bethgstories

It has been six days and the feeling of being in the whirlwind of excitement hasn’t left me. The Manila International Book Fair has been a part of my yearly tradition ever since I joined the literary scene as an author. I just can’t imagine missing the chance to fangirl with the artists I look up to, as their works continue to inspire and fuel my passion for writing. Last year’s fair was lit—it could have been easily my favorite MIBF year—but who would have thought that MIBF 2024 would surpass the excitement and exhilarating experience that 2023 fair brought me? Like, I was there for two days! Obviously, not even me! 🤩 Day 1 (Fair’s Day 3): Reconnecting and discovering Overspending has always been an issue in these events (god, I even posted reminders on my social media page to don’t overspend!) but who overspends when it came to books? But I tried not to—I really did. Believe me when I say I even had a List of Books to Buy from MIBF 2024. I also took note of the booths to visi...

The Pinoy Indie Authors (PIA) reimagined once again. After the successful Manananggal In the City , they were at it again, this time featuring the Tamawo, and this time, I was there not as a spectator but rather, one of the authors. Tamawo or Tamao is a mythological creature of Philippine mythology. They are believed to be malevolent but extremely handsome with very pale skin to white skin that sparkles under direct sunlight, they also have light colored hair, and fangs. They reside primarily near the sea or any body of water. Their Western counterpart would be the Germanic Elves. They are said to abduct any human female that catch their eye. They do this for one purpose: to breed with them. It is also believed that their saliva is some kind of aphrodisiac or has that similar property/ healing property. Tamawos are more commonly known as engkanto, and I've heard a lot of stories about them. I remember one of my older cousins used to say that if the hairs on your arms and legs are g...

Despite my yearly attendance at the MIBF , the Philippine Book Festival 2024 is the first PBF I ever attended. I didn’t really plan on coming since I am on a no-buying-of-books season until I finished reading everything in my unread pile. Plus, that was my birthday week. I was true to my words for the most part this time. I mean, yes, I went, and yes, I bought a couple of books. And for a reason. Meeting Ron Canimo I first met Ron Canimo at the MIBF 2023. I had no idea who he was back then—but Kim is one of his avid followers. He was extremely nice to us, entertained all our questions, and even signed the little quote card freebie I had in my hand. I appreciate nice people, so I followed him on social media and found overwhelming emotions in his words. Damn, I was sold! So when I saw that he was gonna be at the PBF, I just knew that I should go. I bought his books and got them signed, we hugged, and I was just standing there while answering his questions with a single or maybe a couple...

No, I am not a vegan. One of my close friends is, and this is literally the only time of the year that we’re guaranteed to meet. It was in 2018 when I first attended the VegFest Pilipinas and it was a blast. So I figured, why not attend every year and discover what are the tasty treats in store for me? This year’s fair was held at the Blue Bay Walk , and I got there after lunchtime. Cecille was already waiting for me and I was super hungry coming from the dentist appointment so we grabbed lunch first. I let her pick since this is her “territory” and we ended up at WildThyme , a kitchen offering plant-based meals for your meat-craving palate. I got their tinumok which , instead of shrimp, they used a flavorful version of crushed tofu wrapped in taro leaves. It was a combo meal so it came with a cup of rice, crispy octo eggplant, and some sort of lemonade with butterfly pea, hence the purple hue. Once we were full, we decided to check out each booth. Unlike the previous years, there was...

I’ve never been to Boracay. In fact, I am not gonna go to the beach of my own volition. There has to be someone else who would plan the entire trip. Luckily, I have friends who are 1) extremely capable, 2) eligible, and 3) all too willing to plan a trip, book flights, secure hotels, and think of the things we can do for 3 days. I thank God and the entire universe for Kim ‘s friendship. DAY 1 🏠 Kim’s Cribb 🛫 Airport Breakfast 🏨 La Carmela 🍽 Spice Bird 🌅 Sunset By The Beach 🍷 Epic Boracay It was roughly a month before the trip when Kim sent me and Lalaine the flight details, booking done on a whim and all because of one cruel joke. Anyway, we had to pay her roughly Php5000 for flight and accommodation expenses. It’s November, the cold breeze of the amihan is here and not many people are keen to chillax by the waters so that’s probably why the fare was cheap. Anyway, all three of us live in the same neighborhood (the foundation of this friendship is the Catholic church), and Kim’...

Manananggal. That vile, evil creature in Filipino horror films during their glory days in the 90s. Usually guised as the town’s mysterious pretty woman, the manananggal has always been the monster. She’s the villain that will be burned to death by the morning sun after the top of her lower body part is sprinkled with salt which prevents her upper half from connecting to it. Oh yes, that’s usually how it goes. But what if it is the other way around? What if the manananggal is actually the hero of the story (she could be the victim in her story ’cause it’s her story, right?)? What if someone dreams to be a manananggal and her wish has been granted? What if your girlfriend, your one true love and your heart’s only desire turns out to be this folklore monster? Good thing this group of indie authors actually thought about this other side of the story. Manananggal In The City gives this monster the chance to be the hero for once. There aren’t so many books about this – I only ever read o...

Whoever said, “I am not buying anything,” is a traitor to oneself. It’s me. I am the traitor. But maybe I just said that because I had no idea that MIBF 2023 would be lit. I can’t remember which year I started attending the Manila International Book Fair – all I know is that I should be at the fair each year. It is the one time of the year when I get to meet my book-lover friends, fellow authors both old and new, and celebrity authors. It is the only other event where I could possibly maximize a fangirling experience aside from the idols I adore. MIBF 2022 was quite uninteresting (or maybe it was just me), and I kid you not the books I bought from last year were left untouched in my bookshelf. Hence the words, I’m not buying anything. Which proved that not all experiences are the same. Because again, MIBF 2023 was an exhilarating experience. The effects of my C-drama obsession My Korean boys will always have that special place in my heart, but ever since Wei Zhe Ming (Unforgettable Lo...

Day 1: 📍Cafe By The Ruins 📍BenCab Museum 📍Baguio Museum 📍Burnham Park 📍Visco's 📍Baguio Cathedral 📍Session Road 📍Night Market Looking at it, my itinerary for the first day was packed—it feels like one wouldn’t be able to explore this much just in one day. But I did, and I daresay it was one of the eventful weekends of my life. Seasoned travellers would agree that the quality of your travel depends on so many factors, including transportation, the number of people you’re with, your occasional indecisiveness, and your time management skills—just to name a few. So allow me to tell you how I was able to do this much all in one day. Joy Bus left Cubao at 5am. It was one of those executive couches that don’t do stopovers, have portable toilets on board, and take the shorter route to the north. I paid Php550 for my ticket, and before we took off, the conductor handed me a croissant (just the cheap one, nothing fancy) and a bottle of water. The entire trip was smooth, and it was 8:3...