From Dibuho (Saturday, October 20, 2012): Tula sa Ayala, First Time, at Mens

Pasulyap-sulyap ako sa langit,

sa ulap,

at iniisip ang iyong ngiti

tuwing binabaybay 

ang mga kalsadang

balot ng gabi.

At nais kong abutin ang ulap,

ang langit.

Nais kong hagkan 

ng aking mga labi.

Ngunit 'Di Ako Marunong Lumipad 

(AKA I Wanna Bash My Head Against the Wall

AKA Tula sa Ayala)

ni Janina Santos

Marunong daw ako magsulat ng sanaysay. Sa trabaho ko, kasama ang pagtuturo at pagda-dissect at pagsusulat ng essay. Introduction. Body. Conclusion. Topic Sentence. Thesis Statement. Kung anu-anung topic. Andyan na ang globalization, genetically-modified food, at kung anu-ano pang pinapasulat sa walang kamuang-muang na nangangarap mag-abroad. Forte ko nga raw. 

Pero matagal bago ko napagdesisyonan na subukan ang narrative essay. Eto na siguro yun. Sinusulat ko to dahil sa tatlong dahilan. Una: nahiya naman ako, nagsimula ako ng blog pero wala pang laman. Pangalawa: eksperimento, gusto kong tingnan kung may kwenta ba ako magsulat. Pangatlo: hinamon kame ng Bebang Wico Siy na subukan ang sanaysay nung WIT 2012. Ang tema: Your First Time.

Hebigat.  Hindi ko alam kung anung isusulat ko. Yung unang beses ko malaman na mahal ko pa ang mag-sulat. Yung unang beses kong basahin ang Literotika. Yung unang beses ko ma-realize na magpapaka-Gabriela Silang pala ako para ipagtanggol ang sino mang biktima ng rape at sexual harassment. 

Pinili ako sa unang legit na rally ko. Unang legit kase yung unang rally ko talaga e sa Ayala Alabang. Pinoprotesta namen yung condom ban nila. Naka-yellow na t-shirt ako, hawak hawak ang bandera ng RH Bill. Pero Ayala Alabang yun, demure kumbaga ang protesta. 

Yung initial info ko, care of another Pinoy writer, si Karl de Mesa, na pareho ko atang high blood ng mga panahong 'yun. 'Di ko lang alam kung kinailangan niyang mag-Catapress para bumaba ang BP. Sana hindi naman. Dahil OC ako sa oras, ni-research ko pa ulit at nalaman na dapat 8:30AM ay andun na. 

Mag-isa lang ako dahil may iba ng pupuntahan ang mga pwede kong kasama sa ganitong pag-kakataon pero dahil madaldal ako at makulit, nakipag-usap ako sa iilan-ilang mga lalaki bago yung rally. May bombero na raw. Bubugahan daw kame ng tubig pag nagkagulo. May pulis narin. Nag-aantay na mag-amok ang taong bayan sa labas ng korte. Pag nagkanda-leche-leche daw, takbo agad sa mall. Makihalo sa tayo.

Shit. Wala man lang akong dalang condom para ibalot ang cellphone ko.

Ilang pangyayari nung Black Tuesday sa Korte Suprema

Halos lahat kame nasa harapan ng supreme court nakaitim, sumisigaw nang magkakasama ng mga tao: No to Cybercrime Law! Exciting. May bombero at pulis talaga, may media coverage. Andun si Marlene Aguilar, naka-black na see-through na damit, pina-Fuck You ang mga binansagang tangang tao sa gobyerno. Andun ang iba't-ibang miyembro ng iba't-ibang sektor na gustong ibasura yung pinasang batas. Mainit. Hindi pala dapat nagme-make-up sa rally. Sa Alabang lang yun pwede. 

Matapang daw ako sabi ng mga kaibigan kong hindi 'sing sira-ulo ko, pero ang totoo, natakot akong itakwil ng mga magulang at kapatid ko pag nalaman nilang nagpapaka-aktibista ako. Baka daw mahuli ako. Baka mapagtripan. Baka masira ang kinabukasan kase may binabanggang matataas na tao. Kaya dahil magha-Halloween naman, gumawa narin ako ng maskara na maisusuot sa araw na yun. Anonymous supporter sa crowd ang drama, kumbaga.

Pero parang katangahan pala kung may ipag-lalaban ka, pero hindi mo naman kayang panindigan. Nung bandang tanghali, nakasukbit nalang yung maskara sa bag ko. Save it for the Halloween parties, if ever there is one.

Hindi rin talaga pwede magpaka-anon. Inatasan kase ako ng organisasyon ko na magbigay ng mensahe sa rally bilang kinatawan namin. So hindi pwedeng mag-mask. Kase hindi nalang ako ang nirerepresenta ko, kundi ang paniniwala at paninindigan ng grupo ko. Masarap pala magsalita at maki-isa sa mga taong pare-pareho ang pinaglalaban. 

Laking tuwa ko nung ibaba ng Supreme Court ang TRO. Pakiramdam ko, persona kong nakumbinsi ang Supreme Court na bigyan kame ng 120 na kalayaan. Keber sa make-up na tunaw. Keber sa kung magalit at itakwil ako ng pamilya ko.

Sa pagkakataong iyon, mas may kwenta ang buhay ko dahil may nagawa ako na hindi lang para sa sarili ko. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam.

Parang orgasm lang.

Sana ayos na kay Ate Bebang na nakasama dito yung assignment kong sanaysay ko tungkol sa first time. Pero kung gusto niya ng mas mahabang home-work, pwede rin naman. Promise, hindi after ten years. May isa pa kasi akong kwento: yung tungkol sa libro niya. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko pa tapos basahin. Kagabi, habang binabaybay ang Ayala sakay ng masikip na dyip, humahagikgik ako habang nagbabasa. Pinagtitinginan ako ng tao, per as usual wala akong pake. Hanggang kagabi at hanggang ngayon. Hindi ko parin tapos, pero kailangan tumigil dahil sa tawag ng kalikasan (ang magsulat)

It’s a Mens World. Noong una kong makita yung libro, akala ko nung una e hardcore na essays tungkol sa feminism. May pagka-ganun din naman, pero mas marami pa siyang sakop. Tapos nakilala ko pa si Ate Bebang at na-realize ko kung gano kabaliw na babae siya.

Kung trip mo matawa, pwedeng-pwede ang It’s a Mens World para sayo. Unang 50 na pahina palang, malamang masakit na ang tiyan mo. Light reading. Isang koleksyon ng narrative essay ng manunulat ang libro, tungkol sa iba’t-ibang aspeto ng buhay niya, tungkol sa mga kapatid niya, sa mga crush niya, sa pamilya. Sa mga pangyayaring nagsimulang madrama, natapos ng ka-pasawayan lang pala.

Kung tutuusin, mundane dapat yung laman. Pangyayari sa pang-araw-araw na buhay e. Hindi tulad ng iba kong binabasa – may sirena, may mga wasak ang utak sa droga, may post-apocalyptic world na puro aswang, manananggal, lamang-lupa, kapre at kung anu-ano pa.

Pero hindi ko mabitawan. Tawa ako ng tawa, tapos after five minutes humahagulgol naman ako. Parang timang lang.

Paminsan-minsan, yung kwento ng tunay na buhay pa talaga ang nakakabihag sayo. Bukod pa sa kung paano i-kinwento, yung tibay ng loob ng manunulat na magbahagi ng buhay niya, na ipa-imprenta yung mga napag-daan niya sa papel, na mababasa at malamang mapagtsismisan ng kung sinu-sinong tao. Sa tingin ko, yun yung bumihag sakin, at kung ba’t ang haba-haba ng kwento ko at ng It’s a Mens World.

Korni man sabihin, pero may puso yung libro. At saludo rin ako sa tapang ng manunulat.

Hindi ko pa natatapos itong librong to. Pero pagkatapos, malamang bibili ako ulit. Ipangreregalo ko, dun sa mahilig din magbasa. Kase dapat mas marami pang magbasa ng librong ‘to.

Pero para dun sa mapera, mura lang naman! PHP280 lang ‘to sa Powerbooks sa Greenbelt! Bili na!

Oo nga pala: first time ko lang din mag-basa ng libro ng sanaysay. So pwede narin bang pang first-time essay ito?#

From Dibuho ( Saturday, December 1, 2012): Excerps of Poetry, Mermaids, and the Love for Solitude

Sometimes, I think of you- 

amid the memory of the sand and the sea

and the moon in the cloudless sky.

Or when dreams are scarce

and night are sleepless.

Or when days are silent and sweet.

~ An excerpt, Poetry by the Water I

The dying day of November and the beginning of December were magical to me. After ages, I was finally able to just leave behind everything and have my much-deserved break. As much as possible, I kept very little contact with everyone. I took time to just be lazy, to think, to be quiet, to cry a little. It felt great. It felt wonderful.

Suddenly, I was in love with the feeling of being able to just get away. It was only for two days, but I don't think I'll ever be out of love for it ever again. The experience made me write two poems, excerpts of which I'm sharing along with this blog post. I don't think they're very good (makapal ang mukha ko, since I'm sharing them despite quality)- because, after all, my best poems come from me being intoxicated, suicidal, and emotionally fucked-up. What they have, though, are a kind of quiet loneliness, which, I  think, come from my unrequited passion for the solitude these two days gave me. The water, the sun, the sky, the stars at night. They were all so beautiful, but I'll never be able to have them. 

Eliza Victoria's book, A Bottle of Storm Clouds.
Art is by Naermyth author,  Karen Francisco.

It was no wonder that when my feet touched the coolness of the water, my first thought was that I wanted to be a mermaid. Water was such a powerful element, so vast and calming. I wanted nothing more than to just disappear in its arms. 

It was probably only fitting that, when I was not half asleep or thinking, or swimming, I was reading Eliza Victoria's A Bottle of Storm Clouds. This book is a collection of short stories published by Visprint. my friend Gary Mojica got this for me when he failed to gift me with Karl de Mesa's Damaged People. We got the book during Visprint's WIT 2012. I also got to meet Ms. Eliza, who was bubbly and pretty cool. She even signed the book for me. The book contained sixteen short stories in my favorite genre - speculative fiction. All of which are written in an almost poetic manner.

Before I actually met the author, I've already read one of her works in Philippine Speculative Fiction. It was a story called Monster. Honestly, I really did not pay attention to the writer's name, but what I found out was she has a thing for taking creatures of Philippine Mythology and spinning humanity into them. This is what caught made me re-read Monsterseveral times. It reminded me of another Filipino work I enjoyed - the indie film Yanggaw. In Eliza Victoria's world, even aswangs go online and surf the Internet. They work for a living. They party, drink beer, and do drugs. They fall in love. Not the typical portrayal in mainstream media that's alreadykaskas.

I remember Ms. Eliza wearing a cute dress and tights when I first saw her. I thought she was funny and girly. Her stories, however, are anything but. They remind me of twisted fairy tales. One particular story was An Abduction by Mermaids, which starts out with an apathetic guy working in a newspaper office. He gets a call from his mom who tells him that his sister has been abducted by mermaid. Guess what happens? Of course, the main character has to go on a quest, but it isn't a quest you'd be prepared for. It doesn't end with happily ever after either. It seems that none of Ms. Eliza's stories do. Actually, they don't seem to end at all. I guess I would never cease to wonder what would happen to David Cruz, whose sister was supposedly kidnapped by mermaids. Or how it was possible for all the dead of a small town to rise from the grave and live again. Or if business deals with gods and goddesses were really as brutal as Ms. Eliza portrayed. 

Truth be told, it was the second time I've read the book, but I couldn't really resist flipping through the 197-page volume again. It was so good that after the first time I read it. Ms. Eliza became one of my top 5 Filipina Writer Crush (more on that later). While I was by the water, I revisited some of my favorite stories. 

One story that struck me was Sugar Pi. It was about a high school math genius who dreamed of the last digits of pi, which is impossible, as pi is infinite. He shares his obsession about the infinite number to his best friend, who, despite not being in love with Math, begins to see the power in the number. I honestly thought that the math wiz would turn out to be an alien and that pi would predict the end of the world. The math-wiz-turned-alien and his best friend would figure out the puzzle of pi and save themselves from destruction. But Eliza Victoria fooled me again. The story ended with a prom and a confession - of how important pi is. The math-wiz's name is Vincent. After reading the story, I would have wanted to find him, maybe hug him for a bit. Just so he knows I also think pi is important. 

The characters in A Bottle of Storm Clouds are that real. You love them, fear them, admire them, pity them, cry for them. They evoke something out from you, they demand a reaction. For a brief, magical moment, the characters become so real to you that you can all but touch them. Although there are some characters you'd really not want to encounter, especially on moonless nights. 

My rants may not make sense. All I know is that I'm eternally thankful to Gary for sponsoring my book, but if he didn't I would have bought this one without a second thought. It won't even matter if I have to skip a meal or two. I'm definitely looking forward to other books by Ms. Eliza to be available in print. Next time I go on my getaway, I know exactly what reading material to take.#

If I can be here for, perhaps, a week, I think I'd be able to write a novel.^_^

My heart wrote a message

on the sand by moonlight

and by morning the sea

had taken it away.

But in monotonous repetition - 

each one a sharp and burning pain -

the sea responds into my dreamless sleep,

"It is what it is."

I wrote a message

on the sand by moonlight

for the moon and the stars to see

but all of it is futile and

so my heart has taken it back.

~An Excerpt, Poetry by the Water II

Three Things I Learned about Ebola

At the Philippine Health Bloggers Society, many of our members have a niche of some sort, even when we all talk about health. Raim, for instance, focuses on LGBTs whereas I tend to zero in on women's issues (and everything that comes into mind, since this is Codswallop). Drei, another nurse blogger, looks at health in many different perspectives. He is, in my opinion, the most knowledgeable in terms of the more hardcore aspects of medical science - like the Hermione Granger of nursing in our little band of Muggle healers. 

It was thus almost expected that when we got together yesterday afternoon for intellectual masturbation and coffee that Drei whipped out his laptop and gave me an impromptu lecture on Ebola, with Erick, another nurse, giving bits and pieces of info in between. Of course, I also did a bit of research on my own. 

Met up with co-bloggers and RH nurses at Starbucks Araneta for intellectual masturbation and lots of overpriced but tasty coffee products and pastries. Food c/o Raim and Erick. Fun c/o Drei and me!

Since I'm mostly focused on RH and women's rights, among other things, the lecture from Drei was quite informative. Here are tidbits of the stuff I learned:

1. Ebola has a maximum 21-day incubation period.

Incubation period is defined as the time from which a person is exposed to illness until signs and symptoms of the disease appears. Why is this important? In the Philippines, it is protocol to quarantine people who have been determined to come from countries where Ebola is known to be present. Within this 21 days, if signs and symptoms appear regardless of reason (such as other, less threatening infection), then this person is isolated to lessen the possibility of transmitting the virus. 

2. Ebola starts becoming contagious upon onset of signs and symptoms,usually fever.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with body fluids - blood, semen, saliva, and other secretions. This virus can also be transmitted through materials soaked with bodily fluids, such as bedding. Personal protective equipment such as gloves and gowns is a requirement when handling patients with Ebola. However, in its incubation period, Ebola is not contagious. 

3. Ebola does not have a pathognomonic sign and thus to determine if a person is really infected, lab tests must be done. 

A pathognomonic sign is a sign  or symptom specific to a certain disease. Since Ebola does NOT have this, lab tests such as the enzyme-linked imunosorbent assay (ELISA) are the best way to confirm if a person has Ebola.

Thank you, Drei, for the mini-lecture! Let's do it again!

For more information, check out the World Health Organization's fact sheet about Ebola.

Lessons Learned by an Unemployed Twenty-sixer

I started writing this post from a dormitory in BF Homes Parañaque, where I spent three days harassing my larynx with voice projection and modulation techniques  and fattening my mind with language stuff. I'm currently unemployed. I left my job as Head IELTS Coordinator (which also means I no longer write the posts on that company's blog). Needless to say, I feel bad, and I feel that I have been treated unfairly by the people I have served - yes, served! - passionately. But what the hell, shit happens, and the best thing to do is to move on when it does.

My last day was October 31st but I've been trying to look for a job since the second week of last month. This 3-day speech training is in preparation for a possible job.

Losing or leaving a job can really cause one to be emotional wreck, especially if unplanned and one really doesn't  know what on earth to do next. I'm honestly toeing the line of depression as I am writing this. I have grown ugly and fat (stress eating) and I feel useless. But I want to look at the brighter side of things. Despite the lack of sunshine and the excessive sleeping and all the other indication that I have turned to Little Miss Gloomy,I still think there are lessons to be learned from what I have experienced.

1. It is important to know the law.

The law basically outlines your responsibilities and rights as an employee. being familiar with what the law states about cutting ties with the company protects your employer as much as it protects you. here are some. Do you have to be a lawyer to protect yourself? I don't think so (but it does come in handy to have free legal advice, so let's all try and make friends in the right places). It's enough that you know where to look. 

Here are some questions I was able to answer while researching for my rights as an employee. 

Must I give advance notice when resigning?

Yes. What the law requires is that the employee submits a written heads up to the employer - aka the resignation letter. This should be done a month before the employee leaves. This is is to give employers enogh time to find a replacement. Failure to render a 30-day notice allows the employer the right to charge the employee for liabilities. 

Are there instances that I can resign without giving notice?

Yes. According to Article 285 of the Labor Law, employees can terminate their employment (aka resign) without notice (aka immediate resignation) if there is just cause.

1. Serious insult by the employer or his representative on the honor and person of the employee;
2. Inhuman and unbearable treatment accorded the employee by the employer or his representative;
3. Commission of a crime or offense by the employer or his representative against the person of the employee or any of the immediate members of his family; and
4. Other causes analogous to any of the foregoing.

I resigned. Do I get separation pay?

Nope. If you resigned, your employer is not compelled to give you separation pay. Separation pay is only mandatory for those who are terminated. 

When is termination illegal?

The first reason why termination can be considered illegal is when the employer follows due process but there is no just or authorized cause for termination. Below are the identified just and authorized causes as stipulated by the labor law.

Just Cause

1. Serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or representative in connection with his work;
2. Gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties;
3. Fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or duly authorized representative;
4. Commission of a crime or offense by the employee against the person of his employer or any immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representatives; and
5.  Other causes analogous to the foregoing

Authorized Cause:a. Closure of establishmentb. Disease as grounds for termination

The other scenario in which termination is illegal is when due process is not observed at all.  

I tell you, read the Labor Law. It's damn long, but it has a lot of good stuff.

2. Turn bad vibes into opportunities.

I resigned due to just cause, and despite feeling somewhat better after I left the company I used to work for, there was still the feeling of unhappiness. After all, I'm 26 years old, not untalented and unintelligent, and I gave so much time and effort to the company I worked for, but I was money-less and workless. It sucked. To summarize, I felt like shit. 

I don't anymore. The negative feelings associated with leaving a company, especially in circumstances that are less than ideal, are normal. It doesn't mean you have to succumb to it. 

The first few days of my worklessness (yup, I made that one up), I slept. When I was working, I always felt tired and I woke up at weird hours, like 3AM (apparently this was a sign of too much stress). I though worklessness would be a great time to catch up on snoozing, to dream the bad vibes away. After a couple of days, I seriously combed Jobstreet for work. This time around, I didn't settle.

You know what? Possibilities are endless - call center jobs which paid big money to training jobs that gave opportunities to travel and help people. 

There are always bigger and better things waiting out there, and if I didn't leave my job - my comfort zone - and took the risk, I wouldn't have had first-hand experience on these possibilities. I wouldn't have been able to prove that I am capable of achieving bigger and better things (despite my bravado, I'm not a hundred percent confident about my skills, because most of the things I know are self-learned).

One very nice experience was a training I attended for a job as a speech trainer. It was a three-day camp and I was scared out of my wits because it was my first time. Although my performance was far from perfect, I learned quite a lot and I'm excited to share what I know to my future students. 

I also had time to spend with my precious people - my family and friends who I rarely ever see because I was too busy with work (on top of that, I'm a total hermit when I'm at home).

 

Picture by my ever-supportive, clingy best friend who will probably still love me even if I become zombified.

negativity may be the primary thing that comes from leaving a job or getting terminated, but there will always be something good to come from it. Take the experience as an opportunity instead.

3. Carefully consider which job you will say "Yes" too. 

Getting a job is like love - hopefully it's forever. There will be really great offers. Call Centers, for instance, can offer as as much as 25K for someone who has no experience. This is a pretty nice amount, especially if this is just the basic. Here's what's to consider:

a. Job security. How stable is the company? Is the turn over high? Trust me, if a company's turn over is high, then that's a red flag right there. Are you entering a job that you will have for a long time, and not just a few months?

b. Daily expenses + Deductions. Okay, so the offer you got was 25K. If you'll be spending, say 200 bucks per day just on commute, then that's PHP4,000 each month. Let's put food at about PHP75 per day. My trusty calculator says you'll spend PHP1,500 for nourishment. That's PHP5,500 per month for daily expenses. Not bad. You still have a whopping PHP19,500. 

From that amount, deduct SSS, Pag-ibig, and PhilHealth AND 30% tax. Remember that salaries may be high but that means deductions are high too. 

c. Personal and professional growth. A job shouldn't just be a source of income, but an opportunity to make yourself better. Does the job offer include benefits that would help you become a better professional?  

4. Sometimes it is important to cut flimsy ties to build stronger ones.

You make friends, and then you make friends. Some people are really just out to use you - your talents, your brains - for their gains, and when they're done, they'll discard you. This was how i felt when i left my job - used, especially by people who I considered friends and mentors. But really, to move forward means to move on. Some people are not worth the emotional turmoil. That energy is better spent on people who matter. 

Photo by Aubrey Viola

Guess Who! Drawing by me! :D

Photo by Alistair dela Cruz.

Good luck on job hunting and keep your head up! 

Of Love of Horror 2.0

I am staring to write this blogpost while waiting for someone at 7Eleven at South Station Alabang. On my way here, I saw some vendors peddling Christmasy stuff. Although it is sunny, the heat isn't as brutal as it was last month. October is upon us and Christmas is less than three months away.

But first comes my favorite holiday: Halloween. This pagan holiday is a time for remembering the dead, for candles and solemn prayers (for some), for out of town trips, and, of course, for spooks.

As many of you know, I'm a horror fan. While other girls devour romance stories, I am always eager to read or watch stuff that are terrifically fantastic, or just plain terrifying. Here is my 2014 recommendations of horror finds: short films, creepypastas, make-up tutorials.

Short Films

I love horror movies, especially well-made ones. Here are some of my the recommendations for Halloween night. These are short-films and full-length ones. Warning: I won't be featuring mainstreamed stuff, since they have enough marketing and advertising 

1. Camera Obscura by Daywalt Horror. This is a short film series that follows the "adventure" of a girl who finds her demon hunter grandfather's camera obscura. The costumes here are the best part. I have always appreciated fantasy/horror make-up. Plus, the story is well-executed. This is quite a challenge to do, since short films don't have hours to build up a story - only minutes. Check out the series through the link. 

2. Still Life by Jon Knautz. I watched with my best friend while pigging out on donut and popcorn, but despite the sugar rush, I would still say that this is one of the best short films I've watched. This is not really horror, but it is horrifying. The dreary atmosphere of the film slowly brings in the creeps, but it is really the plot twist which got to me. 

3. X for XXL (from the ABCs of Death series). Let's just say that whenever I feel desperate to lose weight fast I just go back to this film. Gory and a slap-in-the-face statement against fat shaming, this is one of shorts from the series which really got to me. 

4. Mockingbird by FEWDIO Horror. This has got to be the shortest of the shorts I will be featuring. Simply-made, but with a plot twist that is a kick in the gut, this  film is real life horror at its finest.

Creepypastas

As many horror junkies probably know, creepypastas are short internet horror stories. Some of the more popular ones are Jeff the Killer, Slenderman, Squidwart's Suicide and Pokemon-themed pastas. Of course, I won't talk about these anymore. I'll be sharing to you some of my favorites. They may be less popular, but they are definitely worth the read.

1. The Harlequin Series. Horror fans may be familiar with Stephen King's penchant for small town horror. This is exactly what the Harlequin series is about. It kind of reminds me of King's The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher. A mix of an almost alien foe and amazing characterization, The Harlequin Series is one of the more satisfying pastas I've ever had the pleasure to sample.

Excerpt: "I knew that he knew something but I didn’t know what he knew. Had I figured out what it was earlier, I would have murdered him right there in the Burnswick lobby."

2. You're Not Afraid. This one is a ritual pasta, which means it's more of a series of instructions intertwined with a narrative. I love that the pasta starts in a relatively relaxed pace. At least, as relaxed as a character in a creepypasta can be. In the beginning, character is given a sense of false safety, an uneasy stillness. The action picks up the pace in the middle of the pasta, making the reader pick up the pace of reading. The pasta ends satisfyingly, with a nice little plot twist and, if you're like me, a hammering heart.

Excerpt: "At the corner of Winter and Broad there is an abandoned house. Go into that house. The front door is closed but unlocked. Nobody lives inside, not even homeless people would dare stay in a place like that for more than a night." 

3. Survival Guide. I'm not a fan of comedy-horror, but I enjoyed this one so much that I couldn't stop laughing even when I've finished it. I love it when stories  overlap, one of the reasons why I enjoy King's work so much. The number references to other pastas in The Survival Guide is too damn high! Warning: People new to creepypasta may not completely appreciate this.

Excerpt: "With the help of this guide you too can be the catatonic, traumatised wreck as opposed to the guy currently being worn as a coat by some dude who roams a lot."

4. "Higher Powers" Addiction to drugs or is it to power? I really love this pasta, 

Excerpt: They joke about how people get addicted to meetings instead of drugs. Langston didn’t mind the trade off. At least meetings didn’t send you to the emergency room with abscesses. Or into jail for the weekend, sick and detoxing. They don’t kill you and swallow you whole like addictions do.

5. The Sandman. This is one creepypasta with a heart. Many people commented that this wasn't even really scary. It certainly gave me the creeps, but really, it's more sad than terrifying. When a father starts losing his son bit by bit and has to battle a repulsive  creature haunting their home, sanity seems slip away so easily.

Excerpt: "He was losing his mind, he knew. The only thing that helped him cling to sanity was that Daniel seemed undisturbed. Other than his muteness, his behavior was perfectly normal. And whenever he seemed to sense that his father was troubled he would hug him, or squeeze his hand, or even smile. Sometimes, when he left the room, James cried."

I've read The Sandman in creepypasta.com (click on the link) but you may want to listen to the story instead. 

Make-up Tutorials

1. Double Face Clown Makeup Tutorial from MadeYewLook. MadeYewLook is definitely one of my new favorite make-up artist and face-painter. What I love about her is that she can make awesome looks with just paint and with very little prosthetic. Although minimalist in materials, her creations are still quite intricate. 

One of my favorite looks is this Double Face Clown Make-up, particularly because clowns scare the heck out of me (I still remember the sleepless nights when I was reading Stephen King's It). This look is a cross of funny and disturbing, especially since there's another clown face on the side, like a parasitic evil twin. 

Freeaaky. 

2. Leather Face and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Make-up by Pinkstylist. Oh Charlie aka Pinkstylist, you're so fabulous, I love you <3 nbsp="">

One of his best looks is this Leather Face make-up from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. If you're a horror fan, you'd know that Leather Face stitches together facial skin from his victims and uses this as a mask. You can imagine the work that went on this look, which I absolutely appreciate and enjoy. This look was made with a combination of prosthetic, liquid latex and tissue paper, paint and fake blood, and pure and simple awesomeness. 

A couple of my other faves:

• The Smiler. This look reminds me of an insane inmate in a mental asylum. 
• Burned Alive. The personification of my fear of heat and fire. 

3. Four Horseman: Death by Klairedelys. Of course, Klaire is going to be here. She has always been one of my favorite artists. This year, she's gone for more wearable look (check out her Real Life Disney series), but my favorite will always be her artistic make-up. This look is from her Four Horseman series. A very different interpretation of Death, this elegant is characteristic of Klair's simple, clean, and elegant make-up.

Isn't this beautiful? 

And just because I was inspired (and I had time to kill), I made a couple of looks for Halloween as well. 

 This first look was inspired by the Joker. Unfortunately, I only had Johnson;s Baby Powder to make the white base, and a cheap eye shadow pallet and a rarely-used red lipstick. I think it's still cool though, but I wish I had better make-up. 

This second look is something I've been dying to try - the sugar skull. I blocked out my eyebrows using a glue stick. Again, I lack the kind of make-up to make this look work, but in making this look, I think learned something: Beauty UK pallets are more pigmented than Elf. I'm so glad I got hold of one of their eye shadow pallets ^_^.

I hope you enjoy my recommendations. Happy Halloween!