Here I blog, therefore here I still am

.

November 30, 2007

Friday

I started this blog site in October 2004, through the encouragement of friends like Noreen Capili, Andrea Duerme, and Derrick Periodico, who began theirs long before I did mine. I was able to pay the encouragement forward by inspiring a number of other friends to start their own blog sites--friends like, oh well, no need to mention their names; they know who they are.

I used to write in this blog site practically every day, until the last half of 2006, when I finally became busy with my newfound jobs here in Canada.

That chapter of my blog writing was really something--it was inspiring, self-analyzing, exciting, and self-serving in the sense that I got to document important chapters of my life, as well as document many newly created poetry, essays, and personal thoughts about many things, trivial or controversial or intellectual. I became even more proficient and prolific in my writing.

These days, I somehow lost the enthusiasm in blog writing simply because my jobs took a large portion of my leisure time. But don't get me wrong, I love my jobs--working as a health care provider at a hospital pays the bills and my hobbies and keeping consistent with my columns at The Filipino Journal, a Filipino-oriented newspaper based here in Winnipeg, keeps myself closely in touch with the literatus in me.

Of course, I still love blog writing. If only I have much time in my hand just like I used to during my first years in Canada, then I would have been writing still in my blog site every day.

For the meantime, however, to compensate for my failure to blog-write prolifically, I just upload music of my favorite artists on my Multiply site. Also, I regularly post there photographs that I take. Photography is another pastime of mine. I'm not great at it, but I simply enjoy taking pictures of stuff I like. I also take pictures for the purpose of documenting and capturing moments in my life, scenes which otherwise would have been lost in the busy buzzy blur of the quick passing of time and events.

Yeah, I am back! I found the courage once again to write myself, without the employ of a loyal follower. I filled my pen with indelible ink once again.

Adorable - "Glorious"

Halloween Snow & Books Galore

.
October 31, 2007
Wednesday

Winter has indeed come. The first Winter snow fell this afternoon. Last year, it fell in the second week of November. Early arrival, early departure? I hope.

eLf went to work today, wearing his Halloween vest.

Books eLf bought this month included the following:

True Crime
The End of the Dream, Ann Rule

Fantasy Fiction
Giant Bones, Peter S. Beagle
Tamsin, Peter S. Beagle
Blood Wars Trilogy Book 3: Planar Powers, J. Robert King
DragonLance: Lost Histories Vol. II: The Irda, Linda P. Baker
DragonLance: Lost Histories Vol. III: The Dargonesti, Paul B. Thompson & Tonya Cook
The Worm Ouroboros, E.R. Eddison
The Zimiamvian Trilogy Book 1: Mistress of Mistresses, E.R. Eddison
The Zimiamvian Trilogy Book 2: A Fish Dinner in Memison, E.R. Eddison
The Zimiamvian Trilogy Book 3: The Mezentian Gate, E.R. Eddison
The Magic Kingdom Landover Book 1: Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold!, Terry Brooks
The Magic Kingdom Landover Book 2: The Black Unicorn, Terry Brooks
The Magic Kingdom Landover Book 3: Wizard at Large, Terry Brooks
A Series of Unfortunate Events Books 1 to 8 & 10, Lemony Snickets

Classic Literature
The Alexandria Quartet Book 1: Justine, Lawrence Durrell
The Alexandria Quartet Book 2: Balthazar
The Alexandria Quartet Book 3: Mountolive
The Alexandria Quartet Book 4: Clea
The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Finally, eLf was able to purchase a lot of 184 Sweet Dreams books! on eBay, for a reasonable deal.

Book shops eLf recommends:
Aqua Books (Princess Street)
Book Fair (Portage Avenue)
Black's Books (Portage Avenue)
Burton Lysecki (Osborne Avenue)
Nerman's Books (Osborne Avenue)
Red River Books (Arthur Street)