July 2016 - Expat In Bacolod

Bacolod Life: Local Point of View

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 31, 2016

It’s high time we heard from a local, a true Bacolodnon, about Bacolod life and a local point of view. The author of the following article is Butch Bacaoco a former editor-in-chief of the Bacolod SunStar. He writes authoritatively about Bacolod, local issues and the island of Negros. He also writes about the sugar cane industry in this island. I plan to feature some of his articles here from time to time with the kind permission of Butch. A word first, if any of these articles refer to local or national Filipino politics then do not expect me to comment. I am a guest here and an observer, nothing more nothing less. I am sure you will find the article, and those to come, interesting…

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This Mind Sees Beauty

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 30, 2016

This mind is not as simple as it once was. It used to be filled with the simple things in life: toys, kicking a ball, a mother’s love and food, the constant companionship of a much loved brother. Now, it is overloaded with information. Facts, figures and useless minutiae. It is also filled with memories, of people and places, some are dead and some are living. This mind never ceases to be amazed at the whole spectrum of human nature from the kindness, warmth and generosity of strangers to the meanness, gossiping, petty and downright dangerous acts of other humans. This mind has worked hard for betterment, education and an understanding of most things that surround it. A mind that struggles to tolerate…

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Red White & Blue

Published by G on July 30, 2016

‘Red White & Blue’ is one more short story by G and I’m sure you will enjoy it. Like me, G has retired to the Philippines and spends at least part of his time writing. I appreciate that he permits me to publish his stories here first. Not only are these stories worthy of reading but they also serve two other purposes. One, they give you the reader something different to read – a different voice to listen to. Second, they give me a breather. The Philippines has a tradition of ghost stories and tales of the supernatural. Filipinos have a word for these supernatural creatures – aswang. An Aswang (or Asuwang) is a shapeshifting monster usually possessing a combination of the traits of either…

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Meet Jack Kregas Indie Author

Meet Jack Kregas Indie Author

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 29, 2016

This author interview first appeared on the Stephen Bentley – Author website. It is reproduced here for maximum exposure to the new #indie author feature series called ‘Author Spotlight’ on the author website. The second reason is ensuring that these interviews appear in the weekly newsletter from Expat in Bacolod. Enjoy the interview and stay tuned as there are some crackers lined up. Jack Kregas is the first indie author in the new series of ‘author spotlight’ interviews. Author Jack Kregas Jack Kregas was born in the northeast of the United States. He now is an Australian citizen living in Brisbane. After publishing his first book, an autobiography of his adventurous life in 2015, he has written three more books and is at work on…

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Vignettes of Life

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 28, 2016

Vignettes of life or more accurately of my life. ‘Hamlet’ is one of the most dangerous things ever set down on paper. All the big, unknowable questions like what it is to be a human being; the difference between sanity and insanity; the meaning of life and death; what’s real and not real. All these subjects can literally drive you mad. – Michael Sheen It was a stone built bungalow with a decent size front and back garden. The bungalow was on the edge of a Dorset village and one could look from the large front window and see nothing; save for fields, trees, larks rising and the chalky hills before they dropped down to the English Channel. My parents lived there. It never felt…

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Gawp: WordWednesdayFun

Gawp: WordWednesdayFun

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 27, 2016

Gawp! What are you gawping at? Marvelously descriptive and emotional words. Words to be said with feeling. Gawp and gawping were often heard in the North of England. An illustration of their usage is when performing a task that goes awry – imagine for example trying to hitch up your trousers in a public place. Another example is if caught committing some social indiscretion such as picking one’s nose or scratching the backside. The likely spectator reaction would be an open-mouthed stare. They would be gawping! Merriam-Webster says this: Simple Definition …

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Where Many Self-Published Books Go Wrong

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 26, 2016

Many self-published books go wrong and are trashed because of poor editing. The content may be fantastic and a real page-turner but none of that will prevent most readers stopping to read your book if full of errors. Self-publishing is big business as witnessed by the giant Barnes & Noble chain now lifting its embargo on stocking self-pub books. I count myself lucky in finding my ‘back room team’ of beta readers, proofreaders and editors. They have all had a great impact on the final shape of my book. I’m grateful to them all. I have had to organize all that on a shoestring budget. I am (a) retired and (b ) not yet famous or rich enough to pay my editing team. And, almost…

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Follow, Follow, Follow Me On Gumroad

Published by Stephen Bentley on July 21, 2016

You are able to now follow me on Gumroad – if that’s what tickles your fancy 🙂 Follow me there by submitting your email address in the box below. It could be worth your while. For example, my new book Undercover: Operation Julie – The Inside Story will be made available both on Amazon Kindle and Gumroad. The beauty of Gumroad for both you, the customer, and me as a self-published author is that I can set discounts in Gumroad. I can’t do that in Kindle unless I sign an exclusivity deal with Amazon. I don’t want to do that as it restricts my book sales to the Amazon platform only. By following me on Gumroad you will be able to take advantage of offers…

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Month: July 2016