Dear Universe...

Image from The Creative Penn

I'm (independently) publishing a novel that I wrote a couple of months ago. I never thought I'd get to this stage where I'd really pursue this thing, but I'm very much excited! I just hurdled the first of the many revision with my editor, and I'm all for positive vibes. I want to finish all editing stuff by next month, and hopefully publish by October. It's probably going to be out on Amazon/Smashwords first as I need to save up on funds for the print version. But what the hey, I'm finally getting there! 

Stay tuned as I'll definitely make some noise in this blog as I get closer to the big day. I'm really psyched to get this out!

Back to Blogging

Image from Independent Fashion Bloggers

I've been thinking about going back to blogging for the past few days and one of those things I wasted time on was looking for a new layout (new look, new beginning?). I wanted something minimalist and I've tried to install/uninstall layout files to no avail. I just figured to hell with it, I'll just use Blogger's old templates and be done with it. The challenge would be to try to post something consistently and to not fall back into ningas kugon.

Green mango ice cream with bagoong

The stuff every Filipino's craving

I first encountered this amazing thing about green mango ice cream with bagoong (shrimp paste) from one of my friends who went to Sebastian's Artisan Ice Cream. And when I went to Katipunan yesterday and saw Sebastian's, I knew my curiosity had to be sated. For Php 140, a single serve of the sour mango ice cream topped with warm bagoong is just pure bliss. I love how the contrast of sourness and saltiness mix well together in one perfect blend. Sebastian perfectly recreated the Pinoy snack we all love. Although I have to say that one serving is more than enough. But if you're extremely craving for mangoes and bagoong, this certainly hits the spot!

November agonies

It's just four days left until the end of November and I'm just so stoked. I just want to get over this month after making my fingers go all numb from all that typing for NaNoWriMo. I'm still at 47k-ish and I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, there's still some editing to do because I'm betting my entire bookshelf that I wrote crap for the most part that I've rushed to meet the daily quota. I've been thinking about the loopholes in the plot as well, but thank God for my uncanny ability to shut my inner editor into silence. I'm so sure that I'll be wading through the muck that I've written this December. Hopefully I'll be able to write "The End" to this year's story and I'm crossing all my fingers and toes for that. 

I'm just so not in my element writing this novel in another country. I would have been able to enjoy being here a lot better if not for the daily writing that I have to put up with. Ugh. I just want to get my life back.

Interrupting this long silence...

My Facebook badge of courage. Courtesy of the OLL.

...to say that it's less than 4 hours left 'til the epic madness that is NaNoWriMo! I may have been MIA from the blogosphere, but I'm still around. It's just that I've been so lazy writing anything for the blog lately, and irony of ironies, I'm joining NaNo. Crazy, crazy.

I've got a lot of things going this November, some are not-so-good career-wise, but I'm keeping myself open to possibilities. Taking on this yearly writing challenge is a way for me to zap myself out of my lazy stupor and get creative. Also this year, I've challenged myself not only to reach 50k but to also write the ending to the story I'm working on. Actually, 50k words is not my target, but a definitive "The End" to the story.

To top it all off, I'm gonna be writing my novel in Singapore where I will also challenge my fate and luck in opportunities. Yay!

Big words. Hope I can make the cut. See you at the end of November (or in the next few days as I would probably rant and whine in utter madness this month)!