"Hi, I'm Bentch! Ask away! :)"

Hello! Maraming salamat sa inyong mga katanungan! LOL! Word of caution, mahaba-haba to, bec I'm chatty! hahaha!

1. Anong mas masarap, yung dating pansit canton o yung bagong pansit canton? Bakit? - astibidi

Gustuhin ko mang magkomento ukol sa napapanahong isyu na ito, hindi pa ako nakakatikim ng bagong pancit canton. :( Wala nun dito sa ibayong dagat. Kung meron man, hindi ko pa nahahanap. Pero paborito ko ang Toyomansi Pansit Canton, at kung babaguhin pa nila iyon, wala na, i-boycott ko na lang sila. LOL

2. Pabor ka ba kung sakaling ipatupad ang federalism sa Pilipinas? Bakit? - astibidi

Marami akong opinyon sa kasalukuyang pulitikal na estado ng ating bansa, pero hindi muna ako magsasalita habang alam ko na kulang pa ang kaalaman ko para magbigay ng intelehenteng hinuha.

3. Pabor ka ba sa Death Penalty? - astibidi

Oo. Dahil naniniwala ako na wala nang kinatatakutan ang mga kriminal sa atin ngayon. Pero alam kong hindi ito solusyon. Dapat ayusin ang Justice System natin. Kung may mapapatawan man ng parusang kamatayan, sana dumaan sa tamang proseso at ang tunay na nagkasala lamang ang mapatawan. Kaso asa.

4. Sa kasalukuyang panahon, malaki pa ba epekto ng nobela sa pamumuhay ng tao? - astibidi

Sa aking personal na pananaw, malaki ang epekto ng nobela sa buhay ko. Ito ang nagiging daan upang mailayo ko, kahit panandalian, ang aking sarili sa mga bagay na nagpapahina ng aking loob. Sa mga katha ng kapwa ko manunulat ako kumukuha ng pag-asa.

5. Sa bilis ng pagbabago sa panahon ngayon lalo na sa ugali at kultura ng Pinoy, aling ugali/paniniwala/kaugalian ang dapat hindi mawala sa bawat pinoy na siyang magpapanatili ng pagkakakilanlan natin bilang pilipino? - astibidi

Madaling makalimot sa kultura natin, lalo na pagpabor ng mga Pinoy ngayon sa Western Culture. Sa tingin ko ang kulang sa atin ay ang confidence natin sa sarili nating kultura. Isa ako sa mga naniniwala dati na baduy ang isang bagay pag pinoy, dahil mas superyor ang mga banyagang kultura. Pero simula nung nalayo ako sa bansa natin, nakita ko na walang papalit sa kultura natin. Ang ating kasipagan, pagkamasayahin at kababaan ng loob, yan ang mga tunay na tatak Pinoy.

6. Anong hakbang ang dapat gawin para mapalago at mapaunlad ang wikang Filipino sa kabila ng unti-unting pagkawala nito? - astibidi

Edukasyon pa rin ang sagot dito. Dapat maitanim sa mga kabataan na mahalin ang ating wika. Ito ang aaminin ko na wala ako dati, pero unti-unti ko nang pinagaaralan na mahalin ito ulit. Nakatutuwa nga na sa mga nakalipas na Review Cycles, Tagalog/Taglish ang napili ng mga may akda. Nakahanap ako ng mga babasahin na bago at moderno ang pag-gamit sa Wikang Pilipino.

(Okay, so wow! Na-over ata ang pagTatagalog ko? Haha. Practice lang! ;) )

7. Saan sulok ng mundo po kayo nanggaling at bakit ang galing nyo po sa mga English words? =) - MissBulilit

Haha! Sa Bulacan ako lumaki pero sa Manila na ako nagaral simula highschool hanggang college. Mahilig magbasa ang Mama ko kaya naman nakahiligan ko rin. Kaso tubong Mindanao pareho ang parents ko, so hindi nila masyadong gamay ang Wikang tagalog kaya English lahat ng libro sa bahay. Ayun, sa kakabasa ko ng English books, naimpluwensyahan na rin ang pagsusulat ko.

8. Ito po ang unang dark fantasy themed story na ginawa ninyo? - MissBulilit

Oo. Ito lang din ang kwento ko na hindi short story. Mabilis kasi ako mawalan ng ganang magsulat pag mahaba ang kwento, pero itong The Necromancer's Daughter hindi ko maiku-kwento sa short story format.

9. Ilan taon na po kayong nagsusulat? - MissBulilit

Nung April 2015 lang ako nagsimulang magsulat sa Wattpad, yun lang din ang unang beses na willingly kong ipinapabasa ang gawa ko. Hehe. Pero simula pagkabata mahilig na akong gumawa ng mga kwento, madalas base sa mga napapanood kong cartoons at nabasang comics.

10. May published book na po kayo? (or self-pub) - MissBulilit

Wala pa. Hehe. Hopefully itong The Necromancer's Daughter ang una. May natapos akong Contemporary Romance novella, pero hindi ko pa nababalikan para i-edit. Hindi ko kasi kayang pagsabayin ang Fantasy at Romance sa isip ko. Hahaha

11. Bakit po english ang gamit nyong lengguahe at hindi tagalog? - MissBulilit

So, follow-up answer to sa sagot ko sa number 1. Hahaha. Umm, sinubukan ko ring magsulat sa Tagalog, kaso medyo baduy ang kinalalabasan. Ang nangyayari kasi, nagiging masyadong makata, o kaya naman nawawala ang point ko sa pagsusulat. Ang writing process ko kasi pag nagsusulat o nagttype sa Tagalog, naiisip ko muna yung mga words sa English tapos saka ko i-ttranslate sa Tagalog. Ayun, wengweng ang kalabasan. hahaha!

Congrats po!

Salamat! At salamat nagustuhan mo ang kwento ko! :)

12. who's your fave poet? - kit_mccartney

I have a lot of favorites! But a Filipino poet I can say inspired me to write the poetry posted here is Mark Dimaisip. His words have a certain flow in them, even in the shortest of the pieces.

13. what's your fave poem? - kit_mccartney

I can't possibly choose just one for this, too! LOL! His chapbook, Near Things is a treasure chest of literary genius! But there's one at the top of my mind. It's titled Warped Words, where he just does away with rules of syntax and spelling and still make his point across.
*I was gonna attach a link to the poem here so you can check it out, but I remember Copy+Paste does not work on Wattpad so I suggest just Google Warped Words by Mark Dimaisip. Google books will show a preview of the chapbook showing the page of the full poem. :)

14. what symbolic nickname would you wish to give to the love of your life, why? - kit_mccartney

Whoa! Personal much? Lemme see...I can't think of anything. Haha. I want to give a nickname that's unique and ultrapersonal (don't we all) but I'll probably settle with "honey" or "sweetheart" because I'm unoriginal like that. Haha!

15. if a bird would drop half dead from a bough and cry for help, what would it mean to you? - kit_mccartney

It would mean that the universe meant for me to help it. Everything happens for a reason, in fic and non-fic. ;)

16. ano ang mas gusto mo? chickenjoy or kfc? - kit_mccartney

Walang pagdadalawang isip na sasagot ako ng ChickenJoy! At yung ChickenJoy na gawa sa Pilipinas ha! Yung Jollibee ChickenJoy dito ay kakaiba. Di ko maexplain kung bakit iba, basta iba sya.

17. Who among the characters in The Necromancer's Daughter are you most similar to, in terms of personality? - purple_porpoise

Ooh, tough question, as I always make it a point to never pattern my characters to myself. Otherwise it would be one boring story about a guy who does nothing but complain! LOL! Trust me, I re-read my journals from 2002 and I even I couldn't stand it! Hahaha!

Anyway, as the writer of these characters, it wouldn't be inevitable to put a little of myself in them once in a while. The Necromancer's dingy appearance has got to be patterned after me (long curly hair, always looking half-dead because of lack of sleep...etc.). Lucille's anti-social and trust issues also is similar to myself. And Rebecca's lack of direction. Although in her case it's incidental. I'm a bit more of naturally and perennially lost. Haha!

18. Which would you prefer: a book that has an amazing plot but with blah cardboard-cutout characters or one that is character-driven but has a clichéd storyline? - purple_porpoise

I'd go with character driven. Because when I read, I put myself in the characters situations and I observe how they handle things and hope I'd be like them when the need for it arises. Especially when the protagonist is brave. (Fun fact: I once put on my office desk, as a reminder, "If Katniss survived 2 Hunger Games, an uprising, and total war against the Capitol, surely you can survive the Weekly Progress Meetings.")

19. In 100 words or fewer (hehehe), please describe your Wattpad experience so far. - purple_porpoise

It has been great! I get to share my stories and I get help from readers/writers like you! I'm always so critical about myself that sometimes I just wanna burn all the words I've written. Then I remember some actually like it and that this is my dream. So I make myself pull through it.

20. What's the best thing about living in Singapore? - purple_porpoise

Singapore is pristine. The waste regulation is a real thing (not like in our country where it is a mere theory) and the streets are safe from crime for the most part.

21. Who is your favorite Filipino author? - purple_porpoise

Eh, I've only read a handful of Filipino books...you caught me! LOL! I haven't started reading published Filipino books until last year, right after #StrangeLit. Top of mind is Ms. Jay E. Tria, because her book Songs of Our Breakup was my introduction to both Filipino Authors and NA/Contemporary Romance.

22. Paano i-pronounce ang pangalan mo? - ChantalCruz30

Ben-tham. 'th' as in 'thumb, thorn, thyme' . Okay, so baka hindi yan ang tamang pagbasa sa bayang pinanggalingan ng pangalan na yan pero for me, yan ang tama. hahaha!

23. Bakit "Danse" ang title ng "Danse"? - ChantalCruz30

Dahil ako ay isang francophile at nabuo ang concept ng Danse habang pinanonood ko sa YouTube yun "One and Only" ni Adele sa concert nya sa France. Sinubukan kong mag-aral ng French, pero hindi ko carry. LOL

24. Ano ang inspirasyon mo sa The Necromancer's Daughter? - ChantalCruz30

Madami. Particularly ang TV shows na Charmed at Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Pati na ang movie na Practical Magic starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman (ang sobrang ganda ng buhok ni Nicole Kidman dun, I swear!) Malaking tulong din na binasa ko yung book version ng Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman bago ako magsimula mag draft noon. Dun ko ata nakuha ang visual imagery using words. Malabo lang yung plot nya...mas maganda yung sa movie version.

Pero during writing, na-inspire ako magsulat sa tulong ng music ng Florence + the Machine, specifically yung album nilang How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Witch si Florence Welch IRL, sa tingin ko. Haha

25. Ilang taon ka nag-ballet? - ChantalCruz30

LOL. Three weeks lang yun, para lang sa talent portion ng Mr. Arki pageant sa school namin. Yung mga kapatid ko ang nagballet talaga. Yung isa nakapag-recital na sa Meralco Theater under The Halili School of Ballet.

oh... hindi ako alam na nag-ballet lessons ka pala (based sa question ni Chant. nice!) - libranages

Poser lang ako nun. Haha. Yung partner ko ang talagang nag-ballet. Ang ginawa ko lang ay talon-talon, stride, taas kamay, stretch, taas paa, buhat ng partner, tapos bow. Yun na. haha

26. Sino ang pipiliin mo, 'yung mahal mo o 'yung mahal ka? - libranages

Yung mahal ako, syempre. Mahal ko rin ang sarili ko so dalawa na kaming nagmamahal sakin. The more the merrier! wahaha!

27. Kung magiging Philippine myth creature ka, ano ka at bakit? - libranages

Hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko. Very limited ang kilala kong Philippine mythical creatures. Mostly pa aswang. So no, pass ako dyan!

28. What annoys you the most? Why? - libranages

Irresponsible parents. I mean, if you have time to go to a salon to perm you hair, or the gym to perfect manly biceps, surely you have time to teach your kids not to be rude! Irresponsible parents are the worst!

29. Ano ang fave past time mo maliban sa pagsusulat? - libranages

Binge watching GoT and The Big Bang Theory. Also, my heart broke when my favorite shows got canceled way too early! R.I.P. 'In The Flesh' and 'Looking'.

30. Ano ang comfort food mo? Ano ang opposite ng comfort food mo?- libranages

Pizza and Milo Dinosaur Combo!! Ang ayaw ko naman is anything na hot and spicy. I can tolerate pepper dishes pero suko ako sa curry meals.

31. Are you happy with your life for the most part right now? If so, what situation had you gone through that you can say as your happiest / saddest moment? - ArchAngel_MikeKhael

It's a daily toss between high on happiness and pulling all my hair out in frustration, right now. Last week for example, Happiness Highs on Wattpad activity and toxic levels of anxiety and dread because of work.

32. Name 3 things you find the most beautiful and why? - ArchAngel_MikeKhael

People's eyes always catch my attention first.

Babies (human and animals) because the world can never have too much cuteness! I love babies! Baby turtles especially!

Rainbows. Because #LoveWins and #Pride

33. If you could do anything and make it come true, what would you wish for? - ArchAngel_MikeKhae

I would wish for financial stability. Not excessive wealth because that's messy. Just enough so I can stop worrying my wits off and write my stories in peace.

34. Aside from writing, what do you usually do on your free time? - ArchAngel_MikeKhael

Answer is above, on libranages' question. (Q#29)

Oh, and P.S. I love playing Pokemon so much! Gen 1 is the best! LOL

35. Tell me about someone you envy? - ArchAngel_MikeKhael

Someone I envy is on the road right now, driving a vintage VW Samba to the beach. In the mornings he'd be surfing or scuba diving or doing something wonderful for Mother Earth. His afternoons are spent reading books indoors. Away from the city and its people. At night he writes without distraction.

Phew! Andaming tanong! Haha! Nagwar-flashbacks ako sa elementary days na nagpapalitan pa kami ng Slambooks, kaso parang essay na slambook to! Ang saya lang!

Muli, maraming salamat! :)