A Literary Walking Tour in Madrid

This spring/summer 2022, I had the trip of a lifetime! Well, I could say that about all of my trips but this one was super special for me as it was a personal writers’ retreat unlike any other. Because this one was specifically geared toward my writerly needs.

 Although I have about four to five different project pots simmering on the literary stove, I had long wanted to return to Madrid specifically for the purpose of gathering more material to finally finish my long-awaited piece of historical fiction I started in 2006 and continued to work on throughout my MFA program. It’s been a work-in-progress since that time and I thought I was finished with it, even had my fellow book club members read an early draft in 2010 (their choice to read it, not mine, Lol). But as I had been pecking at it since then, like a slow simmering stew, it never felt quite…done. I felt what it really needed was for me to return to Madrid to gather what I believed to be the missing pieces to this literary puzzle I’d been trying to finish all these years. So since my study abroad there in 2003, I had every intention to visit Madrid until the pandemic hit us and, of course, we all know how that affected us in our own lives.

 But then the opportunity finally came this year to return to a city I love just as much as I love Paris but in a more soulful, literary way. Today, I will be sharing the first of a series of posts dedicated to my whole “impromptu” and unforgettable writing retreat experience. What was serendipitous about this trip was that through my exploration of Madrid and the outskirts, I was able to fulfill my goal of researching, collecting ideas and material for not just my “ongoing” historical WIP, but also for my other WIPs. And now, without further ado, join me as I revisit a series of my literary adventures.

 

Rizal Literary Walking Tour Part One: Where Jose Rizal Lived

Courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid’s website, I stumbled upon a self-guided tour of the places Philippine hero Jose Rizal had lived, studied and wrote in Madrid. And to borrow some of the text from their tour guide, I will recount my idea/fact gathering adventure along with photos from this neighborhood.

 With the help of my good friend and best tour guide in the world, David, we began to amble along the streets of Del Barrio del Las Letras, a neighborhood known as the stomping grounds of such famous literary greats as Miguel de Cervantes and Lope de Vega. Using the walking tour guide from the Philippine embassy, we traversed the streets and alleys of this literary district finding that within the years Rizal had lived here, he really only stayed in pretty much the same area even though it was evident he had been “apartment hopping.”

 I was so psyched being here in this neighborhood retracing the steps of Jose Rizal, one of the muses of my novel. Without going into too much detail, (I want it to be a surprise for when the book finally publishes!) I’m excited to share my creative process throughout this journey. 😊

 

Calle Amor de Dios, 13-15

In no particular order, David and I ventured out to Calle Amor de Dios, 13-15, which was Rizal’s first Madrid residence from Sept. 12, 1882 to May 1883. According to the guide, Rizal lead a spartan life since he had a limited allowance of only less than 50 pesos per month. Here, he lived with Vicente Gonzalez, an old friend from his days at the Ateneo de Manila, and likely chose the place since it was close to the university and atelier Rizal attended where he delved into the fine arts. The guide notes that this apartment’s piano and four huge mirrors created a lasting impression on Rizal.

Personal writing notes: When someone exited the heavy steel doors, David took the chance to enter the building with me on his heels…it was truly an adventure. We felt like two literary detectives out to solve a mystery! Mainly, we both wanted to know how the building looked from the inside even though we couldn’t get access into the actual apartment. So up we went the creaky, wooden stairs, trying to imagine Rizal coming back to his place after a night out and trudging up the same stairs over a hundred years ago.

Calle Fernandez y Gonzales 8, 3º-4 (formerly C/. de la Visitación)

Situated close to Plaza Santa Ana and right behind the Teatro Español, Rizal lived here from May to June 17, 1883 before he left for a Paris vacation.

Personal notes: I imagined Rizal attending a performance at the Teatro Español, taking in the arts scene in his neighborhood.

 

Calle Ventura de la Vega (formerly C/. Baño 15, piso principal or 1º)

Also the headquarters of Circulo Hispano Filipino (CHF), a forum for Filipino students to discuss Philippine political discussions, Rizal boarded here from Autumn 1883 to August 1884. CHF, which published a magazine financed by Juan Atayde, a Philippine-born Spaniard, also sponsored regular bailes to raise funds for the association. It was also here in this residence where Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the daughter of the residence’s owner, had caught Rizal’s attention. He gave her poems, musical pieces from Paris and guimaras, a type of Philippine textile.

Personal writing notes: This prompted me to envision writing a scene where my fictional Rizal character laments over his unrequited love for Consuelo and thought it best not to pursue her as he still had Leonor waiting for him back home.

Thank you for reading as writing this has been giving me the opportunity to relive this exciting literary adventure! Please check back for the continuation of this series… 

 

Celebrating the 10-year Anniversary of the publication of OmStruck

Hard to believe it's been a decade since the publication of my first book! Ever since I was a child, I had wanted to be a novelist so for my first published book to be nonfiction took me by surprise. But I simply honored a "higher calling" at the time to help heal others as I healed myself.

Now, 10 years and 7 books later, I'm fortunate to still be living my dream! While I can't reveal too much yet, there's another literary bun in the oven which will hopefully make her debut sometime before the end of the year, so stay tuned!

To celebrate 10 years of being a published author, I present to you, in their birth order, the younger sisters of Omstruck:

Not Just Another Pretty Face (Pretty Princess Trilogy Book 1), 2015

Pretty as a Picture (Pretty Princess Trilogy Book 2), 2016

Soulstice: Living and Loving On and Off the Yoga Mat, 2017

Culture Shock, 2018

A Lady in Waiting, 2019

Sitting Pretty (Pretty Princess Trilogy Book 3), 2020

Thank you so much for your support all these years and here's to many more book baby births to come! 😊😀💓

Best Halloween Ever!

 My Creative Writing students collaborated to gift the entire universe their amazing Halloween story complete with outstanding narration. The “Red Carpet” World Premiere of their story debuted today during our online class. So proud of their accomplishment! 

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1P9_oUwP_R9w92gzDjeNAaA02FO-Nn13-ZXLNJCHO_Mc/mobilebasic

 

Best Birthday Gift!

 For my dearly-departed Mom’s birthday today, I gifted her with the birth of Sitting Pretty, otherwise known as Book Three of the Pretty Princess Trilogy. This book has truly been a labor of love from start to finish. When I committed to do the editing of the book earlier this year, I had intended to dedicate this book to my Mom as she had always been my biggest fan and my most loyal supporter. I remember the time when she stood up in the middle of an audience at my first book signing at the Hercules Library and told the audience how proud she was of me!  I also recall the time when she brought a stack of my books, Not Just Another Pretty Face to be exact, to sell to her friends at the Hercules Senior Center. Happy Birthday to you up there in Heaven, my dearest Mama! Love you Forever! ❤️

Always in My Heart...

After a turbulent start to 2020, this month, my beloved Mom, who instilled in me a love of reading which led to a passion for creative writing, transitioned from her physical presence on Earth to a spiritual presence in Heaven where she now watches over me and my family. I've been filling my days with writing a new novel, revising and editing two novels--one I hope to publish this year. I'm including this letter which I posted on Instagram on Mother's Day. Hug your Moms and tell them you love them while you still can!

Dear Mama,
Even though it’s only been 2 days since you left us so prematurely and so suddenly, we know for sure that we can never ever get used to not having you around. There’s a void that can never be filled. We will always remember and thank you for all the ways you showed us your love: through your cooking, through encouraging us to follow our dreams, through teaching us to love each other, and to be kind to others. In the words of Frederick, one of my writing students who recently sent his condolences: “What does one say to a dear friend that has lost their Mother? I was at a loss of to write about your loss. I can't imagine the feeling. I don't want to imagine it. Losing a Mother has to be different than any other family member. Mom was the most important thing in a child's life. And no matter how old we get they will always be Mom and we will always be her child.” ***
I want to thank you for introducing me to a love of reading which led to a lifelong passion for writing. I always tell people ‘my Mom knows how to speak 4 languages: Tagalog, English, a proficiency in Spanish, and definitely, a fluency in the language of LOVE!’
It was truly my honor to take care of you the past month, during which time you imparted to me some inspirational words of healing: *When you said, “I wouldn’t be here without you,” and you meant that you wouldn’t be able to manage without my help, to which I responded with, “But Mama, remember, I WOULDN’T be here without you.”
*When I asked you to forgive me for all the times I gave you a hard time growing up,” you replied with, “There’s nothing to forgive.”*When you said, “Thank you,” after the times I gave you your medicine or fed you your meals when you were bedbound, to that I replied, “No, Mama, THANK YOU for being the Best Mom Ever, for doing the best you could do for us, for giving birth to us, for being patient with us, and for loving us unconditionally. You will always live in our hearts and we will love you forever.  ️🏽

This lady waits no more...

After two years of revising and editing, this "Little Lady" of a novella has finally made her debut into the world this holiday season! A spinoff novella anchored in the Pretty Princess Universe, this truly was a labor of love that was conceived during NaNoWriMo 2017. While it only took me three weeks to write this novella that November, it took about another year and a half to revise and edit. A huge part of the reason was that I had enjoyed writing the story and had connected to the characters. And since this is a holiday-themed novella, I had truly immersed myself in the holiday season all year long for nearly two years!

On an even more personal note, I've recently been "plagued" by what I deem to be the most physical challenge regarding my health to date; I won't go into any details except to say that I can't recall ever feeling so daunted in my entire life. But by the same token, I've tried to embrace this experience as one of faith, hope and trust...that all will be well. That this is yet another "bump" in the road of life that's inviting me to become more of who I am...a better, more spiritual, more loving person, daughter, sister, friend, writer, creative writing teacher, Yoga and Pilates instructor, and of course, Kitty and Doggie Auntie and animal advocate. The "World Premiere" of my latest book, A Lady in Waiting, only fuels my passion to want to write and publish more books  as I help others to achieve their own literary dreams; to continue to help my loved ones and others heal as I continue to heal myself.

I'm forever grateful to my loved ones, my family and friends, and all the beautiful furry, finned and feathered creatures and wonders of the natural world who have helped me make this dream of putting a book out into the world possible!

So it is in this Spirit of Gratitude, Comfort and Joy, that Faith, Hope and Love will prevail! Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Joyously Healing Happy New Year!

Paying Homage...

Happy Summer Solstice and Happy International Yoga Day!

During the writers' retreat in Paris this past Spring, I thought about the old adage of "Teach what you wish to learn."

Well, as my lesson plan was chock full of writing prompts that encouraged participants to observe and write using all the senses, I invited myself to do the same. And there's no better place in the world than Paris for a writer to do just that! I'm sure that there are several other places elsewhere in the world where one can experience a sensory feast, but for me, Paris eternally holds a special place in my heart as far as heightening the senses is concerned.

That said, once I was able to take a break from teaching at the writers' retreat, I became a flaneur and strolled along the Seine and the fact that the rain was relentlessly pouring that day made the experience all the more sensual! Most poignant, however, was paying homage to the dear Cathedral de Notre Dame whose towers I had planned to climb up to so I can get up close and personal with the gargoyles and where I could light a candle and meditate. Alas, that was not to be as our Dear Lady had partially been consumed by fire but thankfully survived. Notre Dame is a symbol of resilience and when I walked around her, my clothes drenched from that rainy day, it was as though she and I were being cleansed. And as talks about the beloved cathedral being rebuilt were in the air, I couldn't help but feel that photographing her in that post-fire state was sacrilegious. Yet, my love for what Cathedral de Notre Dame symbolizes, her resilience and strength after surviving centuries of war and occupation, represented what I honor most about my time in Paris: that despite everything, we must persevere. Bruised, battered and burned, Cathedral de Notre Dame may look embattled but Our Lady still has a lot of fight left in her. And as I sniffed the scent of the rain that day as I paid tribute to Notre Dame, vowing I will one day return to see her again, I renewed my own vow to stay true to my writing passion no matter what obstacles may seem to linger on my path.

And guided by the spirit and strength of Notre Dame, onward we go...