Poetry Workshop at Buco Bamboo, Kauswagan

 I am an absolutely lousy writer.

This isn't being falsely humble or putting myself down. It's accepting that I still need to learn. People around me seem to believe that I know a lot, especially in writing. Actually, I see there is something missing -something I have to seek out. Writing isn't about loving the way you play with words. It's about reaching out to everyone with your ideas - ideas that can help positively change their lives. Besides, writers are supposed to put the business of communicating first, right? So honestly, I feel I have so much to say but so little time.

The workshop held at Buco Bamboo sparked my interest to go back to poetry. Well, I did write rhyming verses before but there were waaaayyy back in highschool and their themes then were low fare. I mean, they were more about love and not about deeper themes that most accomplished poets are known. Ma'am Zola and her fellow critics told things that I needed improvement with the piece I made there on the fly. Ordinary guys would shrink and never take up the pen again. But being with them gave me ideas on how to put real life in rhyme (if possible). Poems often are written with no ending syllables in each line sounding alike, though I would love to do that (sounds like music to me that way). The budding poets there like Roselyn inadvertently shared ideas on how to "paint" words onto paper. 

At Buco Bamboo restaurant along Kauswagan highway

Thanks guys - hope to see you all this Saturday again at Sutosaki's...

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And I thought Mondays were manic.... :p

It's the last day of Hamlet/Recursos. Been there at the Little Theater to see it again. Really loved the funny parts - was worth watching the second time...
I also ran into friends there and I learned something interesting from one of them. This has been quite an interesting day. Hope to share about it with you guys soon....

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Hello friends...

Hi - I'm back! :-D Wait for my posts at the end of the month.... ;-)

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CdeO theater review - Recursos

Recursos: the Kagay-anon Hamlet

Why it is not only a good Hamlet adaptation, but also a timely social commentary

photo courtesy of The Xavier Stage FB page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Xavier-Stage/184957758224726)

I’d say that my 75 bucks was worth being transfixed by it for more than an hour and a half. As to what I was talking about “wasting” my time and money on, it’s the play “Recursos” – an adaptation of the Shakespearean play, Hamlet. Though retold for the present generation and made to fit the local social context, the essence of Hamlet is still there: the quest for vengeance spurred by a ghost, the hero’s purported “insantiy” and his eventual demise. It could’ve been perfect hadn’t they left out an adapted version of the scene involving Yorick’s skull (more on that later). So, how would I respond to it – rather, critique it – as one of the audience? (Some spoiler details up ahead – you’ve been warned…)

Was the plot internally consistent? Yes – every event, every scene that unfolded drove it along well. The play thankfully spared me from the temptation of going straight home to torture myself with the crazy storytelling of our local TV “teleserye”. It detailed the reason Eric had to come home (being the plot’s core) and how every event dovetailed to that reason, eventually leading up to the showdown between the hero and his father’s murderer. Thus, eliminating a scene from it would be like leaving out a piece of the puzzle, denying the viewer the whole picture of it. By the way, the plot structure was almost organized along Aristotelian lines. But it followed that of the regular Greek plays in having a late point of attack. In the case of Recursos, that happens midway in the story when Eric arrives in his hometown from Manila. That would begin to fulfill the play’s crisis: Eric’s task to avenge his father’s death brought about by his uncle.  It would have gone on smoothly hadn’t it been for two major complications: first, Eric’s doubts on his sanity and second, Rodolfo’s schemes to get Nina to break with Eric. (Nina is Eric’s love interest in the play, as Ophelia was to Hamlet in the Shakespearean original.) As to the first, it is unlike the original, where Hamlet had TO PRETEND he was insane. In the adaptation, the hero believed he was REALLY going insane because of the fact he’s seeing his dead father frequently. In our period, having visions of a deceased relative would mean two things to the modern day psychiatric community: either the person was smoking some serious crack or that it proves he’s an inbred offspring born with a serious mental problem. Add that up with the hero’s personal dilemma on whether he should bring his late father’s murderer to justice and it’s sure to make his belief in his craziness a lot worse. Regarding the second complication, Recursos’ scheming lawyer in the person of Rodolfo – Nina’s father – wants to ingratiate himself with the enemies of his employer and thus protect his interests. To do so, he is finding ways to keep his daughter away from the protagonist to make sure their relationship doesn’t get in his way.

If asked whether each character is active, interesting and consistent, I’d say “yes”. One only need listen to the dialogs and observe their interactions with each other. All the actors’ roles support each other’s characters: for example, Nina’s innocence brings out his father’s cunning through the latter’s outright flattery upon the former. Such interactions make the characters active or alive. The actors’ lines coupled with their emotions make their characters consistent with their roles. Rodolfo’s cunning is highlighted in his fatherly talk with his son, Rigor, where he gives the latter advice on how to outsmart his foes. Overall, each of them is interesting. The playwright may do away with Eric’s two hometown friends but without them, the hero would not be able to use their revelations as later clues to his uncle’s involvement in the murder. Nina could’ve been taken out to intensify the audience’s focus on Eric’s quest for vengeance. But that would also mean eliminating her family’s part in the play, which would later be crucial to highlight Enrique’s involvement in the death of Eric’s father. Rigor’s alliance with Enrique in the later part of the play would finally substantiate Eric’s suspicions on his uncle, helping to bring the story to a close.

Ideas of responsibility, loyalty and the value of family ties are evident in the play – Eric carrying out his obligation to fulfill his father’s wishes, the bonds between Eric and his hometown friends… That goes to show Hamlet’s universality though it is retold in a different time and place. Adding – or rather, enhancing – the play is its commentary on the issue of illegal mining and how it erodes the morals of those involved in it. Enrique’s greed made him kill his own brother (Eric’s father) to gain control of Recursos, the mining company they both founded. The desire to hold on to the power afforded by Recursos’ profits makes the company’s board bribe public officials look the other way in spite of (among other things)  the damage that the company is already making upon the environment. That was evident early on in the play, during the conversation between Jack-Jack and Pao on how their parents on the board manage to run things in an underhanded way.

What about the play’s language? For the sake of some foreigners who attended, the dialog should’ve been in English (the lines were in the Philippine national language). Nevertheless, no doubt that the dialogs were expressive and their delivery drew in my interest – especially the occasional comic dialogs. Referring to an emotionally-tense scene where Jack-Jack asks Pao whether Eric’s gun is loaded, its delivery didn’t fail to make the audience laugh. Same goes for the dialog between Carina, Eric’s mother, and Rodolfo after the hero rapes Nina. Carina’s gay-style sarcasm would be equal to that of Vice Ganda’s.

The musical cues timed in with specific events in the play, giving the audience clues as to what to expect in the next scene, thereby enriching and supporting both the characters and ideas as a whole. In spite of the minimalist setting, the overall visual theme it bore – that of a mining company’s surroundings – contributed much to the play’s spectacle, though I missed the iconic skull of Yorick in the adaptation. It could’ve been retranslated as the skull of a lowly miner very loyal to Eric’s late father. In the original Hamlet, there was a scene where the remains of Yorick, the late king’s court jester, was unearthed and his skull handled by the protagonist. The court jester was the late king’s loyal and trusted confidant. 

So, is Recursos worth another second viewing? Does it deserve an encore? Is it worth recommending to friends who haven’t seen it? Yeah, by all means – and they have up to the 30^th of June to catch it. Definitely, the 75-peso entrance fee is worth it.

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Another "ARRRGGGHHHH!" moment...

Judnez everlaluh! Imviyernetch to the max tralalalaluh this!

My laptop just bogged down - and I'm forced to go online in an internet house just write this post...

Sorry boys and girls - I'll be back at the end of this month to send in my articles for you all!

Tech issues needed to be fixed - but worry! I'll make up - REALLY make up - for this! :-)

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7 Rules That Guys Ought To Know When In an Argument with Their Girl Friend or a Girl They Like

As with my other article, I would want to write this from a girl's perspective...

     An experience of my straight guy pal inspired me to write this guide. It's something I've also observed over the years of my girl pals with either their boyfriends or with guys they just hang out with. What happened between him and his girl pal (who happens to be my friend also) shared the same thing with my observations: men are just plain clueless on how a girl thinks during an argument. I hope that what I'll share would change all that. So here are the six rules to help guys know what to do when they get into a fight with a girl:

Rule 1 – Never, ever a hit a girl

     Hit us and it is over – no further explanation needed.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? In some cases, it does help to put some sense into her – like when both of your lives are in danger and she’s acting like crazy. But in an ordinary argument, it pays to control yourself. Then again, what if she hits you first? Unless she comes at you with a knife, it is best to accept her blows – just don’t let her kill you. Having you dead is something that both of you will really be very sorry for.

Rule 2 - Never, ever fight in public

     This is the next important rule and guys with common sense know why. Personal arguments with a girl are meant to be private moments - not out in the streets. Besides, it doesn't look good for a guy to be seen in a shouting match with a girl. The public humiliation would be too much for the girl that she'd totally shut the guy out forever. So if a fight can't be avoided, following Rule number 4 helps.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? Guys should be concerned with a girl’s safety if they happen to be out on a date or just somewhere else. More often, a girl would want the guy to take her home so guys should do so when she demands it. But a really angry girl would really want to stay away from you ASAP. When that happens, apply Rule number 5 but do check up on her. In the first place, it would be best to have someone else with you two, like a close friend of hers and another friend. In case things didn’t go well between you and her, at least she won’t go home alone. (Did I already mention that you need to observe Rule number 5?)

Rule 3 – Let her vent steam

     Trying to explain your side would only make us girls really angry. To us girls, a guy who explains himself is really giving excuses to cover up his mistake. Being in an angry state, we girls can’t think straight to realize what you guys are saying. So the more that guys talk the more that girls will get angry. If the guy persists and the girl still won’t listen, things can get worse. Eventually, he’ll get so mad that he may scream at her – or worse, even hit her. So it’s better to just let her words out of your other ear and wait till calms down.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? There are girls who give the silent treatment to their men, but even that is subject to Rule number 4. Say anything else and she’ll take it as a lame excuse, making her shoot it down and start a word war between you two. Then that means, it still isn’t the best time to talk to her, considering how she feels now.

Rule 4 –Give a short “sorry” then excuse yourself and leave

     Even if she stops ranting, the sight of you still reminds her of what she hates you for. In Filipino, it means that “nakikita pa niya sa iyo ang kina-iimbiyernahan niya”. The longer you stay, the more likely she’ll start cursing you again. So it’s better to follow Rule number 5. Even if she demands an explanation, just tell her you’ll talk with her when she’s feeling better then leave. An angry girl – even if she wants an explanation from you – is still an angry girl who only wants to vent her frustrations. No use then telling her what she wants then – just cut the confrontation short and come back at a better time.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? There are arguments that require your attention – like if she complains that you aren’t spending more time with her or if she suspects you’re cheating on her but it isn’t true. In those situations, a guy who leaves without giving an explanation (AND assuring her) is giving a bad impression. It’s like telling her you’re hiding something. So it’s best to GENTLY confront her – otherwise, there’s always another time.

Rule 5 – Give her space

     This is something that you men really have to work on – patience and self-control is most needed from you. Of course, the feeling of guilt would make you all feel that you’ve never had the chance to show her how sorry you truly are. Okay, that’s understandable. But the problem is, the mind of an angry girl still has the misunderstanding fresh in her head. So it’s better to be totally out of her life for the time being. That even extends to cellphones AND social media, especially in Facebook. So don’t send her a PM, never like her status or any comment posted on her timeline, or even post anything in her timeline. In short, leave her Facebook profile alone as well as her Twitter, etc. Also, quit sending her text messages or make missed calls. Anything that reminds her of you will annoy her all the more. That will make her remember even more the very thing she hated you for in the first place – that "one thing" you wanted her to forget. Might as well do something worthwhile while waiting AND focus on finding ways to make up with her.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? Leave her alone too much and she’ll not only think you’ve forgotten her but that you’re also not worth for a second chance. This is where her friends come in. Of course, some of her girl pals would want to stay out of it since it’s a personal affair. But if you really took the time to know ALL of her friends, there will be one who’s bound to help you with sensible advice and even work to get her to forgive you on your behalf. On the other hand, if SHE is the one who’s at fault... Don’t make the first move in making amends with a girl who has done you wrong – she ought to be the one working for it.

Rule 6 – When you unexpectedly bump into each other, be nice then be on your way

     It’s a small world and you may never know just when your paths may cross. So guys, if you happen to bump into her somewhere- and you’re still both NOT on good terms - just give a “Hi” and be on your way. Obviously, there’s a chance she’ll ignore you but treat the situation as a good opportunity to know if she is still angry with you or not. 

ANY EXCEPTIONS? There’s no point ignoring this rule if you’re the one at fault. As with Rule 5, dealing with this situation takes patience and self-control.  So just follow the advice of her friends who are sympathetic with you. Also continue to be nice with her in case you run into her again but still back off if you feel she is still angry. Otherwise, that will be the right time to apply Rule number 7.

Rule 7 – When you have finally managed to truly show how sorry you feel, don’t immediately expect things to be the same as they were before

     Even if a girl has accepted your apology, she somehow still remembers happened between you and her. With guys and their girlfriends, expect months before she’ll be back to her old self. Unfortunately, for guys who have been friendzoned (that is, the dreaded “let’s-just-be-friends” status) by the girls they like, don’t expect anything much. Just learn from the experience then move on to the next willing girl.

ANY EXCEPTIONS? Ignore this rule and she’ll think you’re still an asshole. There are no exceptions to this rule.

     There you have it – 7 rules to help make you back into her good graces (well, not much for the friendzoned though…) But backing off doesn’t mean you’re weak or that you don’t deserve a second chance - it means you’re being a gentleman. But if some girls can’t understand your gesture, then consider it a blessing. Only in an argument would you know who a person really is – that means, such girls are better off to be out of your life. On the other hand, you’d impress a girl so much that she’d might think that you’re The One.

Related posts:

10 Things That Guys Must Know When Courting A Girl and Keeping Her - From A Modern Pinay's Perspective

Random thoughts on Love and Marriage

read more "7 Rules That Guys Ought To Know When In an Argument with Their Girl Friend or a Girl They Like"

10 Things That Guys Must Know When Courting A Girl and Keeping Her - From A Modern Pinay's Perspective

It pays to present this from a girl's perspective - so...

   ...any guy out there looking for love ought to consider these ten points for a long and satisfying Pinoy love life - starting at number 10:

10 - Your girlfriend is never always yours

     Many guys make the mistake that once a girl they like says "yes" to being their girlfriend, she's his forever. (Really?) Girls are humans with feelings and also with a thinking brain - they aren't toys as most guys think. Try making the relationship boring or do something she really hates and don't be surprised if she leaves you the next day. So don't be an asshole and treat her right.

Any exceptions? It takes effort to make a relationship last - so there is no exception.

9 - Use absence to make the heart grow fonder

     After two or three monthsaries, it can get pretty annoying for her to always see you. That can also be a lot worse if both of you are living together. So give her a time off and let her enjoy her individuality once in a while. In her moments alone, she may well miss you and crave to again to relive your moments together afterwards.

Any exceptions? Unless both of you REALLY want to be together always, then ignore this rule and get married (Wedding bells na ever) - JOKE! Well, maybe you might but I won't discuss that here... Anyway, there are some guys who may find it a problem. So be honest with your girl on wanting a time off for yourself BUT assure her that it'll still be the two of you always. Otherwise, if she is the NEEDY type (that is, she unreasonably wants you in her sight 24/7) then it's your fault to have ignored point 2 in this list (You'll soon know why...)

8 - Seal things with a gesture

      The line, "Can you be my girlfriend?" sounds so elementary sixth grade that we girls would wonder as to what planet you're from. So if you're assuring us that you aren't a retard, keep yourself from asking us that. Be indirect - take us somewhere romantic or fun with just the two of us and follow point 7, then you'd know already it is officially US. (Why point 7? Keep on reading...)

Any exceptions? If you have read point 2, then you'd be aware there definitely is. Some girls would be dying to hear that from you, so go ahead - unless point 7 has guided you to do so.... Hence, next item please....

7 - Be wary of the signs     

     We girls are so annoyed with guys who are so "assuming". By that, we mean guys who are deluded into believing that we "like" him just because we spoke to him first, we were the first to initiate a chat with him on Facebook - blah, blah, blah, etc... (Girl to Assuming Guy: can you buy me a gun so that I can kill you? We just met, like, 25 minutes and 36 seconds ago but your hand is on MY ass....Ohhh, I really want you DEAD!)

     But we're also SO frustrated with guys WE REALLY Like because he's too dense to take the Hint (Girl madly in love internal dialog: Arrghhh!!! Why are you waiting for next year to just simply KISS me?!) Okay, you’d ask: how the hell do we know? Two words, gentlemen: body language. You can tell that when you get too close to us and we don't give that "WTF?!” stare. Hold our hands at random when we're out strolling and we won't complain - in fact, we’d grip your hand so tightly that we'll love it. (Girl's internal dialog to Guy She Likes: Fuck, just holding hands?! When the hell are you going to caress me all over?! Ergh! You dense bastard!) In case we resist, just back off and say sorry because it was accident (but please, don't make it too obvious so that your apology will be very convincing). But stop from gauging us from time to time - for as they say, "Only the persistent get lucky".

Any exceptions? So many guys either get friendzoned or just plain banned from a girl's life because they have ignored her body language or reaction. It then pays to always bear this point in mind, for there definitely is no exception.

6 - Do the romantically unexpected

      Nothing can sweep us girls off our feet than a guy who gets to give us what we want. But this doesn't mean that you have to be super rich to buy us what we want. It also doesn't mean that you must play hero for us. If you'd taken the time to reflect on point 2, you'd get an idea from what to expect from the girl of your desire - which turns out to be so simple enough.

Any exceptions? Nope, none unfortunately. Nothing is more seductive than a guy who takes the effort to do so.

5 - Focus on the person, not on the body

      A guy who makes sex his sole focus in a relationship just both scares and disgusts us. It doesn't look good for a guy who stares at us as if he's taking off our clothes bit by bit. More so if he talks to us and we notice that his eyes are wandering onto other sensitive parts of our anatomy. Actually, we don’t want to admit outright that we also like sex. But it won’t look good on us if we give the direct impression we’re such easy lays. For now, keep your porn fantasies of us to yourself and treat us nice - because, who knows? If you've been patient and genuinely nice...

Any exceptions? Ignore this, guys, and get ready to be permanently banned from our lives. You're not even worth being friendzoned if that's the case (it doesn't take a genius to know why...)

4 - Act friendly but not as a friend

      Hmmm - confusing isn't it? Not really - if you've already come across points 1, 2, and 3. So don't hang around her too long and dream of ways to make her think about you, basing from what you know about her. Don't give the impression that you're too familiar with her - but make sure you know her shifting moods to keep from offending her. That said, you're saved from being friend-zoned.

Any exceptions? Obviously, when you act as a friend then you will be just a friend to her. There is no exception.

3 - Approach indirectly

      Unless a guy rates low on her instant desirability scale, it's love at first sight for her. Girls put up a resistance when they feel a guy is interested in them. So, they put him in the friend category for the time being. When meeting the girl of your desire, try to know where she hangs out often so that you can run into her. Just make your meetings brief if she's alone so that it would not appear scripted. Avoid meeting her in awkward situations – you’ll only appear as an asshole to her, or worse. But if it is unavoidable, your sense of humor will be a definite plus for you in those situations. Back off ASAP when you've made her comfortable and kept her from being suspicious. Most important thing to remember here is, use whatever you know about the girl to steal her heart. (Again, reading point 2 would you help you understand why)  If the girl is with a friend, approach the friend but not her. Take time to make her friends your friends - since they can help a lot in convincing her that you're good BF material. Later on, they may even help you when you and the girl happen to be in a misunderstanding.

Any exceptions? As with point 4, there is no exception.

2 - Know your mark

       There is such a thing as compatibility – not every girl is meant to be with a certain guy and vice-versa. Though a girl seems she’s into you, better think twice – is she even worth it? That girl you like but who ignores you? Well, she maybe the one…or maybe not. So, how do you find out who’s the one? First, know AND firmly decide what sort of girl you want. But don’t think of the perfect girl – don’t expect anything flawless from someone who’s also human like you (and I’m not just talking about our legs). Even the hottest angelic model can also be a slut from hell in private – think Denice Cornejo. That said, always consider a girl’s fault that you can live with. Want needy girls? If you’re needy yourself then go for her – but learn to live with her moments of insecurity and unreasonable jealousy (Needy girl internal dialog: He’s supposed to see me 10 seconds ago after class. Who the hell’s he seeing with behind my back?!) Love a beautiful gold digger? Unless you’re a super-rich haciendero’s grandson who doesn't worry about not having enough money, she maybe heaven to you. But you need to put up with her uncontrollable spending – that is, if you can positively turn it around (I would love to explain that last point further but that’s for another article…) Once you've solidly decided on your target girl, take the time to who she really is by legally stalking her. You can try Facebook but it’s not reliable – privacy settings can keep a lot from you and she may not even post revealing things about her. Befriend her friends instead and ask them about her in an indirect way without giving a hint that you’re after her. Observe from a distance so that you won’t appear creepy to her –get to know what guy really makes her heart flutter. Reliable knowledge is power, so they say, and only those prepared with it always gets the girl. Regarding beauty, it’s not worth it. Looks fade – and if your affection does too, then you have no business having a girlfriend.

Any exceptions?  Many guys have had their love lives ruined because they picked the wrong girl. They even wished the girl had them friendzoned in the first place than being their girlfriend. Ignore this rule then and enjoy a life of misery.

1 - Make something out of yourself

       No girl would be in her right mind to have a loser for a boyfriend – even if he looks like Mario Maurer or Lee Min-ho. Pretenders are also another sort of losers who play on appearances just to get the girl. So guys, do yourself a favor and be real – start upgrading yourself. Go to the gym and beef up. Find some way to legally make a lot of money so that you won’t come up short for anything (even on dates with the object of your desire). By the way, you need not tell us you’re doing all that stuff – you’ll look like you’re bragging to us. We girls notice anyway… When you let your actions speak for yourself in a subtle way, it turns us on. Such an impression scores big on us – so don’t be surprised if you find us trying hard to get your attention.

Any exceptions? Only losers would ignore this most important point of all. Unless you are one, don’t try looking for an exception to this…

     Last word – don’t do all this stuff for the sake of having a girlfriend. Do all those points with the sincere intent of being a better person. Nothing can make a girl fall in love with a guy than one who makes an effort to prove his love so out of sincerity…


Related Posts:

7 Rules That Guys Ought To Know When In an Argument with Their Girl Friend or a Girl They Like

Random thoughts on Love and Marriage

read more "10 Things That Guys Must Know When Courting A Girl and Keeping Her - From A Modern Pinay's Perspective"

Random thoughts on Love and Marriage

Chito proposes to Neri (photo courtesy of Nice Print Photography & Exige Wedding - thru their Facebook fanpage)

Chito and Neri seal it with a kiss (photo courtesy of philsense.com)

Having seen Chito and Neri’s wedding proposal video, it made me think: what’s its purpose? It’s really meant to prepare a couple for marriage within a month’s time. When a guy takes too long to marry his girl, he shouldn’t have proposed in the first place. Any personal or financial problems he has would’ve been fixed long ago. The longer a guy decides on the wedding date, the weaker the bride-to-be’s enthusiasm for their continued relationship. Eventually, the engagement falls apart. If your girl is the one, then prepare years ahead. You can’t depend on an engagement ring to make her stick to you…

     So guys, reflect on that…

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Speaking from a girl’s perspective

This is what is often in a guy’s head – had my girl been like this, it would have been cool.

     Too often you think we need to improve with this and that about us… But have you ever given thought lately on what to change in or about you?

Accept the fact – what we girls are today may not be the same yesterday, but who we are yesterday will be the same today and tomorrow. Yeah, we may change for the better or for worse – but guys, please, consider that you’re human too.

Think of being a better person everyday to your girl as best as you can.

I believe you guys already know hard it is to be lonely. Oftentimes, it’s because of your fault.

Think about it…..

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My "AAARRRGGHHH!" moment...

Christ, it's driving me nuts just to put in a Nuffnang leaderboard ad. I was literally tearing my hair out from the frustration in doing so. Trial and error fucking sucks! >:-(

Anyway, for my fellow starting Blogspot bloggers out there who are having the same shitty problem that I have, I've got a post here that may help you.

In your blogspot account, click on the tiny arrow drop-down button next to the paper icon (that's the one in between the pen and "View blog" buttons). In the menu, click on "Template". It should look like the one below...

Once on the "Template" page, click on the "Edit HTML" button. (That's the one next to the "Customize" button - do you see it here?). By the way, before you make any changes to the template, create a backup of it by clicking on the "Backup/Restore" button...

Once done with the backup, clicking on the "Edit HTML" button will lead you to this page...

Click inside the window, then press "Ctrl+F".

In the upper-right corner there will appear a search box. Type this line of code in there then press "Enter".
<div class='fauxborder-left main-fauxborder-left'>

Once it is highlighted, copy then paste the following code directly above it:
<!-- nuffnang -->
<script type="text/javascript">
        nuffnang_bid = "6fe4a97b10a6316ad0bb4291872e2891";
        document.write( "<div id='nuffnang_lb'></div>" );
        (function() {
                var nn = document.createElement('script'); nn.type = 'text/javascript';    
                nn.src = 'http://synad2.nuffnang.com.ph/lb.js';    
                var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(nn, s.nextSibling);
        })();
</script>
<!-- nuffnang-->

(See the pic below to guide you...)

Save the template then view it. You'll see a tiny rectangle ad directly below your navbar.

Any questions about this, just comment below the post...
That's all for now :-)

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Hello - this is just a test page...

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Personal entry for the day....

It's been a long time since I have picked up my pen to write a draft for a story, then took to my computer to have posted it in a blog. So many things have happened to me - sadly, most of it bad. I can't accept the fact that life was meant to be unfair  and that suffering cannot be avoided. So, does that mean we have to openly embrace all the bad things that life throws at us and let it be? Screw it - I don't want to live my life like a martyr. The Buddha once said that, "your thoughts determine your reality". If life is what we believe it to be, then that will be our reality. Yeah, life is hard - but we have the right to ease whatever miserable circumstances we are in... If others are living a comfortable life, then I deserve that kind of life also.... 
Anyway, I'm making some design and layout touches to my blog. I want all my posts here presentable - good design matters as much as good content... Pardon if the blog's look keeps on changing from time to time. Probably by June, everything here will be settled :-) 
Stay tuned - you'll read a lot from me in the coming days.... 

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THE RED-HAIRED DOLL

Japanese traditional dolls are called "ningyo" in Nihongo, which literally translates as "human shape". Japan is famous for its highly-skilled craftsmen. Hence, the dolls that they make are so well made - they even look alive. One such kind of doll they make is called "ichimatsu ningyo". These are life-sized dolls; that is, they are as large - and shaped - as an actual human being. The eerie quality of these life-like dolls came to be associated with spooky legends and terrifying tales. One tale concerned such a doll in Tokyo, made sometime in 1958. It is a truly beautiful doll: dressed in a geisha's kimono, having eyes of amber brown set in a round face and with shoulder-length, red flowing hair. It was named "Hana" after the wife of Senosuke Hiroshii, the doll's maker.

     Senosuke made the doll as a loving tribute to his wife. Born to a red-headed Irish woman and her Japanese husband, Hana - Senosuke's wife – was a redhead like her mother but has her father’s native looks. When her husband told her he shall create an ichimatsu ningyo in her image, Hana was both so touched and flattered. That made her promise to Senosuke that the doll's hair shall come from every strand of her own. She did so every day for many years as Senosuke made the doll - twenty strands of Hana's long red hair went to the doll's scalp each day. When it was finished, the doll was so much like the wife - it was even as tall as her. Senosuke even put a widow's peak in its hairline as his wife has. By then, Hana and Senosuke became old - their youthful hair and looks gave way to the white hair strands and wrinkles of old age. But the doll kept the color and shine of Hana's hair in her youth - the features of her youth were even copied. Their love was so strong as it was when they were young- they were that so devoted to each other. When Hana passed away, Senosuke was greatly sad for the loss of his wife. The doll gave him the consolation he needed, for part of Hana was still with it. He treated the doll as if it were a living person, as if it was Hana herself. In the morning, he would carefully wash its long, red silky hair - a memento from his dear, departed wife. He would also carefully dry then gently comb it, making sure that not a single strand would fall off or be damaged. Afterwards, the body will be wiped with a clean cloth. It will be perfumed then dressed with a fresh kimono. The doll was then placed in a chair in a special section built into a wall of Senosuke’s room. Before going to bed at night, he would gently take the doll beside him and again gently comb its hair then lay it beside him as he goes to sleep. This he did everyday in his remaining years. At the time of Senosuke’s death, no one attended to the doll. It was forgotten and it remained in its space for many years - the house it was in became dark, empty and silent. Senosuke’s relatives then came to the house to tend it and live in it. The room where the doll was kept became a guest room and from there, many strange incidents happened.

    At night, sounds of a woman crying are heard whenever someone passes by the room. One can feel the unusual winter cold inside the room – even at noon and though the window screens are closed. Guests staying in there for the night would sleep with the creepy feeling that someone else is in there with them. One male guest narrated a terrifying experience when he came to the house to stay for two weeks and slept alone in the very room where the doll was.

   In the first few nights, he would smell sweet perfume within the room. Later on, he would vividly dream of a beautiful woman with long, red hair caressing his body. Waking up in the morning, he would find himself totally naked – all of his clothes strewn on the bed and on the floor. Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night after he felt what seemed to be sharp fingernails scratching the skin on his arms and legs. The scariest thing that happened occurred five days before he was to leave. A voice whispered into his ear saying, “You’ll be with me forever.” It woke him from his sleep and looked around him. Then, an unseen hand grabbed his private parts, startling him. He then felt someone gently leaning next to him and turned around to see the red-haired woman from his dreams. What frightened him about the woman was that it seemed only the upper half of her body was visible. She was floating near the bed - her waist and legs were missing! In horror, he screamed and ran out of the room waking everyone up in the house. He told what happened to the head of the household, prompting them to call for the help of a miko, or a Japanese female shaman. The next day, the miko came to the house and performed a ritual to put her into a trance. In that state, she was able to speak to the spirit which turned out to be the long-dead Hana. The miko learned that Hana still yearns for her dead husband and has been waiting for him every night for his touch. Her very ghost now inhabits the doll that Senosuke made. The ghost was then asked why she kept on disturbing the male guest. It turned out that the young man looked very much like the dead Senosuke, so the ghost kept on trying to get his attention. It was then decided that the doll should be removed from the room and brought to the Zōshigaya cemetery, where the couple was buried. A small shrine was built over the graves of Hana and Senosuke to place the doll in. When it was finished, the doll was placed inside and the miko then placed a ritual seal to prevent the ghost from leaving it. No more did the ghost haunt the room ever again. The doll – and the ghost – forever shall guard the graves of the couple from then on.

     To this day, one can see the shrine that still stands in that very Tokyo cemetery...

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