long time no blog. been recuperating from the pintadas exhibit, among other things. looking to tour the exhibit, and some folks have shown interest, so we'll see what develops! since last entry, i went on my first cruise ever! with my family to the carribbean. hella overweight old republican white folks! it was certainly a slice of the american pie that represented excess in various forms. they were pretty friendly, tho. it was wild to not use money or currency for anything on board the ship, you just put it on your "cruise card". and the buffet was free! no wonder it always had people in there even in the wee hours of the night. went to various islands like grenada (went to a sulfur pond with soda springs), aruba (went to a beach and the island's butterfly farm), st. kitts (went hiking in the rainforest), isla margarita (yes, the locals had fun with my name... here i went horseback riding across the desert & shore, the latter of which my horse, frankly, particularly enjoyed), st. thomas (beach). grenada was particularly devastated by the recent hurricane, and i noticed the houses there were made a lot like some in the philippines, not too solid, so the destruction was particularly intense. i was talking to one guy in grenada, and told him i was from new york city. he said he was there once, but he didn't stay for too long (he didn't want to). he said people were too rush rush and impatient. true dat. it was interesting how just being in these different islands, and even the staff onboard the ship (most room attendants and waitstaff were from the Philippines [they had a ball with me!], people in the spa were South African and some Hungarian, and then various others from Canada, Ukraine... i noticed how the u.s. is NOT the most popular country. from chatting with all these different folks (except for the Filipinos of course, American colonialization come full circle) some were like "sorry, no offense, but i am NEVER going to america. people's mindset are different". at these times i was thinking post 9/11-war impressions that we (the u.s.) gives out. and even on this cruise ship that caters to folks who can afford finer things in life, the staff and islanders don't dig us. i don't blame them. on one bus the driver boasted that he was a proud vietnam vet. the entire bus cheered. and one wanker sitting in front of me blurted out, "and NOT with jane fonda!" and people clapped. i wanted to slap him upside the back of his head! i felt like i was in a republican mainstream vortex of conformity and couldn't get out. but luckily the ship trip itself was a great time overall for me and my family, as we definitely bonded and had lots of quality time together. AND i got burned like hell. i protected my arms (tattoos) with spf 45, but forgot my chest! ah, the non-pinay in me comes out. weeks later, i still have a tan line. yay.

this weekend is a big one! it's the FAWN conference , where i will be speaking on the "spirit of fire, warrior panel" from 10am-11:20am on friday, june 3, and on the "pinay power" panel from 2:30-4pm on saturday, june 4. do come check out and support the conference! i will also be showcasing 2 bamboo girl zine covers in the art showcase throughout the weekend.

and this sunday's philippines independence day parade & festival! independence from what i ask? nonetheless, it's a great time to eat pinoy bbq and watch the meat market in action, which make for interesting people watching. maybe i'll see you there?

and lastly, i've been published in the new issue of maganda magazine. i submitted a pretty soul-bearing essay on my personal struggles in recent years, touching even on things i haven't talked about before, like suicidal tendencies, psych wards, and finding my own inner strength from pain. it was my chance to let it all out and move on, as it's been a hard past couple of years. so please check it out, especially because maganda magazine is such a kickass, relevant, on the pulse publication for the pinay/pinoy community!

the sun is finally out! my gemini/dog ass is celebrating a birthday next week. mommy's coming out to chill with me. yay.