https://www.istorya.net/forums/blog.php?157011-pohpay en Wed, 20 May 2026 23:39:07 GMT vBulletin 300 https://www.istorya.net/forums/images/metro/blue/misc/rss.jpg https://www.istorya.net/forums/blog.php?157011-pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?3117-Letter-I-Wish-I-Could-Send Sat, 13 Sep 2025 14:40:38 GMT Dear Lola, It’s morning now, but I haven’t slept. All night, my thoughts kept circling back to the island, and even now I can’t shake it. I can almost smell the grass after rain and hear the birds calling at dawn. The air felt lighter back then, moving gently through the trees, and even the summer heat seemed like something I could live inside of. It wasn’t harsh, it was familiar. Life was simpler. No screens glowing in every hand, no endless scrolling, no pressure to keep up with what people were showing off online. I didn’t feel surrounded by it the way I do now. Back then, I could step outside and the world was just itself: the earth, the air, the wide sky above me. I miss the way days used to unfold slowly. Morning slipped into afternoon without a rush, and time felt softer. Evenings carried their own kind of peace, the steady hum of insects, the sound of leaves moving in the breeze, and sometimes, if the wind was right, I could hear the sea at night. And after dinner, when the air cooled, I remember your stories. Your voice was gentle, steady, and I listened closely. Sometimes they were old tales, sometimes lessons tucked into everyday things. I didn’t always understand them fully, but I remember the comfort of your words, how they settled me, made the night feel safe. I’ve been told the island has changed. Tourists come and go, bright lights scatter what used to be darkness, and places have been reshaped for people who will never know what it once felt like. It hurts to picture it that way, because the version I hold in my heart no longer exists. But when I think of it, you and Lolo are always there. You made those years bearable. My childhood was not easy, but with you, I felt protected. That safety is what I ache for just as much as the island itself. Sometimes you find your way back to me in dreams. For a moment, it feels whole again: your presence, your voice, the home I loved. Waking is the hardest part, but I hold onto the memory anyway. If I close my eyes right now, I’m there again, back to that place I hold so dearly. I will live the rest of my life carrying those memories and carrying the love you gave me. That is my home, no matter how far away I am. And wherever you are now, I hope you are at peace, the same way you once made my world peaceful when I was with you. Being with you and Lolo was the only time my heart felt at rest. You were my safe place in a world that was not always kind. I think of you always. Please don’t worry about me, rest easy, knowing your love still lives in me. Missing you, pohpay Dear Lola,

It’s morning now, but I haven’t slept. All night, my thoughts kept circling back to the island, and even now I can’t shake it. I can almost smell the grass after rain and hear the birds calling at dawn. The air felt lighter back then, moving gently through the trees, and even the summer heat seemed like something I could live inside of. It wasn’t harsh, it was familiar.

Life was simpler. No screens glowing in every hand, no endless scrolling, no pressure to keep up with what people were showing off online. I didn’t feel surrounded by it the way I do now. Back then, I could step outside and the world was just itself: the earth, the air, the wide sky above me.

I miss the way days used to unfold slowly. Morning slipped into afternoon without a rush, and time felt softer. Evenings carried their own kind of peace, the steady hum of insects, the sound of leaves moving in the breeze, and sometimes, if the wind was right, I could hear the sea at night.

And after dinner, when the air cooled, I remember your stories. Your voice was gentle, steady, and I listened closely. Sometimes they were old tales, sometimes lessons tucked into everyday things. I didn’t always understand them fully, but I remember the comfort of your words, how they settled me, made the night feel safe.

I’ve been told the island has changed. Tourists come and go, bright lights scatter what used to be darkness, and places have been reshaped for people who will never know what it once felt like. It hurts to picture it that way, because the version I hold in my heart no longer exists.

But when I think of it, you and Lolo are always there. You made those years bearable. My childhood was not easy, but with you, I felt protected. That safety is what I ache for just as much as the island itself.

Sometimes you find your way back to me in dreams. For a moment, it feels whole again: your presence, your voice, the home I loved.
Waking is the hardest part, but I hold onto the memory anyway.

If I close my eyes right now, I’m there again, back to that place I hold so dearly. I will live the rest of my life carrying those memories and carrying the love you gave me. That is my home, no matter how far away I am.

And wherever you are now, I hope you are at peace, the same way you once made my world peaceful when I was with you. Being with you and Lolo was the only time my heart felt at rest. You were my safe place in a world that was not always kind. I think of you always. Please don’t worry about me, rest easy, knowing your love still lives in me.

Missing you,
pohpay ]]> pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?3117-Letter-I-Wish-I-Could-Send https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2933-Liberty-City Sat, 17 Nov 2018 13:40:02 GMT Elaine was born into this world without a father, and although her mother was around from time to time she could never say she knew her at all either. A life of prostitution meant her mother was never really a true mother figure; Elaine learned quickly that life is often cold and most definitely a struggle.

At the age of 12, Elaine walked out on her drugged out mom hoping to find her own way and her own path and never looked back. She settled herself into the bustling city of Liberty, with a definite goal to get herself out of the slum, however, she didn’t know just how difficult it would be.

Working wherever she could often meant she had to do things that didn’t quite fit within her own moral code. Erotic dancing at night clubs for the pleasure of drunk older men seemed to be commonplace while trying to maintain the image of a seemingly respectable sales clerk at the local doughnut shop; but let's not pretend both jobs paid the same.

However, while dancing on the pole or sitting behind the doughnut shop counter, drinking her complementary cup of coffee, she couldn’t help but think of a better life. A life that she’s only seen in magazines or heard about on the radio.
Perhaps she could pull off the perfect heist to elevate herself from street bum to millionaire.

If Elaine has learned anything, it's that life is always full of opportunities for those with the guts to seize them.

]]> pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2933-Liberty-City https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2930-the-occasional-silence Thu, 23 Aug 2018 02:56:41 GMT
and you taught me what it feels like.

and then how it feels to lose it.

and you showed me who i wanted.

and then who i wasn't.

and you ticked every box.

and then drew a line.

and you weren't mine to begin with.

and then not to end with.

and you looked like everything i wanted.

and then became something i hated.

and you get thought of every day.

and then not in a good way.

and you let me leave.

and then wish i'd stayed.

and you almost killed me,

but i didn't die.

https://youtu.be/eNQj2QI3l54



-iain thomas ]]> pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2930-the-occasional-silence https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2928-Ai-Niwa Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:29:17 GMT Last year I decided to stop paying wix subscription and was confident that I could still keep my blog even if it meant having wix ads all over my pages. But after a lengthy hiatus, I found out today that I no longer have access to my blog unless I pay for subscription.

Well.. fook that.

Luckily, I still have a copy of the short fantasy story that I wrote some time ago. I am well aware that my story is nowhere near as good and as dramatic as many that debt charities hear about, but this story is quite special to me because the idea stemmed around the time when I was mourning for my grandpa’s death. He died last year and I wasn’t able to go to his funeral which made me very devastated as he is my favorite grandpa.
He used to tell me stories about fishermen who “encountered” mermaids during their long fishing adventure. Now I don't know if there's any truth to this but I believed him then.

I remember the days when my brother and I would sit next to grandpa and listen to our favorite mermaid drama story from DYHP radio station. Though I have vague memory of what the story was all about, but I can’t seem to forget this catchword; “Isaganiii...” it’s when the mermaid calls for the young man to meet her by the shore.

I used to firmly believe in mythical creatures; these things have always held an inexplicable enchantment for me - and that is at least in part an integral piece of my character — I was always the kind of squirt who was convinced that engkantadas lived in the forest next to our house, that huge trees were animate, with a kapre sitting on top smoking cigars and that holes in floorboards housed fairies and duwende rather than rats and cockroaches. Nothing’s changed much though now that I am older, I admit that sometimes I still convince myself that mermaids exist. Haha! The dilusion is strong with this one. Not that I’m proud of it but daydreaming unicorns and sparkly rainbow feces is one of my favorite distractions from reality and the fact that my life has become a monotonous cycle. Eww okay, the feces part is just gross and definitely not true! I am NOT on drugs either.

Anyway....... I’m keeping this here.

————————- * ——————-//——————*—————————-

Once upon a time - for that is how all fairy tales should begin - there was a girl named Ai Niwa.

Ai 愛 Niwa にわ, literally means “Love Garden,” is a daughter of an Eastern Kingdom Emperor; who unbeknownst to him is married to a mermaid, Ai Niwa’s biological mother, and a sworn enemy of the Eastern Kingdom.

Ai Niwa turns into a mermaid during the full moon and although her mother diligently kept it a secret to everyone all her life, the Emperor found out about it during her 18th birthday and betrothal ceremony to a rival nation’s prince to broker an alliance between the Eastern Kingdoms. When the moon shined down onto the palace gardens from which Ai Niwa’s name was derived, it revealed the secret she had maintained her whole life.

Blind with rage following the revelation of Ai Niwa’s mermaid heritage, the Emperor immediately dispatched his guards to have the queen hanged as a matter of honor to the countless lives lost throughout the centuries between the Eastern Kingdom’s and the mermaids’ war on the open seas.

With the mother captured and heading to the hangman’s noose, the head of the handmaidens immediately ran to Princess Ai Niwa to help her escape. As the handmaiden pushed her row boat into the water she could hear the crowd of citizens in the palace courtyard swearing and condemning her mother that cared for her and hid her true identity throughout her entire life. As she put the oars in her hand and began to row, she heard the crowd pause into a deaf silence as she heard the hangman release the lever holding her mother on the platform, followed shortly by the sound of the rope being pulled taught by the weight of her mother’s body and then a very quick but distinctive snap of her mother’s neck.

As Ai Niwa, with tears in her eyes, looked down at the white rose plucked from the garden that very night, she saw it fade from pure white to black as a dark shadow fell over her father’s Palace. She vowed to have her vengeance, but not that day, as she rowed quickly into the night’s sea.

Two days had past and Ai Niwa was growing weak on the endless ocean with dense and heavy fog all around her, when suddenly a merman appeared next to her boat. Startled she jumped back from her seat as the merman popped his head out of the water and announced himself to be Poseider, a loyal follower to the Lord of the Deep. Knowing of Ai Niwa, through folk tales and stories told to him as a child he felt sympathy for her and offered his help to help her reach Artemisia Island, a place where everyone is welcome; even monsters and demons.

A glimpse of joy came to her hoping that this will be the place where she no longer has to hide her identity; as she asked the merman for his help he quickly proclaimed that nothing on the seas is free and that a favor must always be paid for in advance stating, “if you do not receive my help, Princess, you will surely perish by nights beginning as you have ventured into a very old and deep part of the seas where the night is ruled by the most ruthless warlord who loves to swallow boats venturing this sea whole.” Ai Niwa looked at the empty boat and her tattered clothes, knowing that she had nothing of value to offer him, she began to cry.

As tears rolled down her cheeks the merman noticed the rose on her lap began to turn from black to a bright and vibrant yellow. Mischievously smiling at the princess, the merman announced that for the rose she could have his help. She immediately snatched the rose from her lap and handed it to the merman and demanded that he help show her the way. The merman pointed into the fog and it immediately lifted revealing a bright and vibrant dock city.

As Poseider began to swim away holding the rose close to his chest, Ai Niwa asked, “Why would you save my life for a simple rose?"

“Ah, fair princess, this is no simple rose” he said revealing the now green rose. “This rose will always notify its handler of very important things that come to pass, you held what is none other than an infinity rose.” “An infinity rose is the rarest of roses; it never dies; and it always will change colors to depict something very unique to those who understand them.” “White is the color of an unpicked infinity rose, making it very difficult to spot as it blends in with other white roses perfectly.” “Black, which was the color the rose was when I first saw you is the color that denotes evil and despair are nearby.” “Yellow, which was the color it turned into when I spoke of Artemisia Island always denotes hope.” Now looking down at the green rose, “and green, princess, green is the color the infinity rose will display when you are searching for something.”

“Are there any more colors, Poseider?”
“Oh yes Princess, every color in the rainbow, but they are not for me to say or explain.” Poseider then dives into the water. Ai Niwa then makes her way to Artemisia Island one row at a time.

Finally arriving at the island, just before sundown, Ai Niwa stepped onto shore and noticed no one noticed her or recognized her; this was surely a new journey she was about to embark upon. To herself, she immediately renounced her nobility and put the past out of her mind as she made her way to the local tavern to hopefully find work as a gardener, putting her green thumb to work.

]]> pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2928-Ai-Niwa https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2926-unsa-y-english-ug-gikabuhi Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:32:19 GMT Lately, I've been craving for foods that i used to eat in the Philippines. Gimingaw na jud kog kaon ug bulad, kinilaw, utan kamunggay, ug uban pa. Until i found a small pack of bulad in the frozen section of this Asian store in Ohio. There is barely any asian store or market where I'm currently at so I was very ecstatic about this little discovery. There were other Filipino foods in there as well, but I only wanted the dried fish. It was quite expensive but i went and bought it anyway.

I didn't fry the bulad right away because i had (kano ug kana) companions in the house who are not used to smelling or eating bulad. You know how the whole house would smell when you start cooking it? I didn't want to be rude, so yeah, i waited for two weeks.

During these arduous days of waiting, my only inspiration is a picture of freshly fried crispy bulad in my plate. Lol jk. It's an exaggeration.

When they left, I immediately fried the dried fish and cooked
instant corn grits on the side because I wanted my meal to be as closely authentic as possible. I also wanted to be so extra that i thought of roasting some corn grits for coffee. Ever had "dragon kape"? these little packets of roasted corn grits? I used to drink that when i was a kid. (by the way, if you know this corn coffee, i would greatly appreciate it if you link me a photo, i kept looking for it on google but i couldn't find any pictures)

My grandpa used to tell me that the roasted corn grits are healthy for kids than real coffee. He might be right for the most part but i know we were just too poor to buy the real instant coffee. Ha.
Okay, back to my main topic. I was too lazy to make roasted grits so i made coffee from the keurig instead. I was so ready to dig in when i realized that my nails were long! Whenever I want to eat with my hands, I always make sure that my nails are trimmed very short. So i trimmed them long-ass nails.

(LoL yeah. Okay, they're dry af. :hopelessness:

After all these extra curricular activities i started eating. Uhm Yum! So good! Nomnomnom! Kinamot ug kaon, bulad tusnob sa suka, higop kape.. Oh the bliss! Until my heartburn kicked in. Is that the english word for "kabuhi?"

Nay, gikabuhi jud ko! Was it because the meal was so nostalgic that it made me emotional? No? Too dramatic? Okay, maybe I just ate too much and too fast. Gigutom man gud ko! :eat::biggrin:

Despite the heartburn, i enjoyed my meal very much!

Bulad. Mais. Kape.

Would recommend. :thumbsup:


]]> pohpay https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2926-unsa-y-english-ug-gikabuhi