Posted as part of Silent Sunday.
Category: Filipino Writers
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- And before you think that I’m delusional, let me tell you how I met the dragon. — from “Waiting for Agua de Mayo,” Story # 2 in Mia Tijam’s collection, Flowers for Thursday
About Mia Tijam:
Mia Tijam is acknowledged as one of the editors who have advanced Philippine Speculative Fiction and its writers, co-editing with Charles S. Tan the “Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler”. Her work has been published in venues like Philippines Free Press, Expanded Horizons, Bewildering Stories; and anthologized like in Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2005-2010, The Farthest Shore: Fantasy Fiction from the Philippines, BRAVURA: An Anthology of 21st Century Philippine Fiction, and In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write in the Time of COVID. Her debut short fiction collection “Flowers for Thursday” was a Finalist in the 40th Philippine National Book Awards.
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This is a picture of self with two of her oldest friends — Carla Pacis and Judy Benares — and a new friend — Mahla Sen. It was her last full day in Manila after a four-year absence. The four of us had gone on a day trip of Laguna Province, just a few days prior. The theme of the day was historic churches. The four of us squeezed into Judy’s car and visited the church at Majayjay (and the nearby Taytay Falls), founded by Juan de Salcedo in 1573 (he was 23; the grandfather he came to the Philippines with was dead, and Juan de Salcedo kept on with his sworn duty: the Christianization of Spain’s newest colony) and the church at Nagcarlan (almost as old).
It was a very very long day (we were stuck in a four-hour traffic jam on the way back). Anyhoo, we exchanged stories and came to the conclusion that we made a good “team.” We started drawing up plans for future trips — Kalempong, anyone? Or Simla? Next year, we resolved.
The following Wednesday, Mahla invited us all over for a fabulous Indian buffet — the picture was taken after said lunch. Self had to suck in her stomach. She hadn’t slept a wink the night before — she always gets last-day-before-flying-home jitters, surprised she was still upright. Note the AWP tote? It’s already one of her most-traveled totes.
Posting for Debbie’s Six Word Saturday.
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This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Travels and Trifles, is “Environments”:
- Long ago I remember a story about the City Mouse / Country Mouse. As I recall, each was happier in its own environment – which leads me to this week’s challenge – Environments. We’d love you to show and tell us what it is about your own environment that is most special to you. Maybe you’re a city mouse (as above) who loves to travel to the country for a change of pace (as below) – or vice versa. Maybe you travel back and forth from home to work. Whatever your ‘druthers, this week’s challenge is to share your images and thoughts about environments, whatever they may be.
Self is currently in traveling mode. She just returned to Manila after two weeks in Bacolod. Her current environment is her brother’s townhouse in Makati:
Everywhere, she sees reminders of Dearest Mum, who passed away June 2021. Self attended the funeral by zoom: she couldn’t fly home because Manila was in the grip of a raging covid epidemic.
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From the host of the One Word Sunday Challenge, Travel with Intent:
- Welcome to One Word Sunday, and over to all of you to join the challenge with your own water post. To join the challenge, please use pingback by putting a link in your post to the URL of this post, allowing others to have the opportunity to visit and join the challenge. Then come back here and leave us a comment. — Debbie Smyth, Travel with Intent
A few weeks ago, self attended the 2023 AWP Annual Conference, which was held in Seattle.
Took time out to see the Space Needle with writer Rashaan Alexis Meneses (first time for both of us). The experience was not as vertigo-inducing as self feared it would be. What a spectacular view!
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Keanu, you are self’s forever and ever.
This installment of John Wick was almost three hours long, which she did not expect.
It is a paean to balletic fight moves.
Self had to leave just before the end. Was Keanu channeling Hamlet there.
Self has read some reviews which refer to Keanu as the Baba Yaga.
Umm, no. Keanu, unlike the Baba Yaga, is a man in search of his soul. He desires death. But he is human, therefore he never gets what he wants.
Death is not the answer, John Wick.
Son: Did he kill them all?
Is this a rhetorical question?
Looking back on this actor’s career, self think the best Keanu is action Keanu. He may have the blankest face, but he has moves.
It is known.
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Am continuing with The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir, which is fascinating, as much of a deep dive into self’s girlhood (she visited Hong Kong on Family trips, maybe five or six times in her childhood) as anything else.
Sentence of the Day:
- Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express, the 1994 film of canned pineapples, painful longing, and drug dealers, is your favorite film — it’s why you want to visit Hong Kong, really
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Self loves that she can join Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) this week. She has got a gallery of rides!
- The Rolls that has seen better days was near Spitalfield’s, East London.
- Beltane & Pop van was on the London Eye Pier.
- The bus was self’s ride from Belfast to Downpatrick, on her way to River Mill for a month of mad writing, last April.
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This beautiful glass sculpture is Dale Chihuly’s Flower Form 2 (variation), in the lobby of the Sheraton Grand Seattle, where self is staying during the AWP Conference.
Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.
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It appears self’s books have been available on kindle for a few years. She never knew!
Two of the four:
The cover of The Lost Language is a detail of a painting by the late, great Filipino artist Santiago Bose.
Kanlaon 