Kalanggaman Island.

A weekend from work to stay at Paradise with friends is definitely worth the hassle of hours and hours of land and sea trips.

With summer already on its way, me and some of my friends decided to go to this island, an hour of bangka travel just across Palompon, Leyte. When we got there, everything is just breathtaking, from the water to the sand to the sea breeze to the sun...everything was perfect.

Food and drinks were bountiful, the volleyball court was just inches away from our camp, as well as the beach. There was no electricity, so we decided to turn off our gadgets, and it seemed like we were castaways on Survivor: only living on the food that we have, making most of what we brought with us, without any contact from the outside world. Well I may be exaggerating a little, but that's what I felt. :)

On the island, you can do a lot of things. Boredom is the last thing that would come up in this place. Aside from the usual banter that our group solely initiates, we also brought a badminton set that kept us afoot and energized, complete with scoring and losers being replaced.

The island also has a handful of gear that you can rent, just to add more activities on your list: Kayaks, banana-bicycle floaters, bicycle floaters, etc.

And of course, the sand bar. Photography is ideal, and strolling to and fro is a must for any group.

At night, the stars come out and play a romantic setting on the beach, with torches being lit up at every camp.

Everyone was just having fun, making our summer outing a very successful one.

Next up: our trip to Boracay, in time for my Birthday. :)

The Twins of Ghostwriting.

Never had I realized that writing for some author would haunt the person both ways (positive and negative). I always thought it was a good thing. Being paid for writing and sharpening your talent was supposed to be enough for me. But after reading this article, it made me realize the other side of ghostwriting. How it would give you a sense of vagueness, lack of ownership and originality, among all other things.

I was a major fan of the Sweet Valley Series, from the Kids to the University. Those twins had me hooked. But at the back of my mind I have always wondered who Francine Pascal was, why it says "created by" with a "written by" at the same time, and so on and so forth. Reading the link below solved the mystery.

If you're curious enough, especially if you're also a Sweet Valley fan, then read on. :)

The Ghost Writes Back by Amy Boesky | Kenyon Review Online

Me and Jewel.

Haven't I written about Jewel yet?? Well I think I should.

I live in a small country called the Philippines. I was born and raised here. I grew up learning to sing, as my parents always play music from their favorite singers. I could still remember myself singing to "The Greatest Love of All", with a bottle of baby powder in my hand as an improvised microphone.

Though the Philippines is a third world country, we are very rich in natural resources. We are hospitable, friendly, family-oriented. More importantly, Filipinos are musically inclined. We have our own music, but it's inevitable that foreign music also influences us.

I grew up listening to Mother's Carpenters and ABBA, and Father's Bee Gees and Eagles, and a little bit of some singers and bands that my cousins liked. But it was when I was a High School Junior that I learned about a different singer. My father brought a lot of CDs with him when he came home from Saudi Arabia (Overseas Workers are pretty much a normal thing in our country), and Jewel was one of them.

The album was entitled "Pieces of You". As soon as her songs played through our stereo speakers, I got hooked. I used to memorize all the lyrics and sing along with them, but that was a long time ago.

However, it's not just the songs and the melody on Jewel's album that captivated me. The stories that she was telling in between the lines kicked my inspiration into high gear...they got me into writing my own poetry.

I did not have that much experience in life, but how Jewel delivers every word and correlates them with the whole feel of the song made me develop my own imagination and create my own experiences. Then it wasn't long before my first love, first heartbreak, first everything...that got me into writing more and more poetry.

The bottom line is: Jewel was the first person to introduce me to poetry and writing. So thank you, Jewel. I owe you my teenage hobby, my young adult creativity, my present work. :)