"The Privilege" published by Philippines Free Press

Hi there,

If you have time (and money), please get a copy of the April 30, 2011 issue of The Philippines Free Press. My story, "The Privilege" is in there somewhere (if I can only get my hands on a copy!). In any case the story's also available online. Please visit http://philippinesfreepress.com.ph/2011/04/30/the-privilege/ if you wanna have a look. :)

Fellows for the 50th Silliman National Writers Workshop

Lifted from Alyza's blog hehe:
Silliman University National Writers Workshop Director-in-Residence Rowena Tiempo-Torrevillas, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Silliman University are pleased to announce that the following young writers have been accepted as fellows for the 50th Silliman University National Writers Workshop scheduled on 2-20 May 2011:

For Poetry
Charmaine Carreon (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Evangeline Gubat  (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Jeffrey Javier (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)
Allen Samsuya (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)
Alyza Taguilaso (University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc.)

For Fiction
Glenn Diaz (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Christine Lao (University of the Philippines, College of Law)
Emmanuel Lava (Ateneo de Manila University)
Andrea Macalino (Ateneo de Manila University)
Marius Monsanto (University of the Philippines-Mindanao)

For Creative Non-Fiction
Philline Donggay (De La Salle University)
Rogelio Garcia, Jr. (Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan)
Miguel Sulangi (Ateneo de Manila University)
Elaine Tobias (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Maria Villaruel (De La Salle University)

This year’s panel of critics is composed of Dumaguete-based writers Myrna Peña Reyes, Bobby Villasis and Cesar Ruiz Aquino, as well as guest panelists Susan Lara, DM Reyes, Dave Genotiva, Ricky de Ungria, Gemino Abad, and Alfred Yuson. For this summer, internationally-acclaimed Singaporean writer from Singapore Management University, Kirpal Singh, will be sitting in with the panel.
The workshop, which is the longest running Writers Workshop in Asia, is coordinated by the Silliman University Department of English and Literature.

Next Appearance: Philippines Free Press

Plug of the day: Howdy! I've just been notified that my short story "The Privilege" will come out in the April 30 issue of the Philippines Free Press! The PFP copies will be out in news stands and book stores by April 26/27. (Hope you can get a copy *wink*wink* And well send me over some feedback if you can) :))

New Training Cycle for 2011 :)

The Natgeo Earth Day Run last Sunday was...how do I say this, really fun. I believe this must be one of the the biggest races I ever joined, with over 10,000 participants. I was awed by the sheer number of people. I didn't know how great the running community's been doing these past few days. Looks like the trend has really taken off! And well, lots of companies are able to make money out of this by charging us a hell lot more than they did five years ago, when I could register for a race and get a singlet for as low as Php200.

In any case, the run was for our planet, and I guess the Php900++ I paid for the 10K distance is nothing compared to what we've done to harm nature. I've never raced in Bonifacio High Street before, and it was the first time I experienced the "high" part of the street. The route had about four uphill climbs, with the last one being the longest. It was good I came prepared, as I'd integrated hill work in my just-finished training program. I didn't get my goal time of 57 mins. I clocked in at about 59+, which is still okay given that I was still had a cough. It was sort of embarrassing coughing while running, almost as if I might have an asthma attack at any moment. At about kilometer 8, I DID feel like I might have an attack (which hasn't happened to me in years), but I still finished strong. Too bad there were too many people heading for the finish line so I wasn't able to sprint my all. At the end of the race, I felt like I still had something to give.

I was so hungry after finishing! And there weren't many freebies save for the 1,000 pizza slices from Greenwich. I was bumped out of the line so I wasn't able to get a piece. Darn, I wish they'd gotten some food brands for sponsors! :S

Met my officemate, Des, at the race. She ran the 5K. And we took some pics while at the activity area:

Aww, how round naman my cheeks haha :b

Des and I (too bad I changed my shirt already, the singlet was pretty cool)

I'll be taking a break for the rest of April. I think I might have developed an overuse injury on my left foot. There's been this throbbing pain on my forefoot that comes back every time I run. I hope by May it's gone as I'll be starting a new program by then. I hope I can make 24 mins for my next 5K race, and 56 for the 10K!

Natgeo Run

This will be my last race for this training cycle. I joined the 10K distance for the NATGEO Earth Day Run on April 10, 2011. I've had colds and cough since last week, so I'm having doubts about how I'll do tomorrow. In any case, I'm excited. I've heard there will be lots of international participants. I bet I'll see lots of runners who'll further inspire me in the sport.

I've been musing these days about being "sporty." "Sporty" and "girly" doesn't seem to be a very usual combination in the Philippines. When I see these types of girls in magazines, they're featured as one-of-a-kind creatures, and maybe they are since for the longest time, girls and muscles don't really mix well, unless the muscles belong to a guy. I don't appreciate constantly being called "macho" because for me it's sexist. Can't a girl love her sport and have the body for it, without being called boyish? I don't even have half the muscles of a female Olympic athlete, and the people around me already find it unusual that I have such an athletic bod. It's getting really annoying, this preoccupation with BODY. I just try to block it out of my system, but in times when I'm in a rotten mood, I really won't let it pass. Some might say I should be proud of how I am. But who said I wasn't proud in the first place? I'm not the one who had a problem with being sporty, I don't get surprised I have a body like this. It's no joke what we go through to train almost everyday just to do well in our goal competition, so I'd appreciate it to stop with the "you're a guy" jokes already, because no, I AM A GIRL, accept it.

I so want to curse right now.