The Carver's House

That's what my Chinese Horoscope says. It also says that the Year of the Water Dragon may not be all well for my fellow Dogs. But what they hey. We'll still do out best. :-) Happy Chinese New Year! I got my sample copy of "Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalahang Maynila" Part One last Thursday and, overall, I'm very happy with it. Super publisher Visprint will be releasing the book this Wednesday, initially in Metro Manila bookstores. Bookstores outside the region will follow. For the curious, bibliophile blogger  Charles Tan was able to get an advanced copy and generously gave a review. He says, "Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila is a complex beast and might well be one of the most important comic releases for the year. Carlo Vergara is attempting to outdo himself and so far, he's on the right track." The review is mostly spoiler-free, so you might want to check it out . Thanks, Charles! If you decide to get a copy of the book, thank you. But it...

Many have been doing their share interpreting the new tourism campaign. Here's my share. :-) (image from Erika Jumps ) (image from The Food Pirate and Ovah Coffee )    (image from the National Statistical Coordination Board )

I happen to like the new tourism campaign message "It's More Fun in The Philippines." It's versatile, modern, and affecting if used well. I'm loving it. I initially had reservations about the word "more," because it courts comparison, and it's a promise that becomes challenging to fulfill because you have to be "better" than someone else. Another nit is the length of the slogan, but the official website effectively shows how the slogan is used. The graphic on the right needs work, in my opinion. The woven mat motif is nice, but it's too small, and it's meaning is obscure. As a symbol, it has to carry some of the qualities of the communications message. If the message is "more fun," the symbol should give at least the slightest impression of that. Which is why I tried to make something of the woven mat motif and tie it to the message. I took it as a creative exercise. If the key word is "fun," can we ha...

If there ever was a "Zaturnnah sa Maynila" book trailer, it would look a bit like this...

Happy New Year! I've been hit-and-miss with my New Year's Resolutions so I decided to make this. I'll see if it works for me. You're invited to download and print this and see if it works for you. For each sheet you print out, you basically write down a resolution--for instance, eat one cup of rice per day--and commit to that resolution for one month only. For each day of success, you mark a box. Your target for the month is ten boxes, but better to go for more. After one month, evaluate your experience and your results, then see if you want to give it another go for the next month. It's not schedule-based, but frequency based, which should make it easier. What's important is that it gets done, whatever time of the day, whatever day. What do you think? Click on the image to enlarge, then right-click to save. Enjoy! :-)

Every little bit helps. The graphic below (click on it to enlarge) has been shared on Facebook over 400 times, so you can spread this at your leisure. I've been texting donations over the past few days. Many of you might already know that my family was not spared years ago when Ondoy roared through Luzon. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but nothing compared to what happened in Mindanao. So, admittedly, Christmas for me was not as joyous as I had hoped, knowing that tens of thousands will remember this season as a dark cloud without a silver lining. Tragedies put our realities in perspective. And if there's one thing that Sendong has done, it would be to remind us what Christmas--and being human--is all about. If you're not able to volunteer, or give a lot, then a little texting will go a long way in bringing hope. In times of despair, hope is all we need.

From me and the gang... Maligayang Pasko! :-D