I wasn’t able to blog due to the things that I have to do. We had our second trimestral exam this week. Before the exams, I used my time studying and reviewing my previous lectures in my subjects. I was able to relax a bit due to my exemptions in Filipino and Environmental Science. Physics was bloody…and it will never change. The irony is that, our 2nd trim exam in Physics is way easier than the first trimester. Well, I have to admit that. But Physics will never run out of blood.

I think you’re getting crazy and you’re seeing the word PHYSICS in my blog entry. Yup, it’s Physics. When I was grade three, our science was divided into 5. I’m in third year high school as of this moment. And our science was divided into 4, instead of 5. Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Science are branched out. Different fields of science are there, and so as different theories, chemical formulas and different anatomy. These subjects are supposed to be taken in College. Our school is giving us some preparations for our college days. Even the grade one students are studying different fields of science (but they have different science subjects). It may bleed your nose, or destroy your head. But in the end, you’ll see that it’s all worth it.

Why am I saying this?

You might wonder why I am explaining this. Well, there was this conversation that wiggled my mind.

Like what I’ve said, it was our exams week. I was able to go home since our private service driver was there. While we were on the road, my driver asked me why our dismissal was early. And yes, I explained everything to him. I said that we have 9 academic subjects, thus having 9 trimestral exams. He was shocked that we have a lot of subjects. I explained to him that we are studying different branches of science. After I have said that, he had this opinion. (Note: He explained it to me in Filipino. I’ll just summarize it in English.)

Why should you study all of the branches of science? Do you need to study Physics in order to get a job in a bank? You won’t need that. How about in the cashier? You just need to study accounting and mathematics. Best of all, you have a calculator. Are you going to use all of the things that you have learned in your future job and career?

I was a bit bothered with this statement. Our driver is saying that we shouldn’t be suffered for as they don’t need to suffer themselves as well. After all, it can make our life easier. Well, our school’s focus is on the holistic side. Holistic refers to having the overall personality. You have all of the abilities and the skills. Yes, we are not perfect but we can show the best of our personality. A lot of things can happen in the future. At least, we’ll be having the assurance of having a bright future.

I’m not contradicting the statement of our service driver. I can agree with him anyway. But for learning’s sake, we can assure the good quality of our future if we become holistic. And that is what our school is about.

It’s our heroine’s opinion that as each novel is different, dear Reader, each cries out to be told in a certain way. Point of view (POV) is an integral part of how each is told. Knowing the difference between each of the points of view available will help you recognize which is appropriate to your novel.

Sometimes, genre locks in the choice of POV, as you will read in some of the sites below. Cross-genres are more forgiving. Agents and editors sometimes are not and may well decide that a novel written in one POV would be better in another. It’s not easy to rewrite in a different POV. One of my fears is that when I am blessed by an agent who clicks with me, that agent will require me to change the POV of my novels.

Retrofitting a novel’s POV can be more difficult that writing it in the first place. If you write genre fiction, do your research. Be sure your POV is appropriate straight away. The links below will help with that.

Killer Hobbies has an article posted by Linda O. Johnston titled Lesson Four – Point of View. As you may have guessed, it’s part of a series regarding writing fiction. This article addresses the genre question specifically and gives some examples based on the author’s writing. Take a look at the series as well to see if you can garner any little nuggets of wisdom that help you on your journey.

Hubpages post How to Use First Person, Second Person or Third Person in Novel Writing is an interesting read on the subject. Take a look at this one for examples which will help you not only choose your POV but keep it fresh. It’s too easy to become repetitive and hit a rut in a POV, especially if it’s the wrong one.

The article Another Perspective on POV posted on the Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency blog is a terrific post if you’re looking for information about point of view. I love the tone of the article and the suggestion that the writer stretch and learn to write new points of view to expand talent. Please take a look at this article and bookmark it if need be so that you can come back to it on occasion. While it may not inspire you right now, I suspect there may come a time when it could.

I’ve heard various opinions regarding which POV is desired by agents. Having been told at one point that third is the only appropriate POV, I began to doubt my instinct to write my current series in first. I gave it a long, hard look and wondered if I should change it. My conclusion was that the stories were each best told from first person with a different narrator in each book.

Was I nervous for having chosen that? You bet I was. I felt better when I was told repeatedly that it’s the story itself that counts. If the novel is well written and the POV appropriate to that story, it’s golden. Isn’t that always the case? Learning more about such things as POV allows the author to choose the details of a novel wisely when beginning a project. I strongly suggest you be open to all the possibilities. Only then can you choose among the options available.

Last year’s post, first reaction to the terror strike

I am sorry to say but on this anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack I can’t help but being at my cynical best. Cynicsm, despair, anger, frustration and helplessness has hit an all time high. All this talk of unity and solidarity seems to be such overstatement and the idea of one India is such a farce.

One India: Same India: Assam -

Sunday, 22nd Nov 09 – Twin blasts within a gap of 40 min, 8 Killed 50+ injured. How many candles did the Mumbaikars light?[link]

On 30th Oct 09 Assam silently remembered the victim of the serial blasts, 9 in total, that left 90 dead and 800 injured in 2008.[link]

April 09 – Also saw serial blasts, killing 8 people.[link]

And I would not even dare to tread the path towards the even lesser known and ignored states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya. On any random day do a basic google news search with these states name as key word and you would only see blood all around.

When was the last time anybody lit a candle for any of them. People perhaps don’t even know about the blood and gore going on in so many parts of the country. From media to the youth on twitter, the so called one India consist of Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and few more.

So much talk about unity and solidarity, why can’t the people of Mumbai come out in large numbers on the street when another home grown terrorist tries to divide and kill people on the basis of language and region? Why don’t they come out light a candle hold hands and dare Raj Thackeray, why don’t they look straight into his eyes and tell, we would stand united no matter what language we speak.

But they won’t do that, they would rather stay away from language politics. Because it is not their problem. It is not the rich and influential who are being beaten up by Sena goons. Only the poor, low class, labour class suffer.

Tonight these people stand in this very fashionable style of remembrance and solidarity, all the English speaking rich and influential, the actors, pop stars politicians and industrialists neatly lined in front of NDTV cameras holding hands. Did you see any body from the low class, the rickshaw puller, the coolie? No! Because who cares about their solidarity, only the rich should unite and collectively step on the poor’s shoulder.

Talking about Pakistan not doing enough to curb terrorism growing in its land, when was the last time any country did anything about the terrorism growing in its land? How about India for example? What about the Naxals / Maoists? How many more terrorist attacks will it take for Indian Government to take action against them? If we can’t tackle these state grown terrorists what right do we have to point a finger at Pakistan?

So people please stop talking about this bull shit one India, for all I know its a disgrace towards the marginalized states and communities to brag any of these activities as symbol of unity and solidarity.

Cut the crap will we?

tak perlu dipaksa

tak perlu dicari

kerna ku yakin ada jawabnya

honestly.

i don’t think i even have time for that.

tgh tgok ulangan konsert 3 diva.

such beautiful songs.

jap2.

pehal nk ckp psl that 4-lettered word plak.

i don’t know.

somethng about how it’s been floating in the air.

anyway.

i went through my mini transcript and realize that i have 9 painful credit hours left to fulfill in order for me to graduate.

insyaAllah.

i managed to calm down a bit, though that is very rare and i still have this uneasy feeling.

although i’m still worrying like a worrywart.

but i will calm down. now.

so let’s talk about somethng else.

misteri hidup akankah menghilang

dan bahagia di akhir cerita

i went blog-hopping [bcause of my sister].

and i have decided that not evryone blogs for the same reason.

and that some people still blog even when they don’t exactly have anythng to blog about.

but that is another story which i don’t wish to comment on because evryone has evry right to blog on their own blog, no matter how unusual their entry is. 

cume terpkir.

klw kerane pengikut yg ramai buatkn diri rase sgt trpanggil menulis, adakah penulisan mengikut pengikut, ataupn pengikut mengikut penulisan?

tk taula.

tpi rse sgt syg klw somethng yg kite suke tpkse ikut somethng yg org suke.

sbb tu kn blog kite.

penulisan kite.

ape yg dtg dlm hati bile kite menulis bukan ke hanye kerane dan hanye utk diri kite sndiri?

that is what i think.

i don’t know about evryone else.

maybe some people feel differently.

anyway.

moving along to our special occasion~

esok raye haji!

sbnrnye dh msuk dh harinye, dh lepas tgh mlm pn.

so

selamat menyambut hari raya haji ♣

semoga raya haji kali ini membawa ketenangan hati utk semua.

It seems my previous post has triggered a little of the “cowgirl” in me, as the first thing that caught my in today’s store can definitely fall in to that category.

“RUFFLES” by APPLE MAY DESIGNS

I first heard of APPLE MAY DESIGNS during last year’s “Peace on Earth” Hunt – well at least I am hoping it was APPLE MAY and not another designer lol. At the the time I did my usual perusal of the store but if I am honest I did not spend much proper time there…. for if I had THIS would certainly NOT be the first time I would be blogging about them – believe me! But then again, I am only pixels and do make mistakes…. but at least I admit it lol *slaps her own hand for the previous oversight*

“RUFFLES” is an outfit that appeals to every single one of my senses. Yes I know I always go on and on about textures in clothing but this time its different. This dress is something that I just cannot help looking at. Obviously the sateen finish plaid texture is amazing but there is something about the whole dress that makes me want to touch it, feel it and basically watch myself wear it in RL lol. Yes… I know that may sound “kinky” but that is the effect this dress has on me. May be its the fact that Ms May has such detail in the top as to show the outline / indentation of a bra that would have been worn had it been RL ? Or may be it is the fact that the prim collar ruffles match perfectly and symetrically with the prim skirt?Who knows what goes on in my little head sometimes .. lol …. but one thing I do know is that I will not be over-looking APPLE MAY DESIGNS again, and neither should you if you want to be smothered in texture heaven

COLOURS:  pink (which I am wearing), blue, pale olive

PRICE:  L$190

STORE  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fruitatious/71/115/24

Much Happiness – Emerald x

I learned few lessons today, which one of them is read thoroughly especially when you are reading questions and instructions. I had my Machine Dynamics 1 final examination few hours ago and I found myself pathetically dumb when I knew I did three BIG MISTAKES during the examination. Good Bye HD. =”(

Question Number 1. I got this question wrong because I made a WRONG ASSUMPTION. Instead of assuming the length of rope A from the datum line, I assumed it from the pulley C. Even though i know where mistake is, I still don’t understand why it is not acceptable. I think maybe I didn’t really get the concept right. Fine, I accept the mistake I did.

Question Number 8. The question was exactly from our class test 2. Same diagram, same variables and same answer, but still, I didn’t get it right, but I got this question correct during class test 2. Why? Reason: I SKIPPED the question when I was doing my revision. Another factor that constituted to this mistake was, I DIDN’T READ the question. I am dumb isn’t it? Solving a problem without really knowing what the problem is. I missed out the part where disk was told to be rotating around point O. My confidence flooded my mind. During the examination, I was supposed to read the question but I skipped it. Hey, I am really PRO (in a stupid way).

Question Number 10. I couldn’t do this question because I had no idea what the question is about. I was asking myself when I saw that question, did I learn this before??? Apparently, I was supposed to learn all the chapters but I didn’t. The main reason why this disaster happened is due to the TIPS. All of us were happy few days ago because we got a highly confidential tips from someone and those tips were believed to be 80 percent accurate (In fact, 90 percents).

As a result, I paid 100 % of focus on those tips which led to a disaster in the end. The last question WASN’T in the tips. OMG… Almon told me that this question could be found in the lecture slides. Apparently he was wrong. I couldn’t find it anywhere. The question and theory is only available in text book. It also means that this kind of question IS NOT COVERED in the syllabus. What the heck???

Lastly, I skipped the examination instructions in the 1st page of my examination papers. After I had finished all the questions, except last question which I had no idea what it was about, in 4 pages of papers, I ACCIDENTALLY saw a line of bolded words which was requiring candidates to write a single answer in a single page. 10 questions, 10 pages. -.-”’ So, I got 10 new blank papers from an examination supervisor and rewrite all the answers. 20 minutes wasted.

Lessons learnt:

1) ALWAYS READ THE QUESTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY.

2) SUCCESS = ZERO CARELESS MISTAKE.

Wish me luck for my coming Fluid Mechanics 1 examination. =)

bus gede yang biasa mondar mandir kuningan emang tetep angkutan andalan ku selama ini, yang berjasa berulang kali mengantarkan diriku mendekati lokasi kerja… ya mendekati, karena setelah itu aku harus terus jalan dan tetep berjuang melawan kemacetan ala TB Simatupang *halah!*

ilustrasi aje, soalnya aku lupa dialognya gmn, yang jelas, pelakunya wanita

(via hape ditangan kanan ditempelin dikuping kanan, terus tangan kiri semi nenteng tas sambil jagain rok, duduk didepan ku yang sedang berdiri ~yeah, lagi sial, soalnya berdiri di busway doh)

“eh, gw dah bilangin, duit 1o M (sekalian ngarang, red)  itu dah masuk hitungan budget, itu dah minimal banget, kalo gak percaya, silakan aja diitung lagi”, lanjutnya nih “iiih, gw dah tau orangnya kayak gmn, tapi ya terserahlah, gw dah pastiin ke pihak2nya, gw dah bener2 itung trus gw dah urus semua”

sebenernya gak usah perhatiin konteks omongan diatas, karena yang gw bahas adalah caranya berbicara ditelepon, gesturnya saat berbicara, macam lawan bicaranya ada di depan dia aja… dengan mulut yang bermain2, dengan bibir yang meliak liuk, ya mirip2 fitri tropika ~maaf, gw jadi meratiin nih hehe, trus jari2 lentik menjelaskan keadaan, dimana kalo lagi bilang “tidak” gaya kipas jari2nya pun bergoyang kanan kiri, kalo lagi bilang “eh” jari2nya pun melentik dan telapak tangan bergerak bagaikan menepuk tipis, tapi yang paling gak oke pas bilang “iiih”, gesturnya kemana2 dengan leher dimundurin, bibir melebar ke bawah (doh aku lupa tangannya gimana hehehe)

(oi oi kok jadi ngomongin orang nih!, oke oke)

kadang2 aku mikir, tingkat kepedean itu apakah sama dengan tingkat kecuekan? jadi aku menimbulkan pertanyaan2 begini

“segitu cuekkah dirinya untuk berbicara di telepon di busway yang rame dengan suara yang cukup mengalahkan suara mesin busway, dan gestur, liak liuk tubuh, tangan, kepala, mata, sampe bibir?”

“segitu PDkah dirinya untuk berbicara di telepon di busway yang rame dengan suara yang cukup mengalahkan suara mesin busway, dan gestur, liak liuk tubuh, tangan, kepala, mata, sampe bibir?”

ya aku sendiri, sedikit terpengaruh untuk menonton peristiwa itu, gak bisa cuek, pengennya sih kalo bisa ku rekam ke video, terus ku upload ke youtube trus ku linkkan lewat facebook, trus ku bikin pengumuman di plurk/twitter, lalu ku pasang palang di status YM *halah!*

anyway aku kalo dibusway suka curi2 perhatian wekekeke, suka pamer, senyum-senyum dan ketawa ditahan kalo lagi baca buku hehe kan lumayan jadi ajang sok cari eksistensi diri :p

*image taken from best-family-photography-tips.com

Skin: CheerNo – .SKIN VNS Euro evol #1 [BASE](Coming Soon)

Hair: MADesigns Hair – ANDY ~ NBL II

Eyes: MADesigns EYES_REFLEKTOR – blind faith(Coming Soon)

Glasses: hoorenbeek – Glasses – Hollywood

Shirts: Connors – Dress Shirts -Violet

Sweater: Emery – Sweater Grass

Jeans: hoorenbeek – Jeans – Classic Blue – Rolled Up

Belt: hoorenbeek ] – Belt Buckle 2

Boots: hoorenbeek – Patagonia 2.0 – Used Wheat

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Question to you ladies out there, do you sometimes feel less of a woman if you dress in a male type of clothing? Obviously in SL you can get away with wearing almost anything and not be “judged” and that is why I love it so much, but in my RL I do unfortunately feel less attractive and almost “looked down upon” as I trundle the streets with my hooded top, jeans and trainers on lol. Maybe this is indicative about me and my mental state of mind .. lol…. rather than society as whole; but either way I have decided to take a stand – and make myself feel better in the process :b – by going all “manly” in todays blog.

“Plaid is Back” and “Trepid” by MYTH

MYTH has been around in SL for approximately a year and has become known amongst some circles as the place to go for high quality, reasonably priced casual clothing with a kind of 50’s-esque feel about them. Of course I have been a fan since day one as you all know I have a penchant for watching designers grow and develop throughout their time in SL (no… I am not a stalker btw :b). Actually, it is a little ironic as I have just remembered that one of my very first pieces purchased from Ms Pinazzo was a male shirt and waistcoat combo lol – lawd things have not changed as much as I thought.

Anyway, what you see me wearing above (whilst doing hard manual farm work :b) is the “PLAID IS BACK” shirt in pink. Available in male and female versions, and I have it on good authority that the only difference is the size of the prim cuffs and collar, this shirt is is a lovely mix of  traditional autumn/winter work wear with a huge blast of color. It is ideal for cheering yourself up on cold winter days, but team it up with the TREPID jeans (again, available in male and female version) and you have on your hands a little winner. I am all for bargain shopping but this entire outfit costs only L$300 and will see you through till next summer as the jeans are that perfect colour which can be worn in any season. This coupled with the fact that the detailing is simple and sufficient means that there should be no avatar out there complaining they have no clothes to chill out and relax in over the coming months.

Grab you fella/gal and head down to MYTH – I want to see matching couples every where

Price:  L$150 for shirt     L$150 for jeans

Colours:  shirt only – pink, green, blue, black, yello, teal, red purple

STORE  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Prestigio%20Creations/53/54/23

Casual Happiness – Emerald x

Don’t speak
don’t type
don’t write
rhythm,
poetic drivel
or rhyme.
Don’t quietly
sit there and whine
about the losses
and the fine
examples of failure
held over
our heads
like we were
already dead!

Don’t whimper
don’t simmer
don’t wait
in patient
supplication
gratification of
state to state
motivated by
the need to
seek peacefully
the things
we should already
have!

No

Take it
demand it
stop trying
to request it.

Because it’s not
a failure
to communicate
we’re not at a table
to negotiate.

Freedom is not a maze
to navigate
or a truce to appropriate.
Freedom is
demanded
commanded
and undeniably
branded on souls!
And from the first bullet fired
to the lantern lifted
setting the world on fire
to the shots on campus
ringing throughout memphis
to radicals walking
in masses
and women at the gate
facing threats
staring down hate
change was never
motivated, moved
or manipulated
by the bendable.
but by the immovable
irreversible
permanent
foot planted
and well cemented
resolve of voices
raised up
shouting
and undeniably heard

so what are we waiting for?

Icon is…

…Something or someone charismatic, influential, inspiring and, therefore, powerful. I picked the late Princess Diana as my icon. She was a mother, a philanthropist, a trendsetter, a true fairytale princess, an ICON. – Historie Girl, United Kingdom.

Icon is…

…The easiest one for me to define as I know exactly what it means. Today I’m very far from being an Orthodox. But there were moments in my life when I was standing in front of these adorned images waiting for some answers… – BellaDonna, Russia.

Icon:

…For this challenge I asked my 8th graders, What is an Icon? Here are the responses:

“Describes something to click on the computer”, Girl, 14
“A role model”, Girl, 13
“Someone important”. Boy, 14
“A symbol to represent a company”. Boy, 14
“Someone who’s known by everyone”. Girl, 15
“An idol”. Girl, 13
” A secret message.” Boy, 14
“Someone who is associated with a certain subject, for example, Neil Pearl is a drumming icon.” Boy, 14
“Someone who sets the standard.” Boy, 14
“Someone people follow, who sets trends and actions.” Girl, 13
“A religious image painted on a wall.” Boy, 14
“IDK.” Lots of them!!!

I hope you enjoy!!! I did a teenager outfit to compliment and Jay Z seems to be the biggest Icon they are ALWAYS talking about – HarperLeo, United States.

Icon is…

…Something unforgettable and one-of-a-kind, like Annie Hall. – Dame B.

Icon is…

…Something/someone you look up to, something/someone you hold in the highest esteem. For some they are religious icons and for others they are modern/pop icons. In this case the iconographer becomes the saint and goes from making icons to becoming one. The ultimate icon Andrei Rublev. – Prima Dona, United States.

Icon is…

…Someone who sets, invents and inspires instead of following; a symbol of creativity, originality and talent who stands out of the crowd and make their own statement. – Badrouchka, Morocco.

For me, an icon is…

…Someone that has a certain ‘je ne se quoi’, that indescribable something that makes them not only talented, but also relatable. It’s what they do and how they make you feel when they do it (be it singing, acting, etc). – Jen1987, United States.

Icon:

“I do not truly consider myself an icon, but the Cube has been quite successful.” ~Erno Rubik (Quoted by Miss Bea Heyvin, United States)

Icon is…

…Something or someone who is always in the spotlight. – Aribar2.

Icon is…

…Leading by being daring, being unique. Adding value and meaning to others life by making a difference! – Gabinsky, The Netherlands.

To me, an icon is…

…Pretty close to fame, even though it represents so much more, an icon can really be anything. i decided to represent its more literal sense with this outfit, something outgoing and fun and expensive looking, something that someone with a following would pull off effortlessly! like a grown up Eloise… – Dolores Haze, United States.

I think of an icon as…

…An image used to symbolize an idea. I see Andy Warhol’s Marilyn image as an icon of celebrity and fame, which links icons to people and people to fashion. Fashionable icons can be stars or celebrities which are very commonly seen in media. I think it’s interesting to think about the power, influence, and influx of icons in modern society. – AshleyAshley, United States.

The definition of an icon is…

…Someone who has not only withstood the test of time, but has influenced everyone that has come after. When you can with one glance recognize their influence- whether it be a song, a piece of clothing, or a haircut. – Ameerah26, United States.

Icon:

…Jane Birkin has been my number one style icon for as long as I can remember. While I do like to experiment with fashion and trends, I always find myself going back to the refined, neat, simple aesthetic that Jane Birkin epitomized. In my opinion, anyone who has an Hermes handbag named after them deserves the “Icon” title. Seriously. – Crimine, United States.

Icon is…

…Iman. I think she is so regal, stunning and she doesn’t age!!!She’s 54, a mother of three, was a supermodel, is a cosmetics entrepreneur, married to David Bowie, active supporter of charitable organizations such as Keep a Child Alive and maintains a positive public image.

I think she would look so hot in this outfit and since she’s a rocker’s wife I had to throw in some rocker’s boots to show she still can get her sexy on..LOL!! – Marsoline, United States.

Icon is…

Someone who inspires emulation and admiration that is so powerful, the person almost becomes mythical.
To me Grace embodied impeccable sophistication,with a hint of smolder beneath those beautiful blue eyes.
She carried herself with the comportment of a true Princess. and was an ambassador for the arts during her short life. – Powder Puff, United Kingdom.

Special thanks to all the fabulous ladies who have participated in this challenge.

Points of view collide
Everybody has their say
‘Kay, post count plus one

Here is an article by a Medical Doctor who was the son of Sir John Templeton, world-renowned philanthropist. As I have read about the father, I can not discern if he was a believer, but he obviously impressed some of his thoughts on his son. (Again, the article is by the son). I thought it interesting….

This week, we start a new series called “Give it All Away!” and we will spend 4 weeks discussing the subjects of giving, generosity, and the benefits thereof.

This is one of the articles I found in my research. Thought you might like to read it directly. You can access it HERE. Please drop back by and share your thoughts….ALSO, please share, if you are comfortable doing so, a brief testimony of your attitude and practice toward giving.

For me, my discipline has evolved through the years. I have not always been a disciplined “giver.” I have, however, been a committed giver and supporter of my church and its mission and ministry for well over a decade and can say that the axiom is true, “You cannot out give God.”

I would love to hear your stories….

Hair: null – hair_Goa_dusk

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Shades: epoque – Catastrophe Shades – Neutral

Coat: SG – TokyoCoatBlack

Tank: SG – DendiTankWhite(tucked)

Pants: M.R.M. FACTORY Color Skinny Pant *Black*

Boots: COCO – Homme_Lace-UpWorkBoots

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Christmas Spirits Wine Bag

Bags by RHC !
The Christmas Spirits Wine bag is the perfect bag to carry your wine in to the party. It comes with sleek wooden handles and is too cute to miss out on. The Wine Bag is the perfect gift to give too because it is practical and Eco-friendly. Inspired by the trees in the forests surrounding the Santal villages. This bag is made of jute and is hand embroidered by tribal Santal women in rural India. It has a rich shade of red combined with silk threads that give it a classy finish. A portion of the sale goes to helping the women setup a workshop in rural India. Free Shipping. Ships from Tampa, FL

As I was perusing the web, I noticed a number of sites that include information about writing awards for first-time mystery novelists.  Granted, I’m sure that they have so many books submitted that the one chosen will have to be a serious work of art.  The Mystery Writers of America have awards for published novelists and a novelist who has not yet been published.  I personally think that my novel falls under the Agatha award “traditional mystery novel” category.  There is no real gore or sensationalism; it has an amateur detective trying to solve a crime, and while it has a detective in it, the plot of the story is not told from the point of view of the detective.  First things first, I tell myself.  Finish the novel, then we’ll figure out what to do about agents or contests.

You’re in for surprise
You’re in for a shock
In London town streets
When there’s darkness and fog
When you least expect me
And you turn your back
I’ll attack

I smile when I’m sneaking
Through shadows by the wall
I laugh when I’m creeping
But you won’t hear me at all

All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper

You’ll soon shake with fear
Never knowing if I’m near
I’m sly and I’m shameless
Nocturnal and nameless
Except for “The Ripper”
Or if you like “Jack The Knife”

Any back alley street
Is where we’ll probably meet
Underneath a gas lamp
Where the air’s cold and damp
I’m a nasty surprise
I’m a devil in disguise
I’m a footstep at night
I’m a scream of the fright

All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper…the ripper….the ripper

 The Ripper Judas Priest 1976

 Comment: The Ripper: One of the classical heavy metal songs and texts. The point of view-technique is used. An unobservant listener could identify with the aggressivity in sentences as

“When there’s darkness and fog
When you least expect me
And you turn your back
I’ll attack”

But when read properly it is obvious that the lyrics is meant to tell a scary story from the madmans perspective. Rob Halford plays the role of the infamous Jack the Ripper.

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Because of the tragedies that passed in our country, there won’t be a time for us to smile. Hence, it is hard to move on because we weren’t able to save a thing. We can get those material things right away with hard work and determination. But getting one’s life back? It’s hard to get it back.

Because of Ondoy, Pepeng, Ramil and Santi’s attack, I’m sure there are people whose properties were washed away. But the worst thing of all, their loved one’s lives were washed away. Despite of the tragedy, there is one reason to smile.

Christmas is a day for children. And for those children who were affected by the typhoon, they would have no idea on how to celebrate Christmas (like what I’ve said, due to the tragedies). Christmas happens once a year, so we get to celebrate it in the best way that we could. But how about the families who were affected and whose starting to move on? How are they going to celebrate Christmas?

Christmas celebration doesn’t need to be luxurious. A simple noche buena would be a big thing already. But Christmas is not about the gifts. It’s all about the love and care for the family, and the moment where Jesus is born.

A lot of us were facing our destiny. Who cares if a million typhoons will make their landfall in our country? For as long as we hold hands and cooperate with each other, we can surpass all of the obstacles destiny has for us.

“Kaya natin ito.”

Emotion is an essential element in good fiction. If I as a reader can’t get inside the POV character’s emotions, feel what they feel about the setting, for example, to go in and be that character at that moment in time, then there is no way I can connect with them. If the emotion of the character is missing, so is the character missing. If I can’t tell what a character feels, then the character isn’t there for me.

Writing through an emotional filter can be the most difficult part of a character to capture in words. It reminds me of my life before Lasik surgery. My vision had been 20/1000 for many years. The day the doctor finished my eye surgery and I sat up, I saw the doorknob on a door across the room—I mean, I SAW it! That is when a doorknob is more than a doorknob.

When a writer doesn’t use what author Nancy Conner calls the emotional filter, it’s like the character isn’t there.

Conner says when we apply an emotional filter rather than writing neutral descriptions of a setting, location, or character, for example, the author colors the description according to the character’s state of mind.

The emotional filter is a way to show how a character feels, thinks, judges, and interprets anything. For example, if I look out my window, I might observe, “Snow covered the ground.” That doesn’t say anything about my state of mind. But if I write, “Snow nestled around the trees and fence posts,” you get an idea of how I feel about the snow. If I said, “The snow imprisoned me inside the house,” you get a different sense of how I feel about the snow even though I didn’t say how I felt about it.

If your character doesn’t feel strongly enough about what she sees, hears, tastes, touches or smells to give some type of emotional reaction to it, the reader won’t either. This applies to everything in the story, whether it be action, dialogue, description or other characters.

Your story will have great impact on readers if you help them interpret it emotionally.

Due to the heat, I took it easy on myself and set an easy task.  I looked at whether the point of view chapters of my book balanced out.  I have written a summary of the chapter/scene on post-it notes, a different colour for each, and have stuck them around the wall.  This is an idea I got from a blog post by an author called Kaye Dacus that flashed up on the WordPress suggested posts thing. 

It’s a very long line!  Quite satisfying.  I’m also a bit awestruck – did all that really come from my head?

Have also discovered a disadvantage to this technique.  Some of the post-it notes keep falling off the wall!  There had to be a drawback, didn’t there?