Angelou, Where are You?

Angelou, Where are You?

a poem by curioshittii

Angelou, Angelou,
where are you?

The cage you broke away,
threatens to lock you away.

Rocks thrown your way,
clipping your wings; making you sway

Yet like dust you rise,
fueled by oil pumps; slashing the lies.

Angelou, Angelou,
there you are!

In our hearts,
scattered in parts

From head to toe,
from heart to soul.

"Patron Saints of Nothing" (Book Review)

"Patron Saints of Nothing"

a book review by curioshittii

"Written by Randy Ribay, a Filipino-
American writer, Patron Saints of
Nothing follows the story of Jason
Reguero..."

    Written by Randy Ribay, a Filipino-American writer, Patron Saints of Nothing follows the story of Jason Reguero, an oblivious Fil-Am who lives in the States whose brother-like cousin, Jun, died in the crossfire of the drug war instigated by the Duterte administration. In pursuit of the truth of what truly happened to his beloved cousin, he travels back to the Philippines with determination in his heart, as well as a dossier of letters from Jun before his death. 

    With a number of days as his time in finding the truth of what happened to his cousin, Jason visits his family to ask and learn about what truly happened, but with caution in mind as his uncle, Maning, is a police, and as usual, he is a lapdog to the state⁠— a pawn to the administration's heinous deeds. It was a rocky ride, as the adults around him tended to refer to him as an American, which very much caused an identity crisis to stir within him, but he found ways to dig deeper into the truth as he met Mia, a journalism student. In the end, he learned about the truth, and his whole family was able to acquire closure, and he was also able to reconcile the Filipino in him. 

    I admire Ribay for informing his audience regarding the grotesqueness of today's administration⁠— it was very timely and bold, as in today's setup, speaking up is dangerous as most critics of this government are easily silenced. Ribay was able to successfully portray his themes, which I personally think are to first off, speak up for the marginalized and for what is right, second, learning the truth may hurt, but it is important as it gives closure to the people close to them, and lastly, it is to always look into the root cause of a problem, or to always be compassionate and understand people. He was able to portray this through the use of the characters around Jason, as well as the circumstances that surround him.

    Personally, I think that it's a fantastic novel, but I think that it's not for me as it felt like I was listening to the daily news. The plot isn't as new and shocking to me as this is exactly what I hear everyday in the news. Though, despite that, I highly recommend it as it is very relevant in today's setting, especially with the current fight against the police in the States, as well as the continuous disgusting acts of the Duterte administration.

The Art of Gender Play: Breaking Gender's Boundaries

The Art of Gender Play: Breaking Gender’s Boundaries

—    curioshittii

With the sudden popularity of Rupaul’s Drag Race, more and more people are getting hooked to the ‘queer’ culture of the queers, whilst embracing the idea of gender play as an art form and a social movement.

   I was one of the many people who was influenced by Drag Race's immense popularity. At first, it started out as a curious drive; what was it with this show that made it a forefront of 21st century entertainment?

Alongside the gay “yas-es,” innuendos, camp-themed runways, and outright shade towards fellow contestants and other popular figures, Rupaul’s Drag Race showcases the complexity of drag; and is a documentary of how the LGBTQIA+ community retaliates towards societal discrimination; it tells various stories of gay oppression, the influence of drag to fashion, and how predefined by society gender roles are.

Rupaul's Drag Race has showed us that there are no rules to expressing one's self— the queens who bravely auditioned and competed on the said show is making a statement by raising their middle fingers to the rules of gender by dressing up as females (or males), whilst honoring the contributions of former queens and kings who preceded them, just like Marsha P. Johnson who insinuated the Stonewall Riots. 

Growing up, I was specifically told not to wear anything that is colored pink, and that I should not play with Barbies as they are only for girls. I was told that such was an act of homosexuality, which sparked further conflict the moment I realized that I indeed had feelings of attraction towards fellow males. Homosexuality or being “queer” in general is seen by many as something unnatural, and growing up, I had no one to look up to nor confide along with. I had to pretend as if I was not effeminate at all— I felt lonely; I felt wrong and unnatural, but to see these queens perform in such a grandiose setting where they stay true to who they are, it sparked the emancipation of myself from the shackles of society’s definition of what I should and what I should not be—if society didn’t define how we should be, our personalities wouldn’t be repressed, and drag queens and the show itself has proven that no matter what you like and who you are, it is important to stay true to yourself.

WHY DO WE LOVE RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE?

         Simple, because it tackles issues that are normally stigmatized by society. In its debut season, a challenged that aimed to raise funds for Mac Cosmetic’s Viva Glam campaign that aims to help raise awareness on HIV was ensued and was won over by an HIV positive gay male who was praised for bravely admitting on national television that he was indeed a carrier of such. Another example of such is how the queens of season 9 tackled the brutal shooting towards the LGBTQIA+ community on a bar. The queens not only discuss how liberating it is to do drag and how they feel free to be themselves and do things that they normally do not do as a male or a female, but they also touch on topics that are usually unknown to the oblivious.

Drag is not only a form of female (or male) impersonation, it is the graffiti of the body; it breaks boundaries and unsettles the people's hearts through gender play. It is a mask where we are able to free ourselves from a facade designed to conform to society's provisions; it is a manifestation of our will to be true to ourselves, to show who we really are. 

"They Both Die at the End" (Book Review)

"They Both Die at the End"

a book review by curioshittii

  In a day, I have successfully finished and took in Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End— it was an easy read, it was fast-paced and it had a simple message. They Both Die at the End is set in an era where Death Cast exists, a company that calls a person the day before their End Day, or their death, to alert them that in the next 24 hours, you will inevitably face the terrifying scythe of death himself. The protagonists, Mateo Torrez, and Rufus Emeterio, were alerted by the said company about their demise. In search of a friend that will help them live out the remaining hours of their lives, the two meet using the app, Last Friend, which helps Deckers look for a friend before their demise. 

  In a world where your death is inevitable, who would have thought that friendship and love would spark in a matter of hours? Adam Silvera was able to successfully portray not only the sadness and grief associated with death, but was also able to portray the

"I have successfully finished and
took in Adam Silvera’s They
Both Die at the End— it was
an easy read, it was fast-paced

and it had a simple message."

adrenaline alongside it— it makes you want to feel alive, it makes you want to live out your best life, before you go and kick the bucket. Aside from this, he was able to successfully portray the power of friendship and love to heal and change who you are— before meeting Rufus, Mateo is very much “closeted”; in the context of sexuality, and in life in general, but Rufus, the energetic and lively person that he is, was able to put Mateo out of his element by teaching him how to have fun and how to take risks. On the other hand, Mateo was able to rub off his caring personality towards Rufus’ trauma. He was able to help him get through the trauma of having to deal with seeing your family drown to death, alongside his recent breakup with his girlfriend. 

  Silvera had a very simple message, and that is to live our lives to the fullest. It had such a simple theme in the plot, but the way Silvera unfolded the events to follow were powerful. It successfully portrayed trauma, happiness, friendship, love, loyalty, grief, and death in a mere span of 368 pages. Aside from this, he gave us the different effects of death, as well as the effects of the way we live or the way we inspire other people to live. 

  Overall, I think that this is a great read. It has given me another round of existential crisis, but the way Silvera played with this novel is marvelous. Definitely a top-tier read. 

"Die Beautiful: the Highs and Lows of Life" (Film Review)

"Die Beautiful: the Highs and Lows of Life"

a film review by curioshittii 

       As a project for one of my subjects in school, I watched Die Beautiful, a film directed by Jun Robles Lana, and was screened on the Metro Manila Film Fest (MMFF) for the year 2016. Die Beautiful is a story that centers on the life of Trisha Echevarria— a transwoman who've seen the highs and lows of life— a story about being true to one’s self, and loving it in return.

   The film uses the literary device called a flashback as a method to tell the story. It starts out by looking into the present; the audience is greeted with Barbs, a fellow transwoman and is Trisha's bestfriend, who is currently giving the corpse of Trisha a makeover. It was explicitly mentioned that Trisha wanted to be painted as a different person for every day during her funeral. The various artists that were emulated signifies or represents the course of her life— it is a foreshadowing of what would unfold in the flashback, a slight hint of what she experienced during that time.

   The story itself is pretty cliché, it's a typical portrayal of queer people in films, but what makes Trisha's character and her story is that it does not just portray the stereotypical cultures that most can be seen in Vice Ganda's films, but rather, Die Beautiful has depth— it shows every struggle of being different from everybody else without any imposition that every queer person is a horny, and hilarious individual who knows nothing but to procreate and make people laugh. It's a sublime mixture of comedy and tragedy; a perfect concoction of being put into a corner, falling apart, and then finding a new path to take on, a path with lots of people that will be behind you, that will propel you whilst you walk on it.  

"Call Me by Your Name" (Book Review)

"Call Me by Your Name"

a book review by curioshittii

  Call Me by Your Name is a story written by André Aciman about a powerful and intimate romance that blossoms between Elio and their family's summer guest, Oliver. The story is written in a first-person point of view, and is an in-depth depiction of Elio's thoughts, views, and feelings.

"'Call Me by Your Name is a story
written by André Aciman about a
powerful and intimate romance..."

  The story immediately captured my attention as Aciman accurately depicts and describes the feeling of something stirring inside you— that feeling that makes your gut turn out of hopes that something romantic might bloom between the two of you. The story is set in the Italian Rivieria during the summer, and Oliver was chosen as the next guest to stay at Elio's family's villa for six weeks to finish his book. 

 Throughout reading the novel, I was mesmerized by how detailed Aciman is with how he portrayed, and describe how what Elio feels and sees— it was like peeking into someone's diary voluntarily; Aciman's style of writing was like a reminiscent of his lost future— it was like he was reinstating for his readers his youth whilst acting upon one's curiosity. It sounded like Aciman created this powerful love letter for the man with whom he loves, but is now with someone else.    

   As a bookworm, I've learned to predict the events that might unfold. I was NOT expecting to read such a heartbreaking denouement! I never expected Oliver to return to the States and marry someone that's not Elio.

   Overall I'd say that this masterpiece should be read by everyone, although I do not recommend this for ages that are below sixteen, for there are a lot of scenes that are extremely erotic. André Aciman has written such a powerful yet heartbreaking love letter that would make you laugh, sob, and feel as though you are in love with someone. Call Me by Your Name definitely deserved all the gratification and accolades that it has claimed.

BULLET JOURNALS: THE MODERN ARTSY PLANNER

Integrating Art Into Your Journals

by: curioshittii

  our artsy journey doesn't end with the mere utilization of watercolors! before I got into painting using watercolors, God graced me with amandarachlee's youtube channel! her channel is filled with artsy, aesthetically pleasing, and creative videos of her, filling up her bullet journal with creative spreads! 

  I was enticed by her adorable doodles of leaves, flowers, and other fun stuff that it actually got me started on my stationery addiction and my very own bullet journal.

  my initial reaction after watching one of her videos (which is her March plan with me) was an urgent question. I was like, "that seems so tedious! how can she draw so beautifully and how the f*ck will she be able to keep filling that up without ever feeling lazy or unmotivated?" 

  

  I decided to continue on binge watching her videos. I even picked up her contagious addiction on buying various kinds of stationery which led me to buy my very first bullet journal. I started off by buying a twenty piece crayola supertips markers and a fine liner to start off my creative journal. 

  as a person that lacks the talent to draw anything but stick men and women, amandarachlee's videos proved handy as a starter; her in depth descriptions and visuals were quite handy and amusing— it definitely helped me recreate her March plan with me!

  as per my initial reaction, I was proven wrong after feeling extremely satisfied at finishing a spread. seeing it complete and cohesive feels extremely therapeutic— making it one of my favorite past times!

  if ever you wanted to start on your own creative journal, here's a link to amandarachlee's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/amandarachlee