#Ilocano covers

[thenamesnotatallrelevant]

Feliz Natibab

(To the tune of Feliz Navidad) Feliz NatibabFeliz NatibabFeliz NatibabNaidumudum naitibab(2X) Aywanan yo amangan maipas(3X)Ti kawayan tay timid na… (Repeat ’til fade)

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#feliz navidad #Ilocano #Ilocano covers #Ilocano Jokes

[hwspirilovebot]

I believe this has to be asked at some point, what is Antonio and Piri's relationship like?

Our internalized racism (thanking Spain for uniting the ethnolinguistic groups to form the PH, Islamophobia and prejudice against Indigenous people, desiring Western validation too much, viewing ourselves as not Southeast Asian enough due to Catholicism overpowering Hindu-Buddhism, etc.) toxic machismo (patriarchy and all its consequences and misogyny and the huge support for authoritarian politicians), hypocrisy (of the Church and everything else), and a lot more can trace its roots from the Spanish colonization of the Philippines

But for Spain, era solo otro día.

The Philippines was not Spain's most profitable colony, and there are even instances of people saying it's a waste of money. Credit goes to @sweaty-clouds for these excerpts:

With the constant typhoons that damage crops and the lack of spices which Indonesia is blessed with (to be fair, Mindanao had cinnamon but Spain failed to conquer most of it.), the Philippines was better off as a trading hub for Chinese goods bound for Acapulco and Europe. Ultimately, it was the missionaries that insisted on keeping the country (that's another can of worms), and in terms of foreign policy, and the Spanish empire needs to have a hold in Asia.

I can imagine Antonio comparing Piri constantly with his peers and being disappointed but still keeping him for Christianity's sake. He rarely visits him and leaves all the work to Mexico (Nueva España, then) until Mexico became independent and Suez Canal was opened which made travelling from Sp to Ph became faster.

Piri would ask how come his neighbors are productive and Antonio would blame him for being lazy rather than Spain's late industrialization and dependence on the mining of silver and gold in exchange for Chinese goods.

Jose Rizal criticized this Spanish style mercantilism: While we see all the walls of London covered with advertisements of the products of its colonies, while the English make heroic efforts to substitute Ceylon tea for Chinese tea, they themselves begin with the sacrifice of their taste and their stomach; in Spain, with the exception of tobacco, nothing from the Philippines is known: neither its sugar nor coffee, hemp nor fine cloths, nor its Ilocano blankets . . . . The most commercial and most industrious countries have been the freest countries: France, England and the United States prove this. Hongkong, which is not [equal to] the most insignificant [island] of the Philippines, has more commercial movement than all the islands together, because it is free and is well-governed.

But I am in no way an Anglo-Saxon apologist. They are fcked up too. This has to be pointed out because there were instances in PH history where some Filipinos would rather be a British colony in the belief that the success of Hongkong and Singapore can be imitated!

The PH economy did become less restrictive when Spain lost its colonies in the Americas (deserve!). Many were afforded the right to study in Europe, hence, the ilustrados and enlightened thinkers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, etc. With enlightenment, comes the desire to be independent.

So, Antonio tries to be . . . more amiable with Piri. Piri appreciates it since he wants his respect but he wants equal status (as he should), equal rights, and often criticizes the church. Little Piri wanted to be the favourite and would often pray the rosary and the novena, hoping it would make him the apple of Antonio's eyes, but teenage Piri ain't taking any shit anymore because if God exists, they would favor David and not Goliath.

Then there's the Spanish-American war.

Now I heard Spain was more sentimental about losing Cuba (whether it's real life or Hetalia canon). There's the Generation '98, but it was never about Piri alone. It was about the fallen empire. Their relationship remains strained throughout the 20th century, especially when some upperclass Mestizo families in the Philippines supported Franco and were leaning towards the Axis powers, but the Philippines was trying to take in more Jewish refugees. Learning the Spanish language was also no longer required, and more attention was given to learning English since there's more job opportunities (and also, Hollywood).

Perhaps in the recent decade, Piri and Antonio are more cordial and diplomatic for the sake of trade relations and business. The Arroyo administration was active in that regard. Filipinos, nowadays, would joke about fighting Spaniards and while we do acknowledge the lingering colonial mentality and how fcked up colonialism is, we're not hostile to Spaniards. There's also this anecdote from a former teacher and her interaction with a Spaniard who said something along the lines of, "I learned about what Spain did to the Philippines, and I'm sorry. But it was the Castillans who did it! Not me, I'm from Catalonia."

But since Piri (and Filipinos) is canonically sassy, he would have visited Antonio in the midst of his financial crisis and asked, "Can I get a discount in Zara as colonial reparations?"

#i don't hate Antonio!! I just love to bully him #and my headcanons would be a lot more friendly towards Antonio if this was SpaPhil #hetalia #hws philippines #hws spain #and I am genuinely asking for discounts on Spanish businesses as colonial reparations

[rotinfo]

liway miranda — the babaylan.

dossier.

FULL NAME.  liway miranda

NICKNAMES. liway, lee

DOB.  october 31, 1996

GENDER AND PRONOUNS. demi woman

ORIENTATION.  bisexual (fem-leaning)

SPECIES.  human, babaylan (filipino shaman)

BIRTHPLACE.  san isidro, siargao, philippines

CURRENT HOME. verse dependent

LANGUAGES.  tagalog, english, ilocano

ETHNICITY.  southeast asian (filipino)

NOTABLE FEATURE(S). always smells of rosemary and rubbing alcohol, wears an anting-anting around her neck in the form of a wooden cross

skills.

OCCUPATION. forensic analyst

EDUCATION LEVEL. master's degree in forensic science

SKILLS. psychometry (the ability to divine things by touching them), forensic analysis

LIMITATIONS. mortality, overexertion leads to physical manifestations such as dizziness, exhaustion and in some cases bleeding and dizziness

psyche.

POSITIVE TRAITS.  altruistic,  kind, hardworking

NEUTRAL TRAITS.  driven, meticulous, resourceful, intelligent

NEGATIVE TRAITS.  self-deprecating, guilt complex

LIKES. surfing, homemade food, deep cleaning her apartment, buying people presents, costume parties, comic books, really bad horror movies, surfing, making people cry over lea.gue of legends

DISLIKES. people coughing without covering their mouths, people who chew with their mouths open, unnecessary rudeness, la.ng leav, sore losers

MBTI.  infj-t

TEMPERAMENT.  phlegmatic

MENTAL DISORDERS.  n/a

FACE CLAIM.  kathryn bernardo

biography.

liway was born and raise in the philippines surrounded by women; both her mother and her grandmother were babaylan and were regularly approached by their neighbors and friends for advice both mystical and mundane. liway herself was taught in their ways, and it's as normal to her as breathing.

moving to the city for her college education, liway still carried her practices with her. most of her schoolmates simply dismissed this as her being weird, and liway was able to at least make a handful of friends who grew used to her "strangeness." much of this part of her life was uneventful, and liway found herself preparing to move outside of the philippines to work to support her family.

her work as a forensic analyst led her to working at a lab. desensitized to the dead as she was, it made her job a little more bearable. occasionally a body would pass through her hands whose fate even she couldn't explain, but liway's desire to keep her head down was stronger. it wasn't until after a few other cases, including one where she met and became neighbors with sibyll bennett and her family. there had been rumors of a ghost haunting said apartment and, after chatting with liway about her history, sibyll asked in no explicit terms for her to check it out. she obliged and after banishing the spirit of a girl who claimed her ex was a popular singer, they became fast friends.

another development from this incident was liway's introduction to a secret "task force" - one that investigates strange and unnatural phenomena that the local authorities can't handle. she's become their primary "consultant" due to her abilities.

eventually, she moved in with sibyll; she had been going through some trouble with her ex husband, and liway didn't think twice about offering her own space "until she got back on her feet." now, living together just feels right. they've been living in relative peace after liway "put sibyll's ex in his place" - a phrase that's really code for "she scared the shit out of him and he hasn't been back."

currently the two still live together, and after sibyll awakened some psychic abilities she's accompanied liway on some of her "unofficial" jobs.

verses.

main verse. compatible with most supernatural verses such as tvdu, teen wolf, etc. liway is a forensic analyst and a babaylan, often stepping in to solve cases on her own that escape the understanding of the regular authorities.

muse specific notes.

liway is housemates and best friends with sibyll bennett.

tldr version is that she's a forensic analyst and a babaylan, who also occasionally investigates cases that local authorities where she lives can't explain. part of these investigations include clean up and fabricating reports to leave local folks none the wiser. this is open for plots, if anyone is interested in developing this with me!

the ghost she exorcised from the bennett household was in fact, dean kwon's ex girlfriend who died. does she know who dean is? not at all.

#do not reblog. #muse information.

[dashythroughthesnow]

goose house covers my beloved

anyway while i was barely on tumblr for the past week i tried picking up learning nihongo and ilocano again

#dash rambles

[i-gelo-ederson]

Derived its name to two ilocano words "Bantay" for mountain & "abot" for the hole. This cave is not really a cave. It's a huge rock with a hole in the middle resulted from an earthquake years ago. A very unique structure covered with green shrubbery thus adding the beauty of the cave. . . . #whenwithfilipinos #itsmorefuninph #discoverph #chooseph #wowpinas #sinopinastraveler #exploringphilippines #philippinesgram #litrattongpinoy #visitphilippines #the_ph #wanderph #pinaswonders #visitph #comeseeph #pinasmuna #topdestinationsph #traversephilippines #wanderlustph #adventurephilippines #pilipinasdestination #mabuhayph #igpilipinas #tapphiph #grammerphilippines #tuklas_pilipinas #lostinph #seepilipinas #ilocosnorte #wheninilocos (at Bantay Abot Cave) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceidg9yuet4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#whenwithfilipinos #itsmorefuninph #discoverph #chooseph #wowpinas #sinopinastraveler #exploringphilippines #philippinesgram #litrattongpinoy #visitphilippines #the_ph #wanderph #pinaswonders #visitph #comeseeph #pinasmuna #topdestinationsph #traversephilippines #wanderlustph #adventurephilippines #pilipinasdestination #mabuhayph #igpilipinas #tapphiph #grammerphilippines #tuklas_pilipinas #lostinph #seepilipinas #ilocosnorte #wheninilocos

[abegailganeb]

GABUR-GABUR FALLS

Gabur-Gabur Falls is one of the famous natural wonders that no one should not miss located at Brgy. Naguilattan, Penablanca, you can experience here the refreshing feeling of nature with it’s cold and sheer water Gabur-Gabur is an Ilocano term which means engulf or covered, because to get there you will have to trail in the vast corn fields. And the falls is covered with old big trees, we use this place to our tradition 'gulgol' that's why we visit this falls and to enjoy our nature trip and bonding

[goliadkine]

Calling the Soul Back to the Body

It swings imperceptibly on the slack end of a clothesline. Dark hooded shape,

wings glossier than tree ear mushrooms, its marble eye fixed on my own. Every afternoon

I come to the kitchen threshold and there it sits; I almost want to raise

my right hand and swear with my left on the cover of a sacred book. It never stays

long—swooping into the bush to stab a worm in half before arcing away

into the sky. Vines settle back upon their blue-green cowl when it leaves.

Say to the soul, I know you. Chant a spell learned long ago: Maykan, maykan, di ka agbutbuteng.*

*Come back, come back, do not be frightened. [Ilocano]

Luisa A. Igloria, from Maps to migrants and ghosts

#Luisa A. Igloria #poetry

[ognimdo2002]

Nilan Punzalan Pradep – Tragically Hero Monster

Nilan David Santos Punzalan Pradep, is the fictional character and as main protagonist introduced in Historya Davvun, as part of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure as sequel since 1980s to 1990s and year 2000.

Under the experiment of Abstergo Industries' Chalom Device, he was called SUBJECT_69, which is referred by Daniel Cross as funny number.

Physiology

Nilan is a 17- to 40-year old blue eyed demigod descent with Ilocano, Ibanag, Ifugao, Spanish, Welsh, French, Breton, and Han Chinese from his mom, and his father was of Tamil and Telugu descent. Nilan has smooth and sturdy brown skin reminiscent of Tamil people, with sharp nails, and long canine teeth like aswang. His hair color, including the eyelashes, was coarse black. Nilan's eye color was blue, due to Waardenburg syndrome, and his eyesight was clear and even in midnight due to aswang ancestry.

The original hunters used Terran old technology, Aurorium, adamantine, and even the toughest materials to create Nilan's Conservationist Hunter outfit. The Conservationist Hunter wardrobe was practically unbreakable, magic-proof, and bulletproof, Abstergo observed.

Because of this monster appearance, Nilan's appearance changes; its eyes begin to glow, its neck and CH letters on his right hand begin emitting a pulsating light, his chest, front legs, and tail become covered in a dark red to purple energy, the chest on his body begin glowing, and his body takes on a darker hue while Princess Diana was likely killed by Abstergo Industries.

Abilities

Conservationist Hunters possess magical abilities, which Nilan lacks due to his unusual Aurorium neurotransmitter known as Ballahu. The Ballahu is a fictional fruit based on an Ifugao folk song. Nilan was immune to being obeyed by Terran Ancient Artifacts or Eden Pieces by the Assassins, making him one of the few people immune to this ancient technology created by the gods during the Pleistocene epoch.

Nilan was born with superhuman hearing, strength, durability, reflexive abilities, and extremely fast regenerating health. Because of the aswang, Nilan drinks one of the Abstergo members' blood to recover faster than normal vampires. Unlike their vampire relatives, aswangs are invulnerable to sunlight.

When Nilan loses friends, spouses, or allies, such as Diana, the princess of Wales, and his Armenian companions, he instantly transforms into "Bloodthirsty Mode," and Nilan goes insane using his mental and physical powers. Which roars and teleports to replenished by performing concealment stealth and assassinations. Nilan enables his powers to pillage and eliminate multiple enemies at the same time by using his sharp nails; time is slowed after each assassination, allowing Nilan to choose the next enemy. Because Rapunzel's descendant, Nilan, is the Sundrop, she (and everyone else) assumed Nilan would need to obtain the Moonstone in order to reunite them with like a god abilities and aswang powers.

Nilan's party will turn against him at the end of his journey. The prophecy of Daniel Cross and Desmond Miles foreshadowing Nilan's treason for the rise of the New World Order. Nilan, like Rapunzel and Cassandra from the series, was possessed and transformed into something strange using Sundrop and Moonstone Opal.

Behavior

Nilan is the stupid but honest man who discovers his real parents will find something until he is apprehended by Abstergo. Nilan is a responsible man who hides his ancestry from his friends, family, and even former enemies, and he is even a member of his faction. He was trusted, and as the family man of Guaiya and Pingking Punzalan, his half-brothers who became his first brothers, he was confronted by the Abstergo, an ex-Templar subsidiary.

Quirin Stearns, a Grand Master or Templar Chief of the Templar Order and former Abstergo creator, tracked him down to find the Artifact, and in the process lost one of his Armenian friends, transforming him into "Bloodthirsty Mode." Many Assassins and Templars were destroyed by Nilan's monstrous abilities, and he fled to Uzbekistan on the backs of Armenian flying dogs called Arelaz, where his mother was discovered.

Nilan is a fan of Diana Spencer, and they later became best friends for his job, and she later told her secretly. Guaiya and Nilan grow envious of Diana until he decides to give her to Prince Charles Windsor instead. Nilan was fighting an assassin named Desmond Miles in Baku, Azerbaijan, when he stole John the Apostle's Orb from him. Diana tells Charles and Nilan that she is pregnant, and soon after their son William is born. Diana walks in on Charles talking sweetly on the phone to Camilla, who he hasn't talked to in months.

In the past, he was favorite targeted by Daniel Cross for want the New World Order. He was always tested by Abstergo members, including Warren Vidic to find the Terran Deity Artifacts and find the ancestors, but it less done by Abstergo. Until he was escaped by Templar allied Assassin named Desmond Miles and Lucy Stillman. He believed that he's stronger than ordinary human, and he was aswang, the monster mentioned in locals in Philippine mythology by Lucy. Due to lost of his foster parent caused by Abstergo Industries in Chennai, India, known for exterminated the members and leaders of Conservationist Hunters, Assassin Order, and Templar Order.

Nilan was confronted by his half-brothers were lose of their memories, until reunited with their mother, Lesley Punzalan to apologize her sons. Lucy knows how Guaiya was part of Templar Knights, and Pingking was part of Templar Order and Assassin Order. Henri de Baptiste was killed by Daniel Cross using his Abstergo made hidden blade, and unnamed mentor of Assassin Order was also killed. While Gerald Kirk, the former Elder Duke of Conservationist Hunter, was killed by Abstergo soldiers. This is the worst event known as The Great Extinction.

Nilan hired many people as Conservationist Hunters to become a double agent to enter Assassin Order and Templar Order weren't option. His weapon was called Cross of Chennai, was firstly destroyed after overheated. The second weapon was buried in Aesir stronghold temple in Jerusalem was Cross of Bethlehem, made by Hephaestus long time ago.

Reference

#ognimdo2002 #earth responsibly #science fantasy #earth #art #fairytale #speculative evolution #ibispaint art #aswang #demigod #nilan punzalan pradep #Punzalan #Historya Davvun #assassin's creed #rapunzles tangled adventure #monster hunter #Conservationist #Conservationist Hunter #hidden ecologist #1990s #history #superhero #indian #filipino

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

Week 13 Blog

America Is Not the Heart

Elaine Castillo

Pages Read: 351-400

Word Count: 374

Summary:

This will be the last weekly blog post of “America Is Not the Heart,” but I can do one more quote post. Hero and Rosalyn’s secretive relationship starts to get out, and some of their friends abandon them. Rosalyn later preemptively moves out of her house, anticipating that her mother will force her out otherwise. Pol finally receives his citizenship authorization after years of seeking it. It is however decided that he will return to the Philippines with Roni rather than re-start his career in the United States. Hero really misses Roni, so she desperately tries to locate Pol to convince him to return. All of the family members are relieved when Pol agrees. Roni is now back and living in America. 

Critical Analysis:

Out of this week’s independent reading, there was one quote I found to be the most important. This was, “Sira was too big a word, there wasn't even really an equivalent for it in Ilocano, at least Hero couldn't remember what it might be. Sira was--broken, damaged, defective, once good but left in warmth to rot, now covered in fine mold." (364) I feel as though this Filipino word could be applied to many parts and scenes of the book. This includes: Hero’s broken self because of her trauma, Hero’s relationships, Hero’s journey with sex and sexuality, Hero’s family, etc. This quote is important because it describes many aspects of the plot and the word itself is very meaningful.

Personal Response:

As this week’s reading marks the last Blog post for this book, I would like to give a review of time spent reading it. This book was great in portraying the intricacies of Filipino-American society. I also like how the author, Elaine Castillo, weaves together the stories of present and past. The way she revealed Hero’s trauma, and other characters’ back stories, was very fluid and detailed. What I really loved about this book was the inclusion of the Filipino languages and dialects. What is interesting is the fact that this book has no quotation marks. The author deliberately made the dialogue without quotation. I also appreciate the abundance of Filipino culture, habits, traditions, beliefs, and food. This made the book very relatable and all the more fascinating.

[thenamesnotatallrelevant]

Maluek to pay (To the tune of the opening song of Voltes V)

Tattoo ken arak kada sigarilyoPallut, inom kada amin nga bisyoNagkugit met ngem di met nagnakem ni GorioWalay turog ngem di pulus agtrabaho“Unayen tay saplit a naganab miSipud aldaw ingganat rabii”Un-unnoy tay ina naSumangpet ti rabrabiiIntugut nat sangailiRed Horse ken chicharon andoksDua pulu a grande“Agteppel kamaasi ka…”“Maluek tu paaaayyyy!!!”

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#Ilocano #Ilocano covers #Youtube

[warmandtoshi]

on sprinter and rep

if sprinter is released im getting ready to make her my entire personality and also for a lot of "proud pinoy" comments /lh

On a more serious note i hope fans dont get too fired up if she doesnt meet everyones expectations. Ngl, im expecting plenty of (valid,, but pls dont be toxic on social media guys) discourse on whether she "looks" or acts like a "true" Filipino, when that identity covers many different things. There aren’t any details on her design or background yet. 

Representation is obviously important, heck im rlly excited, but i dont think that can all go on one character, especially when theres so many Filipino identities and languages (Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and so much more). There's also Filo immigrants abroad and mixed Filipinos who have their own unique experiences. There’s people who speak full English, or mixes of languages. There’s different religions as well that probably wouldn’t wear what the new character will have as an outfit. Sprinter, if they're even keeping that name, will most likely be speaking Tagalog.

That's definitely good rep, but i think we should remember that it won't cover the entirety of identity, and thats ok. Thats why we need a lot of Filo creators and characters from different backgrounds to see :)

In short I dont expect the new character to be Perfect Filipino Rep TM, bc that wont exist. I think every nation needs multiple characters across different fictional works to show all the nuances in any identity, but it's a good start :3

#valorant sprinter #i dont even play valo i just like the lore DHCHDBSHSHA #hen crumbs

[viollentine]

"𝑰'𝒎, 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈."

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚 𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲

Bretman Rock was born on 31st July 1998 in the Sanchez-Mira, Cagayan, Philippines, in an Ilocano family. Rock moved to Hawaii at the age of seven and played sports while growing up including baseball, soccer, cross-country, and volleyball. At Campbell High School, Rock was on the track team.

Rock began his social media career in 2011 by joining Twitter and launching his YouTube account. However, he just began making YouTube videos in 2015. Talia Joy, a fellow YouTuber who suffered through cancer, inspired him. He decided to start making films and began applying full-face makeup. Rock was first chastised for his looks, but this just served to encourage him.

Rock's main objective is to urge his audience to accept their uniqueness. He also started sharing videos on the famous app Vine. These little, 6-second movies perfectly captured Rock's sense of humor and endearing nature. He makes make-up lesson videos on YouTube, such as "How to Do Your Eyebrows" and "How to Contour." Rock presently has over 6 million Instagram followers and over a million YouTube subscribers.

Time magazine named him one of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017. In 2018, he was also included to Forbes' "30 Under 30 Asia – Media, Marketing, & Advertising" list.

In June 2019, Rock graced the cover of Gay Times during Pride Month. Rock attended his first New York Fashion Week in September 2019, when he teamed with stylist Andrew Gelwicks.

Rock played the role of "The Playboy" in the ten-episode fourth season of the YouTube Premium web series Escape the Night, released in July 2019. In December 2019, MTV announced that Rock would be the star of the next season of the YouTube show, No Filter.

Rock's beauty line, created in conjunction with Wet n Wild Cosmetics, will be released in early 2020. To promote the line, he held a press tour in Los Angeles in February 2020 with businesses such as Buzzfeed, Condé Nast, Hearst, and others.

Rock featured as a guest star on the third episode of James Charles' YouTube Originals series "Instant Influencer" on May 9, 2020. Rock will unveil his eyewear collection, primarily sunglasses, in November 2020 in conjunction with Dime Optics, a Los Angeles-based firm. He released six frames, four of which were only available at Dime Optics and two of which were only available at Revolve.

On May 14, 2021, Rock appeared with other online personalities in Bella Poarch's music video for her first track, "Build a Bitch." Rock was nominated for an MTV Movie and TV Award in the Breakthrough Social Star category in June 2021. On the day of the event, he was named as the winner.

Rock makes a surprise appearance in the music video for Sub Urban and Bella Poarch's song "INFERNO" in August 2021.. He also took part in a live webcast promoting the video.

Rock became the first openly homosexual guy to appear on the cover of Playboy magazine in October 2021.

Bretman Rock really entertained me. She thought me on how to do my makeup, she always gives us the smile and entertainment with her family. Also, the MTV show also displayed her vulnerable side. She told us that being unique is what makes us human and we should always value ourselves.

#biography #humss #creative nonfiction #bretman rock #chermed

[alch3mic]

hi! i’m absolutely obsessed with ur posts + blog and let me tell you the absolute JOY i had when i saw you reach 1k. you’re one of my comfort blogs so it makes me so happy :-)

i’m 5’1 filipinx, pretty short && chubby && covered with eczema + freckles but that doesn’t stop me from being me!! usually i’m rocking a punk kinda of style and dye my hair every so often, right now it’s a pink + purple spilt dye. i wear pretty thick glasses bc my eyesight is terrible but i try my best to make it work. i’m trilingual as well, speaking english, tagalog, & ilocano ( another dialect from the philippines:> )

genuinely i’m not sure of how to put my personality since there’s so many that i put on for different people. although i’m quite laid back in nature, i tend to analyze everything internally which makes people think i’m quite slow when in reality, i can read people to a T. the best way i can describe myself is an emotional sponge; you’re secretly sad? i felt that crap from a mile away, i got you covered with encouraging words & comfort films. usually,, i tend to break away from norms + traditions due to growing up in a very conservative household- i’m seen as the black sheep. music is my biggest passion in life & i wanna share it to the world, make an impact on others.

like my personality, my hobbies are just all over. whilst i’m in a punk band, singing and playing guitar- my off time is spent studying history or literature or searching up quantum mechanics & the constellations tonight. usually i sleep alot during the day but am quite active at night! sleeping anywhere even in the noisiest of place is one of my specialties. usually to show affection, i either snuggling next to someone / have my arms around them or smothering them with gifts, nothing too big but little things that remind me of them. or just cooking for them if that counts hahah.

thank you for doing this; or even just reading this. it means so much to me, words cannot describe. again, congratulations for 1k && i’m so proud of you. continue on doing the work you do, it’s so amazing :)

Yes it’s true, I think SOLDIER would be just right for you!

🤍 A fellow music lover! Soldier has quite the passion for music, and even though he left behind musical composition to follow the money in information brokering, he still composes music from time to time. The two of you would have a whole heck of a lot to talk about and bond over in your passions for music, and I’m sure he’d love to come check out some shows too!

🤍 Soldier isn’t very good at talking about his emotions. They’re not very strong in any case, but having someone who can just feel what he’s feeling without him having to explain it in words would be.. well.. quite a shock honestly... and perhaps.. kinda nice?

🤍 You two have a similar way of showing you care, through gift giving! Though.. Soldier’s giving tends to be much more abundant, especially because money isn’t a factor for him at all. You want it? You best believe he’s going to get it for you one way or another.

🤍 Solider isn’t one to sleep.. much at all really. He struggles with it, and usually just finds himself taking breaks from time to time when he needs it, so thanks to that and his flexible schedule, he’d probably be able to keep up with your more nocturnal lifestyle! If anything there’s something to admire with people who can sleep just about anywhere too.

[Soldier of course belongs to the wonderful zirkkun, so if you’re ever curious for more about him, be sure to check them out! ]

#ahhh thank you so so much my friend! #you're so terribly sweet ;; #catch me thinking about all the wonderful things you said for the rest of the day /sniff #i hope you enjoy your matchup! #matchup!event

[hazeljadee]

A Place Faraway

Many beautiful spots in the Northwestern region in Luzon has always amaze many tourists both local and international. Though for some La Union remains to be the most popular destination between the four provinces that encompasses this part of Luzon, Ilocos is still considered somewhat of a mystery for most of the tourists.

With rambling forests and hills, beautiful ocean view and breeze and antiquated little towns as your background, and the road trip may look exciting and persuading because of the breath-taking views.

Paoay Church, resembles how religious and God-fearing people of Ilocos are. It is known as St. Augustine Church. Paoay Church is a Spanish baroque-style built in 1970. Its famous façade has been the background of many photos since it was built. There are also many small restaurants that offer delicious foods, attractive places for sight-seeing and souvenirs that symbolizes Ilocano culture.

Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos also offers a very unique view of the windmills and ocean. It is considered to be the town’s most popular tourists spot for its striking view. It also made the life of Ilocano’s easy for it also serves as their source of electricity.

Paoay Sand Dunes will also take your breath away, with its great riding adventure that you can’t miss. Its 4x4 owner type vehicle will bring you into so much fun in the slippery sand. Even the smallest part of your body will be blown away by the strong wind. Screaming is the only way to express yourself while gliding and sliding to the hill covered with sand.

Calle Crisologo also shows how old-fashioned but creative Ilocanos are. Ilocos road trip wouldn’t be complete without walking down the famous cobblestone streets in Calle Real. Not only taken back to the Spanish time with the ancestral homes, but this is also the place to go on food trip. Here in this place serves their famous foods which are bagnet and empanada with Ilocos native vinegar, “pinakurat”.  Famous buildings and establishments can also be seen in Calle Crisologo. It was made with hard stones and bricks that remind Spanish Colonization. You can roam the whole famous street by riding in a calesa. Souvenir to buy in the place was also in varied styles. Life is simple yet memorable staying in this place.

Ilocos is a faraway place to visit, but all your time, money and effort spent is all worth it.

[freevoidkitty]

WORLD’S LITERATURE

SOUTHEAST ASIA         

  Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is the southeastern subregion of Asia, consisting of the regions that are geographically south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent and north-west of Australia. Southeast Asia is bordered to the north by East Asia, to the west by South Asia and the Bay of Bengal, to the east by Oceania and the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by Australia and the Indian Ocean. Apart from the British Indian Ocean Territory and two out of 26 atolls of Maldives in South Asia, Southeast Asia is the only other subregion of Asia that lies partly within the Southern Hemisphere. Southeast Asia covers about 4.5 million km2 (1.7 million mi2), which is 10.5% of Asia or 3% of Earth's total land area. Its total population is more than 655 million, about 8.5% of the world's population. It is the third most populous geographical region in Asia after South Asia and East Asia. The region is culturally and ethnically diverse, with hundreds of languages spoken by different ethnic groups. Ten countries in the region are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional organization established for economic, political, military, educational and cultural integration amongst its members.

The region, together with part of South Asia, was well known by Europeans as the East Indies or simply the Indies until the 20th century. Chinese sources referred the region as Nanyang ("南洋"), which literally means the "Southern Ocean". The mainland section of Southeast Asia was referred to as Indochina by European geographers due to its location between China and the Indian subcontinent and its having cultural influences from both neighboring regions. In the 20th century, however, the term became more restricted to territories of the former French Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). The maritime section of Southeast Asia is also known as the Malay Archipelago, a term derived from the European concept of a Malay race. Another term for Maritime Southeast Asia is Insulindia (Indian Islands), used to describe the region between Indochina and Australasia. The term "Southeast Asia" was first used in 1839 by American pastor Howard Malcolm in his book Travels in South-Eastern Asia. Malcolm only included the Mainland section and excluded the Maritime section in his definition of Southeast Asia.[13] The term was officially used in the midst of World War II by the Allies, through the formation of South East Asia Command (SEAC) in 1943.[14] SEAC popularised the use of the term "Southeast Asia," although what constituted Southeast Asia was not fixed; for example, SEAC excluded the Philippines and a large part of Indonesia while including Ceylon. However, by the late 1970s, a roughly standard usage of the term "Southeast Asia" and the territories it encompasses had emerged.

Ethnic groups of Southeast Asia

The Aslians and Negritos were believed as one of the earliest inhabitant in the region. They are genetically related to the Papuans in Eastern Indonesia, East Timor and Australian Aborigines. In modern times, the Javanese are the largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia, with more than 100 million people, mostly concentrated in Java, Indonesia. The second largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia is Vietnamese (Kinh people) with around 86 million population, mainly inhabiting in Vietnam, thus forming a significant minority in neighboring Cambodia and Laos. The Thais is also a significant ethnic group with around 59 million population forming the majority in Thailand. In Burma, the Burmese account for more than two-thirds of the ethnic stock in this country, with the Indo-Aryan Rohingya make up a significant minority in Rakhine State. Indonesia is clearly dominated by the Javanese and Sundanese ethnic groups, with hundreds of ethnic minorities inhabited the archipelago, including Madurese, Minangkabau, Bugis, Balinese, Dayak, Batak and Malays. While Malaysia is split between more than half Malays and one-quarter Chinese, and also Indian minority in the West Malaysia however Dayaks make up the majority in Sarawak and Kadazan-dusun makes up the majority in Sabah which are in the East Malaysia. The Malays are the majority in West Malaysia and Brunei, while they forming a significant minority in Indonesia, Southern Thailand, East Malaysia and Singapore. In city-state Singapore, Chinese are the majority, yet the city is a multicultural melting pot with Malays, Indians and Eurasian also called the island their home.The Chams form a significant minority in Central and South Vietnam, also in Central Cambodia. While the Khmers are the majority in Cambodia, and form a significant minority in Southern Vietnam and Thailand, the Hmong people are the minority in Vietnam, China and Laos.Within the Philippines, the Tagalog, Visayan (mainly Cebuanos, Warays and Hiligaynons), Ilocano, Bicolano, Moro (mainly Tausug, Maranao, and Maguindanao) and Central Luzon (mainly Kapampangan and Pangasinan) groups are significant.

Culture of Southeast Asia

The culture in Southeast Asia is very diverse: on mainland Southeast Asia, the culture is a mix of Burmese, Cambodian, Laotian and Thai (Indian) and Vietnamese (Chinese) cultures. While in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia the culture is a mix of indigenous Austronesian, Indian, Islamic, Western, and Chinese cultures. Also Brunei shows a strong influence from Arabia. Vietnam and Singapore show more Chinese influence[140] in that Singapore, although being geographically a Southeast Asian nation, is home to a large Chinese majority and Vietnam was in China's sphere of influence for much of its history. Indian influence in Singapore is only evident through the Tamil migrants,[141] which influenced, to some extent, the cuisine of Singapore. Throughout Vietnam's history, it has had no direct influence from India – only through contact with the Thai, Khmer and Cham peoples. Moreover, Vietnam is also categorized under the East Asian cultural sphere along with China, Korea, and Japan due to the large amount of Chinese influence embedded in their culture and lifestyle. 

ARTS in Southeast Asia

The arts of Southeast Asia have affinity with the arts of other areas. Dance in much of Southeast Asia includes movement of the hands as well as the feet, to express the dance's emotion and meaning of the story that the ballerina is going to tell the audience. Most of Southeast Asia introduced dance into their court; in particular, Cambodian royal ballet represented them in the early 7th century before the Khmer Empire, which was highly influenced by Indian Hinduism. Apsara Dance, famous for strong hand and feet movement, is a great example of Hindu symbolic dance.

MUSIC in Southeast Asia

Traditional music in Southeast Asia is as varied as its many ethnic and cultural divisions. Main styles of traditional music can be seen: Court music, folk music, music styles of smaller ethnic groups, and music influenced by genres outside the geographic region. Of the court and folk genres, Gong chime ensembles and orchestras make up the majority (the exception being lowland areas of Vietnam). Gamelan and Angklung orchestras from Indonesia, Piphat /Pinpeat ensembles of Thailand and Cambodia and the Kulintang ensembles of the southern Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi and Timor are the three main distinct styles of musical genres that have influenced other traditional musical styles in the region. String instruments also are popular in the region. On 18 November 2010, UNESCO officially recognized angklung as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and encourage Indonesian people and government to safeguard, transmit, promote performances and to encourage the craftsmanship of angklung making.

WRITING in Southeast Asia

The history of Southeast Asia has led to a wealth of different authors, from both within and without writing about the region. Originally, Indians were the ones who taught the native inhabitants about writing. This is shown through Brahmic forms of writing present in the region such as the Balinese script shown on split palm leaf called lontar. The antiquity of this form of writing extends before the invention of paper around the year 100 in China. Note each palm leaf section was only several lines, written longitudinally across the leaf, and bound by twine to the other sections. The outer portion was decorated. The alphabets of Southeast Asia tended to be abugidas, until the arrival of the Europeans, who used words that also ended in consonants, not just vowels. Other forms of official documents, which did not use paper, included Javanese copperplate scrolls. This material would have been more durable than paper in the tropical climate of Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore, the Malay language is now generally written in the Latin script. The same phenomenon is present in Indonesian, although different spelling standards are utilised  (e.g. 'Teksi' in Malay and 'Taksi' in Indonesian for the word 'Taxi'). The use of Chinese characters, in the past and present, is only evident in Vietnam and more recently, Singapore and Malaysia. The adoption of Chinese characters in Vietnam dates back to around 111 B.C., when it was occupied by the Chinese. A Vietnamese script called Chữ Nôm used modified Chinese characters to express the Vietnamese language. Both classical Chinese and Chữ Nôm were used up until the early 20th century. However, the use of the Chinese script has been in decline, especially in Singapore and Malaysia as the younger generations are in favour of the Latin Script.

EAST ASIA 

East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms.The modern states of East Asia include China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. The East Asian states of China, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan are all unrecognized by at least one other East Asian state due to severe ongoing political tensions in the region, specifically the division of Korea and the political status of Taiwan. Hong Kong and Macau, two small coastal quasi-dependent territories located in the south of China, are officially highly autonomous but are under de jure Chinese sovereignty. North Asia borders East Asia's north, Southeast Asia the south, South Asia the southwest and Central Asia the west. To the east is the Pacific Ocean and to the southeast is Micronesia (a Pacific Ocean island group, classified as part of Oceania). Countries such as Singapore and Vietnam are also considered a part of the East Asian cultural sphere due to its cultural, religious, and ethnic similarities. 

East Asia was one of the cradles of world civilisation, with China developing its first civilizations at about the same time as Egypt, Babylonia and India. China stood out as a leading civilization for thousands of years, building great cities and developing various technologies which were to be unmatched in the West until centuries later. The Han and Tang dynasties in particular are regarded as the golden ages of Chinese civilization, during which China was not only strong militarily, but also saw the arts and sciences flourish in Chinese society. It was also during these periods that China exported much of its culture to its neighbors, and till this day, one can notice Chinese influences in the traditional cultures of Vietnam, Korea and Japan. Korea and Japan had historically been under the Chinese cultural sphere of influence, adopting the Chinese script, and incorporating Chinese religion and philosophy into their traditional culture. Nevertheless, both cultures retain many distinctive elements which make them unique in their own right.

EAST ASIAN ARTS

East Asian arts, the visual arts, performing arts, and music of China, Korea (North Korea and South Korea), and Japan. (The literature of this region is treated in separate articles on Chinese literature, Korean literature, and Japanese literature.) Some studies of East Asia also include the cultures of the Indochinese peninsula and adjoining islands, as well as Mongolia to the north. The logic of this occasional inclusion is based on a strict geographic definition as well as a recognition of common bonds forged through the acceptance of Buddhism by many of these cultures. China, Korea, and Japan, however, have been uniquely linked for several millennia by a common written language and by broad cultural and political connections that have ranged in spirit from the uncritically adorational to the contentious. 

SOUTH AND WEST ASIA

A region marked by social and cultural diversity, South and West Asia is also identified by its economic potential and growth. The region is valued for its supply of low cost goods, services and skilled labour to the global economy but at the same time, it is notorious for the payment of low wages, appalling working conditions and trafficking of labour. This changing economic landscape has had a corresponding impact on the social and geographic fabric of the region. Rural families are moving to cities and urbanization is creating mega cities with an increasing number of slums, poor sanitation and massive pollutions. Large infrastructure and development projects have led to increased forced evictions and displacement. India and Nepal are two of the highest ranking countries for child malnutrition in the world. In the Maldives, migrants represent almost one quarter of the population, creating major social challenges. 

Significantly, all nine members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation have civilian democratic systems of governance, however in some, key institutions remain fragile, democratic cultures remain weak and the military retains a powerful role. The status of ratification of international human rights instruments shows a good commitment among South Asian countries to the universally recognized human rights norms and standards. This is however nuanced by the introduction of reservations and interpretative declarations and delays in reporting to treaty bodies. The absence of adequate and effective national protection systems to ensure accountability is a common issue across South Asian States where torture, ill-treatment, corruption and impunity remain major concerns. Although six countries in the region have established national institutions, only half of them maintain “A” status and there is no regional human rights mechanism. In addition, manifestations of socially and politically entrenched discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, caste and sexual preference have rendered certain groups vulnerable and disempowered. Women are assuming new economic and social roles but continue to face deeply rooted discrimination and violence.

ANGLO-AMERICA AND EUROPE

Anglo-America (also referred to as Anglo-Saxon America) most often refers to a region in the Americas in which English is a main language and British culture and the British Empire have had significant historical, ethnic, linguistic and cultural impact. Anglo-America is distinct from Latin America, a region of the Americas where Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French) are prevalent. 

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections has considerable holdings in Anglo-American literature from the 17th century onward, with notable strengths in the 18th century, Romanticism, and the Victorian and modern periods. Among the seventeenth-century holdings is a complete set of the Shakespeare folios, and works by John Milton and his contemporaries. Eighteenth-century highlights include near comprehensive printed collections of Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, and substantial holdings on John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele, William Cowper, Fanny Burney, and others. Related materials include complete runs of periodicals, such as the Spectator and the Tatler. The Division’s book holdings are also especially rich in the literature of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Cornell Wordsworth Collection, the second largest Wordsworth collection in the world, documents the Romantic movement in detail. All the major “standard” authors of the Victorian and modern periods, such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, et al., are well represented. In addition, the library’s holdings in Victorian fiction include scarce works by many popular women authors of the time, such as Elizabeth Gaskell, Maria Edgeworth, Marie Corelli, Ouida, and Helen Mathers. The collection also includes many popular literary genres such as gift annuals, dime novels, railroad novels, and yellowbacks, as well as the small literary magazine of the 1920s and 1930s. The modern collection features strong collections of manuscripts and books by George Bernard Shaw, Rudyard Kipling, Ford Madox Ford, Wyndham Lewis, and James Joyce. In support of RMC’s Human Sexuality Collection, the rare book collections feature especially strong representations of literary works by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender writers, such as Oscar Wilde, Christopher Isherwood, Vita Sackville-West, Radclyffe Hall, E.M. Forster, W.H. Auden, Ronald Firbank, Edith Sitwell, Elizabeth Bowen, Jan Morris, and others. The collection’s strengths in more recent British literature include the works of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, and Doris Lessing, to name just a few.

AFRICA

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.3 billion people as of 2018, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. Africa's population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Despite a wide range of natural resources, Africa is the least wealthy continent per capita, in part due to geographic impediments, legacies of European colonization in Africa and the Cold War,undemocratic rule and deleterious policies. Despite this low concentration of wealth, recent economic expansion and the large and young population make Africa an important economic market in the broader global context. 

Early human civilizations, such as Ancient Egypt and Phoenicia emerged in North Africa. Following a subsequent long and complex history of civilizations, migration and trade, Africa hosts a large diversity of ethnicities, cultures and languages. The last 400 years have witnessed an increasing European influence on the continent. Starting in the 16th century, this was driven by trade, including the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, which created large African diaspora populations in the Americas. In the late 19th century, European countries colonized almost all of Africa, extracting resources from the continent and exploiting local communities; most present states in Africa emerged from a process of decolonisation in the 20th century.

African literature, the body of traditional oral and written literatures in Afro-Asiatic and African languages together with works written by Africans in European languages. Traditional written literature, which is limited to a smaller geographic area than is oral literature, is most characteristic of those sub-Saharan cultures that have participated in the cultures of the Mediterranean. In particular, there are written literatures in both Hausa and Arabic, created by the scholars of what is now northern Nigeria, and the Somali people have produced a traditional written literature. There are also works written in Geʿez (Ethiopic) and Amharic, two of the languages of Ethiopia, which is the one part of Africa where Christianity has been practiced long enough to be considered traditional. Works written in European languages date primarily from the 20th century onward. The literature of South Africa in English and Afrikaans is also covered in a separate article, South African literature.

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America is a group of countries and dependencies in the Western Hemisphere where Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French are predominantly spoken. Some subnational regions such as Quebec and parts of the United States where Romance languages are primarily spoken are not included due to the countries as a whole being a part of Anglo America (an exception to this is Puerto Rico, which is almost always included within the definition of Latin America despite being a territory of the United States). The term is broader than categories such as Hispanic America which specifically refers to Spanish-speaking countries or Ibero-America which specifically refers to both Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. The term is also more recent in origin. 

The term "Latin America" was first used in an 1856 conference with the title "Initiative of America. Idea for a Federal Congress of the Republics" (Iniciativa de la América. Idea de un Congreso Federal de las Repúblicas), by the Chilean politician Francisco Bilbao. The term was further popularised by French emperor Napoleon III's government in the 1860s as Amérique latine to justify France's military involvement in Mexico and try to include French-speaking territories in the Americas such as French Canada, French Louisiana, or French Guiana, in the larger group of countries where Spanish and Portuguese languages prevailed. 

Origins

There is no universal agreement on the origin of the term Latin America. Some historians[citation needed] believe that the term was created by geographers in the 16th century to refer to the parts of the New World colonized by Spain and Portugal, whose Romance languages derive from Latin. Others argue that the term arose in 1860s France during the reign of Napoleon III, as part of the attempt to create a French empire in the Americas.[11] The idea that a part of the Americas has a linguistic affinity with the Romance cultures as a whole can be traced back to the 1830s, in the writing of the French Saint-Simonian Michel Chevalier, who postulated that this part of the Americas was inhabited by people of a "Latin race", and that it could, therefore, ally itself with "Latin Europe", ultimately overlapping the Latin Church, in a struggle with "Teutonic Europe", "Anglo-Saxon America" and "Slavic Europe" 

In 1804, Haiti became the first Latin American nation to gain independence, following a violent slave revolt led by Toussaint L'ouverture on the French colony of Saint-Domingue. The victors abolished slavery. Haitian independence inspired independence movements in Spanish America. y the end of the eighteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese power waned on the global scene as other European powers took their place, notably Britain and France. Resentment grew among the majority of the population in Latin America over the restrictions imposed by the Spanish government, as well as the dominance of native Spaniards (Iberian-born Peninsulares) in the major social and political institutions. Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808 marked a turning point, compelling Criollo elites to form juntas that advocated independence. Also, the newly independent Haiti, the second oldest nation in the New World after the United States, further fueled the independence movement by inspiring the leaders of the movement, such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla of Mexico, Simón Bolívar of Venezuela and José de San Martín of Argentina, and by providing them with considerable munitions and troops.Fighting soon broke out between juntas and the Spanish colonial authorities, with initial victories for the advocates of independence. Eventually, these early movements were crushed by the royalist troops by 1810, including those of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Mexico in the year 1810. Later on Francisco de Miranda in Venezuela by 1812. Under the leadership of a new generation of leaders, such as Simón Bolívar "The Liberator", José de San Martín of Argentina, and other Libertadores in South America, the independence movement regained strength, and by 1825, all Spanish America, except for Puerto Rico and Cuba, had gained independence from Spain. In the same year in Mexico, a military officer, Agustín de Iturbide, led a coalition of conservatives and liberals who created a constitutional monarchy, with Iturbide as emperor. This First Mexican Empire was short-lived, and was followed by the creation of a republic in 1823.

Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of the Americas as well as literature of the United States written in the Spanish language. It rose to particular prominence globally during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to the international success of the style known as magical realism. As such, the region's literature is often associated solely with this style, with the 20th Century literary movement known as Latin American Boom, and with its most famous exponent, Gabriel García Márquez. Latin American literature has a rich and complex tradition of literary production that dates back many centuries.

by; MICHELL ANN C. CATALAN

[aaannmariee]

Baguio City: The happy place I want to visit, You should too!

When I was a child, I always hear the word Baguio from my parents and relatives. It is just funny to think that I used to think that Baguio was a typhoon, in tagalog 'bagyo'. I always hear from my mother and relatives using this dialect that I don't understand. Growing up, I always asked about Baguio and I found out that it was my mother's place. And my mom's dialect she always uses when talking to our relatives is called Ilocano. I came to think that I want to see the place where my mama grew up, and because of the good comments I have heard about Baguio, how beautiful it is, how refreshing and cool the air, and how simple their lives were. Baguio, also known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Established in around 1846 by the early spanish colonizers of the pine-covered highlands of the Benguet Province. As time passes by, Baguio was discovered and became the eight ancient wonder in the world.

After this pandemic, our whole family plans to visit and travel around Luzon, my Mom’s place and especially the summer capital. Baguio, on the Philippines’ Luzon island, is a mountain town of universities and resorts. Also called the “City of Pines,” it is particularly popular in summer due to unusually cooler weather. At its center is Burnham Park, with gardens and a lake. Nearby, Baguio Cathedral, completed in 1936, has a rose-hued exterior. The main thoroughfare is Session Road, lined with shops, restaurants and entertainment options.

Burnham Park is the place where people visit more. You can ride a bike, take a boat ride, or just walk around the park and enjoy the breathtaking place. It always feels like it is your first time whenever you visit it again and again. I remember my Mom and Sister’s voice reminiscing experiences there by even writing this. Oh, how excited I am for those bike and boat rides!

After spending time seeing the place, you will definitely be hungry and get something to eat especially in its cold weather, right? right!

The restaurants there have delicious foods that you will never forget. One of the most popular dishes is the bulalo steak sage, that warms your stomach in cold weather, it is very delicious! Here is the list of the 8 must-try bites and sips that are distinctly Baguio; Baguio Longganisa, Dipasupil, Strawberry Shortcake, Vizco's. Ube Jam, Strawberry Jam & Peanut Brittle, Good Shepherd, Raisin Bread, Baguio Country Club, Hot Chocolate, Choco-Late de Batirol, and Message In A Bottle, Baguio Craft Brewery.

Let's try the desserts!

"Great snacks while waiting for the bus.", "I just love these belgian waffles!" you can really tell how delicious it is! Well, Belgian waffles are ranked no. 4 out of 6 famous bakeries in Baguio. The highly recommended dessert shop in Baguio is the "Pamana lechon tsokolateria cafe", a chocolate shop located in Igorot Stairs, upper Rd. Actually you can just walk and not ride anymore because the cafe is just near the park.

Woh! I was suddenly hungry again hehe. Okay, let's move on!

I am pretty sure that you always hear the word 'Igorot', I am one of those called Igorot when in fact I am part of one of the various tribes which is Ifugao nevertheless say since people have kept on generalizing . Sometimes, people make fun of using this word and even use it to tease people who are dark, ignorant or just for stupid reasons. But in reality they just don't have any idea how wealthy they are in terms of money and of course in culture. I think the world has no idea on how they look right now, I don't know with you but do I look like someone you imagine a Igorot would look? Check my account and my whole "angkan" or clan's account (email me if you disagree,winks). Not much of the people and Filipinos know but this tribe have contributed so much in the country's overall food supply, like you know where does much of the "gulay" (vegetable) comes from. Igorots have massively influenced the Philippine's Agriculture. Though, true enough not all of those who farm are greatly blessed as much as the overall farmers but here in the Philippines as we know, most of the looked down poorest are such.

The Igorot are any of various ethnic groups in the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines, all of whom keep, or have kept until recently, their traditional religion and way of life. Some live in the tropical forests of the foothills, but most live in rugged grassland and pine forest zones higher up. They are clustered in the Cordillera region of Luzon. It is true that they are famous for rice-terrace farming but saying that some of them have been known to be cannibals in the past is an exaggeration which only downgrades them. While the rice terraces were important to the Ifugao economy, they also served a cultural function, requiring intensive cooperation among the people. By the early 21st century, however, the number of Ifugao in the area had greatly diminished as many migrated to more urban centres. Meanwhile, Ifugao is a province in the Philippines situated in the Cordillera Administrative Region., which I have mentioned earlier we are part of or where my Mom is originally from.

But it would be great to give some amazing facts about igorots:

1.) The first ever Filipino to ride an airplane is an igorot - In february 1912, during a manila carnival celebration, Governor Walter Hare invited 120 tribes men from the cordilleras. One of the tribe's men named Gagaban who is an igorot chief accepted the American pilot Lee Hammond's invitation to fly with him. Before Gagaban, no other native had ever flown as a passenger.

2.) The first ever igorot beauty queen that captured the heart of manila - At just age 13, Eveline Chainus Guirey was the most famous beauty who cost a massive sensation in Manila in 1902. She was the eldest of the ten children of the Guirey family. She was the youngest beauty ever in the history of Philippines Manila carnival.

3.) The Igorots were never slaves by the spaniards because they fought for their independence - Contrary to the history textbooks that are commonly used in schools in the country which are stating , "We can never know the history of the FIlipino people during the Spanish period because they were slaves to the Spaniards or at least forced to play the role of slaves." The Igorots were never actually slaves of the Spaniard nor did they play the role of slaves. On the contrary of these books, Spanish records make it clear that they fought for their independence with every means at their disposal for 3 centuries and that resistance to invasion was deliberate, self-conscious and was continuous.

Additional Trivia would be that originally slash-and-burn farmers, they have since begun to practice more sustainable forms of farming. The Isneg are also known as good fishers, and have a penchant for coffee. Kalinga. The Kalinga tribes are perhaps the most diplomatic of all the Igorot.

Strawberry picking completes Baguio tourist’s experience!

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-- This capital town of Benguet not only receives a spillover of the tourists who go to Baguio but also a visit here completes the experience of the visitors to the country’s summer capital, through its strawberry picking activity. Strawberries in Baguio are the best. Let us not forget strawberry picking!

What is your happy place? Where is that certain place you can consider as your epitome of tranquility? Well for me that would be family and that makes me want to make Baguio one of those I can call my wonderland. A place where I can also take not just a lot of instagramable pictures to post or put on my day stories but memories stored in my heart that I could share with my future children (forgive my futuristic approach,laughs). Memorabilias that I could gather with my family, Oh how wonderful it is to be able to witness and experience such culture and sights that have not just cultivated a lot of inspiration not just around the country but the entire world. Just imagine that historic park that couldn’t even be compared to the famous parks in other countries or how about that luscious strawberries that you can pick on your own. I don’t know about you but one thing this pandemic has made me realize is to live to the fullest, it would be great that we could go back and see the world or visit some of its God given majestic place nevertheless it would be greater to be able to see your own country’s tourist destination. I mean, we can not be just a tourist to other countries, right? Let us go ahead and visit to experience our very own. My very own, Baguio! Voila!

#@queenlupitajones #creativenonfiction