The Wheel and Axle

Last week, news came out that Philadelphia was lobbying to add brown and black stripes to the iconic Rainbow Flag of the LGBT community. The reason is that they want to represent the inclusivity of (American) racial minorities that have a history of being discriminated against even within the LGBT community.

Needless to say, this sparked heated debates over the internet. I also had my own thoughts which I shared on social media, and with Metro Manila Pride March scheduled tomorrow, I thought it was appropriate to also share my thoughts here on my blog.

To sum it up: I believe it is completely unnecessary and, if I may say so, foolish. Adding black and brown to the flag won’t solve any problems of racial misrepresentation or underrepresentation. It also ignores the fact that the flag already is supposed to represent inclusivity and that the stripes represent specific concepts, none of which are race-related.

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It’s a very nice cap.

This year’s logo.

One week to go before Metro Manila’s Pride March!

Last year, we cried Let Love In! This year, we rally further as we ensure we are #HereTogether, a very apt theme to remind us that – despite having diverse backgrounds even within the LGBT community – we are all in this together. United, we shall overcome! Our differences will not divide us.

2017 Metro Manila Pride will be historic as it will be held in Marikina for the first time. The lovely city of Marikina is one of the most gay-friendly places in the country. I should know; I’m frequently there because some of my besties are Mariqueños. It’s about time that the local LGBT community branch out and move away from its comfort zones to see the other places where we can wave our flag proudly and explore new ground.

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The feels! Oh, lawdy, the feels. Sam Kalidi posted this some time back, and he knows the profound truth in this.

Happy week ahead, guys! Is it Friday yet? (Well, Thursday, at least: Wonder Woman is coming!)

While everyone seems to be going gaga over Mobile Legends, I’m still happily playing three different DC mobile games: DC Legends as well as the two Injustice games. Injustice 2, in particular, had done a beta release for its mobile app a few months back (obviously, I jumped right in back then).

Finally, in early May, the full launch happened with lots of new goodies. The console version was also released on May 16th (time to bring out the PlayStation once more!).

You all can have your Mobile Legends. I’m definitely still hooked on DC.

Harley Quinn. Scarecrow. Robin. V. Henchmen. Harley Quinn. Bane.

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365 days of consistent blogging.

I actually did it!

I’d been blogging since my Friendster days (thereby aging myself), and I set up my personal domain years ago. However, for some time during those years, I blogged inconsistently.

Finally last year, I gave myself a goal: blog daily, consistently, for at least a year. After all, a writer… writes, as several mentors have told me. I needed to constantly write to keep my skills honed – especially since I’m still procrastinating on the sequel to the novel I wrote (which will soon be done).

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I first visited Apo Island, a popular no-frills destination especially for divers, back in November 2012 with AJ.

It was a morning side trip during our vacation in Zamboanguita just outside Dumaguete. Thalatta, the resort we stayed in, faced Apo Island and is about a half hour boat ride away. That 2012 Apo trip was memorable; we nearly missed the famed pawikan (sea turtles) because our boatman was late and you had to get there really early to witness these lovely creatures. Thankfully, we still caught up with a few and snorkelled beside them (no touching allowed).

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On Tuesday morning, we woke up before the crack of dawn for the busy day ahead. It was great that we were staying in U Pension House, a convenient and recommended hostel across Silliman, as it afforded us quick access to rides in the wee hours of the morning.

Our first stop was Bais City, where a pre-arranged boat ride with a local would bring us to the heart of Tañon Strait, the strip of water that separates Negros from Cebu Island. What we wanted to see were the popular sandbar of Manjuyod as well as dolphins in the wild. The former is easy, while the latter can be random. We were lucky to have caught the latter early in the day.

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That’s Siquijor in the backdrop.

I have been to Dumaguete twice before.

The first was in 2010 with Bj and Norlan as we did a twin trip of Dumaguete and Siquijor. In Dumaguete, we stayed in Hotel Nicanor and explored the city to see Rizal Boulevard, Silliman University, and the famed Dumaguete Belfry. We also did a side trip to Lake Balinsasayao, which lies within the municipalities of San Jose, Sibulan, and Valencia and about an hour from Dumaguete. In Siquijor, which deserves a separate article on its own, we stayed in Coco Grove Beach Resort (highly recommended) and went around the island to see Cambugahay Falls, Lazi Church, and the gargantuan and fascinating balete tree.

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