RANDOM MUSINGS

One of the things I like about Facebook is its role as a tool that bridges communication gaps. It conveniently makes it easy for people to know how family and friends are doing even when they're not in constant, direct contact. Recently, I exchanged a couple of messages with a very good friend and former colleague. She's English professor at a university in Beijing. We were in the Marshall Islands together and haven't seen each other in about three years. However, our recent interaction gave no indication of the distance because we kept passively in touch through Facebook.

On another subject, I'd like to say that I enjoy watching ShawTV. I like that they do a great job as the voice of the community in which they exist. I also like the segment on cooking with the "Island Chef". As an ISLAND GIRL that title resonates with me :). And his recipes are easy to replicate. Not to mention that the meals look yummy.

Synchronization. That's the word I am pondering. Following closely is 'medley'. I enjoy medleys.... Music is a huge part of my life. I am always very excited when my best friend is playing the piano! I sing along sometimes. Everyone in my family loves music. My brothers play a number of instruments. My younger brother, who lives in Australia, is one of the best bass guitarists - not my biased opinion, believe me! My children play a number of musical instruments. So, when you hear the word 'synchronization' what picture comes to mind? Oneness with God? A writer's voice heard even within their characterization? Musical notes? An opera or orchestra? Creation? Nature? Grammar?

What do you think of the current spring weather? I guess it depends on where you live and how changes in weather affect you.

So far, does the word "random" occur to you? Well, it's part of the title for this blog post :).

I just wanted to illustrate in a fun way that structure is of essence in writing. It transcends paragraphing techniques. Do you see structure here or a writer's ramble?

Ciao!

MONDAY MORNING MUSING

Happy Monday! Hope the week favors you and me.

Just thinking how, today, we live in a virtual world that is extremely fast paced. The online community is large and interaction is mostly by social media.

But how many of us are good at using the social media in ways that help us reach our audience or goals? If you are still struggling to keep up, you are not alone.  Several others are in the same boat. It's such a relief that you can find a lot of helpful information online.

So, as our world is rapidly becoming solely technologically-controlled, soft copies of books and documents are fast replacing hard copies and electronic-mediated communication has become the way to go, I ponder these questions: what are the implications of these changes  for the world? How will our world fare in the coming years? Is the world moving towards self-destruction or self-preservation? How will these changes affect the future of the global society? Are these changes leading to something? If so, what?

Just musing....

The Daylight Saving Time began yesterday.

A new day is here.

A new week has begun.

There are new tasks to perform ,new goals to accomplish (or existing ones to complete).

How thankful are we for the privilege to be participants, no matter how small, in these processes?

Just musing....

Happy birthday to everyone born in March!

Have a great week y'all!

Ciao :)

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

 You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men.
~ Benjamin Disraeli

The test of civilization is its estimate of women.
~ George William Curtis

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. 
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Today, the world celebrates women all over the world.

Womanhood is a gift to mankind. It is symbolic of life, growth, nurturing, training, compassion and love.
The condition of women in any given society is always a clear indication of the level of development in that society. When society empowers its women, it empowers itself. Women are the backbone of their communities.

Many kudos to every woman who has in some way made a positive difference in her society.

A shout out to every female author who has influenced the world positively through her writing. ...I had to add that :).

To every woman in the world, from a small or remote village, a big, thriving city, wherever you may be, your hard work  selfless service, effort to provide for your family are appreciated. Men and women, the world over, celebrate you today and wish you well!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY  ALL!

And have a great weekend!

Ciao

Photo: CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-202_162-10016072.html

YOUR VOICE, YOUR IDENTITY. BE HEARD

Today is National Grammar Day in the United States. There's a clear, global consensus about the need to speak and write well. However, the days of prescriptive grammar in English are long gone. Today, emphasis is on communicative competence – and rightly so. English is now a world language, with so many varieties and accents that linguists can barely approximate the number. It’s now considered myopic and unenlightened to insist on a single accent.

It’s cheering that since days of old, writing style has been recognized as the prerogative of the writer – their trademark.  A writer may choose to write in any language, language variety, engage in code switching and code mixing. It's their call. Over time, the writer’s style becomes a part of their identity. That’s what stylistics is all about. The writer’s voice. A voice that is easily and readily recognizable as uniquely theirs. How cool is that? I believe it is very cool!

This attribute illustrates the freedom that characterize the writing profession. It is an immense pleasure to belong to this worthy global community.

Being a group of enlightened people, there is no doubt that each writer’s style appeals to the targeted audience and the writer’s purpose, be it to inform, entertain, unravel, etc, gets to be accomplished through that unique voice.

When we let our voice be heard through our writing, we establish that deep connection with our readers, which is what every writer hopes to accomplish.

As a writer, what’s your voice? Have you found your voice? Is it shining through the letters/words? Is it easily discernible?

Working on mine….:)

As a reader, can you describe your favorite writer(s) voice? What do you like about this(these) writer’s (writers') voice?

Have a wonderful week!

Ciao....

 “Confident writers have the courage to speak plainly; to let their thoughts shine rather than their vocabulary.” ~ Ralph Keyes, author of The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear

*Photo: Sunrise, caught on our drive into the Garden City....