How I learned to love the Lannisters *SPOILERS AHEAD*

"Giles has a TV, he's shallow like us!"

How I learned to love the Lannisters *SPOILERS AHEAD*

0 Comments 15 June 2013

I’ve always been a geek, but I think Game of Thrones was the first role-playing strategy board game I’ve ever played — and I’d only played it once, last year. Yeah, terrible, I know. My friends had been bugging me to get into board games for the longest time, but the idea of sitting around [...]

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Writing is hard, publishing is (a bit) easier

"Buffy. I believe the sub-text here is rapidly becoming... text."

Writing is hard, publishing is (a bit) easier

1 Comment 14 June 2013

Anyone who's ever liked a book wants to be a writer. It's natural -- you're moved by words on a page, you think, "Hey, I wonder if I can do that?" You start a journal. You attempt to write your own version of Sweet Valley High/Nancy Drew. You make up characters in your head. Once you've written a couple of stories, you begin to think, "Maybe I can be a published author one day." You start picturing your name on the covers of books on the shelves of National Bookstore, right next to, say, Nick Joaquin or Stephen King. You imagine couples naming their babies after characters you've created. You daydream of getting mobbed by journalists at the premiere of the movie based on your bestselling trilogy (right after they finish interviewing the star, maybe Angelina Jolie or Judy Ann Santos). You practice your speech for your first Hugo award ("Thank you, World Science Fiction Society. This means more to me than even my Academy Award for best original screenplay.") You find yourself a lot of the time, after reading a book, thinking, I can totally write better than this. And then that's it. For most people, that's where it stops.

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Goddess part trois

"Xander, don't speak Latin in front of the books."

Goddess part trois

0 Comments 05 June 2013

Author (also friend and business partner) Mina V. Esguerra just released the third book in her Interim Goddess of Love series. It's titled Icon of the Indecisive and it's now out on Amazon.com as an eBook (the print version will be available soon). Hope y'all like the cover I made for it. Just like in the covers of the two previous books, this one features photography by style blogger Rhea Bue (who's also the girl in the photos).

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Spock vs Spock

"Quiet, you'll miss the humorous conclusion."

Spock vs Spock

0 Comments 09 May 2013

The so-called new "Star Trek" movie annoys the sh*t out of me (I'm not watching it, so friends, don't bother inviting me to the screening), but Leonard Nimoy is forever relevant. And Zachary Quinto is adorbs. And this Audi ad is so full of geek and win, I now have had my awesomeness fix for the day (month, maybe).

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Ongaku Gayo 2013

"You're not, by any chance, betraying your secret identity just to impress, um, cute boys, are you?"

Ongaku Gayo 2013

0 Comments 09 May 2013

It's that time of the year again when J-Pop/K-Pop shop Fangirl Asia brings fans together for a day of music and dance. An even bigger ONGAKU GAYO will be held this year on May 18 at the Mondragon House in Makati City, as Fangirl Asia partners with k-pop convention organizer KFest Manila. The particular bit of the event I look forward to is the countdown of the bestselling merchandise (CDs, DVDs) of the previous 12 months (and not just because my Big Bang babies always kick ass in that list, but it's a definite plus). However, the other parts of the event are also a blast. For instance, there are the cover groups who dress up and perform as their favorite k-pop idol groups. This year, there will be a competition between cover groups -- I'll be one of the judges, in fact. (I was also a judge for the cover group contest in FA's Chuseok Festival last year.)

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Throwback: The Rotten Tomatoes Show audience reviews “Ninja Assassin”

"Giles has a TV, he's shallow like us!"

Throwback: The Rotten Tomatoes Show audience reviews “Ninja Assassin”

2 Comments 23 April 2013

So I was trying to think up of ideas for video reviews of TV shows, and I remembered this. Ninja Assassin was a movie released in 2009, and starred Korean pop star/actor Rain. The now-defunct "Rotten Tomatoes Show" (on the cable channel Current, before Al Gore sold it) had their audience send in video reviews of it, and included a 7-second clip of my review in the show. My bit starts at 02:04. The opinions of the other reviewers don't reflect mine, obviously. I love that movie. (Shut up.)

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A few things (indie) authors need to know about book covers

"You're not, by any chance, betraying your secret identity just to impress, um, cute boys, are you?"

A few things (indie) authors need to know about book covers

0 Comments 19 April 2013

Your book cover isn't an art thing. It's a marketing thing. A pretty book cover is good, but what's important is that it be able to sell the book it's on the cover of. Do not make your own book covers. Unless you actually do make book covers -- meaning, people hire you to do them. Not all amazing artists can design a decent book cover. (In the same way not all book cover designers can paint a decent portrait in watercolor, or design a corporate logo.) If a cover looks good for your print book, it doesn't necessarily mean it will work for the ebook version. You can have different covers for each, or you could just make sure your cover works for both print and digital versions. If your book cover is pretty or interesting, people will talk about it. This is a good thing. Don't underestimate the power of a great tag line. It's the first words your potential readers will see, apart from your book title, when they look at your book cover. Try to make it interesting (maybe even clever and/or funny) and short.

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The Style Mudra has a video

"Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish yet affordable boots..."

The Style Mudra has a video

0 Comments 14 April 2013

When dressing, I try to have style. I really do. But it's hard, isn't it? First of all, you have a budget you have to work within. Then there's having to haul your ass off your nice comfy chair in front of the nice shiny computer (internetz) to go brave the traffic and the crowds to go shopping so you have something to wear other than that Doctor Who shirt that's falling apart from use. Then every day, you have to put some thought into your ensemble. The Mudra understands. I this video, my friend Katrina, author and style blogger (Plus Size Fasyon Mudra, Mangojuiced.com), talks about what motivated her to rediscover her fashion-loving ways, and how to develop your personal style despite the demands of your lifestyle. I was happy to learn that people don't become stylish by accident or luck, but through a little effort. I can do that! We all can.

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One O’Clock, but with an accent

"You're not, by any chance, betraying your secret identity just to impress, um, cute boys, are you?"

One O’Clock, but with an accent

0 Comments 31 March 2013

So apparently there were going to be a bunch of ONE OK ROCK tribute nights in different countries, including mine. I didn't know it had quite a following here (or at least, in Manila). Philippine OORers (P.O.O.R.) slated this year's for March 2 at Freedom Bar in Quezon City. We went, and we had a blast. Despite the fact that I had only heard one album of theirs, and I barely knew OOR members' names. But, but! I had a favorite song ("Pierce", whose name I kept forgetting also, since it didn't seem to appear anywhere in the lyrics) so I was ready to, uh, be rocked. There were about a dozen bands who played, with various levels of, uh, success. (And most of them needed crib notes, but then the lyrics which were about half Nihongo so I suppose it was best to play safe.) But, but! the performers' passion for the music made the evening enjoyable. I hope there will be another one soon!

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The Women on the Web Philippines Summit on March 22-23

"You're not, by any chance, betraying your secret identity just to impress, um, cute boys, are you?"

The Women on the Web Philippines Summit on March 22-23

0 Comments 21 March 2013

After a successful inaugural launch of Women On the Web (WOW) in Singapore last year, the Women@Google group is bringing the new and improved program to women entrepreneurs in Philippines in the Women on the Web Summit on March 22 and 23. All women business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the free event, so sign up here as today is the last day of registration. Participants will learn skills and discover online tools they can use to make their business ventures succeed. The program includes an assessment of your needs, a training session on Google’s suite of tools, and a variety of industry-related workshops on topics relevant to entrepreneurs. At the end of the initiative, you can expect to: Learn how to maximize your business' online presence, collaborate effectively within your organisation, connect with your customers, promote your business and track and optimise your efforts using online tools Be a part of a strong network of women-led businesses that support one another That's not all. Summit participants can expect future networking and development sessions after the workshop. The Google Business Group will be working to ensure the community of women on the web can continue to update their tech knowledge.

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Tania N. Arpa

Thinker, writer, skeptic, spy. Geek. City girl at heart. Loves her friends. Likes to bake. Buys books she doesn't have time to read. Eats a lot. On a diet. Drinks too much. Doesn't drink enough. Drinks only when she's writing. Does her own stunts.

Follow her on Twitter: @taniaarpa.

About AGGTTA

This is not a guide to surviving the impending robot/zombie/vampire/bunny apocalypse. Because while some girls try to save the world, there are others who want to end it. I respect that.

Instead, this blogger aims to misbehave spread apocalypse awareness (TM Sheila), and guide you to having fun before, during and after they come for your brains. There will be lots of posts about writing, books, television, movies, clothes, and make-up, and the occasional socio-political rant. Nothing can prepare you for this, except maybe an attitude of acceptance that the end might possibly be nigh.

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Recent posts

  • The dessert at the end of the world

    Leche flan is one of my favorite things to eat (and cook). Anyone serious about surviving the apocalypse should know how to make it. Because when electricity becomes hard, if not impossible, to come by, you’ll need something to do with all the damn eggs before they go bad.

    The good news is that leche flan is ridiculously easy to make. All you need are four ingredients — one of which is water. I use my mom’s recipe, but occasionally I change up the proportions a bit depending on how rich or sweet I want it.

    My mom is a great cook, but she didn’t actually teach me how to cook. I was really interested in baking, and she did the best thing to inspire me to learn — kicked me and my sisters out of the kitchen every time she baked. I like to think she thought we were smart enough to figure it out on our own. I loved all the good things that came out of her oven, so I always took it for granted I’d learn to do it when I grew up. She did send me to a summer baking class for kids when I was about 11 years old.

  • Latte art!

    After dinner at Ramen Cool at Kapitolyo, we decided we just had to go get coffee at Subspace. M wanted to try their specialty, the Purple Potato Latte which we’ve been raving about since forever. I wanted cake. I couldn’t get coffee because I didn’t want to be awake all night and the idea of decaffeinated coffee is just too weird for me, so I settled for a hot chocolate.

    We all got fun latte art on our drinks. Until the apocalypse comes, we should all just learn to sit back and enjoy our coffee and our latte art.

  • Marufuku

    I had an apointment with my uncle last night, and it turned into a dinner with him, my aunt and my three cousins at the new Japanese restaurant Marufuku.

    The sign on the front door said “Soft opening”. Which I guess means they’re still ironing out hiccups in the operation. The staff didn’t do so badly — one of them served the salmon sushi claiming it was the sashimi, but other than that, we got decent service. The food was excellent. I had the seafood and vegetable ramen and the salmon sashimi.


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