The Erasmus Mundus journey comes full circle

It has been nearly 10 years since my Erasmus Mundus journey began. After my daily blogging here tapered off, I experimented with photoblogging, then with blogging again at Pinoy Erasmus Mundus, then travel blogging, and now, I am back to EM with the Erasmus Mundus Forum. It's funny how I'm leaving trails all over the internet, which is now spelled with a small "i". How time flies.

This shoutout is for the forum, which just launched two weeks ago and is still taking its baby steps. The format is one I'm not so familiar with, but I believe it is essential for the task. I'd like to give back in the hope that one day the forum will be on its own two feet. It will take some time, but I'm hopeful. Please show it some love. Come visit it at erasmusmundusforum.com.

I have found a new home!

I've moved! I'm back online with a new travel blog. It's called HOW ABOUT HERE.

My old posts here will stay right where they are. But for new stuff (or old stuff in a new form), HAH is the place where it's at. Come follow me there. :)

French Art & Film Festival 2012 Kuala Lumpur & Penang

This is coming to KL this month and in Penang in June. Hope to catch a film or two.

http://faff.com.my

Bagong salta

Let's do this.

In a few days I will officially be an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker). "Expat" doesn't cut it; bagong bayani (new hero) I ain't. It's a purely personal challenge I am posing to myself. That said, two weeks of paperwork have given me more respect for the millions of OFWs abroad. There is nothing easy about leaving the country to give your family a better life.

Here's a little farewell song, courtesy of Amber Davis.

 

Manila, I hope you'll be a little better when I come home.

Repurposed greetings from Adobe + The MuseBox

Need a holiday soundtrack? Here's the free-to-download The MuseBox Festivus Mixtape. Donations to the Humane Society accepted.

3D and 3 art events

Manila Bulletin, through its PR agency Thinline and blog ads provider Nuffnang, invited bloggers to its event at the Picasso in Makati City last night, so I was curious to find out if they had something new to announce. Credit goes to the paper for being the first newspaper to come out with 3D images. I had actually been following this closely from day one. A combined version of my writeups (here and here) appears in our November-December issue, which features the world's top commercial director on the cover.

I was skeptical about 3D at first (and I guess I still am, a bit), but with advertiser support, the concept has proved so interesting and viable that even the Philippine Daily Inquirer followed suit. And there lies the challenge. To call itself a leader in innovation, Manila Bulletin has to continue coming up with firsts because as soon as the innovation is copied, it becomes yesterday's news.

MB's iPad app is also available now. It's a smart and relatively easy move for the broadsheet, as their digital facsimile is already on the web. But as app versions become standard across dailies, apps should deliver richer content to maximize the functionalities of tablets.
The challenges remain: getting people to keep their 3D glasses and to ensuring that the photos work well in 3D, requiring stricter quality control in the photo manipulation.

Being at the Picasso already, K and I stopped by Art Cabinet and looked at the pieces on the ground floor. We had just been to Manila Contemporary the day before, so I was very thankful to have art back in my life. To cap the night, I went with R to the opening event of Fete dela WSK, which I enjoyed despite my tiredness.

I actually have photos and videos, including scenes that are more appropriate for a bridal shower, but since it has been a while since I last put up a long text-only post, I will keep things simple. Adieu.

Commercial break

Do indulge me, as this will not happen again for some time. I worked on this month's GH cover story. The magazine is on newsstands and bookstores now. End of plug.

Back and gone

I came from here Saturday. Yesterday, I became aware of how tired I really am. Now there's backlog from work and I have to catch up. I wish I had superpowers. But since I don't, I'm taking a blog leave. Coming back when it becomes humanly possible. A few days should do the trick.

Four years, 1500 posts! + For your MP3 collection, part 34

Has it really been four years since my first post on this blog? Unbelievable. And I'm still posting daily! (365*4=1460. I'm averaging 1.027 posts a day.) I wonder how long it takes to read all 1500 posts. Raise your hand if you've done it. (Congratulations, you're officially stalker material! Besides that, you've grown up with me.)

My original reason for blogging was to keep family and friends updated about my life abroad. But now the blog has a life of its own, existing in a universe parallel to mine. Stay awhile. Listen to some tunes.

I'll be on leave for a few days to catch up with work. Drop by again soon.

Anni Rossi:"Crushing Limbs"-happy horror

Bobby Baby: Goodbye Love (Goodnight version by Peloto)"-restful unrest

Bodies of Water:"Rise Up Careful"-slow build-up

Bosques de mi Mente:"Dibújame un cordero"-a delicate thing

Capullo:"Power point de amor"-kitschy fun

Elf Power:"Stranger in the Window"-lifetime by the sea

End's Not Near:"Indian Summer"-montage soundtrack

John Grant:"I Wanna Go to Marz"-sweet cravings

Polock:"Fireworks"-dancing in the moonlight

QualooD:"Shadowland"-eternal playback

Tatsu:"5 Hours in Rain"-hello monsoon

Sample ballot

This arrived yesterday. I've figured out who I'm voting for in most positions. Sangguniang Bayan na lang. Will work on that tonight.

If you don't know what your ballot looks like yet, take a look at the PDFs on the COMELEC website. Note that the national and local sides of the ballot are separate.

A call for submissions to a new literary magazine

[via Exie Abola]

The POC Review, a new online magazine of Philippine literature, is now accepting submissions. We will publish short fiction, creative nonfiction, and criticism in English.

Fiction in any genre is welcome as long as it is compelling and imaginative. Creative nonfiction includes but is not restricted to memoirs, personal essays, travel essays, eyewitness accounts, literary journalism, and unconventional nonfiction that tests genre boundaries. Works of fiction and creative nonfiction should be 2,000 to 8,000 words, but these are not hard-and-fast limits. Excerpts from longer works, such as novels, will be considered as long as they are self-contained. We are open to serialization.

Criticism is broadly defined as essays on Philippine books and literature as well as on writing and reading. These essays include reviews of recently published books, interviews, re-evaluations of neglected works or authors, and think-pieces on the state of literature and its relationship to the culture at large. Unless necessary, critical essays should eschew academic jargon and dispense with critical apparatus. Critical pieces should be some 1,000 to 3,000 words.

Submissions must be previously unpublished, in print or online. Works submitted simultaneously to other publications will be considered, but let us know that you have submitted your work elsewhere, and inform us promptly if your work is accepted for publication. By submitting, you guarantee that your work is entirely your own original creation.

Send your work as an email attachment to thepocreview (at) thepoc (dot) net with “submission:” in the subject line followed by the genre. The document should be a .doc or .rtf file. Please include a short description of the work you are submitting and a brief note about yourself.

We will pay at least 3,000 Philippine pesos for each work we publish. The rights we purchase are these: first and exclusive online rights for one year, the right to place your work in an online archive (though you may have the work removed one year after publication), and first (but not exclusive) right to publish your work in a print anthology.

Our maiden issue should be online in July. We hope to publish new material every week.

The POC Review is published by the Vibal Foundation and edited by Exie Abola.

Please address all comments and questions to thepocreview (at) thepoc (dot) net.

You're still here?

I've been a delinquent blogger since the month started. When there's a lot to write for work, I don't feel like blogging. But when I'm painting, I need my word fix, so I'm more consistent. Here's the news: I won't be posting daily for the next two weeks, just re-blogging other people's links.

Of course I don't write all the time (though I'm disciplined enough to look at my word processor, only turning to my browser occasionally for the thesaurus and the dictionary--you can't be a good freelancer without self-control). When darkness falls, this is what I do.


Posted about this before, remember? My team usually has three mages, one warrior. I'm not here for the fighting--the story is all that matters to me.

[via theblast]

Note to non-gamers: the cinematical is not the same as the gameplay. Here's the online casual game version: Dragon Age Journeys. Not quite like the PC game.

Since you're here anyway, please take a look at the archives or tagged posts ("labels" in the sidebar) when you can. There's three-and-a-half years' worth of stories. If you're looking for Europe posts, check out September 2006 to December 2007. Feel free to comment, especially if you've never left a comment before. I know people are reading this, but I don't know who they are. (Thanks, though!)

My media Valentine

Come to think of it, we sort of have, but not on purpose.

[via 10,000 Words (last year's post), by way of Elaine's Google Buzz (again)]

Alma

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

Happy birthday, ma! (Hope that didn't creep you out.)


While you're in Vimeo, check out this full-CG film, which looks stunningly hyperreal.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Jeff and Erin's viral wedding invite

Now this is hilarious! I hope the couple don't mind.

Then again, it's a cultural thing. Oh, these gender/height/race/ethnicity conventions! And ah, the camp, the editing, the scoring!

[via Trendhunter]

What the world needs now...

Is this: the Charter for Compassion. Affirm the charter now.

We drink blood + Halloween break

"Pa, do you want to drink blood?" I asked my dad while grocery shopping, pointing out this Tipco juice carton. He reached for it and put it in the cart.


It tastes quite like regular orange juice. It's made from blood orange juice concentrate. I'm still a Tipco fan, though. I wish we had a local company like that.


Will be on break. Back by 3rd November. Leaving with you the stuff nightmares are made of.


Just kidding!

SEACHANGE + Youth Engagement Summit 2009

If you're a Southeast Asian youth leader between 18 and 35, sign up for SEACHANGE and get the chance to go to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 on November 16 to 17.

The Youth Engagement Summit, also known as 'YES' brings together leading Global Change Icons, luminaries such as founder of LiveAid Sir Bob Geldof, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Facebook's Director of Market Development Randi Zuckerberg, Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov, World Bank's former MD Dr.Mamphela Ramphele, the Man known as the Ultimate survivor Nando Parrado, noted former presenter for CNN and CNBC Lorraine Hahn and many more.

This movement is apolitical, non-religious and as one youth put it eloquently aprotocol!

After Ketsana

Although I am still posting about Korea, I am back in the Philippines. The storm (Ketsana/Ondoy) last weekend which dropped over a month's worth of rain in 24 hours--much more precipitation than Hurricane Katrina--seriously affected many of us in Metro Manila and Rizal province. Over 100 deaths have been reported, mainly from landslides and drowning.

It doesn't hit close to home than this. Just today, five bodies were spotted in the nearby creek. The floodwater inside our house reached 58 inches (~147cm) high indoors on Saturday night. (I uploaded a flood timeline video and narrative of the weekend's events for my Facebook contacts.)

the morning after: our upright piano is upright no more

My family is in the process of cleaning up and putting some order back into our lives, but many Filipinos lost much of what they had and are still in need of food and other essentials. There are many ways of helping, but I will not detail them here anymore, as announcements have spread throughout social networking sites. Please give what you can.

Open call: ASEUM 2009

Extended Open Call for Participants: ASEUM Symposium
Deadline extended until July 8, 2009, Wednesday

ASEUM is an international network of new media art practitioners
pushing for cultural, educational, and technological exchange on
emerging new media art practices in South East Asia and Europe.
Initiated by SABAW Media Art Kitchen (Philippines) and Multimedia
Center KIBLA (Slovenia), ASEUM hopes to draw attention to artists,
their work, their perspectives and the complex interrelationships
between technology, art and culture through various symposia,
workshops, and collaborative endeavors.

Discussions on interactive design, networked cultures, the burgeoning
open source software movements, interactivity, data visualization,
bio-technology, DIY electronics, open-source hardware,
computer/electronic music, and sound and video art are among the few
topics that will be tackled by some of the most recognized artists
working on new media art and technology in Europe and Asia.

This year’s symposium is slated to run from July 21-25, 2009 in Manila,
Philippines and is open to all artists, software programmers,
engineers, scientists, students, DIY hobbyists, and art enthusiasts.
The symposium will feature new media artists from Europe and Asia
through a series of interactive sessions, open fora, live audio-video
performances and presentations in top universities and renowned
artist-run spaces in Metro Manila.

*Please note that the hands-on workshop labs on graphical programming
languages Pure Data and DIY sound devices using Arduino can only
accommodate a limited number of participants.

To be considered for participation, please submit a 1-2 paragraph essay
(not more than 300 words) stating your purposes in joining, including
how you can contribute to the symposium given your specialization or
field of work. Please also submit your full contact details along with
the essay on or before July 8, 2009 to sabawmediahub@gmail.com or
contact 09209053421.

Complete details regarding symposium venues, speakers, performers,
presentation topics, and program flow available upon request; email eisajocson@yahoo.com.