Sayang!
There was a zine con two weeks ago and I wasn't able to attend due to pending deadlines.:( Pao WTI Zine. thanks for the invite! I really appreciate it. Gudi, this blog is still running. You are welcome to give updates anytime you want. :)
Secrets revealed and remembered
In a futile attempt to be productive during the long weekend and save myself from being a full-fledged workaholic, I found myself singing Jordin Spark’s Tattoo and cleaning my storage box. Aside from the occasional dust mites and unused paper bags, I was surprised to see a matchbox hidden inside my old bag. Thank God, it did not ignite because of the unbearable heat last summer. But what even surprised me the most were these items:
Nine (9) old notebooks filled with long narratives that perfectly described the most important stages and happenings of my existence. From my former enemy turned into my ultimate crush in high school to the most dramatic scenes that could swept the Oscars' judges, these silent papers contained my innermost secrets and kept them for years. Looking back, I never thought I was that rebellious and that I actually planned to take that rebellion into another level, not to mention that I almost dropped out of college because of that. I cannot imagine how hard headed I was. Super bitchy, impulsive, insecure, careless etc. Whew! I'm thankful that Nanay never disowned for that. Really, your perspective changes when you grow old. What a transition, I must say. Hhahahaha.
There were entries that I can barely read for they were all smudged with ink. I can hardly decipher what I want to say during those times. Yet as I reminisced my unholy confessions, the sudden flashback of memories explained everything. Oh yes, the smudge has nothing to do with the ink, I was actually crying so hard when I wrote those uber emo prose. Ironically, I cannot stop laughing while I was reading each story. For the longest time ever and until now—I refused to believe that I wrote those things. But my handwriting would not lie. Hahahahahaha. It’s funny and at the same time, relieving how the most unfortunate phases of my life could bring me joy in the end. Somehow, it reminded me of what I had to go through and the survival tactics that I have already forgotten. Lol.
I was also confused why I do that and I realized that it has something to do with the paper’s texture or whatsoever. I mean, there is something about the paper’s feel that inspires me to write an entry. But once I get used to it, I would switch to a new one. It really feels good to write on a new diary, right? Much better than blogging, I must say. Hehehe. Or probably, this is my way of telling myself that I had to close another chapter and start all over again.
Currently listening to: Nickelback’s Photograph.
P.S: I really want to change the lyrics and the title to diary. Something like— look at these diaries, everytime I do they make me laugh. How did my eyes get so red and what the hell was on Meimei’s head? Blah.
Smoking issues and bad connections
I can't find enough smoking areas and I have no internet connection for almost 2 weeks now.
The PROs:
a. Healthier lifestyle, chances of acquiring lung cancer and RSI is reduced
b. Getting enough sleep. No more You-Tube marathon errr, well at least for now
The CONs:
a. These are the irresistible cravings of my ID.
Hay naku.
Punkista Zine and Infected Mind Zine
This coming May 28, a double treat awaits zinesters and readers alike with the release of Punkista and Infected Mind zines at Etniko Bandido Infoshop. Along with this is an extensive discussion about APECO, its effects and consequences. If I’m not mistaken, a call for support against APECO was mentioned during the last zine convention. Etniko Bandido is in Pasig—perhaps somebody could provide me with the exact address since I don’t have any idea of the shop’s location. Hehehe.
P.S. Thanks to Arvin of Tagay Zin – dude I still owe you a zine and of course to Carlos of We The Infected Zine.
Blog deleted and an apology
I almost fainted last Friday when I tried to open my page and I got this notice: ang zinesterssisters.blogspot.com ay tinanggal. Well, that wasn’t really the exact words but still, to be informed that my writing efforts were totally washed away, was enough to launch an all out war. Just when I was about to decry the so-called “suppression of my freedom of expression,” I checked my e-mail. Gmail told me that they notice suspicious activities from my account. I had to reset my password and when I finally opened my account, I actually sent spam mails to my contacts, much to my surprise. I really apologize to those who received the spam mails.
At any rate, changing my password made a difference, I was able to restore the blog. Actually, the deletion was really nothing serious, blogger was experiencing a system glitch. Thanks to my techie officemates, I felt relieved.
Disheartened
It was the most unusual encounters. Unusual for the end hardly justify the means, the logic was too absurd and my questions are left unanswered. For several days I met people who seemed to find hope in a perceived marriage or partnership that is neither driven by louvre nor a little bit of affection. Rather, it was more of a profitable escape—a seemingly reckless and uncalculated dive into the unknown. I do understand the practicality of romanticism. These acts can be easily forgiven and I do not condemn those whose intentions are pure. But what is unimaginable is the idea of depending one’s life into the hands of another, knowing for a fact that these beings are neither toddlers nor zygotes that have to be nurtured and fed. These are adults. To be more specific, entities who defined their success by having a blue-eyed, blonde hair male partner who could barely utter and comprehend simple Filipino.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no intentions of placing them atthe center of ignominy. I just find the whole set-up weird. While analyzing if their applications can be approved—if I could help them in convincing the authorities that they shall not migrate illegally, my suggestions and recommendations become superfluous due to a single factor: I find it difficult to prove that they can support themselves. And this aspect matters. It really matters. It overcomes the burden of proof of overstaying.
Whenever I ask them what they have been doing to address their everyday needs, I would always get “nothing” for an answer. It is their partners that have been taking care of those things—so much so that if only air can be commodified, they could have asked those men to deliver it to them. At this point, how will you show that your real purpose of going out of the country is for the relationship? Come on, have pity on prince charming. He can’t always do it for you. Actually, I can’t help but feel sorry for both prince charming and the distress mademoiselle. It is not really the idea of being in love that bothers me and I wouldn’t raise my eyebrows if the financial demands outnumber the romance. The thing that drives me nuts is the utmost dependence for doing something that they are perfectly capable of—to live and to stand on their own feet. Go ahead, tie the knot with those men. But to entrust your very own survival unto them, long before marriage enters the picture, or even if marriage is already there, uh-oh. What if prince charming suddenly had a cardiac arrest, what would happen to them? How would they manage in a foreign land? The culture shock and the depression, how could they possibly deal with it?
Now I begin to wonder. Most of the times, I’d hear somebody say “blame it to the government for the lack of opportunities.” But blaming rarely appeals to me. It is likewise an admission that you cannot do anything. Because if there are no opportunities, then why not create one for yourself? Easy to say, hard to do. Or maybe that’s the only opportunity that they know. But if the daughters of a school janitress can become computer engineers— if the daughter of a side walk vendor can become a lawyer, why not try? They have experienced little opportunities too. I have nothing against the existing (relationship). This isn’t really my concern. But as far as I know, and as posted at the bottom part of this blog, whatever it is that you give to a woman, she can make it greater.
Happy Mother's Day
To the very first woman who taught me how to write, to fight, to love and to live and to all mothers out there who never grew tired of being the SUPER SHERO that they have always been. Happy Mother's Day Nanay. Mahal kita.
5 Practical Tricks to Lessen Fan/zine Production Costs: A Primer to Young Zinesters
Nothing is so extraordinary when I post late updates. Hehehe. Actually, I don’t think the term “update” fits in here. I hardly have the time to post everything that enters my mind. The 2-hour ride consumes too much of my time and long before I begin to write a single word, I often find myself longing for a deep slumber.
Now going back, we all know that production costs have always been a major issue among zinesters. In as far as I am concerned, this basically explains why many of these publications hardly see their fifth issue. Ephemeral, as Ma’am Raya would describe it. Knowing that these printed works hardly rely on sponsorships, one could just imagine the expenses that these zinesters have to endure. Nevertheless, this dilemma gave birth to some of the most ingenious ways of how zine editors could stretch out their finances just to publish their zines.
So to all young zinesters or aspiring zinesters, here are the tricks that you should know by heart. hahaha
- Limit the number of pages – Use smaller fonts. But not too small that your readers can hardly see a single word. The idea in here is to put as much content in a single page. I have a suggestion in here. Sure, you want to put everything. Yet, if you are on a tight budget, then maybe you could save those ideas for the next issue. It is just my two cents ok. :)
- Patronize cheap photocopying centers – Last Friday, Alvin, one of the writers of Infected Mind Zine and I met. I handed him a copy of Herald X, Verbal Offense and Kanto and it cost him P56 to photocopy all those fanzines. Thanks to Copytrade. There you could a powder photocopy is around 60 cents. For liquid, you have to pay 75 cents, if my memory does not betray me. If you have the time to go to U-belt, or in areas that are beside the school, I bet you could get a much lower photocopying price.
- PDF file conversion – There are thousands of PDF converters online that can be used for free. This is perfect for those who have contacts abroad and in the province. It is easy, fast, convenient and cost-effective. But if you have already released a paper zine and some of your readers are craving for a copy, then maybe we could meet. I’ll scan it, convert it and send it to you. We could meet either on Friday or Saturday. But don’t pressure me ha. Hehehehe.
- Make a network – There are many foreign bands and supporters that are visiting us. In case one of your contacts resides within the visitors’ area, then you could ask them to deliver it for you when they return. Be thankful and maybe you could give them a token of appreciation.
- The registered mail – This was mentioned by one of the zinesters. Unfortunately, I was unable to get his name, but it was a very good point during the discussion. It pays to have a registered mail rather than suffer the consequences of being labeled as a rip-off because your contact did not receive his or her package. Aside from being a precautionary measure it likewise prevents you from spending another hundred bucks to send the zine again.
I came, I've zine, They conquered
Yes, it was all about the zinecon held last April 16 at Kalye Art Gallery. It was one of my most awaited events. Unfortunately, with too much excitement, I forgot to bring my camera and taking pictures with my phone was useless. Secondly, I forgot to check the event’s exact location which almost left us (me and my sworn sister) navigating our way out of Taft Avenue’s labyrinth. Nevertheless, we still made it and it was all worth it when I finally had a glimpse of those zines that were displayed in the area.
Suddenly, summer’s unbearable heat was replaced by an air of nostalgia and the memories of how I first encountered these publications poured like rain. I was totally lost for words and when I saw a preserved copy of Unseen Assazine, I really felt like stealing it—unmindful and totally insensible of what others would say. It took me a considerable amount of time to find it and there it was, right in front of me and yes, similar to the exhibit’s theme—if zines could talk, I could really hear it say “take me home.” Thanks to my super ego, I’ve managed to salvage a little bit of courtesy and respect.
But to my surprise (I actually had a lot of surprises that night), it was not only Unseen Assazine that stole the limelight. The zinesters—the very people that I stalk hahahaha—the very people that I constantly monitor through various social networking sites and other online stalking platforms—who, for the longest time, I’d never imagined that I would ever see in person, were there. Well I had the chance to virtually interact with some of them. Take for example, Sir Dane (I Remember Halloween), Sir Jep (Konspirazine), Sir Emman (Resist to Exist), Jay (Aspire) and Joab (Real Tight Crew), but it never occurred to me that I’ll ever have the chance to interact with them in real life. You just have to imagine what I felt when I saw the other zinesters who I only knew through their works that were published decades ago. It was like seeing an apparition out of nowhere.
Now, the next surprise came when a new breed of zine makers handed me a copy of their publications. Seeing a zinester released a new issue is already exhilarating and in this digital era, to have a young zinester produce paper zine is bliss. Its ecstatic. Tis the kind of joy that you feel when you see rainbows. Ephemeral and divine. So Jay (Aspire), Carlos (We The Infected), Arvin (Tagay) and Cris (Liberation), kudos to all of you guys.
On the other hand, this is perhaps one of the most unforgettable landmarks of my zine stalking— to take hold of Spinknots and to see the publisher of Dapithapon. I wasn’t able to get a copy of Dapithapon but at least, I’ve got Ms. Be’s number.
For six (6) long years, I’ve been dying to read Spinknots and Dapithapon. For six years, good lord, six long years, it was all worth the wait. I’ve finally seen not only the fanzine, but also its creator. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind looking and waiting for another six years if that would mean that I’d finally see, feel and experience the country’s legitimate zine godfather, Garbage.
P.S: Thank you very much to Sir Jep and Zepol for the invite. This is forever appreciated. J
This is not a punk show. Zines and everything in between.
For four (4) Saturdays, Kalye Art Gallery shall be hosting an exhibit of the best creations and artworks of the hardcore scene. This must-see event includes a display of DIY masterpieces, a film showing and most of all, a zine exhibit/ convention.
Yay, I can hardly wait! Too bad i missed the first leg of the show. Nevertheless, I still have 3 more Saturdays. So to all of you who want to participate, feel free to attend. I shall see you there! Kita kits. :)
Never underestimate a dog
Warning: Explicit content
As I was battling my way against an ocean of people just to catch my favorite koreanovela, a sudden turn of event landed me to the nearest clinic. Tsk, and that was one of the most important episodes that I have been waiting for.
Here is the deal, I was about a few meters away from our house and since dogs have more sophisticated olfactory systems than men, i can already see them rushing towards the gate. Now, just when i was about to enter, our little babies started to bark like there was no tomorrow. These six dogs were all so super excited to give the warmest greetings since their eldest sister has finally arrived. But due to the noise, they awakened our neighbor's pitbull.
The bitch woke up from the wrong side of her bed and she was very furious. In one mighty leap, Mookie, the pitbull, got away from her chains and ran towards me. My first instinct was to get inside. Yet, our gate did not cooperate. Also, if i got in, Mookie would surely go after our dog, Tequila. These two hate each other so much and for sure, you do not want to give way for a bitch war. Tequila is also pregnant. She cannot fight back.
So instead of running, i decided to stand still. I'm not afraid of dogs anyway, even if it is a pitbull. My bestfriend has a pitbull too named Douglas and I am telling you-- that dog is way too sweet and friendly. As I stood still, Mookie bumped against my leg and ran towards our neighbors who were having a taste of their favorite alcohol. I even laughed because one of them who was already intoxicated suddenly came back to her senses and was struggling to climb a wall due to so much fear. Then, Mookie returned and I decided to move over. Suddenly, as i approached the gang of drunkards, “Ate” asked me
“Nakagat ka?”
In that moment, I felt that my right leg is a bit wet. When I looked at it, boom!
A pool of blood started gushing out of my leg. The hard bump was actually a dog bite. Three wounds in a single bite. Oh my good lord.
“Ate” and the rest of them started to call the dog owner, who is also my kumpare. He was also shocked with what happened. I went inside the house and Nanay started shouting.
“Hugasan mo, paduguin mo. Kailangan running water.”
I went inside the bathroom and Tequila followed. Ironically, she was more stressed than I am. The poor little dog ran like crazy inside the house and started howling. I think she was too worried.
Then as I was about to wash the wound and take a better look at it, my head started to spin as if I just came out of a roller coaster ride. I could not open the faucet and all I said was “Sigarilyo ko.”
Holy crap, I almost fainted when I saw the blood spilled endlessly, not to mention the tiny block of cells that came along with it. The yellowish and reddish particles were enough to paralyze me. Then Nanay stepped inside, wondering why I was not doing anything.
“Paduguin mo,” she said with full authority. But when she saw my hesitation, she attempted to take the whole matter in her hands and just when she was about to clean the wound, I broke the silence of the night and screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Ako na! Ako na!” “Wag niyo na po hawakan!” “Ako na lang!” What a sissy.
Fast forward.
My teary-eyed kumpare apologized. I am not mad at him and I do not hate Mookie as well. I am a bit worried though with what would happen to the dog. This is not the first incident. I am worried that they might just kill Mookie. Well, come on, Mookie may be aggressive and pretty dangerous, but it is just a dog. I am sure she was simply protecting my kumpare’s territory and the attack was a natural reaction.
The Cons
Now thinking about it, the dog bite was not bad after all. With the plaster and bandage wrapped around my leg, it has some benefits as well. When I went to the office, I was not forced to squeeze myself inside the MRT. I can sit conveniently. This was so much different than before when I had to stand during a long ride. The same thing happens when I ride the elevator and the FX. Hahaha! Now my only worry is how to get rid of the scars. But that can be addressed anyway. Anybody here who knows an effective scar remover? Bwahahahahahahahahaha.
Wishful thinking
After finding out that this blog's "search tab" is not working, I now have something to look forward to this Christmas break. This is going to be a lot of hard work. First, I'll be updating the directory. To zinesters that have changed their contact info, don't hesitate to contact me :). Second, I will be changing the layout and since I am no good at HTML, I hope my hands and eyes won't give up. hehehe.
But what bothers me the most is whether I can do it before I return to the office. I can't even provide timely updates. Just thinking about it makes me tired. But I'm gonna do it.
(crosses her fingers) hehehe
Real Tight Crew Zine
To all Real Tight Crew fans, getting updates from this zine has never been this easy. You can now find the publication's site in one of my links. O diba :). When I was looking for zines, I have to do it manually :). Today, you can get all the info in just one click.
Three issues of Real Tight Crew has been already released. There are still available copies, just contact Joab.
Again, I just want to stress that I am NOT in anyway distributing this publication. You see guys, contacting the zinesters is not just about getting a copy. You get to know its history and believe me, knowing how things started and why these people continue to do it, the feeling is way too awesome. You'll learn a lot from these people. And that is exactly my reason behind creating this blog. It is for you to seek the answers to your questions, to exert effort.
Joab, thanks for the update! :) Hope to see more issues from you. By the way, I'll update the directory soon. Again, thank you. :)
Incidental Afterthought Zine 12 (very late update)
Obviously, this is one of my super late updates. But I don't care hehehe. My hands are still working, I just don't have the luxury of time and I have a penchant for hibernation.
Anyway, satisfy your zine cravings with Incidental Afterthought's 12th issue. It was released last May and I'm really wishing that there are still a few copies left. As you can see, seldom do you see zinesters come up with more than 7 issues.
To date, Wendy Say's still holds the record for having the most number of issues released. More than 30 issues of the said zine has been already published. But of course, this is based on my personal research.
At any rate, contact, Incidental Afterthought's zinester for your copy. :)
Assault With Intent To Mosh Zine
Assault With Intent Mosh zine is yet another baby of the one and only Froi of Radikal Primates Zine. Ok, this dude is one of the most active zinesters that we have here. This is his third fanzine already (kindly correct me if I'm wrong Froi hehehe).
Now this guy is also responsible for Black Market Bastards and has been involved in various zine collaborations. So here we go, a few words from Quezon province's pride, Froi:
Assault with Intent To Mosh Zine Hardcore/ Punk / Horror is our subject of choice, If you love any of those, you will love us. Issue O features interviews with Posero, Migraine Records and Altar of Dagon. Issue 1 with Wheelchair 4x, Jane Hoe and Psychotic Sufferance. Issue number 2 featuring 99 Assaults, Repugnant, You Suck, Excess and Jack Bullshit Fanzine interviews. Zines are in Person. Pay for postage if ordering by mail.
Again, Froi's page is in the links, contact him for a copy, not me, ok. :)
142
I am quite amused with the increasing comments in my chatbox. And I have a strong feeling that many of them are plain spammers. Different names pointing to the same sites.hehehe.
Anyway, for all of you guys who dropped by, thank you very much. 142. I hope you truly enjoy reading fanzines as much as I do.
And for the spammers, still, thank you for exerting effort. Really, it must have been very hard for you to understand some posts written in Filipino and come up with sweet flattery.
Yeah, you've got nice sites or blogs too. COOOLNESS TO THE CORE! BRILLIANT! SUPERB! GENIUS! REVOLUTIONARY!PROGRESSIVE! AHEAD OF ITS TIME! Uhhm, what else do you wanna hear?
Yes, i visit them as well, but I guess, i'll just post my (appreciation) here. :)
Appreciating the rain (part two)
This is the sequel of my FX-lingo-decoding spree. Yeah sure, I said I would delete the previous post. Obviously, it is still there. I just can't get rid of it, in the same way that i'd rather sacrifice an hour of sleep just to figure out what those terms mean. As you can see, I work at night and i could use some of those travelling hours napping. But instead, just like a nosy gossiper, i'd listen intently to the conversation. Sometimes, these confused drivers would look at me, wondering what I'm doing. And i could tell, they want to ask this infamous question: Ms. adik ka ba? Hahahahaha. Really, this has become my morning habit.
Ok, so FX lingo part two, here we go:
Kilo - Ok. Example: Pare olympics na sa como como. kilo na. (pare, wala ng traffic ng commonwealth OK na.)
tango sierra - tandang sora
charlie mike - counter flow
baga - ma-traffic. kasi puro red lights and mga sasakyan, lahat naka-stop. Example:pare kilo dito sa san pedro pero baga pag dating mo ng pamela (pare ok na sa st. peter pero traffic pagdating mo ng philcoa)
lapot - (ma-traffic) Example: Malapot na dito sa malaking bilog (ma-traffic na dito sa circle)
butasin/ binutas - pinagsikapang malusutan ang traffic Example: Wag ka na dadaan ng Q.I malapot masyado, ang tagal kong binutas iyon. (wag ka na dadaan ng quiapo, ang tagal kong nalusutan iyon). Uhmm, diko sure kung tama ang translation ko, pero more or less yan ang idea. hehehe
karapatan - CHR dun sa may UP
Uniform - u- turn
Foxtrot Charlie Mike - (fairview center mall)
Money market - i laughed hard at this one. hahahahahaha. Ok, money market is MMDA. money market, deposit account. makes sense diba? hahahahaha. Some use double mama instead of money market
Soliman - sandigang bayan
Lolit - landbank sa tabi ng sandigang bayan
Pantalon - pantranco
Kapitolyo - Capitol
Rowena - Robinson. Finally! After sooo many months. hahahaha
142 - thank you
There are still other terms that I want to know. :) i think i'd have a hard time controlling my curiosity. hahaha.
Aspire Fanzine maiden issue
Ok folks, this is of course, a not so-recent update. Or better yet, this is a late update. Hehehehe. But better late than never right? So here we go. :)
Aspire's fanzine is already released. Better check it out. :) I hope Jay has extra copies left. And as always, I'm looking forward to seeing the 2nd installment. Congratulations Jay!
Again, I just want to remind you that I do not distribute Aspire. If you want a copy, Jay's link is already provided, it's just a click away ok. You won't get RSI from exerting effort in here, hehehe, just kidding. :)
Practice ng practice
I am hoping that this would somehow cure the semi-writer's block that i am experiencing. Nyahahahaha. Ok, now back to work. :)
Tattle Tale and Teenage Anger
I've been chasing/stalking zinesters for 6 long years and to see them visit this site and say hello excites me to the core. I was really so zine-struck when Ms.Reji made her presence felt and I went gaga when Sir Hippie of Teenage Anger dropped by. So here is Tattle Tale and for those who were affected by geocities' closure, no worries, Pinoy Punk history was already transferred to Planetang Papel. O ayan ha, andiyan na mga links ha, pag tinamad ka pa, ewan ko na lang.
P.S: Sir Hippie, do you still have a copy of teenage anger po?
With two veteran zinesters here, WHEN IS THE NEXT ZINE CONFERENCE? WHEN? QUANDO? QUANDO?
Sana weekend, sana gabi. sana lahat ng zinesters pumunta mapa-per zine, music zine, sports zine etc., sana punta lahat. :)
Tattle Tale
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