Passion Projects During the Pandemic: GMIL 2020 at the Nazarbayev University Library and Bibliotherapy Workshop with PLAI ZamPen

 I am closing October with two webinars. 

The first one is about Bibliotherapy which was sponsored by Regalo Touching Lives and PLAI Zamboanga Peninsula. Thank you very much to Carlos Eclavia and Lynnie Calingacion for giving me this venue to speak about a passion project. The second one is about Media and Information Literacy where in I presented the role that librarians play to counter infodemic during the 3rd Global MIL Conference at Nazarbayev University Library (NUL). This is another passion project and if not for Joseph Marmol Yap, I would not be challenged to research, develop and present this topic in ten minutes. 

With panelists and library staff of NUL

It was such a joy to present and conduct a workshop with daring people like Ma'am Lynnie and Carlos who supported the framework of the webinar as I envisioned it to be. There were two priming activities a week before the webinar, breakout rooms for group sharing, art activity during the synchronous session and yes, I still have to go live with a post activity to complete the process. We need more risk takers like them! Kudos to the younger set of librarians who took part in the synchronous session, namely Marky Bacardo and Faith Dioses who displayed resilience and humor in the midst of wonky and unstable internet connection.

Over at NUL, I ate humble pie being with esteemed scholars of MIL. I am inspires to further develop my presentation into an academic paper. 

With Regalo Touching Lives and PLAI ZamPen Librarians

If you missed the webinars, here are links to the video on YouTube.

MIL Day 2020 - Post Pandemic Hacks - this is NUL's YouTube Channel where you will find more interesting content about LIS and the work they do in the region.

Paghilom at Pag-asa sa Panahon ng Pandemya: A Bibliotherapy Workshop

To end, let me share this FB post I write a few moments after the MIL webinar in NUL: 

Sumabog ang brain cells ko ngayong araw. Nalunod ang puso ko ng saya.

Super salamat sa mga kaibigan sa propesyon at industriya. Biyaya ang maging librarian ng Beacon Academy lalo na sa panahon ng pandemya. Of consequence to the country and to the world -- siyang tunay! Bukas palad ang pagbibigay.

Dalawang webinars na magka-iba ang paksa. Bibliotherapy at storytelling sa hapon. Media and Information Literacy kinagbihan. May koneksyon ang dalawa. Tuloy lang ang mga read alouds at storytelling. Matibay na pundsyon sa MIL skills instruction. Ito ang ating konteksto. Ipagpaubaya sa mga taga-teatro ang performance style ng pagkukuwento. Suportahan pa ang mga guro at magulang sa pagpili ng mga aklat na may saya, lungkot, haraya, pagkamangha, awit at laro. Magbasa. Magbasa. Magbasa. Magkuwentuhan pa tayo!

 

Photos: with librarians of PLAI ZamPen, Regalo Touching Lives, Nazarbayev University Library, US, Mexico and Singapore

Let us welcome a stormy November with more resilience and courage. It is National Library and Book Month, so, let us soldier on! 

School Librarians' Lounge With ZarahG : How I created a Reading Room usi...

This is part 2 of the online Reading Room I demonstrated last for school librarians. For part 1, follow this link on my YouTube channel.

Ajooma Reviews: Tale of the Nine Tailed Gumiho Episodes 3 - 6

 

Tale of the Nine Tailed, Studio Dragon 2020 

Written  by Han Woo-ri

Directed by Kang Shin-hyo

By now, Tale of the Nine Tailed has been compared to Twilight and Inuyasha. There are also parallels to folkloric and fantasy elements of the Harry Potter series. Needless to say, TOTNT has plenty of fantasy and romance tropes found in the aforementioned stories and series. 

Lee Yeon, an immortal falls in love with a half blood. He vows to protect her for the rest of his life but tragedy struck (and this is slowly being revealed as the series progresses). Talismans, spells and superstitions, magic and mayhem abound in modern day Seoul as Lee Yeon finally recognized his past love in the reincarnation of Nam Ji Ah. In between are stories of ghost trying to find their way to the light, animals being mistreated, friendships and brotherhood going through the test of time. Oh, and yes, there is the serpent and his minions at his beck and call. Thanks to Ji Ah's blood, an orphan who appears to be the "chosen one", Lee Yeon's nemesis is back in the form of a young boy. 

Sounds familiar. Of course. TOTNT is a tale as old as time and while it follows the same tropes of fantasy series we love (except for Twilight), TOTNT remains Korean. I am not only referring to the language, but also to the character of the entire drama thus far. There have been references to Disney favorites as well, but it is Korean in culture, identity and beliefs. You will know this through glimpses of history in the architecture, clothes, food and art. Notice how the dialogues, though subbed in English, express sensibilities that reflect respect for elders, social class and hierarchy. 

How they have kept this intact for generations is an amazing feat. The same can be said of their Kpop idols. The foreign influence is strong, but the look, the movements and the sound -- all Korean. Ah, I digress.

So, what have I been enjoying in TOTNT despite the parallels and its predictability? Three things namely, the use of folk lore, Lee Dong Wook and men who are rendered helpless because of love.

1. The use of folk lore is well done. We may look at our modern cities as sophisticated dwelling places, but the story of our folks and their belief systems are deeply rooted in our collective consciousness we see traces of it in daily life. We will forever be fascinated by legends and myths. This is why the tropes of fantasy and romance are very evident in TOTNT. It forms the fabric of our lives and we yearn for this at a time when humanity is losing so much of itself in this pandemic. We need to believe again. We need to be amazed. We need to know that we can still hope and live amidst challenges big and small.

2. Lee Dong Wook. LEE. DONG. WOOK. Shirtless. Wounded. Eating ice cream in his bath robe. LEE. DONG. WOOK. Holding an umbrella for his lady under the rain. Hiding a smile. Definitely enjoying the moment. LEE. DONG. WOOK. Kissing the love of his life on a bridge framed by billowing sheets of cloth only to be challenged in return. 

"See me clearly for who I am," Ji Ah says. A look of amusement washes over his face and in my mind, I could imagine hundreds of Filipino viewers sighing and wishing, "Sana all..."

3. TOTNT has men characters rendered helpless in the name of love. Granny's husband is a hen pecked spouse but there is adoration for her in his demeanor. Also, marrying Hades' sister despite his claims is an act of great love if you ask me. Shin Joo, Lee Yeon's servant and housekeeper, loyal friend and veterinarian is brimming with care and compassion for Yu Ri. And Lee Rang... ah. Lee Rang. His anger is love unchanneled. 

We see so many faces and phases of love in the men of TOTNT. So far, the narrative has been honest, straightforward, silly but sincere, in its rendition of love as an all powerful force in the universe. At a time when there are more men who red tag women for speaking their minds, let us watch men who are unashamed to lay bare their soul for women and the object of their affections. 

This is Kdrama, you say. I know. 

But life can be stranger than fiction. The answers to questions we grapple in real life can be found in the fantasy and the romantic stories of old. 

Kdrama is life ajooma!

Online Reading Room: Fake News and Fact Checking Tools

 For this term, I made another Reading Room on Fake News and Fact Checking Tools using Canva. I have not synced my Bitmoji account yet so, this one does not have my avatar. This lessens teacher librarian presence even more. There is an advantage, however.

Using Canva as virtual/online Reading Room allows me to link URLs of selected websites into images. I am excited! This means, I can stretch the function of this virtual/online Reading Room into an interactive game or platform to present concepts and the application of skills in research and media and information literacy with more media and tech tools for engagement. Weeeeh!!!

This digital migrant and Kdrama ajumma is happy!

Paghilom at Pag-asa sa Panahon ng Pandemya: My 3x3 Best Reads of 2019

For our second priming activity, think of three books you consider as your best reads for the past two years. Write a simple review of the book in three sentences. When you make a list of your three best reads, be sure to include the complete bibliographic data of each book. 

Below is an example.

Sirena Ba Yan? by Candy Gourlay, illustrations by Francesca Chessa, published by Adarna House, 2019

Sirena Ba Yan is a playful rendition of self and identity. It opens up discussions and inquiry on the names and labels we use to define who are. Strange and unacceptable these words and terms may be, a listening ear, or ears for this matter, makes all the difference as it leads to understanding, kindness and the building of empathy.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik, published by Del Rey 2015

I love this book since it brought me out of my reading slump last year. Thanks to reading buddies who answered my plea for help. The fantasy-romance tropes are all too familiar, but the the storytelling is brilliant.  

How To Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Crown Business 2010

The case studies and social experiments in the book fascinated me. Dan and Chip Heath, the authors of the book recognized how tough change can be since the heart and the mind will always disagree. Change is indeed very personal. 

You can write using the language you are most comfortable in expressing your self. Your choice of books are yours to make. Sharing them with others expands the reading experience. There is no right or wrong answer. 

Post your 3x3 Best Reads on your socmed account using the hashtags #bibliotheraphy2020 #paghilomatpagasa #storytellingforhopeandhealing #regalotouchinglives.

You can also send me your book reviews via Messenger or email (zarah.gagatiga@gmail.com). For more examples, see the 3x3 Best Reads of the following Filipino Librarians who took part in this reading campaign.

 Johann Frederick Cabbab 

Ann Grace Bansig 

Kevin Conrad Tarrobal Tansiongco

Joseph Marmol Yap

Zarah Gagatiga

Paghilom at Pag-asa sa Panahon ng Pandemya: Kamusta ka? Kamusta na? Magkamustahan Kata sa Panahon ng Pandmeya!

This is one of two priming activities for my webinar-workshop on bibliotherapy, Paghilom at Pag-asa sa Panahon ng Pandemya. It is important that you participate in the two activities prior to attending the webinar. The allotted time of the webinar-workshop is only one hour and a half. Under normal circumstances, it would take me two to four hours to run a workshop such as this. But we are living in strange and unusual times so, we need to be resourceful and resilient. 

I do hope to get your full participation since bibliotherapy is a topic that is close to my heart. I am continuously developing materials and conducting research on bibliotherapy. Your contribution to these activities, before, during and after the workshop is very much appreciated. I am positive that I will learn many things from you.

Priming Activity 1 - Kamusta ka? Kamusta na? Magkamustahan tayo sa panahon ng pandemya?

1. I had an interview with the Vlogger Librarian Ph about school librarianship, children's books that I have authored, Work From Home routines, burnout and life in general during the pandemic. Here is the video of the interview. Watch the video and pay attention to the book I shared and briefly talked about.

2. Answer the following questions. You do not have to explain or expound on your answers.

a. What is the most challenging experience of the pandemic have you had so far?

b. What has been your source of joy and inspiration in these uncertain times?

c. What story or stories from socmed or from shows in TV/streaming, books and reading materials, friends and family that has/have touched you? Stories that you were able to relate with its characters on a personal level. 

3. Post your answers on your socmed accounts with the hashtags: #bibliotheraphy2020 #paghilomatpagasa #storytellingforhopeandhealing #regalotouchinglives

Here is an example:

The most challenging experience I have of the pandemic is taking care of my seniors - meaning my parents, however, a source of joy and inspiration in this time of uncertainty is my mother's vegetable garden. We have harvested fruits from the okra, eggplant and siling labuyo she planted last March at the beginning of the lockdown. Of the many stories I heard and follow on socmed, it is the closure of ABS-CBN that has affected me the most. Even my seniors were depressed for a while not being able to watch their favorite noon time shows.

##bibliotheraphy2020 #paghilomatpagasa #storytellingforhopeandhealing #regalotouchinglives

Thank you for your participation! I am excited to know your stories. This way, we can be linked to one another despite the distance that the quarantine has drawn between us. 

See you online! Continue to stay safe!

 

Feed the Children Campaign by Pumplepie Books & Happiness

 Early this month of October, I had a wonderful interview with the family of Alexine Parreno and Nong Madrid about family life in the time of COVID-19. Our conversation focused on the set up they have for their only daughter, Adriana. The interview was the episode premiere for season 1 of The Learn From Home program which I manage for YGoal, a social entrepreneurship, business, consultancy and leadership training company. You can watch the full interview by following this link: Learn From Home: Setting Up an Environment for Learning.

A few weeks after the interview, I heard good news from Alexine. An amazing thing happened! Their family was inspired to organize a community outreach project. Through Alexine's Online Bookstore, Pumpliepie Books & Happiness, they are coordinating with Gawad Kalinga for a Feeding Program in Silay, Negros Occidental.

Below is the project brief. This project is Adriana's 10th birthday celebration party. Feed the body and nourish the mind!

PROJECT       :           Feed the Children Campaign by Pumplepie Books & Happiness

PARTNERS    :           Gawad Kalinga and Filipino children’s book publishers

GOAL              :           To raise P240,000 to feed 100 children for 120 days

COMMUNITY  :           Sitio Dacutan, Silay City, Negros Occidental

DURATION     :           October 18 to November 18, 2020

 

Background

Right after our interview for Ygoal, Adriana says she realized we were very fortunate and asked, “How come we are not doing more to help other families?” She said that every day the news reports that more and more Filipinos are suffering from the pandemic.Since her birthday is coming up on November 21 and we normally hold promos, I said she could decide on her 10th birthday project and we would support her all the way. Adriana immediately decided she wanted to help children who are hungry.

 

We partnered with Gawad Kalinga for their ongoing #BeAHungerWarriorCampaign . Through them we learned that SWS surveys show that the number of hungry families between Dec. 2019 and Sept. 2020 have more than tripled, with the bulk of them in the Visayas and Mindanao. GK is gathering pledges at P20 per meal per child per day. P2,400 can feed one child 120 meals over 120 days.

 

Our hometown is Silay City, Negros Occidental in the Visayas so we have selected to support a community in Sitio Dacutan in Silay City. The goal is to raise P240,000 to feed 100 children for 120 days.

 

 

Mechanics

1. Pumplepie to raffle off 10 book bundles donated by Filipino children’s book publishers. Value of each bundle is between P3,000-P5,000 (no final cost yet)
2. To join the raffle, participants must pledge a minimum of P100 (equivalent to 5 meals). P100 Pledge = 1 Raffle entry. A pledge of P2,400 (120 meals for 1 child) is automatically entitled to 50 raffle entries. 
3. Promo duration is October 18 to November 18, 2020. Winners will be electronically drawn on Adriana’s 10th birthday, November 21, 2020.
4. Feeding in the chosen community will also commence on November 21.

 

Pilgrim's Pitstop: Into the Potter's House

 

I attended the first online Annual Ignatian Retreat (AIR) with Fr. James Gascon SJ last September 4-7, 2020. Although I am used to attending online retreats and subscribing to prayer apps, this AIR delivered through Zoom was a life affirming experience. The AIR which Fr. James designed and conducted was well paced and responsive to the call of the times. When loss is all around and unspeakable grief hovers like a Dementor, breaking bread online with members of the Magis Deo community is God’s given grace.

Of the many prayer sessions and reflection points in the AIR, three of them made an impact namely, the five senses and hand activity, the Parable of the Potter’s House and the session on sin and forgiveness. Let me share on these three things some more.

I find the five senses and hand activity as the most helpful form of stress, anxiety and anger management technique during these trying times. I go back to the drawing of my hand and the valuables I enumerated there to draw comfort and consolation during days of doubt and discontent. My, oh my… I know I am still the same person with flaws and imperfections but what I cherish these days are very much different from when Domeng and I were just starting out on our journey in Magis Deo. What came to light after doing this activity is the recognition of how God has moved into and out of my life. The days that followed were visitations to roads and paths taken through the years and this process of prayer amplified God’s enduring love.

The second prayer and reflection point that moved me was Jeremiah 18:4, ‘whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.’  I have read and encountered this verse many times in the past. Since I learned hand-built pottery from a professional potter and clay artist, the Bible verse presents a new meaning to my continuing journey and relationship with God.

You see, potters are patient people. They know that clay, earth as a natural element for this matter, has a life of its own. Water is essential to the potter as it helps in setting the consistency and plasticity of the clay being formed. Fire in the kiln strengthens the object’s form, structure and make up. Experienced potters know the science and the chemistry behind this. But they are always open to what will come out of the kiln. Most of the time, hand-built pots and ceramics are imperfectly created despite the process of shaping on the wheel. For some mysterious reason, the shape, form and markings of hand-built pots and ceramics show the hands of the potter. My pottery teacher once told me, “Ms. Zarah, kahit anong paghuhulma at  pagkikinis ang gagawin mo sa bowl na iyan, pwede yan mag-iba ng hugis sa firing process.” When the formed clay meets the heat in the kiln, it will move and bend to the touch of the potter’s hand. The clay has a memory of the potter who created it. This experience gave me a new insight to the parable. God is my creator. I will always remember His touch.

As for the last reflection on sin and forgiveness, I admit that it is the session I struggled with the most. I have questions on mercy and justice. For one, I constantly ask, how does it factor in the process of forgiving?

I have been patiently praying for this since then.

Kuwentong Musmos Author Interview: Liwliwa Malabed

Here is the blog interview of Ms.Liwliwa Malabed, author of Sampung Eroplano (2019) and illustrated by Pergylene Acuna. Sampung Eroplano is one of the twenty books that Adarna House published under the Kuwentong Musmos Project of Room to Read.

Bakit ka nagsusulat para sa mga bata/kabtaan?

Nagsusulat ako para sa aking sarili, para sa anak ko at mga pamangkin, para sa aking mga estudyante, para sa   mga batang Pilipino. May mga aklat na habang binabasa ko ay pakiramdam ko, sinulat ito para sa akin.                Dahil sa mga aklat na ito, nakilala ko ang aking sarili at lumawak ang aking mundo. Gusto kong maramdaman    din iyon ng batang magbabasa sa aking sinulat.

 Paano ka nagsimula sa pagsusulat ng mga kuwentong pambata? Ano ang iyong origin story?

 May Children’s Literature class ako noong undergrad at mula noon nagsimula akong mangolekta ng mga children’s books. Sumali rin ako sa patimpalak ng isang magazine at isa sa mga nanalo ang aking kuwento. Ang kuwentong iyon ang ipinasa kong sample writing para makapagtrabaho sa isang children’s show. Miyembro din ako ng samahan ng mga manunulat ng panitikang pambata, ang KUTING o Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting.

Magbigay ng tatlong salita upang mailarawan ang karanasan mo bilang isang fellow ng Kuwentong Musmos Workshop?

 Itapon sa kanan.

 Isa sa mga pinakamahirap na gawain sa palihan ay ang 100 word count. Noong nagtutulungan ang mga fellows kung paano gawin ito, naging biruan namin ang “itapon sa kanan!”

 Personally, dahil nagsulat ako ng scripts para sa telebisyon, ang naging atake ko dito ay i-retain ang mga dialogues tapos ITAPON SA KANAN yung iba.  Yung format kasi ay parang sa script din, may 2 columns, isa para sa TEXT at isa para sa VISUAL NARRATIVE (sa script ay AUDIO-VIDEO ang format).  So yung kanan ay visual narrative, yung paglalarawan ko sa mga tauhan, lugar at pangyayari at ang mag-execute nito ay ang artist/illustrator. Para sa akin, ang tatlong salita na ito-- ITAPON SA KANAN ay nangangahulugan din na bumitaw at magtiwala sa husay ng ilustrador na buhayin ang mga salita at ikuwento ito gamit ang kanyang sining.

 

Sa Sampung Eroplano, talagang bumitaw ako dahil wordless book ito. Kahit hindi ko pa kilala kung sino ang gagawa ng illustrations,  buo ang tiwala ko sa kanya, sa editors at sa Adarna. Natuwa ako nung nalaman ko na si Pergy ang artist. Sabik akong makitang mabuo ang kuwento dahil nasa kanya yung kalahati.

 Anong aklat ang sana ay ikaw ang nagsulat?

 Kaydami kong nabasa na napapaisip ako “Sana, sana ako yung nagsulat.” Kung pipili lang ako ng isa, ito ang MAGNIFICENT BENITO AND HIS TWO FRONT TEETH nina Augie Rivera, Mike Rivera at Jason Moss, inilimbag ng Adarna House. Kumpleto ito sa sangkap: may trahedya, may problema, may nakakatawa, may kendi, may pambihira at may solusyon na nakaugat sa kakayahan ng tauhan.

 Magbigay ng 5 tips o payo para sa mga gustong magsulat ng kuwentong pambata.

 Magbasa, magmasid, palayain ang haraya, magsulat, magrevise! :)

For as long as she can remember, Liwliwa Malabed has been telling stories—her  classmates crowding around her as she drew stick figures to accompany her imagination gone awry. She started writing them down after college, with a wealth of children’s  storybooks for inspiration. Her first story, Anya and Her Tears, won in MMPI  Dreamweaver’s Contest for original bedtime story and illustration (published in Family  Reader Magazine). The same story got her a job as a staff writer for Eskwela ng Bayan, a  curriculum-based children’s show. 

She received awards for her books and stories including a National Book Award for 100  Questions Filipino Children Ask (with Emylou Infante), PBBY Honorable Mention for  Gusto Ko Nang Lumaki!, Lampara Prize Honorable Mention for The Girl Who Always  Looked At People’s Shoes and Second Prize Samsung Kids Time Authors’ Awards for  Apuy’s Fury. She has written 15 books for children. She also wrote scripts for Sirit!,  Jollitown, Probe Production’s travelogue Cheche Lazaro Presents and ABS-CBN’S The  Filipino Channel. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in European Languages and her  Master’s Degree in Teaching in the Early Grades from the University of the Philippines,  Diliman. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. 

  

Darrel Marco talks about Children as Beings in this episode of Author Ch...

Darrel Marco shares his insights on the topic, Children as Beings, in my workshop last month. The workshop is a children's story book writing for aspiring writers of children's stories.

He presented studies discussing the child as being in children's literature and questions, "where is the child in the story?" This gave me and the participants a lot to think about particularly on the didacticism that exist in Philippine Children's Literature. Now I am thinking of looking at titles of books for children that honor the child as a person.

Darrel is in Denmark on graduate studies under the Erasmus+ International Master in Children Litertaure, Media and Culture.

School Librarians' Lounge with Zarah G: Curation and Infographics

In August, I conducted live sessions in creating a virtual reading room using Bitmoji and Google Slide. This is part 1 of the video. Thanks to Roi Afurung for helping me out, especially in the editing of the video.

This video can also be viewed in Librarians' Tambayan and on my YouTube channel. 

Ajooma Reviews: Tale of the Nine Tailed Episodes 1 and 2

Tale of the Nine Tailed, Studio Dragon 2020 

Written  by Han Woo-ri                        Directed by Kang Shin-hyo

• One of the Kdramas that my daughter and I have been waiting for this month of October is Lee Dong Wook's Tale of the Nine Tailed (TOTNT). When the first two episodes aired last week, we were both in awe. She has her reasons and I have mine. Let me break it down to you, my dear reader.

For starters, know that I am a Lee Dong Wook (LDW)fan. I first saw him in essay the role of the Grim Reaper in Goblin and to this day, in my doble vista eyes, he is the most enigmatic and sexy Angel of Death I had ever seen on Kdrama land. We can argue, but let us save our energies for that on another day.

When LDW appeared in the rain with a red umbrella, my heart leapt for joy. It reminded me of Gong Yoo's umbrella scene in Goblin. While other viewers take it as imitation, for me it is an homage. Midway in episode 1, LDW referenced the Grim Reaper since he knows how he is dressed well compared to Granny, the Grim Reaper in the drama. That was a laugh out loud moment. Intentionally done or not, the writer and the director of TOTNT has shown respect for LDW's previous work. The specific scene and dialogue is a recognition of his acting chops and the role that defined his career at the ripe old age of 35. They sure know how to treat and appreciate a senior actor like Wookie.

I promise, I will not leave out elements in my reviews of TOTNT that I find a bit off or downright lame. 

So here we go. What worked for me in episodes 1 and 2?

1. Lee Dong Wook and Jo Bo Ah. 

Who are solid shippers of LDW and Yoo Inna? I am one of the many. But yeodongsaeng, the LDW and JBA ship has sailed. They look good together. JBA looks smart and spunky. It is a good match to LDW's deadpan humor and down to earth personality. The characters they play are even more interesting. Let us see how things go from here, but I am rooting for them already.

2. The depth of the acting of all the characters I have seen so far is superb. There are two scenes that are evidence of the acting chops of the cast. In episode 2, when Lee Yeon freezes the river Sando to bid goodbye to Ae Rum, there was only one dialogue from him. It was a killer. Only their eyes speak of their grief. The camera pans to the Grim Reaper Lady who only closed her eyes feeling their pain. That scene speaks volumes. It ushered in so many questions from their past and countless predictions for their future. 

The second scene is best shown through these stills.

How can these good looking men appear so vulnerable? There is a deep sadness in Lee Rang's eyes. No need for words. The look on his face says it all. Lee Yeon, on the one hand is a deity but he is helpless and at a loss at the forces of the universe. There are rules that even gods and deities could not bend or break. Deals and bets can be made but at a terrible price or consequence. Lee Yeon know this too well.

3. The presentation and discussion of love is nuanced, sensitive and complex. Lee Yeon is weary of the world and yet, he speaks of integrity and keeping his word. He hangs on to finding his one true love but believes in letting go of things that cannot be controlled. His friend could not fathom his old fashioned belief in romance. the happily ever after and respect for rules. Despite it all, he is sticking by him through and through. The owner of the The Snail Bride reminded him that even his show of loyalty to Lee Yeon is called love.

It was a promising premiere, chingu. I cannot wait for the next episode because I look forward to the unfolding of Lee Yeon's intense and complicated relationship, past and present, with Lee Rang. There are many layers to uncover from their conversion by the fishing dock and it would be an interesting to know how TONT delivers the concept of family conflict and the inevitable healing that follows. This is something present in all Kdramas I have watched. Looking back, many of my favorites follow this structure. 

And yes, the ending of Lee Yeon and Ji Ah's romance, be it a happy one or negotiable is worth the ride.

It is still a long way from there, I know. I am keeping my hopes up!

Kuwentong Musmos Book Project Magiging Radio/Podcast Audio-Drama

 

Kaninang umaga, inulan ang puso ko ng saya!

Umattend ako ng consultation at workshop kasama ang mga kaibigang manunulat na bahagi ng Kuwentong Musmos Project ng Room to Read. Isa itong reunion. Marami kaming na-miss at na-miss namin ang lahat!

Bohol Bee Farm.

Kakaibang flavors ng ice cream. Edible flowers.

Paglalakad sa beach sa umaga para abangan ang pagsikat ng araw. Babalik sa dalampasigan sa hapon para sa paglubog nito. May hawak na isang tasa ng kape at kasama ang isang kaibigan sa industriya at magkukuwentuhan tungkol sa... wala lang.

Ang mga workshops sa big group at small group ay nami-miss ko rin. Salamat sa teknolohiya, nakapag-usap kami kahit saglit lang sa Zoom.

Kasama sa pulong ang mga actor-writers ng Tanghalang Pilipino (TP). May mga nakilala akong bagong kaibigan sa larangan ng sining. Fangirling moment, sa totoo lang! Napapanood ko lang sila noon sa CCP at sa online channels ng TP. Ngayon, kasama na sila sa pagpapanday ng mga kuwentong pambata. Sila ang magsusulat ng radio adaptation ng aming mga kuwento. Exciting!

Nakakatuwa ang palitan ng mga kuro-kuro ng mga authors at actor-writers. Nakakatuwa na maging bahagi ng proseso ng mga actor-writers. Para kaming nagwoworkshop.

Layon ng proyekto na mas marami pang bata at pamilya, paaralan at komunidad sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa ang maka-experience ng aming mga katha at likha. Isa itong biyaya. Sa panahon ng pandemya, may pagkakataon tayong lumikha. Isa itong paraan ng paghilom at may pag-asa tayong makakamit.

Maraming salamat kay Sir

Al Santos

, sa bumubuo ng Kuwentong Musmos Project, sa Tanghalang Pilipino at CCP. Mas mabibigyan pa ng pagkakataon na marining ang boses ni Tere!

On Module Writing and Teacher Shaming

 A few years back, I was commissioned to write modules by the Ayala Foundation for Centex’s teacher training programs. I also had the pleasure of working with YGoal, a social development and training agency, for a module on youth development for the BPI Foundation. I have good memories of the experience. I learned a lot.

I worked with good friends to begin with. The foundations and agency that ran the project were very supportive of our needs and respected our vision, as well as our temperaments (mine especially). There was team work, collaboration and a lot of fun! Given the chance, in this day and circumstances, I will do it again when offered the job especially if the project benefits children, families and educators.

Writing a module for young learners, on the one hand, is different from creating a module for adults. Learning concepts, theories and approaches in pedagogy are important to the former. Principles in andragogy are applied to the later. Whether writers and creators of modules are writing and creating for children or adults, they need to set up a process that ensures quality control in every step. These things take time.

Speaking of process, what I find most enjoyable in the writing process is research and development. It is exciting to hunt for answers and gather information. As a librarian writing a module for teachers, the professional network comes in handy. Libraries, archives, museums and record centers spell the difference in this stage of the writing process. Call it my bias, but who can give you professional assistance in validating content but from librarians, archivists and curators? Never count them out of the equation.

At the beginning of the quarantine,

Jim Tuscano

invited me to several online discussions on learning and creating modules in the time of the pandemic. These talks were meant to help teachers shift to online distance learning. Visit Jim’s empowerEd channel on YouTube to view the videos and get links to the podcast too. As a follow through of Jim’s interview, I wrote some tips on module writing in my blog.

Here are short excerpts from the blog post.

"There are four basic steps in writing namely, pre-writing, writing the draft, revision and editing, and publishing and sharing. This means, you can schedule your writing of text based learning materials and that, you need a reader to give you feedback on your work. From there, you can revise, make changes and edit your materials."

"Work closely with the illustrator, designer, technology specialist and editor of the learning materials. The logistics and operational work flows can be set early on but a shared vision binds the team together. Collaboration is key."

Giving and getting feedback is a life saver.

In this time of the pandemic, let us continue to save lives. In big and small ways, I encourage you to save the life and the dignity of teachers and their oath to teach.

#NoToTeacherShaming #bridgethedivide

LIBRARY IN THE NEW NORMAL

Filipino Librarian of the Month: Jay Diola

The blog's Filipino Librarian of the Month is none other than, Mr. Jay Diola who is the new school library head of the De La Salle Zobel Learning Resource Center. In this blog interview, Jay shares the adjustment he needed to do to transition into the role of a library manager. A year after, he needed to transition the entire school library into the new normal as COVID-19 forced the closure of schools and campuses. He offers tips for school librarians who are coping through the pandemic and encourages everyone in the profession to continue sharing content, knowledge and expertise.

1.     Kamusta, Bossing? How has it been for you as library manager?

Hello Ms. Zarah!

How am I at this time of the pandemic? Ok naman po, gaya nga ng sabi at termino ng mga millennials “FIGHTING”.

As a new library manager, it is truly challenging but I am coping and still learning. It’s my second year as the library head of De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ). I could say that my first year was really a period of adjustment since it’s my first time to lead the center. I was thinking that I’ll get the hang of it in my 2nd year but fortunately or unfortunately, COVID pandemic came.

As DLSZ shifted to Online Distance Learning (ODL), my 2nd year turned out to be another year of more adjustments. At first, I couldn’t imagine how we can implement LRC library projects and activities. How can we do that? This is something new to all of us and very different from the usual tasks of most librarians. Everything we do and implement is experimental and a great learning experience. Fortunately, I am just blessed to have a wonderful team of library personnel. The DLSZ-LRC Team is really helping me out at these challenging times and I am truly grateful for them.

As a library manager, I believe that one of the most important components to be successful  is to be able to lead a community of proactive members who, together, develop good chemistry to create a strong strategic plan for the unit. 

2. Please give 5 tips for surviving and thriving in this new normal. The contest is school library work.

I will use the name of one of my favorite story tellers for the tips on how to survive the new normal. It's SARAH.

First, S stands for STUDY. (Online) Distance Learning is something new to all of us, there is no manual to follow so you need to keep on learning. We need to study and learn new skills, new apps, and new approaches to deliver various library services.

Second, A for ADOPT. The basic rule of survival is adaptation. Blend with the situation and adjust the library services to the new normal. Don’t hold back to try out new things to improve the services.

The third is R, RELAX. Calm down, don’t panic.  Librarians are resourceful. We are trained to find solutions to every problem. They say, a relaxed mind is a creative mind.

Fourth, ALWAYS THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Be creative in delivering your services. Always think of new and exciting ways to assist the library users. Don’t hesitate to try out new things. It’s the new normal way of getting the work done.

And the lastly, H which stands for HELP. Help each other out. If you find something that you think will benefit others, share it. If you need help, reach. There are a lot of people who are more than willing to assist you. So, those are my 5 SARAH tips for you.

3. What is the principle behind the Librarians Tambayan? How has it helped the DLSZ Community and Filipino School Librarians?

The Librarians’ Tambayan is a YouTube channel created to provide a venue for posting online content for people in the field of librarianship. I find it ironic that there’s no library specifically for librarians but we have special libraries for lawyers, medical personnel and other professions. At the start of the pandemic, I received a lot of queries from other librarians regarding content creation and online resources. That made me think of creating a channel where librarians could find online content that they could use in their schools and can submit their own creation for posting. It's a virtual space where we can share our materials for library instructions and resources.

A similar channel is created to serve our Lasallian community. Basically, the main idea of the channel is to help each other. The values taught by our founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle- faith, service and communion inspired me and the LRC team to find ways to be of service to the entire Filipino librarians’ community. As a humble librarian- servant, I’m calling all other  librarians to join us- contribute online content to the Librarians Tambayan.

Last August 15, Jay Diola and his library staff gave a talk and shared current practices that are in place during the time of COVID-19. A webinar sponsored by PASLI and Regalo Touching Lives, The Library At Your Fingertips: Planning and Developing School Library Programs in the New Normal, the video is available on YouTube.

Storytelling for Hope and Healing at the Learning Revolution Summit 2020

I'm speaking at the Emergency Home Learning (& More) Summit. This is the question that we seek to answer or use as guide for discussions: How do we dramatically help or change the lives of students, parents, teachers, librarians, and others?

#homelearningsummit #learningrevolution

Storytelling for Hope and Healing

In times of challenges, changes and conflict, we can turn to stories and poems for solace, comfort and consolation. Selection of the appropriate literature is key. When we read, engage and share the literature with a companion, a friend and a mentor the experience becomes more meaningful. The Storytelling for Hope and Healing will discuss the value of stories, storytelling, reading and writing as sources and avenues for catharsis, insight and taking action. Included in the presentation are techniques and strategies in delivering sessions for bibliotherapy as well as a recommended list of books and resources for teachers, librarians and parents.

Please click the link and register. I hope to see you there!

Kuwentong Musmos Author Interview: Joanna Que

Here is the blog interview of Ms. Joanna Que, author of Sayaw ng mga Kamay (2019) and illustrated by Fran Alvarez. Sayaw ng mga Kamay is one of the twenty books that Adarna House published under the Kuwentong Musmos Project of Room to Read.

Why are you writing for children?

I write for children because I want to ignite that innate sense of wonder in them through stories that they can hopefully enjoy, relate to, and be inspired by.  

What is your Philippine Children’s Literature origin story? (How did you start writing for kids and getting published?)

It was in 2016 when I joined ‘Sipat/Sulat’, a Workshop on Seeing and Making Literature by Adarna House. Towards the end of the workshop, we were asked to submit 2 story ideas each. Among the ideas I pitched was a story about one who loves the day and one who loves the night, and how they learned to appreciate each other’s perspectives. After a couple of weeks, I got an email that they were interested in the story, so they asked me to write a manuscript. Thankfully, the story was accepted for publication. In 2018, ‘Sinag and Tala’ was published by Adarna House, with illustrations by Mickey Velarde.  

Give three words or phrase to describe your Kuwentong Musmos Workshop experience.

1. Grateful – for the opportunity to have been part of this wonderful project.

2. United – in the purpose of sharing stories to children, especially those who are most vulnerable.

3. Friendship and Camaraderie – that continued on even after the workshop.  

What is the book you wish you had written?

The Little Prince. I love how simple yet profound the story is. The creative way the author tells the story, along with its unique characters and quotable quotes definitely stands out for me.

Tuwing Sabado by Russel Molina. It’s amazing how the author was able to bring light to a difficult topic with his beautiful storytelling and imagery. This is a story that definitely tugs at the heartstrings. 

What advice or tips can you give aspiring children’s book writers?

Being a fairly new author, I may not be in the position to give advice. However, I would like to share some tips that I found useful in my process of writing for children:

1. Read as much books as you can.

2. Don’t be afraid to start.

3. Write from the heart.

4. Be observant.

5. Spend time with children. 

6. Be open to suggestions. 

Joanna is a writer who is fascinated by the beauty of nature. Most of her musings and jolts of inspirations come about while walking and exploring nature’s wonders. Apart from writing, she also loves making things with her hands.