What a semester!

The semester is over, and I can say that this semester is by far the most productive semester that I've ever had. Not that I was slumbering the previous semesters or, as the Bisaya would put it, nagpadako ra ko'g itlog. It's just that this semester alone, I've done things I never did before:

JUNE: Someone in our school asked me if I could do a primer for the first year and transferee students---what it's like to be a freshmen, the favorite hang outs of the students, and all the things that first year and transferee students need to know. I said yes. I later found out that I was to write all six articles. But I was able to pull it off anyway. It's actually the first time that I got paid for my writing. The pay was not that high, just enough to buy a pair of Havaianas.

JULY: I was busy the whole July, researching, interviewing, gathering facts, writing for the task given to me in June.

AUGUST: My essay "Rising Above Ourselves" which is my a tribute to the late President Corazon Aquino, got published in Dagmay: The Literary Journal of the Davao Writers Guild.

[caption id="attachment_1277" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="That pretty woman on the left is Agnes Lipumano, and the one on the right is her mother, Mrs. Joan Lipumano. Because of Agnes, I now doubt if beauty and brain can co-exist peacefully. "][/caption]

I also joined the first ever Lakan and Lakambini ng Holy Cross of Davao College. I wasn't proclaimed the Lakan, but I think my responsibility is far bigger than the Lakan's. I was just hailed the Pag-asa ng HCDC (Hope of HCDC). Chos! Meeeganon?

SEPTEMBER: Late in August, the Learning section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer announced that it would be publishing tributes to the teachers in deference to the Teacher's Month (Sept. 6-Oct. 6). 500 words will do, it said. Upon learning it, I immediately went to the computer and began pounding the keyboard, hoping that I would be the first one to submit. After three hours or so, I finished the essay, which ran up to about 750 words. I sent it, and began doing what everyone else does after sending an essay for publication----wait. Then on September 6, 2009, I grabbed a copy of Inquirer, went straight to the Learning section, which by the way comes out only on Monday, and surprise, surprise, found out that my essay "Ma'am G, how could I thank thee?" was there.

This September also, I joined two contests: DWG-NCCA Bisaya Fiction Contest, PopDev Media Awards. I lost in the former----or to put it positively, others brought home the beacon----and the result of the latter is yet to be announced in December.

OCTOBER: I was slated as one of the finalists in the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards Best Personal Blog Category. Like DWG-NCCA Bisaya Fiction Contest, I didn't win in the 2009 PBA. But don't worry----I've moved one already.

I also submitted a story for consideration for the Philippine Speculative Fiction V, an anthology of speculative fiction by Filipino authors. In an e-mail, Nikki Alfar, one of the editors of PSF5 (the other one being Vin Simbulan), said, "Thanks so much for submitting...for PhilSpecFic 5. Vin and I are delighted to receive it, and look forward to reading it, along with all the other entries, come deadline-time this October 15. We should be able to let you know the status of your submission within a month after the deadline."