Check out B's newly designed site at
brianbarenio.com! Galeng!
I updated the reading blog with some reading related updates. There's too much to tell you and not enough time to type it while I'm here. Will try to get more time, if not, pagbalik ko nalang sa August 5 :)
Been here in the Philippines since July 1, ngayon lang ako naka-check nang email and surf nang konti. I'm having a great time, but being here til the 5th of Aug is a bit daunting without B. (I know, ang corny ko no!?).
If I had more time I'd tell about all the drama that went on with the Sagandaan Conference, let's just say for now, I stood my ground. It was good experience overall and I'm really glad I participated, especially when I realized that I was gonna be the only female on the panel and this bobo of FilAm "filmmaker" some how made singit to our panel last minute, with no prepared paper, or ANYTHING. The damn idiot took a good 5 minutes from each of the other panelists (including me!) with his last minute joining and struggled to bullshit for his 15 minute allotment talking about his experiences. The whole time I just had my head down, trying not to show how pissed I was that he was there wasting everyone's time and HOPING that the people in attendance could see through his self-promoting idiocy. Phew, just needed to get that out of my system.
Since I've gotten here, I spent the first week at UP Diliman and stayed at the University (former PCED) hotel and got to know the jeeps REALLY well. So well that I would be fine if I didn't have to take any anymore. Gad, spoken like a stuck up balikbayan, no? Hehe. I've learned SO much since I've gotten here about assumptions of identity, even though I thought I had personally gotten past those personal issues. I totally was forced to face them head on. At UP, I fell in love with City Top, this Indian restaurant near the hotel and ordered the same thing every time I went. I'd tell you what it was if I could spell it, hehe. Also got to go to Likha Diwa, a wonderful cafe/art gallery, also inside the campus, and tried my first cup of Bontoc coffee. After we went to the Vargas museum and from there, headed down to CCP for the Vestiges of War book launch and to see the "Yankee Doodles" art exhibit there as well. Ok, to be continued...
