that, romantic thoughts are the farthest in my mind. All I get to think about is my child’s drawn out wailing tantrum, my chagrin to all persons present during my daughter’s fit, and my dismay at her behavior. How I would love to return to pre-baby times with my husband, to enjoy the company of each other like all other couples are wont to do!

    Still, this is my reality, our reality, and despite my griping, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d still stay at home, watching series marathons with my husband, while our daughters watch their own cartoon marathons. It may sound boring, but believe me, for us, it is bliss; to be together in one roof, enjoying each other’s company, sharing the time together. Though we miss being alone with each other, my husband and I know that we will have much time together in the future. In the mean time, stolen moments are pretty much intense for us, and that in itself spices up our relationship. What matters is that we are happy in our lot, and that counts more than any fine dining dinner and weekend getaway. In the end, it is the small things that bind a relationship tight; the fight you had about the most inconsequential things, the deep conversations, the corny jokes, even the occasional breaking of wind makes your dearest one even more dear to you. A dinner out would be nice, but I would rather snug up at home with my husband and kids on Valentine’s Day, tantrum, fart, and all.

    That said, go have the best Valentine’s Day and enjoy yourself and your special someone/s. Have fun and be safe. *wink wink* Happy Valentine’s Day!

    We all get busy most of the time, with work, studies, house chores, and other responsibilities; we sometimes get no time at all for some relaxation. Going on vacation to some exotic location was sometimes out of the question with financial and time constraints barring out way. It would seem like we have no choice, if not for casual games.

    There is a myriad of these games available now in the Internet. From paid games that you can download from sites like Yahoo! Games, GameHouse,Reflexive Arcade, and Big Fish Games, to browser games like Farmville and Cafe World, hosted through social networking sites like Facebook. Through these games, you can get to rest your mind for a while and get some time to relax without getting out of your seat.

    Though it will never replace the kind of escape that travel vacations could provide, casual games do give a certain amount of balance to a hectic day. All frazzled up writing that financial report? Lay back for a few minutes by looking up your farm in Farmville. The good thing about casual games is that you can insert them into your work routine anytime and it would not’t take much of your time to play them. It works in a kind of play then forget philosophy. Once you’re done playing, you can close your browser and get back to work.

    Yet there are things that you should consider when choosing which casual game to play. Some casual games are indeed of the play then forget type, but there are some games like Plants vs Zombies that can prove to be addictive, thus distracting you from work instead. The whole philosophy of casual games is to give you a small reprieve from your daily stresses. So the key is to pick a game that is entertaining but not too addictive, and to treat the game as a game; don’t take it too seriously. This piece of advice is especially important to people who are notoriously competitive. I mean, it is not bad to be competitive per se, but there should always be a limit. Being too competitive can bring unduly stress to a person. Just try to take things in stride, and in terms of casual games, take it easy, enjoy and relax.

    Though it can help in relieving stress, casual gaming is still a personal choice. Other forms of relaxation can be found like reading, or going to the gym. It is all a matter of personal preference. If you think gaming is the thing for you, then go and try it! But be advised also for the sake of your well-being, try to shuffle it with other activities so you don’t end up burning yourself out. Remember, moderation is the key. With that said, go out there and get your game on.

    I am a bookworm. Any body who ever saw me in college would, for the most part, have seen me in more than one occasion, sitting in a corner with my nose deep in a book — mostly novels of the fantasy, gothic horror and sci-fi varieties. All of them, American or British novels. It was only this year that I have given thought to read local novels by local authors like Lualhati Bautista and Andres Cristobal Cruz. You see, I read mostly to entertain myself, to get out and explore worlds vastly different from mine, and to contemplate of various abstract subjects without tying them to anything that is tangible to me. Somehow, I don’t see any local books that do that, yet.

    When I read Luahati Bautista’s ’Gapo, I was made to face the harsh reality of things twenty to thirty years or so ago; I was brought to a time when the American bases were still in Olongapo, and racism was rampant among the American soldiers, African-American soldiers, and the Filipino residents of the city.

    The story revolved around the characters of Michael Taylor, Jr., an illegitimate son of an American Naval officer; Magda, a prostitute who is also a friend of Michael’s; Modesto, a Filipino working in the American base; and Ali McGraw, a Filipino transvestite who was looking for love from anyone. Their lives represent the condition of the Olongapo society under the shadow of the American soldiers. They endured the hardships of ridicule, marginalization, poverty and abuse, not just by the Americans, but from their own countrymen as well. It was a sad reflection on the miserable human condition aggravated by racism and the lust for the American dream.

    I have nothing against Americans; some of my internet friends are Americans. What disturbed me about this story was the Filipinos’ blind faith that the Americans will save them from poverty and destituteness; they believed that the only way they will ever be successful, the only way they can get out of the pitiful live they lead was to get to America, by any means, and never look back. It was sad for the novel mirrored reality in an almost exact clarity.

    But I believe that things have changed since the time illustrated in ’Gapo. I believe that people now are more or less comfortable in their own ethnic identity that they would see themselves at par with people from different nationalities, especially now that the world is much more smaller thanks to the internet. I believe that any Filipino can hold his own against any person from any such country and not cower. I believe that, or at least, I like to.

    I have former classmates, as well as friends and relatives abroad who walk and work among the people there, and they are just as successful as the rest of them. They are at par with those foreigners in their foreign lands and I salute them; they make me proud to be a Filipino. Pinoys like Efren Penaflorida, Jr. are testaments to what Filipinos can do and can become. The nightmare of the novel ’Gapo can easily be dissipated if we start to act not just for ourselves, but for our families and neighbors as well.

    I am just a mom who stays at home to look after her kids. I do not have a profession, nor do I even have a college degree. But I will try to do my part by trying to raise my kids to be respectful, responsible, humble and true to themselves. People talk about changing our society by voting this candidate or that candidate and expect changes to take place overnight. That is just plain stupid. changes don’t happen in the blink of an eye. Changes begin from inside oneself, then it spreads in the home, than on the street, then it infects everyone else. I would like my children to live in a better country than I grew up in, so I’ll raise them to be better citizens of a country they will grow up in.