Notes of Blue and Black

I was inspired to write a song about how much it rained in Manila. And everytime the drops fall, I am captured by how everyone around me begins this dance.  There's nothing better. :) Listen to my song for free!    No Tomorrow by Fonzi Marquez

CLICK here for free music! www.soundcloud.com/fonzimarquez

CLICK here to listen to my new song " Escape. " Thanks to Garage Band for making this possible. :) Music and Lyrics by Fonzi Marquez

"Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves, are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others." -Kakuzo Okakura   It's Day 17 today of my Attitude of Gratitude journey and it has been quite a ride. I really appreciate people who take the time and read through my Facebook status day in and day out throughout the ride. Truly, thank you. This came around when I decided I wanted to live life in Gratitude for everything. It was something I felt I needed to accomplish for myself. And today is all about Choosing to Love. Being an artist is a strange and sometimes alienating experience for some. I used to feel as if I were alone; that it is only through my works in short stories, poetry, songs and other arts that I truly get to communicate who I really was to other people. That's the thing with artists that I guess I see know: they spend so much time in their solitude to create something that reveals so much of themselves. That ...

I heard a lot of complaints before about Manila. They are usually stories that go along the lines of: "The traffic is crazy" which is quite realistic, to the eccentric "It's a ZOO", to the sometimes depressing "It's quite lonely there." Believe me, I am always quick to believe in the feedback of other people. My heart was conditioned in such a manner that experiences of other people matter so much to me. And for the longest time, I have accepted all these things to be true: that Metro Manila, despite what good things they say, is a shit-hole of a place to live in. It wasn't until recently, that I discovered this to be, well, misunderstood. Not just by me, but for all my friends who said that it was Always Rainy in Manila. I come from the provinces of Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City. Those two great cities were my bubble. I thrive living in those cities; I had no problems getting around and getting to know other people. I do not reca...

This is an exercise that I do whenever I can’t really think of anything to write. It’s really a free-writing mode when I just release and submit myself to the mercy of my hands and my heart to what it wants to say out loud. I just think that sometimes the heart needs the mind to process the things what it wants to say; but sometimes I feel like I don’t want the filter. I just want it raw, fast and as real as possible. I won’t ever reread it, well, at least not tonight. So here it is: the Free-Verses at 12:33AM: To tell you the truth, I do not really know what to write about. But there is a nice little ring to mystery that always leaves me in a state of awe at what spontaneity can create. It is always something to behold when we find ourselves in the mix of our own confusion; not knowing where else to go or not having the right direction. It must seem as if I were lost in some strange forest without the desire of ever getting out; maybe because I kind of like ...

Is anybody even reading this? Can you see it? Do you find my words worth your time enough to read it? Am I getting somewhere? Or am I only dreaming? Is anybody out there? Can anybody see it?

My lady sits outside and waits Coffee sips and cigarette sips and she just sits there doing nothing and I just stare at her doing nothing and I can't help but think to myself that there's nothing better than this   I walk to our table I smile and she lets me down But it's alright because I love how she frowns She sips her cup of coffee I sip my the cup that's mine I sink in this funny feeling how great that she's mine   My lady sits outside and waits Coffee sips and cigarette sips and she just sits there doing nothing and no, there's nothing better than this.   

  Recently I’ve been revisiting old passions: reading books. I remember when I was in high-school when I began to really read literature. I know, it doesn’t sound very macho , however if it was any consolation I was a part of the basketball varsity team! Haha. But I will also note that I was part also of the high school choir and theatre club, so that kind of evens my machoness out eh? It didn’t take much of literary prowess to impress me. As soon as I had access to the high-school library, I would read anything that would catch my eyes. Some books I loved; some I didn’t even finish. The point of course, I wanted to begin absorbing stories. I wanted stories that would really get me wanting to learn more about it. That was why I fell for Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Tolkien, Neruda and so many others that really embodied what story telling are all about. Love a Good Story I love a good story. I’m more proud to have a great story than with anythi...

One thing I’m really grateful for are those moments when I get stuck. I’m sure all of you writers out there know how this feels; to be on a crossroads between ideas, choosing which path leads to a better road. I get this a lot nowadays especially in the process of writing music. Although some people have the gift of seemingly never getting stuck; or when they can just write something beautiful without much thought, I on the other hand have to work hard for it. Sometimes words just flow out of the chords that I play, but sometimes they get stuck in my head. Sometimes I can just sing a whole verse without writing a single thing down first (which is rare), but most of the time I get tongue-tied and I just end up scatting or blabbering the melody; hoping that something good might come. That is something that I really find amusing as an amateur songwriter; that all music becomes a beautiful accident. Believe me I’d give anything to be a musical genius like some of the people I know. But...

It's exactly five days before my birthday and I just thought I'd write something about that. It's not that I think my birthday is a big deal; rather I did on a number of occasions try to forget about it. I don't really celebrate my birthday with much grandeur as some would. I just usually sit down with close friends and treat them to drinks or food, or whatever. It's nothing special. I just end up burning up the birthday gifts that my parents give me. They usually give me money you see, which is great for that purpose.  Anyway, this year I thought I'd do something different, or at least see things differently. I've read it somewhere that birthdays shouldn’t be celebrated out of pride but rather of gratitude for one more year of life. It's like a celebration of my one year cycle; regardless of whether or not it was substantial enough to celebrate about. It is to be grateful of what the year has brought; with all of its twists and turns, shouts of joy o...

Asleep by Fonzi Marquez Live recording in Lorie's Cafe in Davao City. Hope you like it! That's me singing and the rhythm guitar, Migz Orquina on the lead guitar and Patrick Joseph Jickain on the beat.

One thing that listening to really successful people talk does to me is that it makes me think how small I really am in the world. People like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have been my silent heroes for some time not because they are probably the most influential people in the world, but because of how much they understand about it before any of us did. Those people, these leaders and innovators, are truly inspiring human beings. I was watching a few interviews done by the creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and I just remember being dumbfounded by the world that he lives in. It's really an amazing thing to behold when people with that much influence talk to ordinary people about the effects of their creations; trying to level himself with the people. It was really an awesome thing to behold how much Facebook has grown in these past few years. 500 Million Facebook Users The last time I checked, Facebook had over 500 million users who go online with active profiles....

I spent the whole day just trying to think about what to post on this new sound recording website at SoundCloud.com . It's a great app for those who want to get their music out there, or at least on the facebook wall. I just love the fact that it's so easy to use and that I can actually use my iTouch4 to record the songs I want to be posted online. It's a great way to start sharing music to others who have an open ear. I just love it. As a musician, I totally revamped my philosophy when it comes to sharing my music to other people. I ran back to basics. I love to write songs that make me feel good. I write songs that have a feel-good vibe and is easy to listen to. Although I must say that I'm a neophyte compared to all the greats out there; heck maybe even you have a greater gift compared to my menial singer-songwriter bravado. But you know what? I'm okay with it. I'm okay with people thinking that this guy is better than me when it comes to making songs. It...

When I read this I just couldn't get it out of my head. One of the reasons why I think Walking Dead is one of the top stories out there today is because of the horror that it represents. It's not like any other cheap horror story flick that could get you as far as the next scene, or at the most get you to do a cheap mini-jump (height of which will depend on how much you weigh) in your seat; it's the kind of horror that actually does a number to your well-being; it messes up the balance in your Chi. It's the kind that sticks with you for the longest time.  Disturbances With the Walking Dead you won't remember a scary, ugly face a ghost made; you re-examine who you are as a person. You get to look into yourself and actually get to wondering: am I capable of this? What if I were actually there, would I be doing the same? This I think is the mark of a true horror story; when we find ourselves unguarded, asking ourselves those kinds of questions. Walking Dead does no...

"Not bad for a first assignment, eh chief?" Chief. I hate it when he calls me chief. Makes me feel old; doesn't seem like I deserve to be called chief. Heck, being 30 sucks balls but that doesn't mean you should be okay with other people call you 'chief'. Well at least not today. Today I woke up on the right side of the bed, but when I looked around to check the view, seemed like everything was topsy turvy. Wasn't nice to look at, or even feel like I got everything good and the whole world was messed. I didn't want to think like I was different from the rest of these mother fuckers around here. It's good to feel good when you wake in the morning, just don't feel too good, you douche. "I hate it when you call me that, Neil." My words smelled as bad as the lingering aura of a cigarette. "Yeah, whatever boss." he shuffled his feet and picked up the camera. He twisted his brown cap to show me its back side, wiped off th...

I remember being that guy who would always notice the moon. Of course, I'm writing this because tonight facebook had a lot of chatter about how great the moon looks like as of late. Which is cool and all that, I guess.  Whenever I see people do that, I always think to myself: I used to be that guy. I used to be the guy who would marvel at the sunsets, gaze at the stars and just stare at the moon. And then the next morning I would wake up, hop on my red KONA mountain bike and just ride it to the best site in Cagayan de Oro so I could watch the sunrise. I used to be that guy. I told a friend about what I used to do way back when, and she told me to my face: "You're so weird!" I can't help but wonder though, what happened? What happens to all of us in between high school to college and then after college when we're working? What happens in between our lives that when we sit and just think about where we've been and who've we become? Why do I always end...

I always wanted to do reviews. It's always a great thing to have watched something really awesome and have to write about it. I mean it's probably the best job in the world, you know, to be a respected and well-liked critique. Now that I think about my life before as a student, I always loved to do reflection papers about movies or books that I happen to like. I don't really understand why some people find it such a hassle to go and share their thoughts and feelings about something beautiful; I always found that as something relaxing. How many times, in our sometimes stale life, do we get to be sanctioned to write about something that we like? I mean, really think about it? Maybe it's because they don't like to set aside time to do this, or if Microsoft Word gives them headaches. I don't really know. Well, I don't really care. The only thing that bothers me about reflection papers is that teachers always find a way to grade them. Isn't it funny thoug...

I think that it's best for me to write at an isolated space. Unlike the rest of the bloggers out there who like to write in a coffee shop, I don't really like the attention that it brings. I always think that there's something about someone writing in a public place that I find wrong. Writing for me is such an experience that should be done in solitude. Like a painter who bear his work before it's done, his secrets gets bored, forced and unexciting; I don't want that. No matter what I'm writing about, whether it is something unimportant or sensitive, I should always have it hidden before it is finished. There's something about solitude that helps words flow out; fluidity is gained without obstruction. I'm writing this because I've noticed something about creation of something beautiful. It took solitude for God to create this world, and I guess so does everything else. Food for thought. ＼(^o^)／ Follow me at twitter.com/fonzitoot. :) Location: Legazpi...

Boredom doesn't bode well with laziness. Follow me at twitter.com/fonzitoot. :)

Paseo del Mar is Zamboanga's fast-break play towards ball breaking those who assume this city is all about kidnappings and throwing grenades. This place takes my breath away, except of course the many people who manger to stick it back in. View from the boulevard. This place is leaps and bounds beyond its time. Perhaps the only thing that holds it back is the sheer volume of the people who like to come here and inhale the view.. There's just too many of them! But if you just catch the view at the right time, or if you're into large crowds, you'd love it here. I'm not against people, I just find it such a travesty when there's too much of them. Like putting too much cheese on a pasta, it's counter productive. But since this place is a novelty to the Zamboangenyos, it's all good in the chavacano hood. Lights seem familiar? Well it is. I think they've become the recent trend when it comes to putting up attractions in the Philippines. I...