Malditang Librarian

Last Maundy Thursday of Holy Week, me and three other college friends headed to Guimaras Island for a day trip. We went to Balaan Bukid, a popular pilgrimage site during Holy Week. We also went to Tatlong Pulo. Guimaras Island is just one short boat ride from Iloilo City. I went with the same people from the Antique trip last year , and though some of our batchmates were not able to go with us, the four of us still had a great time. It's my first time to go to a pilgrimage of some kind for Holy Week. Balaan Bukid has a huge cross that can be seen from Iloilo City, and it is one of the island's popular landmarks and tourist destinations. During Holy Week there are special trips that lead directly to the foot of Balaan Bukid. As we climbed up, there were fourteen stations depicting the story of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. As I'm not a Catholic, I'm not really familiar with the traditions and prayers that they do on Holy Week. It was interesting to obser...

Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) is a Filipino mystery crime film directed by Raya Martin, adapted from a novel of the same name by F.H. Batacan. I have read the book ( link to my review ) so I already know what will happen in the movie. We watched it  in Iloilo Cinematheque  for 100 pesos last Saturday. I watched it with a friend who was also curious about the movie. The story is about a series of murders in the Payatas dumpsite. Every month, a young boy is found killed and mutilated, with the face, genitals, and vital organs removed. Two Jesuit priests, Fathers Guz Saenz and Jerome Lucero (played by Nonie Buencamino and Sid Lucero) try to solve the crime and find the culprit. Along the way, there are other distractions: ambitious officers in the NBI and pompous titled priests. NBI taps Gus Saenz as he is a forensic anthropologist. He tries to profile the killer by investigating his killing patterns on the victims. His partner is the younger Jerome Lucero, who as a...

The Entrance to ILOMOCA This Thursday I visited the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (also known as ILOMOCA) for the first time. It opened to the public last March 18, 2018, in Casa Emperador, Festive Walk, Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City. It houses three floors of art galleries dedicated to works by local and international artists. The artworks are mostly paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Entrance fee is 50 pesos for students and 100 for the rest. That is affordable enough for museum-goers. It is worth it for the comfortable and air-conditioned space, and the unique art experience is priceless. Take note that picture-taking of artworks isn't allowed in the second and third floors, but is allowed on the first floor. This is the first of its kind in Iloilo City and it makes me glad that this opened. I've noticed that there are many new art galleries and museums in the city. The first floor houses the Hulot Exhibit, for unique and visionary works. Th...

Without Tess by Marcella Pixley. New York: Square Fish, ©2011. This is another Booksale find.  Without Tess is a young adult novel, and it tells the story of Lizzie, a teenager who still struggles with the memory of the death of her sister Tess. She was ten and Tess was twelve when she died. Lizzie is now fifteen, and the death of Tess three years ago still affects her in the present. Tess was a child who was in her own world, who believed in magic, which wasn't just childish magical thinking but bordered on delusional. She totally believed in a make-believe reality, and Lizzie was always part of her strange games. Tess believes she has powers, and she has been (in her imagination which she mistakes as real) a wolf, a horse, a selkie, and other fantasy creatures. Soon, their parents realize there is something wrong with Tess. They try to do what they can to treat her, but it was too late. This is a story about the tragedy and how Lizzie will accept and move on from it. ...

The Rizal Memorial Library & Museum in Cebu City ( source ) Last March 9, 2018, Cebu City's public library started it's 24/7 library services. This is the first "24-hour" public library in the country.  What's interesting is this started due to one concerned citizen who asked the mayor if it was possible to open the library to cater to students, citing that the library is a 'safer' place in the city. Mitch Roldan has commented on Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's posts on social media:  "Mayor, I’m also hoping and praying that you will consider having the public library be open for 24/7 for us students who need to study in a library setting. I think students will be glad to pay a little amount to keep the services good keysa mag segi mig spent sa McDo nya papahawaon ra diay (rather than spend in McDonald’s but will still be asked to leave after a few hours). Hope this will be considered."  The mayor replied that he will look...

Here's a handy PDF eBook of all my board exam tips with some additional content. This little eBook is meant to motivate and inspire test-takers to work hard and succeed in the board exam. This is written for the Librarians' Licensure Exam in mind but also applicable to other professions. This contains my previous blog posts on board exam tips. Since they have become diverse over time, I decided to compile them in one downloadable format so I can easily share it with anyone who asks. This also saves me time since I don't have to explain everything all over again. The board exam may be the most difficult exam of your life, and most of us feel the pressure to pass. I hope that through this effort, you will be motivated and inspired to work hard and pass that exam. Remember that it is a challenge you must pass, but it is only the beginning of professional life. We need adequate preparation, not just intellectual preparation through studying and reviewing. We also need ...

  Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller. New York: Fawcett Crest, ©1969 The original title of this book is "A Place for Us," and the real name of Isabel Miller is Alma Routsong. Have you ever browsed a pile of books in Booksale and a book just called to you to read it? I have found many great books this way (and some not-so-great books), and this is one of the lucky finds that was good. The first thing that caught my attention is the cover which featured a painting of two women reaching out to each other, which reminded me of Margaret Atwood books for some reason. I began reading shortly after buying it, and I finished it on the same night. On the cover is the description of the book: "An affecting novel of two young women who fell in love in 19th-century New England." My first thought was, ' it's a lesbian novel' but you won't find the word 'lesbian' in its pages. It's set in the early 1800s in America, so in the story, the decision...

Last Saturday, I attended another free event in Book Latte hosted by PruLifeUK, "Let's Si₱ and Talk: a millennial's financial advantage" and it was an informative and educational talk on financial and investment literacy. Some new friends invited me to watch 12 in Iloilo Cinematheque and since it only costs 100 pesos I thought it would be interesting. I saw this as one of the movies showing and at first I wasn't into it, I'm really more interested in watching Smaller and Smaller Circles which will show next week. Anyway, on to the movie review! 12 is about a couple who have known each other for 12 years. They have been best friends for 5 years, in a romantic relationship for 7. They have been living together for a long time, and their relationship isn't perfect even after 12 years of knowing each other. The movie mostly focuses on the two main characters. Alessandra de Rossi plays Erika, an artist and musician, careers she had to give up for her boy...

This has been a busy month, I had my comprehensive exams for my Master's degree. It was for eight subjects and lasted for three Saturdays. I still managed to read three books. How fast time flies, I'll be 25 years old by the end of March. I wrote one book review on this blog of a YA book I read last month: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma [link leads to my review]. Here are my reactions to the two other books I read: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin With the news of Ursula K. Le Guin's death, I read The Left Hand of Darkness (I bought it in 2009 but didn't read it until now). An Envoy for a planetary confederacy is sent to the planet Gethen to invite them to join. The people of Gethen look human but they differ in gender - they have no fixed gender, they are either male or female according to their unique biology. The novel explores a society affected by the biology of its people. The envoy Genry Ai deals with the politics of Gethen and try to convince...

Update: 3/5/18 This film won Best Picture in the Oscars and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro “If I spoke about it–If I did–what would I tell you, I wonder? Would I tell you about the time? It happened a long time ago, in the last days of a fair Prince’s reign. Or would I tell you about the place? A small city near the coast but far from everything else. Or would I tell you about her? The princess without voice.” - from the opening narration of the movie When I heard of Guillermo del Toro's new movie The Shape of Water, I immediately liked the concept. Merman in love with a human girl? That's something I'd want to watch. I watched the trailer and was more intrigued that the female protagonist is a mute woman working as a janitor at a secret government facility where this mysterious creature is kept for research purposes. The movie is set in the 1960s, during the Cold War. Russia and America are competing in space exploration. We meet Elisa, a mute woman. We se...

I'm just a casual fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've watched the Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America movies, and these superhero characters that first started in comics and made its way to the movies is now part of our popular culture. The last MCU film I've watched is Thor: Ragnarok   (link leads to my review) and I did enjoy that film, but I felt that their main villain Hela felt quite flat despite the superb performance of Cate Blanchett. There's been a general dislike on the development of villains in Marvel, but I'm not sure what the specific problem is (I'm not a regular follower of all the films they produce). Anyway, I heard of a Black Panther stand-alone movie and I got excited because it will feature a major cast of black actors. I wished that they would do that story justice. Now that I have watched it, I am amazed that the film exceeded well and beyond my wildest expectations. I watched the film twice and it's still running a...