Please share a brief history of your blogging career – From what lead you to start? Has your motivation changed since starting? What has the experience been like? Have you learnt anything? Has your writing style changed? What advice would you give to a new blogger? And please don’t forget to mention some of the highlights along the way – such as the people you’ve met, things you’ve learnt … and please get creative about your presentation, do it in your favourite genre?
The time was right when I need new challenge
I was then doing some online classes
One option was to blog and I then plunge
Learned a lot from them, what to do en masse?
Just wanted to give it a go, I thought
My blogging has limitations, alas
Met lots of new bloggers and what they taught
New styles, new topics, more laughs and more fun
All these things and sometimes I’m overwrought
Photos, fiction, limericks, poems – done
Haiku, flash fiction, weird photos and more
Anything under the sun and the pun
Things I have written, hope I’m not a bore
Sorry if I’ve offended anyone
If I’ve stepped over, just give me a roar
Has been two years and I’ve got a good run
Carry on as it’s still half full my glass
I’m still enjoying it, I know I’ve won
And so to the blogging world, I’m still here
Got a lot of things to learn through the years
The time was right when I need new challenge
One option was to blog and I then plunge*
(c) ladyleemanila 2016
* The Lauranelle, created by Laura Lamarca, is a hybrid (variation) of both the Villanelle and the Terzanelle forms. The poem is 22 lines in length opposed to the 19-line length of the aforementioned classical forms. Lines MUST be 10 syllables in length and also MUST be in iambic pentameter.
Rhyme scheme is as follows: aba bcb cdc ded efe fbf ggA(1)A(2)
Lines 1 and 2 MUST be repeated at Lines 21 and 22.
Poems can either be formatted in stanzas or as a whole piece without line-spacing.
This is going to be based on things that make you happy. It could be something as simple as making a list of your favourite things, or perhaps you could write a poem. It could even be about a certain special person in your life, a close friend maybe. You could write about a memory you share, or just what they mean to you.
it’s all in the mind
simple things make me happy
pure heart, no worries
living with nature
happiness is within our hearts
together with love
sunshine, flowers bloom
birds singing, feeling of content
life is wonderful
Memories of youth
My happiness
When Sabel was young
Naive in the world
I wanted simple things
Ate ice – cream
Played hide-and-seek
Played catch , marbles , yoyo
Rented a bike
Strolled in town
Bathed in a creek
Along with carabao
Memories of youth
My happiness
being with you is magic
magic as in worth living
living a dream forever
forever we grow old and ageing
love is happiness
happiness shared with you
you and I together
together we stick like glue
why is the sky so blue?
blue as the wavy sea
sea breeze and summer dream
dream as my love for thee
the world’s our oyster, the future in our hands
with just a wave of my hard to make out wand
it’s how we look at it, be it a challenge or a setback
if I’m not careful, I’ll find myself sitting on a yak
will we accept the challenge, or will we stop at the first fall?
and shot up all the rest with caffeine, happiness, life and all?
life is not always smooth sailing; there’ll be some setbacks
oh my God, do I feel a knife in my back?
we shouldn’t stop at plan A, there should always be a plan B
I have to take things breezy, gladly and calmly
and if they still don’t work, go on until the last letter plan
though I seem to have misplaced my recipe for flan
Let’s not give up just easily; it’s all a test on our determination
I think it is easy; it’s not thermodynamics or nuclear fusion
From Caitlin: Here is the first day of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge and I can’t wait to get started!
If you don’t know what this is, click here to read more. There is no sign up and you are free to join as and when you please.
Right! Today is all about us getting to know you better.
I would like you to create something that represents you in some way. It could be as simple as writing a [insert number] facts about me post. Or, it could be a story of something that inspired or influenced you as a person. You could even share a piece of artwork that you feel a connection to, whether it was created by you or not.
The possibilities are endless and you can go as “off-topic” as you like, as long as it has a strong relation to you and lets us get to know you better.
I was 23 when I first left my country. The first time to be away from my family, the first time to travel to Europe, my adventure. I could still remember that day when they all took me to the airport, my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends – quite disheartening, actually. I was sad to leave them, but at the same time, looking forward to my journey.
A week after I’ve arrived in France, it started snowing. I couldn’t believe my eyes; the whole world was blanketed in white! It was so incredibly gorgeous and perfect, no footsteps in it, just lumps and bumps where plants sat in the gardens and cars entirely covered in snow. I was mesmerised. As soon as I’ve felt its powdery texture, I thought to myself, “This was the White Christmas people were dreaming about.” I couldn’t imagine that just a week ago, from sweltering morning – traffic starting to build up in Manila. The noise of cars, taxis, motorcycles, vans and jeepneys beeping and honking, children going to school and adults to work, street vendors selling taho (soya) or peanuts. Such a difference! A normal hectic day in Manila compared to a peaceful, snowy one in France.
Four years later, I was returning to the Philippines. I have lived in Switzerland, Germany and the United States. I worked as a Secretary to the Ambassador of Ethiopia at the United Nations Office in Geneva. I did the English correspondence and dealt with his appointments. It was a great diplomatic experience. Then I went to Germany to do some laboratory training. I’ve got my Chemistry degree from the Philippines, so I was able to get a 6-month training at BASF, Ludwigshafen. There, I met Him Indoors, who was also doing some training. Action and reaction, love happened and we were sad to part ways after the training. I went to Los Angeles, California, USA and he went back to the UK to finish his Chemistry degree. In the summer, he visited me in Los Angeles and we decided to get married. That was the reason I was returning to the Philippines – to tell my parents that we were getting married.
EDSA REVOLUTION / FEBRUARY 1986 Catholic nuns and supporters of the EDSA people’s revolt greets a soldier on board his V-150 armored tank at EDSA. PDI PHOTO/BOY CABRIDO
The EDSA Revolution of 1986 in the Philippines. I was part of the crowd – a bizarre mixture of people coming and going in every direction, military tanks and cannons with their soldiers greeted with flowers and food, burning tires, activist flags and streamers, vendors selling their wares, vehicles parked everywhere and some beeping their horns, portable radios, foreign correspondents and religious altars. Strangers flashed wide grins at each other. People were marching, praying, crying and singing all at the same time. It was one of nonviolent protests that led to the departure of the then President Marcos and the re-establishment of the country’s democracy. I was there. I wanted to make a difference. I was part of that history.
We got married on the nicest day of June (it was the only weekend it didn’t rain, thank God) in the UK. We prepared a big fish (baked) with mayonnaise, red and green peppers, chopped carrots on top. I also cooked spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce and other Filipino dishes. Him Indoor’s mother baked the cake, and did the other dishes. We prepared before hand, so we used the fridges of their neighbours to store them. My cousin from Germany and her husband came and she was my Maid of Honour. She wore a Royal Blue Dress. I wore a creamish dress from the Philippines, made of pineapple fibre, like silk. It was exquisite! Him Indoors wore a dark blue suit, with his great grandfather’s pocket watch. We got married in the Register Office, which was a magnificent timber building and the oldest building in the country. It was so romantic!
Four years later, Him Indoors was accepted to work in Bavaria so we moved here. It was a new place for both of us, not knowing that we would be still here after 27 years. HRH the son was born here and he considers Bavaria as his home. We’re happy here – we have the mountains to hike or ski in the winter, and the lakes, beer gardens and parks to walk or cycle in the summer. It was just the right size for us, not too big a city and not too little a village. We have a terrace house and a garden. When HRH the son was born, I decided to stay at home and looked after him. We did lots of things together, from toddler groups, music school, kindergarden, school, etc. I volunteered to work as one of the librarians in their library. When he was 10, I started thinking about going back to work. I did some training, a Master’s in English Language Teaching. Now, I’m a freelance English trainer/teacher. And so, my journey continues.
I blog because I can
I’m not saying I’m good
I just enjoy blogging
and why not? I ask myself
why not indeed…have a go
It’s been almost a year
when I posted my first piece
about human trafficking
such a heavy topic
one of our assignments
in the course I was taking
one piece lead to another
and as my confidence is growing
I’m also trying other things
fiction, non-fiction, musings
poetry, photography, wordles
every time I see a prompt
I’d have a go, and I’m having fun
sometimes I surprise myself
sometimes the story writes itself
sometimes it’s no good, but never mind
I’m learning new things, I’m meeting friends
so here’s to blogging – hip hip hurrah!
Hello everyone! It’s quite cold here in Bavaria, but never mind. Hope yours is better. Anyway, I’ve decided to take the A-Z challenge blogging for April. I’m planning to write about some inspirations, i.e. A-Z of inspirations. They could be fiction or non-fiction, poetry or photography, depending on the mood of the day. I hope I’ll be able to make it, as I will be away for a couple of weeks in April. I’ll try to write them earlier and schedule them to be posted on the right dates…well, that’s the plan (I hope I’ll be able to stick to it, hence the challenge!)…
Here are my A-Z of inspirations: aspirations, butterfly, challenges, dialogue, Easter, future, garden, hello, ice-cream, journey, kill joy, love, mother, nothing, ordinary, Philippines, questions, rain, spring, treasure, unknown, violets, wanted, xenophobia, Yanna and Zoe.
You have three hundred words to justify the existence of your favorite person, place, or thing. Failure to convince will result in it vanishing without a trace. Go!
Three hundred words to justify the existence of my
Favourite things, persons or places otherwise they vanish
That was harsh! Anyway, here they are from the top of my head
Him Indoors and His Royal Highness – the husband and son
Without them I’m nothing or vanish me with them without a trace
My mother dear, my number one fan, it doesn’t matter what I am or do
My rock, my idol, I am becoming more and more like her as I grow old
The sunshine, the stars at night, the rainbow after the rain, the dew at night
A cup of tea in the morning, a long bath after a day’s work with soft music
Dinner cooked by Him Indoors, flowers being planted for me, the whole garden
Dedicated to me, these are some of my favourite things…. HRH the son skyping us
Regularly on Sunday afternoon with all his news and updates, telling us all’s well
My new found hobby, blogging with all the prompts, challenges, writings, photos
Interested to read what others are writing, encouraged by them to be creative
Trying shadorma, haiku, haibun, cinquain, limerick, clarity pyramid, wordle
Travel theme, word snap, write now, fairytale prompt, finish the story and others
Well, not exactly three hundred words – please don’t vanish them without a trace
Today’s assignment: publish a post based on your own, personalized take on a Daily Prompt.
I love routines! I wake up in the morning, look at the daily prompts and see if I can write something in response to what it’s asking. Sometimes, I can easily think of something to write. Sometimes, I have to force myself to come up with something and sometimes, I just can’t answer it. Oh well, that’s the way it is. But still, I love daily prompts. It’s part of my blogging.
Blogging 101
Writing prompt can be my best friend
It asks me questions
It gives me inspirations
Sometimes it’s funny
Sometimes I just make it up
But it’s a good tool
Learning to interpret it
It’s entertaining
And pleasurable for me
Happy New Year! I hope this year makes all your dreams come true. I don’t know if you have been reading my blog but here’s just me, saying hi to you. Hi! I’m quite new to this blogging world and I’m learning and trying all types of posting, from my personal musings, experience, fiction, poetry, rhymes, photos and videos. Some are good, some not, but they’re all my humble offerings.
Here’s a copy of what I’ve written in November.
Cheers for now,
Ladyleemanila x
Dear dream reader, glad you’re here
Of spiritus mundi troubles my sight
Knowing you, knowing me in a sphere
Knocks, slaps and bumps in the night
Quite new to the game, this blogging
Rather fun, writing and exploring
And to think that this is all very tiring
You’d better catch me now, I’m melting.
Tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year. Tomorrow you get to become anyone in the world that you wish. Who are you? If you decide to stay “you” share your rationale.
A brand new me effective tomorrow; wow, who could I be?
Such a strong feeling like a hot stone glass burning inside me
The air was frosty fresh, bright as the sun and tasted of honey
Dispersing all over me, bubbling in and out of the country
My circuits are overloaded, but I’ll try to do better next time
Doing my part and encouraging others to have peacetime
I’ll greet each and every one a Happy New Year! Cheers!
Nostalgic; the action and feeling quite recently intermingled
A blank page and I can take my time to fill it in
Will do all the good ones, the fun ones, memorable ones
Doing good to others, spreading love and peace
Avoiding the bad ones, negative and hurtful ones
Things I don’t want happening to myself, I don’t do.
So I hope everyone will fill their blank page well
Good luck and all the very best. Welcome 2015!
ladyleemanila 