Here we go again. I watch the fan stir the curtains hanging behind it. It seems I have sleepwalked to the controller and turned off the aircon at three in the morning. From the windows, the morning sunlight tries to cut through the thick yellow fabric but barely could, leaving my room dim enough for... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since I last "embarked on some creative pas de deux" (borrowed that phrase from Julia Cameron). I feel excited to be here, finding words and thoughts that are my own. I've been working on a biography, hoping to finish it sooner so I could start writing the other one in queue.... Continue Reading →
Last month, we went to London and Ireland to witness my eldest sister's marriage into an Irish family. Honestly, Papa and I, as well as my older sister's family, wanted to be there but, at one point, decided not to go due to lack of funds. Pounds and Euro’s values are way higher than Peso... Continue Reading →
Ever since I heard about Liam Payne's death, I can't stop consuming stuff online about him and One Direction. The algorithm's giving me a lot of interesting videos and articles about them, and I can't help but watch and read them up every day. I'm trying to taper it down because I have work to... Continue Reading →
My stomach lurches at the thought of Melbourne. Last August, I spent 20 fantastic days in Australia. Before I went there, I thought I’d never recover from chronic burnout, but of course, I was wrong. Jason Silva was right: “Beauty can heal.” My sister and brother-in-law did a good job touring me and Papa around... Continue Reading →
Last week, I finally received the book set from my college friend who works as a nurse in Brooklyn, New York. She reads over 30 books in a year but struggles looking for space in her place to stack them up. A few years ago, she messaged me to ask if I wanted her 'pre-loved'... Continue Reading →
I have no words to describe how packed my schedule has been in the past few weeks. I am beginning to ask why I am making myself work this hard when there's always a choice to give up. I do not give up, though. Not as long as I find something in it that's worth... Continue Reading →
I turned thirty-two this month, and I've noticed that the way I look at things has changed. At this age, I feel the weight of my own life (and others’) on my shoulders because I can already carry them. Sometimes, the responsibilities could get overwhelming, but instead of wishing they'd be lifted off me, I... Continue Reading →
Most of the helpful comments I've received on my writing were from Wendy Dale, my writing mentor. Wendy is both an effective encourager and a constructive critic. She boosted my esteem as a writer like no one did to me before and taught me things I didn't learn from other writing mentors. A few years... Continue Reading →
In the last few weeks of 2023, I geeked out over the Tony Award–winning lead actor of Dear Evan Hansen Ben Platt—the first queer artist who struck me as inspiring. During the two-week holiday break, I had "For Forever", "Waving Through the Window", and "Words Fail" playing on repeat on my devices. Ben hits the... Continue Reading →
Elaine Marie Factor 