Crimson Crux

Today is the first day of the week-long 9th UST-CCWS National Writers’ Workshop, and as luck would have it, I’m one of the workshop’s Fellows (for the English Creative Non-Fiction category).

I learned that I’ve been accepted a few weeks ago (see my Multiply blog post), although it was only last week that UST formally announced the Fellows on the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

This is my second literary workshop after graduating from the LIRA Filipino poetry clinic and being sworn in as one of the organization’s newest members.

Wish me luck!

Tomorrow morning I’ll be flying to Kalibo, Aklan to participate in the third international reunion of our clan. I actually have tons of work and literary stuff in the queue, but I’d have to forget these for the meantime — even with the telecommuting nature of my employment, I think it’s impossible to work there this time of the year. Kalibo is reveling in the wild Ati-atihan Festival!

My last trip to our home province was in May 2006. After this new one-week vacation, I’ve got a full hectic year ahead of me, so I think I’ll store up on the fresh air and great memories, hehe.

See you soon.

Me and Ia are better known on the blogosphere by our handles, Corsarius* and Stellify, respectively. I think a lot of people are used to seeing those names together or linked in one way or another…which makes the following ambigram all the more special:

The piece is courtesy of Jonas, our friend and thesis-mate from back in the UP DCS days. If you have the time, do check out his collection of ambigrams. Thanks, Naz!

*Corsarius is also one of my literary pen-names, though I have to admit that it’s not the coolest nom de plume in my ‘arsenal’, hehe.

Now for some family-centric affair…

Last week I presented this portal to the members of the Kimpo Clan, and now I have the pleasure of unveiling Kimpo.ph to the public.

Quoting the site’s About blurb:

The online portal for all members of the Kimpo Clan. The years have witnessed the Kimpo families spread all over the Philippines, and as part of the Filipino diaspora, the whole world. May this website help the descendants of Juan Kimpo and Maria Lutgarda Escalona reconnect with their roots and with each other. On this site, you will find various accounts of the Clan’s history, an extensive family tree for the descendants of the seven children of Lolo Juan and Lola Ganday, info and pictures of all the Kimpo international reunions, webpages of various Kimpos, and more.

Two sections of the site (History, Family Tree) are still in progress. I know, I know — don’t release a website until it’s done through and through. But I figured the news and features section of the site count more right now in the weeks leading to the family’s 3rd international reunion in January 2008, in order to keep people abreast with what’s happening. The History and Family Tree sections will be finished next month (once the souvenir program/book rolls off the press).

Speaking of the reunion, the Kimpo.ph site comes with company — the Kimpo International Reunion 2008 blog. The Kimpo family is in the homestretch of preparing for the quadrennial reunion, and the blog will give a candid look as to how we do it. When the clan is merrymaking in Kalibo and Boracay in Aklan, I’ll try to dish out some liveblogging goodness. And when the festivities are finally over, this blog will be home to summaries, memoirs, and AARs.

Both sites wouldn’t have been possible if not for Ia’s magic (or should I say, stellar) touch. A simple “thanks” won’t cut it, hehe.

That said, please visit Kimpo.ph and the Kimpo International Reunion 2008 blog!

I’ve just uploaded some vidcaps of my recent TV guesting on Nancy Castiglione’s show, where we talked about airplane “toys”. You can view all of them on my aircraft models blog.

Hopefully I can get a copy of the full video soon from Makisig Network. Till then, the poorly taken pics will have to do!

As longtime readers of this blog might know, I’m a sucker for all things Roman, specifically, Ancient Roman. (This interest manifests itself in Roman Empire video games, history books, historical fiction novels, and classic maps, among others.)

That said, I’m quite fascinated by the Rome Reborn 1.0 project under the aegis of the University of Virginia. The huge undertaking took a whole decade to complete and involves both a 3D digital model and a physical miniature model of the city. (Speaking of minis, you know I’m a sucker for them, too!)

To quote the Communications of the ACM article:

The $2 million project, called the largest and most complete simulation of an historic city ever created, allows visitors to view a side of the city unseen by ancient Romans.

For more info and tons of pictures and videos, visit the Rome Reborn website.

I have lots of blogs with separate groups of readers, so pardon me if I announce this here, too:

Update 11/17/07: Airing will be on November 18 at 7 P.M.

Update: The airing has been postponed to November 18. And even that date is tentative. Sorry for this belated notice; their own notice to me was also belated.

Yours truly will be guesting in today’s episode of At Your Pleasure, Nancy hosted by Nancy Castiglione, airing at either 2 or 3 pm on Makisig Network (channel 76/82 at SkyCable/HomeCable, ch. 84 if you have an analog box installed).

I will be sharing my experiences as a collector of airplane scale models; the show’s researchers were able to reach me through the power of Google, hehe. (Insert the customary praise for the blogosphere: Thank God for blogging!)

The episode won’t be live; it was taped last week. For some tidbits on how the taping went (and my brush with Nancy, Maureen Larrazabal, and Francine Prieto), you can read my post on Slip of the Pen.

Whoa, 28 days without a post? I’ve gone AWOL from this blog because of one thing: doing too many things.

Some of the time-eaters:

• Writing poetry and attending lectures all over the metropolis for the LIRA poetry workshop;
• Working as the new manager of a website;
• Buying books upon books like crazy;
• Attending the opening of a social-realist art exhibit;
• Starting a new Tagalog blog;
• Trekking up the mountain for a small but invaluable literary meeting; and
• Discussing and planning for a new komiks product.

I’d be really, really excited over these developments if only I wasn’t as exhausted as I am right now.

Catch you later.

Last week, I requested a free catalog from AirplaneShop.com, a site I regularly visit, being a collector of miniature aircraft models. The site offers tons of great models, many of which are sold at discounted prices (50%!). Still, I haven’t made a single purchase.

I just might, very soon.

To my pleasant surprise, the free catalog arrived just this morning. A surprise, because I really didn’t expect them to send me a free magazine halfway around the world from New Jersey. Add to that the fact that the site footer reads “Copyright 2004″, which I took as a sign of stagnation or even company death.

(more…)

In a few hours time I’ll be leaving for Kalibo, Aklan to attend the wake and funeral of my uncle, who passed away last Monday. (More in my birthday post.)

This will be my first trip to our home province since August 2006 (when I asked if it was safe to let my laptop pass through the X-ray machine). Though I’ll be bringing Corsarify (as well as Mol-eh-skin-ah), I’ll be out of touch for several days and won’t be able to think of blogging or work.

See you in a week!