We've moved back to the house although there are still things to be completed like interior doors, painting jobs, etc, etc. What's more depressing are the boxes that are still cluttered in our living room. Nevermind what's stored inside the children's rooms. As it is, they cannot occupy these yet and have to sleep in the family room where the tv and this computer is. It looks like it would take another three months before everything's finally settled. Just the same, we are all glad we're back!
Unfortunately, my 85 year-old mother-in-law takes a long time to get re-acquainted with the house. She seems to be disoriented. What happened was we asked my wife's brother to take her to his house and stay there for a while as the house we were renting was too hot and very uncomfortable. The problem was she wasn't there when we moved back. Now, she keeps on saying she wants to go back home. We can't find the right words to tell her that this is the same house, only renovated. Oh well, I guess confusion is almost synonymous to old age.
Nevertheless, in a few hours from now, I shall be on my way to Clark where a plane shall take me and my in-laws to Singapore for an overnight stay. From there, we head to Genting, Malaysia for another overnight stay and travel back to Kuala Lumpur where hopefully, I get to meet an old friend of mine, Bayi, who used to go visiting Filipino blogs before making his name a familiar one in Philippine blogosphere.
Tata for now!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Almost done.
What was supposed to be a simple renovation on the house turned out to be a complete redesigning. Since the kids are already all grown up, what with the youngest being almost 6' and all, we decided to have more rooms. The perceuved two-month reno is now on its three and a half months. We are depleting, no make that "have depleted" our resources slowly, thanks to our collective inputs on what to put to make it more beautiful. Exciting but scary.
I am more hands on right now. While I let the kids to choose the color scheme for their house, the rest have been my call. We have just finished putting up the cornices and baseboards on the living room yesterday. Squaring the door frames have been very challenging from my point of view. I had to ask the carpenter to correct something several times. The octagonal centerpieces for the lights on the ceiling was also proved to be very tedious. The other carpenter had to align, saw and nail interchangeably until everything's fixed to the right place.
Hopefully, we can move back again next week. Just thinking how we are going to put back all those things in our boxes make my back ache.
I am more hands on right now. While I let the kids to choose the color scheme for their house, the rest have been my call. We have just finished putting up the cornices and baseboards on the living room yesterday. Squaring the door frames have been very challenging from my point of view. I had to ask the carpenter to correct something several times. The octagonal centerpieces for the lights on the ceiling was also proved to be very tedious. The other carpenter had to align, saw and nail interchangeably until everything's fixed to the right place.
Hopefully, we can move back again next week. Just thinking how we are going to put back all those things in our boxes make my back ache.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Art Projects
As I have done in the past, I am posting several works of my students done during the third and final term of the schoolyear. These artworks have been done in my class by freshmen and sophomore students.
The first photo is a sample of my sophomore students. The first one being a lesson on what I call dramatic lettering where the student should create a kind of lettering that will show the meaning of the word.
The next one delves with art history. During the spanish era, a painter named Honorato Lozano who became popular for his paintings of everyday life done with the client's name. This genre was known as Letras y Figuras. I asked my students to experiment on the form and these are some of the results.
But before the Letras Y Figuras, I asked them to choose a movie or tv show and re create the lettering used in its presentation. Here is one of the more interesting ones.
For the Freshmen who takes up painting, I introduced color harmony and here are some samples:
Analogous
Complementary
And lastly, our biggest project for the year, our toast to the masters. Here, they get to reproduce a work of a master. Not only do they learn about a particular master's style, they get to learn the effects of texture as well as I asked them to substitute different found objects in lieu of paint.
The first photo is a sample of my sophomore students. The first one being a lesson on what I call dramatic lettering where the student should create a kind of lettering that will show the meaning of the word.
The next one delves with art history. During the spanish era, a painter named Honorato Lozano who became popular for his paintings of everyday life done with the client's name. This genre was known as Letras y Figuras. I asked my students to experiment on the form and these are some of the results.
But before the Letras Y Figuras, I asked them to choose a movie or tv show and re create the lettering used in its presentation. Here is one of the more interesting ones.
For the Freshmen who takes up painting, I introduced color harmony and here are some samples:
And lastly, our biggest project for the year, our toast to the masters. Here, they get to reproduce a work of a master. Not only do they learn about a particular master's style, they get to learn the effects of texture as well as I asked them to substitute different found objects in lieu of paint.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Education, joy or pain?
At last, my youngest has graduated from high school. He is the last one of my children to leave my clutches. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for him for where I left off, my wife shall take over! Hah! If he thinks coming to school with me was a pain, wait till he experiences his mom's training. For one thing, there will be no more car to take him to and from school. It will be an arduous task of having to commute everyday, just as what his siblings has experienced. This also means that I will be riding to and from school alone. I don't have to sit and wait in the car until a child comes before I go home. I had to do just that for almost twenty years of my teaching life.
But this is not a post about my youngest. This is more about what students and parents alike experience during this time of the year. Did the student pass with flying colors or was there a glitch in his studies for the whole year? What's worse is, will he repeat the year? If you are a student reading this and you passed all the requirements for the course, I salute you. If you belong to the other one, then, how do you deal with it?
The pain of failure is not the student's alone. It is shared, to a much greater extent, I suppose, with the parents. Having to see your child fail is a stab in a parent's heart. A lot of questions and soul searching happens when you see those red marks in your child's report card. Questions like, "where did I go wrong?" or "Did I not teach him/her enough?" "I always told him/her to study the lessons, didn't I?" or much worse, "is it in the genes?" If it's the last one, fingers are pointed to the better half, I guess. hahaha That is not to mention the financial worries. The cost of education keeps on escalating that parents practically have to work a lot harder just to send their kids to school.
Maybe to the student's surprise, the pain is shared by the teacher, too. The same questions arise. "What part of the lesson(s) did he/she not understand?" "If only he had more time for studying..." Failing a student is likewise a failure of the teacher. "BAkit hindi siya natuto?" (Why didn't he/she learn?)
Whatever it is, a failure can develop different outcomes. It can be construed as a weakness, a surrender of one's capabilities as a student and consequently, as an individual. If this happens, the individual becomes a total loser. This is the worst one can view a failure in one, two or more subject areas. Turning a failure into a positive thing is a more acceptable stance. It can be taken as a wake up call. Surely, the student has not done enough. Maybe too much partying or playing with friends. Staying on the phone for too long doing nonsense talk with a friend and lately, chatting for long hours on a computer. How much time did you spend studying the lessons? Have you reading and done all the assigned works? Did you listen to the teacher while lessons were being discussed?
In the end, it will always have to be the student who has to face the consequences of his failure. How does one deal with it? I guess, the best way to deal with the situation is take this as a wake up call. Admit that ones failure is his/her own doing. To blame it on somebody else is pointless. Take it as a challenge to do better next time.
Happy vacation, everyone!
But this is not a post about my youngest. This is more about what students and parents alike experience during this time of the year. Did the student pass with flying colors or was there a glitch in his studies for the whole year? What's worse is, will he repeat the year? If you are a student reading this and you passed all the requirements for the course, I salute you. If you belong to the other one, then, how do you deal with it?
The pain of failure is not the student's alone. It is shared, to a much greater extent, I suppose, with the parents. Having to see your child fail is a stab in a parent's heart. A lot of questions and soul searching happens when you see those red marks in your child's report card. Questions like, "where did I go wrong?" or "Did I not teach him/her enough?" "I always told him/her to study the lessons, didn't I?" or much worse, "is it in the genes?" If it's the last one, fingers are pointed to the better half, I guess. hahaha That is not to mention the financial worries. The cost of education keeps on escalating that parents practically have to work a lot harder just to send their kids to school.
Maybe to the student's surprise, the pain is shared by the teacher, too. The same questions arise. "What part of the lesson(s) did he/she not understand?" "If only he had more time for studying..." Failing a student is likewise a failure of the teacher. "BAkit hindi siya natuto?" (Why didn't he/she learn?)
Whatever it is, a failure can develop different outcomes. It can be construed as a weakness, a surrender of one's capabilities as a student and consequently, as an individual. If this happens, the individual becomes a total loser. This is the worst one can view a failure in one, two or more subject areas. Turning a failure into a positive thing is a more acceptable stance. It can be taken as a wake up call. Surely, the student has not done enough. Maybe too much partying or playing with friends. Staying on the phone for too long doing nonsense talk with a friend and lately, chatting for long hours on a computer. How much time did you spend studying the lessons? Have you reading and done all the assigned works? Did you listen to the teacher while lessons were being discussed?
In the end, it will always have to be the student who has to face the consequences of his failure. How does one deal with it? I guess, the best way to deal with the situation is take this as a wake up call. Admit that ones failure is his/her own doing. To blame it on somebody else is pointless. Take it as a challenge to do better next time.
Happy vacation, everyone!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A new world order?
If we are to believe a Russian dean of diplomatic academy, Igor Panarin, a new world order might be in the offing. According to him, the United States that we know may not be what it is come autumn. The union will disintegrate into six different territories as a result of the financial crisis that plagued the US last year.
Through an interpreter, the soviet diplomat, who had forecasted the collapse since 1998, said that the six territories would compose of
The forecast is based mainly on the US's plunging economy which continue to plummet to this time. Should this happen, there will be a new world leader and I wonder where we, a nation whose econo-political stability has always been in question, will put us. For sure we can kiss our Kalayaan claim in the Spratley Islands goodbye for according to Panarin, China would take over the California Republic :-)
Personally, I still think that the breakup is a very far scenario. Panarin's prediction is based on the collapse of the USSR and has likened Obama to Russia's last leader Mikhail Gorbachev. There is a big difference, in my opinion. While the USSR shared with the US in terms of power, its ideologies are different, hence the mindset of their people. The USSR may have enjoyed the privilieges of being a world power but this may have only been with their political leaders. The US has shared it with their countrymen living the American dream of someday making it rich at the very least. I think that there's no way that any American would allow a foreign country take over its affairs knowing the potential of losing their own privileges. As Randy David said “While I could imagine California declaring independence, why would they allow themselves to be absorbed by China? Why would Californians think that their crisis would be solved by China?
But of course, we cannot deny the possibility of a US collapse. After all it is faced with a terrible blow and has not yet solved its problems to date and many things, including the impossible can still happen.
Through an interpreter, the soviet diplomat, who had forecasted the collapse since 1998, said that the six territories would compose of
California Republic (California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho)which would be absorbed or fall under the influence of China, and the “Texas Republic” (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida) that would become part of or fall under Mexico’s influence... Canada would get or influence the “Central North American Republic” (the Midwest plus Montana, Wyoming and Colorado), “Atlantic America” (the northeastern American seaboard plus Kentucky, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina) would end up with the European Union or the United Kingdom. Alaska would revert back to Russia, and Japan and China would take over Hawaii.
The forecast is based mainly on the US's plunging economy which continue to plummet to this time. Should this happen, there will be a new world leader and I wonder where we, a nation whose econo-political stability has always been in question, will put us. For sure we can kiss our Kalayaan claim in the Spratley Islands goodbye for according to Panarin, China would take over the California Republic :-)
Personally, I still think that the breakup is a very far scenario. Panarin's prediction is based on the collapse of the USSR and has likened Obama to Russia's last leader Mikhail Gorbachev. There is a big difference, in my opinion. While the USSR shared with the US in terms of power, its ideologies are different, hence the mindset of their people. The USSR may have enjoyed the privilieges of being a world power but this may have only been with their political leaders. The US has shared it with their countrymen living the American dream of someday making it rich at the very least. I think that there's no way that any American would allow a foreign country take over its affairs knowing the potential of losing their own privileges. As Randy David said “While I could imagine California declaring independence, why would they allow themselves to be absorbed by China? Why would Californians think that their crisis would be solved by China?
But of course, we cannot deny the possibility of a US collapse. After all it is faced with a terrible blow and has not yet solved its problems to date and many things, including the impossible can still happen.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Baguio- the summer (brawling) capital
It has been last week and last night that I saw a ramble happening at the city of pines on tv. In both instances, the protagonists were young men, probably in their twenties, involved in a free for all fisticuffs. The one I saw last night was sparked by one group challenging the other to rough it up right after a drinking binge (probably as they were all drunk as reported). You know - male machismo and all that kajologan. So juvenile and oh so primitive!
Now that I have two teen-aged boys, my greatest worry is that sooner or later, they would learn how to drink with their friends and probably go to a bar. What are the chances that they might encounter a group like these who has nothing better to do but test their machismo? Makes me shudder. To think I can't even rest in peace as I watch my youngest play basketball with his friends. What am I to do? I grew up during a time when basketball always turn out to be a brawl. First, during the MICAA which later on became the PBA. I could remember how the likes of Jaworski, Guidaben, Arnaiz, etc. would all turn the game into a boxing ball. You can just imagine how the basketball games in every municipalities were like during those days. Bottles were being thrown on the court as the players rough it up. I'm glad that this phase of the game is no more. We have matured somewhat in that regard as basketball games now are relatively peaceful. No more hotheads playing the game, I think.
I just hope my children are far from harm everytime they are out of my sight. I am not worried that they'd do anything wrong. I know they know better. It is the surroundings that I am always worried about.
Now that I have two teen-aged boys, my greatest worry is that sooner or later, they would learn how to drink with their friends and probably go to a bar. What are the chances that they might encounter a group like these who has nothing better to do but test their machismo? Makes me shudder. To think I can't even rest in peace as I watch my youngest play basketball with his friends. What am I to do? I grew up during a time when basketball always turn out to be a brawl. First, during the MICAA which later on became the PBA. I could remember how the likes of Jaworski, Guidaben, Arnaiz, etc. would all turn the game into a boxing ball. You can just imagine how the basketball games in every municipalities were like during those days. Bottles were being thrown on the court as the players rough it up. I'm glad that this phase of the game is no more. We have matured somewhat in that regard as basketball games now are relatively peaceful. No more hotheads playing the game, I think.
I just hope my children are far from harm everytime they are out of my sight. I am not worried that they'd do anything wrong. I know they know better. It is the surroundings that I am always worried about.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What a lot of crap!
February 25, 1986 was a milestone for Filipinos for on that day, the Marcos era ended. The day has never been brighter for every Filipino for that day signified that we, as a people, are truly free. That we won't take trash from anybody and that we are free to express our sentiments and can and will depose even a strongman like Marcos.
Another EDSA revolt and several coup attempts later and we are still in square one. The bright sun we have seen is once again covered by rain clouds, now darker than ever. It seems like we are not any better than we were twenty three years ago. We are still being treated like dirt by our leaders, most of them bagging what is supposedly the people's purse, into their own pockets. We are taken for fools by men and women who are power hungry and enveloped by greed.
PGMA is quoted in the papers last Sunday to have said, “The world embraced EDSA I in 1986. The world tolerated EDSA II in 2001. The world will not forgive an EDSA III, but it will instead condemn the Philippines as a country whose political system is hopelessly unstable.” I cannot completely agree. Condemn, the world may, but not because of a political system that is hopelessly unstable. It is because we cannot produce a leader worthy of the title. A leader who has the capacity to march us on to victory. A leader who can beat a culture of corruption that has plagued this land. A leader who will rally the people into submission for the constituents believe he/she has the solutions to our problems. If the Filipino people can be faulted for its unsavory plight, it would be because of his folly for not choosing wisely during elections. Or better yet, for not vigilant enough to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.
Will the world condemn us for asserting our rights? I don't think so. The world has looked up on us in 1986, we can gain its respect once more if we prove to the world that we will keep on trying until we've found the right guy for the job.
Another EDSA revolt and several coup attempts later and we are still in square one. The bright sun we have seen is once again covered by rain clouds, now darker than ever. It seems like we are not any better than we were twenty three years ago. We are still being treated like dirt by our leaders, most of them bagging what is supposedly the people's purse, into their own pockets. We are taken for fools by men and women who are power hungry and enveloped by greed.
PGMA is quoted in the papers last Sunday to have said, “The world embraced EDSA I in 1986. The world tolerated EDSA II in 2001. The world will not forgive an EDSA III, but it will instead condemn the Philippines as a country whose political system is hopelessly unstable.” I cannot completely agree. Condemn, the world may, but not because of a political system that is hopelessly unstable. It is because we cannot produce a leader worthy of the title. A leader who has the capacity to march us on to victory. A leader who can beat a culture of corruption that has plagued this land. A leader who will rally the people into submission for the constituents believe he/she has the solutions to our problems. If the Filipino people can be faulted for its unsavory plight, it would be because of his folly for not choosing wisely during elections. Or better yet, for not vigilant enough to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.
Will the world condemn us for asserting our rights? I don't think so. The world has looked up on us in 1986, we can gain its respect once more if we prove to the world that we will keep on trying until we've found the right guy for the job.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine's Day
I don't know what's so special about valentine's day. I don't get it. If it's a day for lovers, then, we ae missing the point. We do not need a special day when we are in love. We are in love everyday! And what's with this announcer in a morning show saying he expects traffic to be heavy especially around motels? Are there women really that dumb to fall for a stunt pulled out by a guy to celebrate valentine's day for three hours inside a roomful of mirrors?
There is only one particular valentine's day that I remember - February 14, 1983. It was the morning that my painting "Transition" that commemorated the transition from a college to a university where I worked was unveiled. But that was not it. It was in the evening of that day when my father had his first heart attack and passed away. Nobody had seen that coming. It was a real shocker. He was okay when I came home then suddenly, he had the attack while attending to our store, rushed to the hospital and died there. How ironic that he would die of a heart attack when we are celebrating a day for hearts, a symbol of love.
Anyway, I don't want to be a party pooper (like as if I have not ruined your celebrations already). Here's a little presentation of the "berks", members of the blogkada team, and their sweethearts. It's a very nice presentation prepared by our friend, the forever in love, dedicated mother, mec
There is only one particular valentine's day that I remember - February 14, 1983. It was the morning that my painting "Transition" that commemorated the transition from a college to a university where I worked was unveiled. But that was not it. It was in the evening of that day when my father had his first heart attack and passed away. Nobody had seen that coming. It was a real shocker. He was okay when I came home then suddenly, he had the attack while attending to our store, rushed to the hospital and died there. How ironic that he would die of a heart attack when we are celebrating a day for hearts, a symbol of love.
Anyway, I don't want to be a party pooper (like as if I have not ruined your celebrations already). Here's a little presentation of the "berks", members of the blogkada team, and their sweethearts. It's a very nice presentation prepared by our friend, the forever in love, dedicated mother, mec
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bad for your health
Just a short observation and conclusion. It seems like the Senate hall and the senators are bad for one's health. Imagine, all those summoned to appear before it land in the hospital. I remember how Jocjoc Bolante was up and about, smiling at the international airport and suddenly, upon landing to the country, could hardly breathe. That goes true with the rest! And they all go to St. Luke's! Wow!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Rite of Passage
The house is not even halfway finished. I am excited as to how it would appear. In the meantime, we have to content ourselves with an even smaller apartment while the renovation is ongoing.
Last weekend, the school's annual Father and Son camping took place at Light Bridge Hotel and Resort at Taal, Batangas. As usual, it was fun. The camps of each patrol are well-kept and well-maintained. I had to, together with two more teachers, judge the best patrol camp and they were pretty impressive. We had to look at three items, viz., tentage, gadgets and orderliness. The food was sufficient and tasty. The games were funny and very creative. For example, they played a volleyball game with a twist. We covered the net and neither team could see the other.
The "sessions" with the dads were wonderful. I also had to be a judge during the campfire, which to me was the highlight of the activity. The patrols had to compose their own song, yell and cheer. The fathers are really getting into it. They even brought instruments, computer and a mixed-media projector. The campfire is getting better and better.
The Father and Son has been the brainchild of my "ninong" (godfather), Moie Lozada, who stood as principal sponsor when the wife and I got married. There is no other man who can lead this activity like he does. The problem is he has retired. It's a good thing that he can still join us and take charge of the activities.
I used to bring my sons on these camping trips but now that they are all grown-up, they don't seem to be interested anymore. Nevertheless, we sure had a lot of fun. I had fun. Even wrote a poem about it in 2004, I think, when we camped at Mt. Makiling:
Rites of Passage
I have camped on
these grounds when
I was young,
braved the thick forest
to test if I
could be a man.
Leaves relentlessly fall
raining down on my tent
weave a golden mat on the dirt
just like it did before.
Insects stubbornly
invade the silence
unfazed by the dark night
or the snores from
other fathers
tending their sons.
Inside my tent
two growing boys
saturated with play
innocently asleep
carelessly sprawled
on the sleeping bag.
How I envy the trees
defying the wind outside
with each offspring
a success,
they stand
sturdy and proud.
I come back
to camp on these grounds
once more
to test if I
can be a father
to these youthful boys.
rolly
Last weekend, the school's annual Father and Son camping took place at Light Bridge Hotel and Resort at Taal, Batangas. As usual, it was fun. The camps of each patrol are well-kept and well-maintained. I had to, together with two more teachers, judge the best patrol camp and they were pretty impressive. We had to look at three items, viz., tentage, gadgets and orderliness. The food was sufficient and tasty. The games were funny and very creative. For example, they played a volleyball game with a twist. We covered the net and neither team could see the other.
The "sessions" with the dads were wonderful. I also had to be a judge during the campfire, which to me was the highlight of the activity. The patrols had to compose their own song, yell and cheer. The fathers are really getting into it. They even brought instruments, computer and a mixed-media projector. The campfire is getting better and better.
The Father and Son has been the brainchild of my "ninong" (godfather), Moie Lozada, who stood as principal sponsor when the wife and I got married. There is no other man who can lead this activity like he does. The problem is he has retired. It's a good thing that he can still join us and take charge of the activities.
I used to bring my sons on these camping trips but now that they are all grown-up, they don't seem to be interested anymore. Nevertheless, we sure had a lot of fun. I had fun. Even wrote a poem about it in 2004, I think, when we camped at Mt. Makiling:
Rites of Passage
I have camped on
these grounds when
I was young,
braved the thick forest
to test if I
could be a man.
Leaves relentlessly fall
raining down on my tent
weave a golden mat on the dirt
just like it did before.
Insects stubbornly
invade the silence
unfazed by the dark night
or the snores from
other fathers
tending their sons.
Inside my tent
two growing boys
saturated with play
innocently asleep
carelessly sprawled
on the sleeping bag.
How I envy the trees
defying the wind outside
with each offspring
a success,
they stand
sturdy and proud.
I come back
to camp on these grounds
once more
to test if I
can be a father
to these youthful boys.
rolly
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Grease
The school embarked on its nth school play. This year, they decided to do the stage play Grease. I watched the gala performance last night with my friends and it turned out that it was also alumni night where most of the main characters were previous stars of the plays we have done in the past. Seeing them perform last night brought back a lot of memories! I used to do the stage before.
My first assignment was way back in 1985 when we did the King and I. I designed the stage and the school contracted someone else to execute it. It was directed by Mr. Tony Espejo and it was the first time that I have worked with a professional director. If I remember correctly, the following year, we sought the help of the Repertory Philippines and staged South Pacific. This time it was the other way around. Someone designed the stage and I executed it! We also did Carousel, Annie and the Sound of music.
The stage is not really new to me as I used to be in school plays when I was in the elementary grades at La Consolacion School in Caloocan City several eons ago. I used to perform. However, it stopped when I got to high school. My priorities changed.
The stage is a wonderful place to work in. The fun part is in the rehearsals. We would stay at the theatre until the wee hours of the morning rehearsing. We would tremble and sink our heads everytime the director was not pleased and cursed! I remember how the kids would turn yellow when Tony Espejo, the late Bibot Amador or Baby Barredo shouted unmentionables. But that was part of the discipline. This was the time when I was no longer onstage and just watching, waiting for them to finish so that I could continue my work, adding on or taking out from the design as needed. It always had to be perfect as on stage, each performance will practically be the last! No more repetitions. Once you've committed a mistake, that's it! You cannot say sorry to the audience and ask them to forget about it as you go back to where you have left off. Discipline and perfection! That's what you aim for.
Last night's performance may not have been that perfect as the singers sometimes would turn flat on a few bars but the dancing and the overall mood was almost perfect! I am particularly proud of my co-teachers who joined the production. They did well. Kudos to the performers and looking forward to next year's production!
My first assignment was way back in 1985 when we did the King and I. I designed the stage and the school contracted someone else to execute it. It was directed by Mr. Tony Espejo and it was the first time that I have worked with a professional director. If I remember correctly, the following year, we sought the help of the Repertory Philippines and staged South Pacific. This time it was the other way around. Someone designed the stage and I executed it! We also did Carousel, Annie and the Sound of music.
The stage is not really new to me as I used to be in school plays when I was in the elementary grades at La Consolacion School in Caloocan City several eons ago. I used to perform. However, it stopped when I got to high school. My priorities changed.
The stage is a wonderful place to work in. The fun part is in the rehearsals. We would stay at the theatre until the wee hours of the morning rehearsing. We would tremble and sink our heads everytime the director was not pleased and cursed! I remember how the kids would turn yellow when Tony Espejo, the late Bibot Amador or Baby Barredo shouted unmentionables. But that was part of the discipline. This was the time when I was no longer onstage and just watching, waiting for them to finish so that I could continue my work, adding on or taking out from the design as needed. It always had to be perfect as on stage, each performance will practically be the last! No more repetitions. Once you've committed a mistake, that's it! You cannot say sorry to the audience and ask them to forget about it as you go back to where you have left off. Discipline and perfection! That's what you aim for.
Last night's performance may not have been that perfect as the singers sometimes would turn flat on a few bars but the dancing and the overall mood was almost perfect! I am particularly proud of my co-teachers who joined the production. They did well. Kudos to the performers and looking forward to next year's production!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Moving On
Every year, the wife and I embark on a new project. When we got married, the first project, other than making babies, of course, was to purchase our own house. Well, we're almost there. A few more years and we would have paid off the mortgage of our first project. Then, every year, we built it up slowly, adding and subtracting to our own tastes. A few more years after, the car, etc...
We are embarking on a big one this year. We are getting the house renovated. That means we have to move to another house in the meantime so that neither we nor the workers get in each others way. That also means we have to haul most of our things to the new place we are renting and you can just imagine what twenty years or so of accumulated things, mostly trash, can be. We keep discovering things we've saved meant to be used in the future but forgotten about them. Time grows on us and it does not wait. It just goes on and on like a clock that does not run out of batteries. Hopefully, we will only have to withstand two months of discomfort and we will be moving again to a newer house we've always called home.
We are embarking on a big one this year. We are getting the house renovated. That means we have to move to another house in the meantime so that neither we nor the workers get in each others way. That also means we have to haul most of our things to the new place we are renting and you can just imagine what twenty years or so of accumulated things, mostly trash, can be. We keep discovering things we've saved meant to be used in the future but forgotten about them. Time grows on us and it does not wait. It just goes on and on like a clock that does not run out of batteries. Hopefully, we will only have to withstand two months of discomfort and we will be moving again to a newer house we've always called home.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Fair is fair!
There are three sides of the truth: your truth, my truth and the truth. I have blogged about the golf incident but that was based on one side of the story. The Valley Golf club had already come out with its investigation and has given penalties to what it thinks were at fault. The verdict can be read here. Since the parties are both unknown to me and that I have nothing to gain from taking sides, as I am not wont to take sides on any story anyway, I am reproducing the other side of the story for your perusal. You can read it here
Sunday, January 11, 2009
11 0 4
My former student, Miki, in her response to this post, wondered how my son's band, 11 0 4, sounded during their first stint at the Podium. In my response, I promised her I'd post somethng as soon as I can get hold of something. My daughters took some videos and although the quality may not be that great, maybe these can do for now. View it here, here and hereHope you like it.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Me and my appetite
The only thing I don't like about the holiday season is that the food triggers my tastebuds like crazy. I had to indulge with a lot of wonderful food which is actually very bad for a diabetic like me. Much more that my micro albumin is getting high. I think that means my kidneys are extracting protein. Since most of the food being served are party food, i.e. lots of red meat which I had been forbidden by the doctor to partake, I can't help myself but give it a try. The small bite became a big one and more. That made me think I will stop eating meat the following day. How wrong could I have been? Dismally wrong!
This afternoon, I went to see my doctor and lo and behold, my weight is up again to 190 pounds! To think it was down to 170. As usual, I have to pay the lab a visit and see how my blood is doing this Saturday. Hopefully, my micro-albumin has not soared otherwise, it will be not be a good sign.
The problem with diabetes is that it is an illness that makes you hungry all the time. What's more is that sometimes, your blood sugar drops and you feel like as if you're melting like a candle. You begin to shiver and become very very weak. If only my body can have a tune-up the same way the mechanic gave my car.
This afternoon, I went to see my doctor and lo and behold, my weight is up again to 190 pounds! To think it was down to 170. As usual, I have to pay the lab a visit and see how my blood is doing this Saturday. Hopefully, my micro-albumin has not soared otherwise, it will be not be a good sign.
The problem with diabetes is that it is an illness that makes you hungry all the time. What's more is that sometimes, your blood sugar drops and you feel like as if you're melting like a candle. You begin to shiver and become very very weak. If only my body can have a tune-up the same way the mechanic gave my car.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Gentlemen, where art thou?
I don't want to post something negative and wake up into a new year with negative vibes. In order to do that, I will close this year's post with something that is not positive. Surprisingly, the story I came up with concerns sports - a game. We can all relate to that as we have, for one time or another, played a game or two. And we all know that in order for a game to be thrilling and fun, the players have to play by the rules. It is when someone cheats or bullies his'her way through that a game is no longer enjoyable.
Look at what happened to a golfer. Now, golf is supposedly a gentleman's game, is it not? It's rules are very strict, complicated even. What happens when men who are not gentle at all try to play the game? They beat up someone, bully their way around, knowing that they have superior strength and number - not to mention that they wield guns.
In fairness to the father, he said that being a government official, he asks for forgiveness for what has happened. But nevertheless, he points to the alleged victim as the one who has started it all. Yeah, right! A father innocently enjoying golf with his son and daughter would have the gall to initiate a fight with burly, gun-toting men who wants to overtake them.
I've read somewhere that cockfighting is another gentleman's game. It is in a cockpit where you'd find the most honest person in the world. Money lost to an opponent would come flying around, landing on the floor and yet, nobody would get it except for the rightful owner. There seems to be an understanding in the area that everyone has the right to hit, at least one, someone who is caught cheating.
Golf used to be a gentleman's game as well. However, with the recent event, plus the negotiations being hatched by government officials on the fairway, I am now beginning to have second thoughts.
Happy New Year to all!
Look at what happened to a golfer. Now, golf is supposedly a gentleman's game, is it not? It's rules are very strict, complicated even. What happens when men who are not gentle at all try to play the game? They beat up someone, bully their way around, knowing that they have superior strength and number - not to mention that they wield guns.
In fairness to the father, he said that being a government official, he asks for forgiveness for what has happened. But nevertheless, he points to the alleged victim as the one who has started it all. Yeah, right! A father innocently enjoying golf with his son and daughter would have the gall to initiate a fight with burly, gun-toting men who wants to overtake them.
I've read somewhere that cockfighting is another gentleman's game. It is in a cockpit where you'd find the most honest person in the world. Money lost to an opponent would come flying around, landing on the floor and yet, nobody would get it except for the rightful owner. There seems to be an understanding in the area that everyone has the right to hit, at least one, someone who is caught cheating.
Golf used to be a gentleman's game as well. However, with the recent event, plus the negotiations being hatched by government officials on the fairway, I am now beginning to have second thoughts.
Happy New Year to all!
Monday, December 29, 2008
A Christmas full of music
I think my son has come a long way. This christmas has been full of shows we had to watch as his chamber orchestra goes touring in malls for the holiday season. I only got to see the one they did at the Robinson's Place and I was even late as I had to come all the way from Tanay. My friends and I were looking at a 1 hectare property which looked promising for an investment. However, it was too far and very mountainous that we had to abandon the plans of purchasing it.
Anyway, I was told by the wife that the best show they had was the one performed at the MOA. It was so good that people even asked my son to have a picture taken with them right after the show. He is currently the concert master and does the solos on violin.
As a sample of how the orchestra sounds, here is one of their performances at the Philamlife Auditorium last year. He was not yet the concert master then so you'll find him sitting next to the principal violinist. Enjoy!
On Christmas day, the whole family had to rush to the Podium as his band, 11 O 4, had to perform their first gig. The all male band is composed four singers and accompanied by a piano, a guitar and my son on violin. It was a real treat as these kids belted out songs from a repertoire of Christmas tunes and some pop songs. I couldn't believe my son could be very good as he performed the solo of Kenny Loggins' Whenever I call you friend. I've never seen him practice at home. The arrangements were very well executed and they harmonize pretty well considering that they are just a newly formed band. If these kids play their cards right, I think they'll go places.
As my way of greeting each and everyone a very Merry Christmas, here's the ensemble once more in their rendition of a christmas medley.
Anyway, I was told by the wife that the best show they had was the one performed at the MOA. It was so good that people even asked my son to have a picture taken with them right after the show. He is currently the concert master and does the solos on violin.
As a sample of how the orchestra sounds, here is one of their performances at the Philamlife Auditorium last year. He was not yet the concert master then so you'll find him sitting next to the principal violinist. Enjoy!
On Christmas day, the whole family had to rush to the Podium as his band, 11 O 4, had to perform their first gig. The all male band is composed four singers and accompanied by a piano, a guitar and my son on violin. It was a real treat as these kids belted out songs from a repertoire of Christmas tunes and some pop songs. I couldn't believe my son could be very good as he performed the solo of Kenny Loggins' Whenever I call you friend. I've never seen him practice at home. The arrangements were very well executed and they harmonize pretty well considering that they are just a newly formed band. If these kids play their cards right, I think they'll go places.
As my way of greeting each and everyone a very Merry Christmas, here's the ensemble once more in their rendition of a christmas medley.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
God plays little tricks on us sometimes
In one of the pre-celebrations of our 30th foundation anniversary, I saw someone who I think looked familiar although I wasn't really very sure. I may not be very good with names but I have a good memory for faces. However, the more I looked at him, the more I failed to remember who he was. Since I was kind of busy then, I dismissed the thought and went on with what I was doing.
Then, last week, I just confirmed that I knew him. He was a former student of mine. As a matter of fact, our valedictorian in 1989, our school paper's editor at the time and recipient of our Man of Letters. The reason I couldn't recognize him then was because he is suffering from an affliction. He developed a dystonia as a result of a brain stroke "...from a ruptured AVM ( Arterio-Venous Malformation, an abnormal collection of fragile blood vessels like arteries and veins, in my particular case, my brain".
His name is Richard Buencamino. When he graduated with honors, we knew he would go places. True enough, he was accepted in the U.P. College of
Medicine's INTARMED program( an accelerated 7- year medical curriculum which only accepts the top 20 males & top 20 females in the Philippine) and was awarded as one of the outstanding interns in Surgery,ENT & Family Medicine. He passed the medical board right after that and was accepted to the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics(4 years instead of 6 years of Internal Medicine & Pediatrics when done separately).
How can something go wrong with all these credentials? He is young, bright and full hope. However, God has other plans for this young man. One day while he was making his rounds in the hospital, he had the attack. As if that wasn't enough, while he was recovering from this, "(he) developed a terrible illness called Dystonia, secondary to the stroke(involuntary contraction of various muscles in my body like the tongue, eyelids, esophagus and neck)" disabling most of his bodily functions like speech due to involuntary contraction of the tongue, (he communicates through a voice synthesizing device and pen and paper). He also has an impaired vision at times and has to pry his eyes wide open to see. He cannot eat solid food and has to have his sustenance pass through a tube that is connected to his belly. His left ear has gone and can only hear through his right ear. Even his balance is way off and has to be assisted to stand and walk as a result of abnormal contractions on his head and neck.
But amidst all these trials, he has not surrendered his resolve. He turned to writing poetry and drawing. In spite of all those contractions, he still tries to write and draw from his heart. If there is one thing that this young man has, it is his will to live and his passion for life. While I was browsing through his writings, I remember distinctly something that he wrote. "Good food is not served on a platter twice." I had occasion to read his poetry and I had a hard time keeping my tears to myself as I read one of his poems that speaks to his 8 year old daughter. I hope it would be alright for me to reprint it here.
LAURYN, I love you very much!
9:30 am 10-10-08 by DAD
Lauryn, my daughter, I think of you in my solitude
Feeding my Jevity cans through my feeding tube,
I cannot talk, eat or walk properly
And my head turns to the right… o, Lord help me.
But I think of my loving daughter there in the U.S.
Who still has to hear me utter those words…
Oh Lauryn I yearn to talk & be with you,
Like a normal regular father would do.
How I yearn to carry you
Up in the heavens… the sky,
Where the mighty winds can blow your lush hair,
As you graciously go by.
There are so many things I long to give you dear,
So many dreams I desire to bestow but I fear,
That they may not come true
Yet, I know that GOD can make
the radiant sun emanate from this blue.
I remember the house by the beach,
The BMW SUV your Mom & I followed
but could not reach,
Yes, that house you were supposed to have
A party your friends & barkadas will simply love
I know with every fiber of my dystonic being,
That GOD is great every single time
Like that good old mailman HE always delivers
His graces to poor lonely souls
like us who always quiver.
So keep your chin up,
Lauryn, you are blessed from above,
GOD put us here for a purpose
We in due time will discern His love.
Lauryn, Eryn, I love you very, very much!
You may not know this fact,
Because I have been a stubborn fool
in all 8 springs that has passed,
I know that we will triumph,
In GOD we will always be exuberant!
Then, last week, I just confirmed that I knew him. He was a former student of mine. As a matter of fact, our valedictorian in 1989, our school paper's editor at the time and recipient of our Man of Letters. The reason I couldn't recognize him then was because he is suffering from an affliction. He developed a dystonia as a result of a brain stroke "...from a ruptured AVM ( Arterio-Venous Malformation, an abnormal collection of fragile blood vessels like arteries and veins, in my particular case, my brain".
His name is Richard Buencamino. When he graduated with honors, we knew he would go places. True enough, he was accepted in the U.P. College of
Medicine's INTARMED program( an accelerated 7- year medical curriculum which only accepts the top 20 males & top 20 females in the Philippine) and was awarded as one of the outstanding interns in Surgery,ENT & Family Medicine. He passed the medical board right after that and was accepted to the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics(4 years instead of 6 years of Internal Medicine & Pediatrics when done separately).
How can something go wrong with all these credentials? He is young, bright and full hope. However, God has other plans for this young man. One day while he was making his rounds in the hospital, he had the attack. As if that wasn't enough, while he was recovering from this, "(he) developed a terrible illness called Dystonia, secondary to the stroke(involuntary contraction of various muscles in my body like the tongue, eyelids, esophagus and neck)" disabling most of his bodily functions like speech due to involuntary contraction of the tongue, (he communicates through a voice synthesizing device and pen and paper). He also has an impaired vision at times and has to pry his eyes wide open to see. He cannot eat solid food and has to have his sustenance pass through a tube that is connected to his belly. His left ear has gone and can only hear through his right ear. Even his balance is way off and has to be assisted to stand and walk as a result of abnormal contractions on his head and neck.
But amidst all these trials, he has not surrendered his resolve. He turned to writing poetry and drawing. In spite of all those contractions, he still tries to write and draw from his heart. If there is one thing that this young man has, it is his will to live and his passion for life. While I was browsing through his writings, I remember distinctly something that he wrote. "Good food is not served on a platter twice." I had occasion to read his poetry and I had a hard time keeping my tears to myself as I read one of his poems that speaks to his 8 year old daughter. I hope it would be alright for me to reprint it here.
LAURYN, I love you very much!
9:30 am 10-10-08 by DAD
Lauryn, my daughter, I think of you in my solitude
Feeding my Jevity cans through my feeding tube,
I cannot talk, eat or walk properly
And my head turns to the right… o, Lord help me.
But I think of my loving daughter there in the U.S.
Who still has to hear me utter those words…
Oh Lauryn I yearn to talk & be with you,
Like a normal regular father would do.
How I yearn to carry you
Up in the heavens… the sky,
Where the mighty winds can blow your lush hair,
As you graciously go by.
There are so many things I long to give you dear,
So many dreams I desire to bestow but I fear,
That they may not come true
Yet, I know that GOD can make
the radiant sun emanate from this blue.
I remember the house by the beach,
The BMW SUV your Mom & I followed
but could not reach,
Yes, that house you were supposed to have
A party your friends & barkadas will simply love
I know with every fiber of my dystonic being,
That GOD is great every single time
Like that good old mailman HE always delivers
His graces to poor lonely souls
like us who always quiver.
So keep your chin up,
Lauryn, you are blessed from above,
GOD put us here for a purpose
We in due time will discern His love.
Lauryn, Eryn, I love you very, very much!
You may not know this fact,
Because I have been a stubborn fool
in all 8 springs that has passed,
I know that we will triumph,
In GOD we will always be exuberant!
Pearl Anniversary
Once again, I had been remiss with blogging and visiting my favorite blogs. I apologize. You see, we just celebrated our thirteeth anniversary. No, not my wedding, silly. I'm not that old! I am talking about my school.
Yes, we just celebrated our pearl anniversary and what a celebration! It is by far one of the happiest celebrations we ever had. Everybody worked to make this one a success. We truly functioned as one cohesive community. With the guidance and supervision of the ever supportive president of the organization we fondly call Broden, the school was alive and showed much bravado. Thanks to the present president of the student council and her minions, the activities went well without any hitch but full of glitz.
We have a lot to thank for. As a young community, we have gone through a lot. The buildings, for one, is a clear manifestation of progress. From the initial main campus sprung several more buildings that grew like mushrooms that our graduates could not recognize the whole campus anymore.
Going back to the activities, one of the highlights was a concert given by the faculty of both the grade school and the high School. I took part in the latter where I played with a band that came into being as a result of the festivities. I never imagined I will be playing with a former student who is now a co-teacher of mine. Here are some pictures I think I can share. All pictures appearing here were taken by Bro. Ceci. Thanks Bro!
Me on bass
Me trying Ryan's guitar for size
Not Ray Charles but Ralph
The Band
Rob Borja singing Run
Rocker Chris Kee
Ryan and his gizmo
Jeff Menil belting out a song
choochoowa
Yes, we just celebrated our pearl anniversary and what a celebration! It is by far one of the happiest celebrations we ever had. Everybody worked to make this one a success. We truly functioned as one cohesive community. With the guidance and supervision of the ever supportive president of the organization we fondly call Broden, the school was alive and showed much bravado. Thanks to the present president of the student council and her minions, the activities went well without any hitch but full of glitz.
We have a lot to thank for. As a young community, we have gone through a lot. The buildings, for one, is a clear manifestation of progress. From the initial main campus sprung several more buildings that grew like mushrooms that our graduates could not recognize the whole campus anymore.
Going back to the activities, one of the highlights was a concert given by the faculty of both the grade school and the high School. I took part in the latter where I played with a band that came into being as a result of the festivities. I never imagined I will be playing with a former student who is now a co-teacher of mine. Here are some pictures I think I can share. All pictures appearing here were taken by Bro. Ceci. Thanks Bro!
Saturday, November 08, 2008
A presiden't's honeymoon only lasts for a short time
This is a follow-up of my entry on Obama's win last Tuesday. It seems that up until now, based on the news I've been watching on the boob tube, not only is America happy about Obama's success. We see footages of people celebrating in his father's country, Kenya, the UK, China and even in Obama, Japan which obviously shares his name.
The question to ask now is for how long will the jubilation last? Just a few days after that triumphant speech Obama gave, we see Wall Street on the brink of disaster once again. What this tells me is that no matter how charismatic a leader is, this too, shall fade away and soon, if the changes people expect do not come in what they perceive as the proper time. Proper time being interpreted by many as "soon" if not "now". Even Mr. Obama knows that the change he promises to bring may not come immediately. "it may not even be for a term," he said. But constituents do not share this view. They believe that with charisma comes enigma - that although it may be a puzzle, a charismatic leader would bring change for the better on their doorsteps right away.
We, as a people, have seen this before. We were ecstatic when we deposed the dictator, strongman Marcos after living in limbo for decades. We believed that Cory could do some magic. She could have. She had the magic wand a leader should possess. She did not only have the Filipinos support but the world's respect that even Jane Fonda was seen flashing the L sign while being a presentor at the Oscar's, and witnessed the folk singing group Peter, Paul and Mary coming over on their own to celebrate with us. She had the right timing and had the capacity to rally us forward. But the expectations changed and got worse as the term was about to expire. People began referring to her as "Corazon" pointing to the heart and then saying "C or Si" (yes) "Aqui" (here pointing to the brain, "NO". No sooner than she was in office when she foiled Enrile's and/or Laurel's "Operation (or was it Oplan)God save the Queen." Thereafter, she survived several more coup attempts from people who thought she was a weakling and from whom they can wrest power. Her reforms were met with skepticism from forces coming from all directions. Her bid at a nobel prize stomped on the ground, etc. Now, we are back to square one. We have the same ills that Marcos has left us with and with a vengeance. More poverty, corruption has tripled, allegations of election cheating that caused us at least Php 728M...and we are only onlookers at the present stalemate.
I will not be surprised if Mr. Obama loses his popularity. People do have short memories in spite of whatever talents one has. Even Christ was faced with turncoats in the end. What is certain is that evil has no race, no religion, no true color. It just is and will continue to be. It used to lurk in the shadows. It is now in the open wantonly wreaking havoc at our expense.
The question to ask now is for how long will the jubilation last? Just a few days after that triumphant speech Obama gave, we see Wall Street on the brink of disaster once again. What this tells me is that no matter how charismatic a leader is, this too, shall fade away and soon, if the changes people expect do not come in what they perceive as the proper time. Proper time being interpreted by many as "soon" if not "now". Even Mr. Obama knows that the change he promises to bring may not come immediately. "it may not even be for a term," he said. But constituents do not share this view. They believe that with charisma comes enigma - that although it may be a puzzle, a charismatic leader would bring change for the better on their doorsteps right away.
We, as a people, have seen this before. We were ecstatic when we deposed the dictator, strongman Marcos after living in limbo for decades. We believed that Cory could do some magic. She could have. She had the magic wand a leader should possess. She did not only have the Filipinos support but the world's respect that even Jane Fonda was seen flashing the L sign while being a presentor at the Oscar's, and witnessed the folk singing group Peter, Paul and Mary coming over on their own to celebrate with us. She had the right timing and had the capacity to rally us forward. But the expectations changed and got worse as the term was about to expire. People began referring to her as "Corazon" pointing to the heart and then saying "C or Si" (yes) "Aqui" (here pointing to the brain, "NO". No sooner than she was in office when she foiled Enrile's and/or Laurel's "Operation (or was it Oplan)God save the Queen." Thereafter, she survived several more coup attempts from people who thought she was a weakling and from whom they can wrest power. Her reforms were met with skepticism from forces coming from all directions. Her bid at a nobel prize stomped on the ground, etc. Now, we are back to square one. We have the same ills that Marcos has left us with and with a vengeance. More poverty, corruption has tripled, allegations of election cheating that caused us at least Php 728M...and we are only onlookers at the present stalemate.
I will not be surprised if Mr. Obama loses his popularity. People do have short memories in spite of whatever talents one has. Even Christ was faced with turncoats in the end. What is certain is that evil has no race, no religion, no true color. It just is and will continue to be. It used to lurk in the shadows. It is now in the open wantonly wreaking havoc at our expense.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
When America sneezes, the world catches a cold!
We are witnessing history as the US presidential elections unfold. Barack Obama is now the first African-American President. He will be facing a very rough road ahead as he leads a nation worried about economic crisis, two unfinished wars and global uncertainty. His election only signifies one thing - change! For instance, he won in areas never won by a Democrat for a very long time.
Furthermore, the majority seats in both houses which belonged to the Republicans will now be held by the Democrats. When Obama and running mate Joe Biden take their oath of office on Jan. 20, Democrats will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.
However, these details are no longer important to us, Filipinos. What we can look at his how the elections have been conducted, how the protagonists behaved during the campaign period till the end of the elections, how soon the winner is known.
The conduct of these presidentiables are admirable. They debated based on the issues, went to different forums where their opinions can be heard while our candidates try to outdo each other singing and dancing onstage.
We have learned to accept that when a candidate loses (even in the barangay elections) the losing candidate will automatically say he/she has been cheated. McCain, after several hours of counting, has already conceded defeat saying, The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. Not only that, he also added:
We have always been said to follow America's lead. We have listened to its music, danced the way it did, watched its movies, and others. Why can't we follow the way they conduct their elections? I say, we copy the good things about them and trash those that are not good.
In the meantime, we hope that the changes the election of Mr. Obama will bring will be beneficial for us, too. For after all, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.
Obama scored an Electoral College landslide that redrew America's political map. He won states that reliably voted Republican in presidential elections, like Indiana and Virginia, which hadn't supported the Democratic candidate in 44 years. Ohio and Florida, key to Bush's twin victories, also went for Obama, as did Pennsylvania, which McCain had deemed crucial for his election hopes.
Furthermore, the majority seats in both houses which belonged to the Republicans will now be held by the Democrats. When Obama and running mate Joe Biden take their oath of office on Jan. 20, Democrats will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.
However, these details are no longer important to us, Filipinos. What we can look at his how the elections have been conducted, how the protagonists behaved during the campaign period till the end of the elections, how soon the winner is known.
The conduct of these presidentiables are admirable. They debated based on the issues, went to different forums where their opinions can be heard while our candidates try to outdo each other singing and dancing onstage.
We have learned to accept that when a candidate loses (even in the barangay elections) the losing candidate will automatically say he/she has been cheated. McCain, after several hours of counting, has already conceded defeat saying, The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. Not only that, he also added:
This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and the special pride that must be theirs tonight," McCain said. "These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face."
We have always been said to follow America's lead. We have listened to its music, danced the way it did, watched its movies, and others. Why can't we follow the way they conduct their elections? I say, we copy the good things about them and trash those that are not good.
In the meantime, we hope that the changes the election of Mr. Obama will bring will be beneficial for us, too. For after all, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.
Friday, October 31, 2008
We can all smell the rat!
I am on a four-day vacation. It used to be for a whole week but what can I do? The school administration does not think we all need a longer break. I had a lot of things I planned to do for these four days but as usual, I didn't know where or how to start. First there is that 26" X 36" blank canvas I purchased last Thursday hungry for paint. I have several modules to complete for school but then I am on an official educational hiatus so a moratorium on every school activity was in order. Then there were the meals I had to cook which were separate from the rest of the members of my family as I am now forbidden to eat meat. None of these were appealing until now, the last day of my vacation. So, what the heck, I'll just blog.
I had been following news on the PNP scandal. The other day, the title of the story read PNP gets refund, apology from 2 'euro generals'. Shouldn't they? However, I was of the impression that the money was still in Russia. Does this mean that apart from the confiscated money taken from retired Gen. de la Paz, the others received cash themselves? It must be. I don't expect these two shelving from their own pockets, do you?
There are many questions these people have to answer to us, taxpayers. Most of these questions have been already asked in the committee hearing headed by Sen. Santiago. Unfortunately, we have yet to hear the answers. So far, they have been giving lies upon lies to explain for the money. When Gen. de la Paz was still enroute to Manila, he gallantly said he would face all the accusations and provide an explanation for this escapade. But when the day of inquiry arrived, neither he nor his wife showed up. Instead, people who stayed in Manila like Mr. Puno, faced the committee, none of whom, seemingly knew where the money came from or who authorized it. I cannot help thinking that maybe dela Paz was given the gag order and was told not to go by those who played a big role in this caper. We see Mr. Puno and another general getting the brunt of the senator's anger, almost submitting like a meek lamb. But if I know better, I can almost see the entire plan. "Just let these senators do what they want to do. AFter all, they do not know any better."
We have seen the likes of Lozada who seemed to have first hand knowledge about the ZTE scam and yet, the forces that be are still scot free. I have this one nagging question that will remain unanswered: What could have happened to the supposed contingency fund money had not the Soviets inspector discovered it? Nobody knew, right? Would it have been returned to the treasury of the armed forces? Would the culprits, not necessarily the generals only, mind you, have kept it and deposited in Singapore?
What I know is that with the coming home of Mr. Joke Joke Bolante, this issue would be buried yet again just like its predecessors. Manila, nay, the country stinks with so many rats!
I had been following news on the PNP scandal. The other day, the title of the story read PNP gets refund, apology from 2 'euro generals'. Shouldn't they? However, I was of the impression that the money was still in Russia. Does this mean that apart from the confiscated money taken from retired Gen. de la Paz, the others received cash themselves? It must be. I don't expect these two shelving from their own pockets, do you?
There are many questions these people have to answer to us, taxpayers. Most of these questions have been already asked in the committee hearing headed by Sen. Santiago. Unfortunately, we have yet to hear the answers. So far, they have been giving lies upon lies to explain for the money. When Gen. de la Paz was still enroute to Manila, he gallantly said he would face all the accusations and provide an explanation for this escapade. But when the day of inquiry arrived, neither he nor his wife showed up. Instead, people who stayed in Manila like Mr. Puno, faced the committee, none of whom, seemingly knew where the money came from or who authorized it. I cannot help thinking that maybe dela Paz was given the gag order and was told not to go by those who played a big role in this caper. We see Mr. Puno and another general getting the brunt of the senator's anger, almost submitting like a meek lamb. But if I know better, I can almost see the entire plan. "Just let these senators do what they want to do. AFter all, they do not know any better."
We have seen the likes of Lozada who seemed to have first hand knowledge about the ZTE scam and yet, the forces that be are still scot free. I have this one nagging question that will remain unanswered: What could have happened to the supposed contingency fund money had not the Soviets inspector discovered it? Nobody knew, right? Would it have been returned to the treasury of the armed forces? Would the culprits, not necessarily the generals only, mind you, have kept it and deposited in Singapore?
What I know is that with the coming home of Mr. Joke Joke Bolante, this issue would be buried yet again just like its predecessors. Manila, nay, the country stinks with so many rats!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Powertone
My nephew is a drummer in a band called Powertone. One of their original compositions "Kama" hit the charts in RJ underground sometime ago. It's now on video. Be the first to watch it here.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Some people just don't do their jobs right!
When Jesus Christ faced Pontius Pilate, the latter, thinking that he saw that Christ was not really a dangerous man, offered to the public the release of either Christ or Barabbas, who according to Matthew was a notorius criminal as part of a Passover custom. Much to Pilate's surprise and regret, the public chose Barabbas over Christ (I was about to say Jesus but I just found out that Barabbas' first name was also Jesus) thus making him a free man once again. What this simply means is that an executive's power to grant pardon to a criminal has been in practice since Roman times.
A week has passed and still talk about the release of condemned Claudio Teehankee, Jr. who was found guilty for the slaying of 16 year old Maureen Hultman and John Chapman is still hot news. Why not? It is as controversial and as dubious as can be. The circumstances of his release caught everyone by surprise. The victims' families were not consulted nor were they informed that the government was releasing their children's exterminator. True to form, the equally controversial Gonzales, defending the President, says: "(she) does not owe anyone any explanation or advance notice" practically implying that the power is absolute. She can give it at will. There lies the difference with Roman law. Pilate had to ask the people directly who they wanted to forgive. Teehankee's pardon was said to have undergone review by a committee. And yet, Gonzales was said to have admitted talking to brother Manuel saying "Three weeks ago bago umalis iyan (Manuel)...umalis sa Switzerland, dumaan sa office ko, hopefully sabi niya baka sakaling mapalaya ang kapatid niya (Three weeks ago, before leaving for Switzerland, Teehankee's brother went to my office and said hopefully I can facilitate his brother's release)." Does this in any way say that it was a committee who has recommended pardon?
I am not totally against presidential pardon. This is if the spirit of the power to give it is justified. After all, the point behind putting men behind bars is not really to avenge but to give him time to think about what he has done, suffer the consequences of his actions and repent. When these have been met, and the person, after a good showing of good behavior, can be given back his freedom. Why deprive him of his liberty until death? This brings to the question of the release of Teehankee. Has he shown repentance? Has he paid his dues to society? I don't think so. Being confined in prison with all the amenities of a luxurious life, or so it seems, is not penance. It is a long vacation. Teehankee was condemned to serve two life terms. He has only completed 14 years in prison living in a "rich man's kubol, "a special quarters built by ex-congressman Jalosjos... (that)features a queen-size bed, a refrigerator, a private bathroom with hot and cold water and, not least, a 42-inch LCD television set with cable service." Sheesh, I don't even have a queen-size bed!
AS De Quiros points out in his column, "the murder took place as a result of a "power trip"...the shooter wanting to prove to the world and himself he was in command, he was in charge, he was the man." Now, come to think about it, most of the prisoners in Muntinlupa live miserably in their hell holes. Teehankee did not. With his release, thanks to the president, he just affirmed this belief that he has done away with murder.
A week has passed and still talk about the release of condemned Claudio Teehankee, Jr. who was found guilty for the slaying of 16 year old Maureen Hultman and John Chapman is still hot news. Why not? It is as controversial and as dubious as can be. The circumstances of his release caught everyone by surprise. The victims' families were not consulted nor were they informed that the government was releasing their children's exterminator. True to form, the equally controversial Gonzales, defending the President, says: "(she) does not owe anyone any explanation or advance notice" practically implying that the power is absolute. She can give it at will. There lies the difference with Roman law. Pilate had to ask the people directly who they wanted to forgive. Teehankee's pardon was said to have undergone review by a committee. And yet, Gonzales was said to have admitted talking to brother Manuel saying "Three weeks ago bago umalis iyan (Manuel)...umalis sa Switzerland, dumaan sa office ko, hopefully sabi niya baka sakaling mapalaya ang kapatid niya (Three weeks ago, before leaving for Switzerland, Teehankee's brother went to my office and said hopefully I can facilitate his brother's release)." Does this in any way say that it was a committee who has recommended pardon?
I am not totally against presidential pardon. This is if the spirit of the power to give it is justified. After all, the point behind putting men behind bars is not really to avenge but to give him time to think about what he has done, suffer the consequences of his actions and repent. When these have been met, and the person, after a good showing of good behavior, can be given back his freedom. Why deprive him of his liberty until death? This brings to the question of the release of Teehankee. Has he shown repentance? Has he paid his dues to society? I don't think so. Being confined in prison with all the amenities of a luxurious life, or so it seems, is not penance. It is a long vacation. Teehankee was condemned to serve two life terms. He has only completed 14 years in prison living in a "rich man's kubol, "a special quarters built by ex-congressman Jalosjos... (that)features a queen-size bed, a refrigerator, a private bathroom with hot and cold water and, not least, a 42-inch LCD television set with cable service." Sheesh, I don't even have a queen-size bed!
AS De Quiros points out in his column, "the murder took place as a result of a "power trip"...the shooter wanting to prove to the world and himself he was in command, he was in charge, he was the man." Now, come to think about it, most of the prisoners in Muntinlupa live miserably in their hell holes. Teehankee did not. With his release, thanks to the president, he just affirmed this belief that he has done away with murder.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
1000 views of "Girl Singing"
How many ways can a poem be viewed? A lot, that's what! Just as any other art form, a poem can mean a lot of things to different people. Interestingly, just right after I have done the translation of Dylan Thomas' poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight", an online friend, the associate editor of Our Own Voice,Aileen Ibardaloza, wrote me asking if I would be interested to join a translation of Filam poet Eileen Tabios' The Secret Life of an Angel after Jose Garcia Villa's poem "Girl Singing".
I could not pass on this one. I knew this could be a good challenge. Neither Eileen nor Jose Villa are unknown to me. I even urged my poet friend, Arlene, to purchase the book The Anchored Angel which is a collection of poems by the late poet and was edited by Ms. Tabios. Arlene gave it to me as a gift during one of my visits to Canada.
Anyway, John had the idea of making a project of coming up with a thousand views of "Girl Singing" and in Aileen's email, there were already about 30 poets and visual artists around the world who have participated. I guess I am number 31 as I jumped immediately at the opportunity. Since there was no translation done in Filipino yet, I tried doing a direct translation into our native tongue. This was very helpful as I began to understand the poem better. Next, I experimented on a concrete poem. Please take a look at my attempts. You can find them here and the concrete poem here. Maybe you'd like to give it a try as well.
I could not pass on this one. I knew this could be a good challenge. Neither Eileen nor Jose Villa are unknown to me. I even urged my poet friend, Arlene, to purchase the book The Anchored Angel which is a collection of poems by the late poet and was edited by Ms. Tabios. Arlene gave it to me as a gift during one of my visits to Canada.
Anyway, John had the idea of making a project of coming up with a thousand views of "Girl Singing" and in Aileen's email, there were already about 30 poets and visual artists around the world who have participated. I guess I am number 31 as I jumped immediately at the opportunity. Since there was no translation done in Filipino yet, I tried doing a direct translation into our native tongue. This was very helpful as I began to understand the poem better. Next, I experimented on a concrete poem. Please take a look at my attempts. You can find them here and the concrete poem here. Maybe you'd like to give it a try as well.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Can you guess what this is?
This blog was about three months old when I did my first translation of a well-known opus into Filipino. Much to my surprise, it earned a lot of praises that my friend Batjay even made a recording and had another close friend, blogger awardee Toni blogging about it
Guess what? I did another one. But before I post it, I intended to put a link of Toni's efforts here to show my appreciation for her kind words about my post. I was looking for the entry she did and since I did not want to bother her by asking her to dig into her files, I tried to find the entry myself using google. Lo and behold, I found out that it has been plagiarized by a certain Candy as early as 2007. You'll find it here. I already posted a comment on the entry asking her to take it off her blog as it is not only illegal as it is immoral. Hopefully, she will accede to my request.
Anyway, here is my second translation. This is a villanelle I tried keeping the form while being true to the color and tone of the poem. Just like my first attempt, this is being posted in its early stages. I'm sure there will be some more revisions as I find more apt words just like the one I did with the Desiderata. Can you tell me what the original poem is and who wrote it? There is no prize if you get it correctly. Not even bragging rights, hehe.
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Dapat dumakdak at mag-alab ang tumanda sa dapithapon
Magalit ka, magalit sa pagsapit ng dilim
Kahit pa ang matatalino’y tanggap ang kulimlim
Dahil ang kanilang salita’y di nagdulot ng ingay sa maghapon
Hindi sila sumusuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim.
Ang huli sa matitino’y kumakaway at nagbibilin
Umaasang kanilang ginawa’y parating iaahon
Magagalit sila, magagalit sa pagsapit ng dilim.
Mga naligaw ng landas na nagbunyi sa kanilang awitin
Huli na nang malamang buhay nila’y kanilang itinapon
Hindi sila sumusuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Ang mga maselan, sa kamataya’y kinakapos man ang paningin
Bulag na mga mata’y nagliliyab tulad ng isang bulalakaw sa nayon
Magagalit sila, magagalit sa pagsapit ng dilim.
At ikaw ama, duon sa mataas at malungkot na bangin
Sumumpa, basbasan mo ng luha aking panalangin ngayon
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Magalit ka, magalit, sa pagsapit ng dilim
Guess what? I did another one. But before I post it, I intended to put a link of Toni's efforts here to show my appreciation for her kind words about my post. I was looking for the entry she did and since I did not want to bother her by asking her to dig into her files, I tried to find the entry myself using google. Lo and behold, I found out that it has been plagiarized by a certain Candy as early as 2007. You'll find it here. I already posted a comment on the entry asking her to take it off her blog as it is not only illegal as it is immoral. Hopefully, she will accede to my request.
Anyway, here is my second translation. This is a villanelle I tried keeping the form while being true to the color and tone of the poem. Just like my first attempt, this is being posted in its early stages. I'm sure there will be some more revisions as I find more apt words just like the one I did with the Desiderata. Can you tell me what the original poem is and who wrote it? There is no prize if you get it correctly. Not even bragging rights, hehe.
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Dapat dumakdak at mag-alab ang tumanda sa dapithapon
Magalit ka, magalit sa pagsapit ng dilim
Kahit pa ang matatalino’y tanggap ang kulimlim
Dahil ang kanilang salita’y di nagdulot ng ingay sa maghapon
Hindi sila sumusuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim.
Ang huli sa matitino’y kumakaway at nagbibilin
Umaasang kanilang ginawa’y parating iaahon
Magagalit sila, magagalit sa pagsapit ng dilim.
Mga naligaw ng landas na nagbunyi sa kanilang awitin
Huli na nang malamang buhay nila’y kanilang itinapon
Hindi sila sumusuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Ang mga maselan, sa kamataya’y kinakapos man ang paningin
Bulag na mga mata’y nagliliyab tulad ng isang bulalakaw sa nayon
Magagalit sila, magagalit sa pagsapit ng dilim.
At ikaw ama, duon sa mataas at malungkot na bangin
Sumumpa, basbasan mo ng luha aking panalangin ngayon
Huwag kang susuko sa pagdating ng takipsilim
Magalit ka, magalit, sa pagsapit ng dilim
Saturday, September 20, 2008
My friend Glennis
Since I began taking interest in poetry and learning how to write it, I have befriended a lot of poets around the globe. One of them is Canadian poetGlenda Hobbs, who has always been very gracious to give kind comments and useful feedback to my poetry everytime I posted something in our group. For one reason or another, I call her Glennis and never got the habit of calling her Glenda. She has several books to her name and together with her husband, Harry who has published two novels under his belt, make the rounds of Canada for poetry readings and promoting their books. Her poetry is usually about her hometown Flin Flon, Manitoba, her family and ancestors, and her cats. It was also through her that my poem "Mr. Right" was included in "Idiots of the World: Think", an anthology of short stories and poems compiled by Sable Bennett in 2002.
I first met her and her husband in person when I was invited by our common friend Arlene. It was then that I realized I can pull it off as a poet. hehe It was also then that I met several other friends who flew in from the States to meet with us. These were Tom Spencer and his wife Kathy from Indiana, Molly Critchlow from Washington, Karli Shanklin and her hubby Alfredo, who is a FilAm from nearby Seattle. Since we were all there, Arlene figured it would have been cool for us to give a poetry reading in Steveston so she made all the preparations prior to our arrival. On the eve of the reading, we were singing songs after dinner and enjoying the view at the balcony. Harry's memory is amazing. He knows practically all the lyrics of all the songs we sang while I labored over the chords figuring it out on my folk guitar.
The reading was a success. People did actually come to listen. After the reading, our gracious host thought it would be cool for me and my wife to experience an off season thanksgiving party. Everybody tossed in. If my memory serves me right, Karli brought a dozen pies, Molly brought cranberry sauce, Kathy mashed potatoes and brusselsprouts while Arlene cooked a huge turkey in the oven while Nitz cooked the rice. Those were such happy times I shall remember the rest of my life. Anyway, I digressed.
I was invited again to come to Canada twice and everytime, Glennis and Harry would be there to welcome me even if that meant they would have to fly in from Manitoba and stay in a hotel for some days. Just the same, we would all be together in Arlene's house until the wee hours of the morning. Such a sweet friend, here's something she has written coming out from one of those soirees. Glenda's poem
I first met her and her husband in person when I was invited by our common friend Arlene. It was then that I realized I can pull it off as a poet. hehe It was also then that I met several other friends who flew in from the States to meet with us. These were Tom Spencer and his wife Kathy from Indiana, Molly Critchlow from Washington, Karli Shanklin and her hubby Alfredo, who is a FilAm from nearby Seattle. Since we were all there, Arlene figured it would have been cool for us to give a poetry reading in Steveston so she made all the preparations prior to our arrival. On the eve of the reading, we were singing songs after dinner and enjoying the view at the balcony. Harry's memory is amazing. He knows practically all the lyrics of all the songs we sang while I labored over the chords figuring it out on my folk guitar.
The reading was a success. People did actually come to listen. After the reading, our gracious host thought it would be cool for me and my wife to experience an off season thanksgiving party. Everybody tossed in. If my memory serves me right, Karli brought a dozen pies, Molly brought cranberry sauce, Kathy mashed potatoes and brusselsprouts while Arlene cooked a huge turkey in the oven while Nitz cooked the rice. Those were such happy times I shall remember the rest of my life. Anyway, I digressed.
I was invited again to come to Canada twice and everytime, Glennis and Harry would be there to welcome me even if that meant they would have to fly in from Manitoba and stay in a hotel for some days. Just the same, we would all be together in Arlene's house until the wee hours of the morning. Such a sweet friend, here's something she has written coming out from one of those soirees. Glenda's poem
Monday, September 15, 2008
Having to see Tagaytay twice
Last Saturday, I was invited to give a class to grade schoolers in Lemery, Batangas. The school is a small one but it is very promising with my ninong Moie and Ninang Melba at the helm. It turns out that it was their family fun day and lots of fun was had indeed. What I want with a small school is that it seems like the people are more dedicated to teaching. None of those office politics you see in big, established institutions.
My day started very early as Lemery is some two hours away from Alabang. I left the house at around 4:30 am and was picked up by my ninong's nephew who was a former student of mine. We then proceeded to pick up a dog trainer and his belgian milinois Sid, who was as gentle as a lamb.
As we were still experiencing the tail end of typhoon Marce, we were accompanied by rain and the road was very slippery. But that did not deter the driver from speeding onto traffic which made me step on an invisible brake a couple of times. The road to Lemery, as I expected was foggy.
The children were adorable. They used the paint without any inhibitions. There was a stage mother who was instructing her kid. "Not too much water, sweetheart." I just managed a smile and let the child be on her own element.
When the class was finished, we were served a nice lunch and were on our way back home.
The following day, I was on the road again, this time with my siblings and my nephew who was to ask the parents of his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. Tagalogs call this event "pamanhikan". As was customary, we brought food with us. We brought several "relyenong bangus" and "kare-kare" which will be cooked entirely at the girlfriend's house as it might spoil on the way. When we arrived at the place, it turns out the family was preparing food themselves. We were about to have an actual feast!
I was a little worried that there might be some demands from the family as relatives are present, too. It turned out that the father was a swell guy who, like my siblings and I, loves to read. We were offered several Discovery magazines, Reader's Digest to while away the time while the food was being prepared. My eldest sister was able to borrow about seven books! But I digressed. After lunch, we all sat down to discuss the purpose of our visit. The father did not object. As a matter of fact, he just gave his blessings and left it to the couple to decide on their own. He only wished that the wedding be done in their place, for my nephew and his family to be there on the eve of the wedding "not to work or anything but to socialize with his family and relatives" which was very cool, and not too many ninongs and ninangs.
Everything went smoothly as planned. It all went well that surely, something must go awry and it did. My car lost its brakes! The good thing is that we were already in Marikina. If that happened in hilly Sta. Rosa or the SLEX, we were goners for sure! I immediately took the car to the mechanic to have it checked and we were on our way.
Just to make sure, I took the car for a thorough check-up this afternoon. The verdict, the brake pads are gone. I also had to have my caliper overhauled. Hopefully, I've seen the last of the car's problems.
My day started very early as Lemery is some two hours away from Alabang. I left the house at around 4:30 am and was picked up by my ninong's nephew who was a former student of mine. We then proceeded to pick up a dog trainer and his belgian milinois Sid, who was as gentle as a lamb.
As we were still experiencing the tail end of typhoon Marce, we were accompanied by rain and the road was very slippery. But that did not deter the driver from speeding onto traffic which made me step on an invisible brake a couple of times. The road to Lemery, as I expected was foggy.
The children were adorable. They used the paint without any inhibitions. There was a stage mother who was instructing her kid. "Not too much water, sweetheart." I just managed a smile and let the child be on her own element.
When the class was finished, we were served a nice lunch and were on our way back home.
The following day, I was on the road again, this time with my siblings and my nephew who was to ask the parents of his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. Tagalogs call this event "pamanhikan". As was customary, we brought food with us. We brought several "relyenong bangus" and "kare-kare" which will be cooked entirely at the girlfriend's house as it might spoil on the way. When we arrived at the place, it turns out the family was preparing food themselves. We were about to have an actual feast!
I was a little worried that there might be some demands from the family as relatives are present, too. It turned out that the father was a swell guy who, like my siblings and I, loves to read. We were offered several Discovery magazines, Reader's Digest to while away the time while the food was being prepared. My eldest sister was able to borrow about seven books! But I digressed. After lunch, we all sat down to discuss the purpose of our visit. The father did not object. As a matter of fact, he just gave his blessings and left it to the couple to decide on their own. He only wished that the wedding be done in their place, for my nephew and his family to be there on the eve of the wedding "not to work or anything but to socialize with his family and relatives" which was very cool, and not too many ninongs and ninangs.
Everything went smoothly as planned. It all went well that surely, something must go awry and it did. My car lost its brakes! The good thing is that we were already in Marikina. If that happened in hilly Sta. Rosa or the SLEX, we were goners for sure! I immediately took the car to the mechanic to have it checked and we were on our way.
Just to make sure, I took the car for a thorough check-up this afternoon. The verdict, the brake pads are gone. I also had to have my caliper overhauled. Hopefully, I've seen the last of the car's problems.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Malapot na Tubig
I read a very chilling news story this morning about a young 32 year old mother who forced her children, aged 4, 3 and 2, to drink a bottle of liquid toilet bowl cleaner and having herself drink the same out of desperation due to extreme poverty, midnight of Monday in Magdalena, Laguna. This made me shiver in fright because I know that there are people in dire straits everywhere in the country and that this story can be repeated over and over again. A person with an empty stomach cannot think logically. The pangs of hunger coupled with sleepless nights is a deadly combination which can lead to depression with catastrophic effects.
What is frightening is that in a land where there are people who live in extreme poverty like ours, crime and other related activities can and will take place. The young mother, depressed and hungry could have opted to steal, join a bunch of thugs and sow terror, or resort to drug peddling like the others who have broken the law just to gain leverage in life. However, she did not choose to. Instead, she decided to end it all, depriving her kids of a life, which she was certain would have been lived in misery anyway. Whose heart would not bleed for a parent, who out of desperation, will decide to kill the little angels whom she has carried for nine months, fed, bathed and cared for lovingly in her arms? Who would not be sympathetic to a life full of misery that one would force her children to death and commit suicide herself?
In another story a justice of the appellate court has been dismissed by the Supreme Court due to grave misconduct while some of his peers were either suspended or reprimanded as a result of the battle for management control of Meralco by the Lopezes and the GSIS. Allegedly, there is a Php10M - Php50M bribe being discussed. This is nothing compared to the ZTE broadband deal which seems to have died a natural death. And to think how magnanimous in proportion the powers that be are quarelling over in that event in our history. Then I get to thinking, yes, there are people who have been numb to the sorry plight of our countrymen. They have been numbed by greed and power. We must remember that a great deal of our misfortune is brought about by corruption, an ill which our leaders seem to have perfected. A malaise which they have been afflicted with making them lose their conscience much so for the lone witness of the ZTE deal Lozada advise them to "moderate the greed."
We must face it. We are living in a country where majority of the populace is clinging to a knife for dear life. A hungry man will not care whether he goes to hell or not. How much beating can they take? There will come a time when these rich, powerful, unconscionable, sordid men and women will not have a fence too high to protect them, there will not be enough bullets for their guns to kill the multitude of people wanting to merely get a whiff of the comforts they cherish, there will not be enough cordon sanitaire to fend off thieves wanting some cash from their deep pockets and not enough armor to shield them from a hungry mob. Edwin Markham says it best in his Man with the Hoe when in the last stanza he says:
O masters, lords and rulers in all lands,
How will the future reckon with this Man?
How answer his brute question in that hour
When whirlwinds of rebellion shake all shores?
How will it be with kingdoms and with kings--
With those who shaped him to the thing he is--
When this dumb Terror shall rise to judge the world,
After the silence of the centuries?
Sometime in 2005, I wrote a tagalog poem entitled Malapot na Tubig which appeared in the first chapbook produced by Pinoy Poets and in an American ezine produced by Filipino expats called Our Own Voice. Never did I know that I would be reading the same story in real life. I am republishing it here and it goes like this:
Malapot Na Tubig
Ni Rolly delos Santos
Ipikit mo ang iyong mga mata anak.
Humimlay ka sa matigas na sahig.
Pawiin mo ang mga bantulot,
Pabayaan mong liparin
mga agam-agam sa himpapawid.
Kukumutan kita ng telang manipis,
mabigyan man lamang ng konting lunas
pangangatal ng iyong mga ngipin.
Sasabayan ko ng yakap na mahigpit
nang ika'y makatulog nang ubod himbing.
Sana'y iyong patawarin
Amang hungkag at nagdarahop
Pinalaki ang iyong hubad na isipang
Walang natutunan dahil sa karalitaan.
Ininom nating malapot na tubig
tanging lunas upang mapatid ang gutom natin.
Bukas, kung sakali mang ito'y dumating
Sa langit na ang ating gising
© Rolly delos Santos
What is frightening is that in a land where there are people who live in extreme poverty like ours, crime and other related activities can and will take place. The young mother, depressed and hungry could have opted to steal, join a bunch of thugs and sow terror, or resort to drug peddling like the others who have broken the law just to gain leverage in life. However, she did not choose to. Instead, she decided to end it all, depriving her kids of a life, which she was certain would have been lived in misery anyway. Whose heart would not bleed for a parent, who out of desperation, will decide to kill the little angels whom she has carried for nine months, fed, bathed and cared for lovingly in her arms? Who would not be sympathetic to a life full of misery that one would force her children to death and commit suicide herself?
In another story a justice of the appellate court has been dismissed by the Supreme Court due to grave misconduct while some of his peers were either suspended or reprimanded as a result of the battle for management control of Meralco by the Lopezes and the GSIS. Allegedly, there is a Php10M - Php50M bribe being discussed. This is nothing compared to the ZTE broadband deal which seems to have died a natural death. And to think how magnanimous in proportion the powers that be are quarelling over in that event in our history. Then I get to thinking, yes, there are people who have been numb to the sorry plight of our countrymen. They have been numbed by greed and power. We must remember that a great deal of our misfortune is brought about by corruption, an ill which our leaders seem to have perfected. A malaise which they have been afflicted with making them lose their conscience much so for the lone witness of the ZTE deal Lozada advise them to "moderate the greed."
We must face it. We are living in a country where majority of the populace is clinging to a knife for dear life. A hungry man will not care whether he goes to hell or not. How much beating can they take? There will come a time when these rich, powerful, unconscionable, sordid men and women will not have a fence too high to protect them, there will not be enough bullets for their guns to kill the multitude of people wanting to merely get a whiff of the comforts they cherish, there will not be enough cordon sanitaire to fend off thieves wanting some cash from their deep pockets and not enough armor to shield them from a hungry mob. Edwin Markham says it best in his Man with the Hoe when in the last stanza he says:
O masters, lords and rulers in all lands,
How will the future reckon with this Man?
How answer his brute question in that hour
When whirlwinds of rebellion shake all shores?
How will it be with kingdoms and with kings--
With those who shaped him to the thing he is--
When this dumb Terror shall rise to judge the world,
After the silence of the centuries?
Sometime in 2005, I wrote a tagalog poem entitled Malapot na Tubig which appeared in the first chapbook produced by Pinoy Poets and in an American ezine produced by Filipino expats called Our Own Voice. Never did I know that I would be reading the same story in real life. I am republishing it here and it goes like this:
Malapot Na Tubig
Ni Rolly delos Santos
Ipikit mo ang iyong mga mata anak.
Humimlay ka sa matigas na sahig.
Pawiin mo ang mga bantulot,
Pabayaan mong liparin
mga agam-agam sa himpapawid.
Kukumutan kita ng telang manipis,
mabigyan man lamang ng konting lunas
pangangatal ng iyong mga ngipin.
Sasabayan ko ng yakap na mahigpit
nang ika'y makatulog nang ubod himbing.
Sana'y iyong patawarin
Amang hungkag at nagdarahop
Pinalaki ang iyong hubad na isipang
Walang natutunan dahil sa karalitaan.
Ininom nating malapot na tubig
tanging lunas upang mapatid ang gutom natin.
Bukas, kung sakali mang ito'y dumating
Sa langit na ang ating gising
© Rolly delos Santos
Monday, September 08, 2008
Another year older
It's officially over. I am now a year older. The only thing about being born during the last quarter of the year is that it seems like you've been just as old anyway. People count your age at the coming of the year. It is the years they find the difference to without minding the months, right. So, come January, I will already be a year older again.
This year was spent without a bang. I decided to just stay home with my family, waiting for my cellphone to ring and reply to well-wishers. There is a natural high celebrating it quietly. My loving wife who had to go on overtime yesterday went to the market very early in the morning, cooked lunch that consisted of beef kaldereta, a stewed beef which to me is like the Indian bhiryani, especially that she uses coconut milk to thicken the sauce, and, of course, pancit bihon, thin noodles cooked in soy sauce, chicken bits, assorted veggies, for long life. How simple can that get? Yet, we had a feast.
For dinner, it was my turn to cook. I cooked some seafood pasta and I think it went well, too. Although I haven't exactly perfected the recipe as it seem to be wanting of something, we had a good dinner.
Actually, the splurging was done last Friday. Hubby and wife, Ollie and Kathy are also celebrating their birthdays this month and decided we should all go to Wensha Spa. Now, if you haven't been there yet, I think it would be a good idea to treat yourself and your wife/partner for once. It's with all the amenities of a spa like jacuzzi, steam and sauna baths, a one-hour massage and an eat-all-you-can feature - all available for an eight-hour stay.
I arrived at the place around eight and my friends were already eating. I started with rice, chicken and vegetables. The penne pesto (well, it seemed like it was pesto) didn't seem delectable as it looked too dry. After that, we splurged on shabu-shabu. We had all those meat and fish ball thingies, thin white noodles, vegetables and whatever we can throw on the broth.
We chatted awhile then decided to part with the ladies and take a shower. Us guys went to the steam bath where we stayed about twenty minutes. We also tried the sauna bath but I was right in front of the huge furnace and couldn't stand it. Then off we went for a massage. We were lucky to be given a room exactly for the three of us. After the massage, we went out again in our robes, (it was very comfortable) and met the ladies to eat some more. We went home around 1:30 am. And we have not touched a single alcohol! That's another new in our long list of agenda everytime we went out. That was fun. We sure will be doing it again. See you there soon!
This year was spent without a bang. I decided to just stay home with my family, waiting for my cellphone to ring and reply to well-wishers. There is a natural high celebrating it quietly. My loving wife who had to go on overtime yesterday went to the market very early in the morning, cooked lunch that consisted of beef kaldereta, a stewed beef which to me is like the Indian bhiryani, especially that she uses coconut milk to thicken the sauce, and, of course, pancit bihon, thin noodles cooked in soy sauce, chicken bits, assorted veggies, for long life. How simple can that get? Yet, we had a feast.
For dinner, it was my turn to cook. I cooked some seafood pasta and I think it went well, too. Although I haven't exactly perfected the recipe as it seem to be wanting of something, we had a good dinner.
Actually, the splurging was done last Friday. Hubby and wife, Ollie and Kathy are also celebrating their birthdays this month and decided we should all go to Wensha Spa. Now, if you haven't been there yet, I think it would be a good idea to treat yourself and your wife/partner for once. It's with all the amenities of a spa like jacuzzi, steam and sauna baths, a one-hour massage and an eat-all-you-can feature - all available for an eight-hour stay.
I arrived at the place around eight and my friends were already eating. I started with rice, chicken and vegetables. The penne pesto (well, it seemed like it was pesto) didn't seem delectable as it looked too dry. After that, we splurged on shabu-shabu. We had all those meat and fish ball thingies, thin white noodles, vegetables and whatever we can throw on the broth.
We chatted awhile then decided to part with the ladies and take a shower. Us guys went to the steam bath where we stayed about twenty minutes. We also tried the sauna bath but I was right in front of the huge furnace and couldn't stand it. Then off we went for a massage. We were lucky to be given a room exactly for the three of us. After the massage, we went out again in our robes, (it was very comfortable) and met the ladies to eat some more. We went home around 1:30 am. And we have not touched a single alcohol! That's another new in our long list of agenda everytime we went out. That was fun. We sure will be doing it again. See you there soon!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Buwan ng Wika
Lubos na naiiba ang nakaraang Biyernes sa aming paaralan. Sa unang pagkakataon, naisipan ng administrasyon na ipagdiwang ang buwan ng wika sa naiibang paraan. Nuong mga taong nakalipas, naalala ko pa na talagang nagmimistulang piyesta ang huling araw ng pagdiriwang at ang bawat silid aralan na napalalamutian ng mga banderitas, ay napupuno ng kung anu-anong pagkaing pilipino. Mayruon pang nagdadala ng isang buong lechon, umaapaw na pansit, manok, kaldereta, at kung anu-ano pa. Subalit tulad ng pagdiriwang namin ng pasko, sumusobra ang handang pagkain sa bawat silid at ito ay kadalasang nasisira lamang o itinatapon matapos maipamigay ang sobra. Alangang namang pilit naming kainin at ubusin ang natira hanggang sa kami ay maimpatso, hindi ba? Kaya naman unti-unti namin itong pinalitan ng kung ano pa ang makapagbibigay tingkad sa pagseselebra ng wikang pambansa. Kaya nga, nuong Biyernes, naisipan nilang gawin itong isang mala-costume party kung saan ang bawat isa ay kinailangang pumasok ng paaralan sa kasuotang tunay na pilipino. Isama na rito ang iba't-ibang palabas at pagtutunggali katulad ng G. Lakan at Bb. Lakambini, sabayang pagbigkas at ang eksebisyon ng iba't-ibang pagdiriwang na ginaganap sa bansa tulad ng Ati-atihan, Sinulog, Dinagyang, Pintados atbp, kung saan naglaban laban ang mga piling grupo ng ikatlo at ikapat na lebel ng hayskul. Ang grupo ng aking bunso na nagpakita ng Kadayawan ang nagwagi ng unang gantimpala.
Ang sarap ding pagmasdan ng bawat isa sa kani-kanyang suot. Mayruong dumating na nakadamit muslim at napakamakulay ng kanilang kasuotan. May mga dumating na nakasuot panabong, ngunit walang dalang manok, (marahil ay kinain na), may dumating na naka katipunero (tulad ni Mr. Elloso na kumpletos rekados pati na ang suksukan ng baril at sumbalilo), may dumating na Ifugao, sabay na pakita ng "Php10.00 bawat litrato", may ilang Don Santiago delos Santos, Kabesang Tales at kung sinu-sino pa. Mistulang kamangha-mangha ay ang aming bagong Presidente na dumating na naka gwardiya-sibil na ayon sa aking mga kaibigan ay tunay na kasuotan nuong unang panahon. Ang ganda ng kanyang helmet na suut-suot. DAhil ako ay hindi masyadong mapangahas sa mga ganitong bagay, minabuti ko na lang na mag-barong. Ang biro ko nuon sa kanila ay mag-aamerikana ako. Hindi ba't sila Jose Rizal naman ay nakaganitong kasuotan? Nang sinabi nilang hindi daw pwede, sabi ko naman ay huwag silang mag-alala't ako nama'y naka-bahag sa ilalim, tulad ng mga kapatid natin sa Benguet at Baguio. Ano nga kaya't ginawa ko ito. Ang ganda ng pagtanggap dun sa isang pinuno na dumating ng naka-bahag nuon sa huling SONA ni GMA, hindi ba?
Tunay na napakaganda ng ating kultura. Sayang nga lamang at tayo ay lubusan nang naimpluwensiyahan ng mga banyaga, lalo pa't ginawa nila tayong mamimili imbis na maging taga-gawa. Tsinelas na lang, kailangan pang iangkat natin mula sa Brazil upang tayo ay magmukhang kagalang-galang sa ibang tao. Ilan sa ating mga kababayan ang gumagasta ng malaki upang sila ay pumuti at tumangos ang ilong? Bakit kailangang magkulay mais ang buhok ng ilan sa atin na kung tingnan ko naman ay hindi naman bagay sa ating kayumangging kulay? Para sa akin kasi, nakakahihiya ang magpumilit maging isang hindi naman tunay na ikaw.
Ang sarap ding pagmasdan ng bawat isa sa kani-kanyang suot. Mayruong dumating na nakadamit muslim at napakamakulay ng kanilang kasuotan. May mga dumating na nakasuot panabong, ngunit walang dalang manok, (marahil ay kinain na), may dumating na naka katipunero (tulad ni Mr. Elloso na kumpletos rekados pati na ang suksukan ng baril at sumbalilo), may dumating na Ifugao, sabay na pakita ng "Php10.00 bawat litrato", may ilang Don Santiago delos Santos, Kabesang Tales at kung sinu-sino pa. Mistulang kamangha-mangha ay ang aming bagong Presidente na dumating na naka gwardiya-sibil na ayon sa aking mga kaibigan ay tunay na kasuotan nuong unang panahon. Ang ganda ng kanyang helmet na suut-suot. DAhil ako ay hindi masyadong mapangahas sa mga ganitong bagay, minabuti ko na lang na mag-barong. Ang biro ko nuon sa kanila ay mag-aamerikana ako. Hindi ba't sila Jose Rizal naman ay nakaganitong kasuotan? Nang sinabi nilang hindi daw pwede, sabi ko naman ay huwag silang mag-alala't ako nama'y naka-bahag sa ilalim, tulad ng mga kapatid natin sa Benguet at Baguio. Ano nga kaya't ginawa ko ito. Ang ganda ng pagtanggap dun sa isang pinuno na dumating ng naka-bahag nuon sa huling SONA ni GMA, hindi ba?
Tunay na napakaganda ng ating kultura. Sayang nga lamang at tayo ay lubusan nang naimpluwensiyahan ng mga banyaga, lalo pa't ginawa nila tayong mamimili imbis na maging taga-gawa. Tsinelas na lang, kailangan pang iangkat natin mula sa Brazil upang tayo ay magmukhang kagalang-galang sa ibang tao. Ilan sa ating mga kababayan ang gumagasta ng malaki upang sila ay pumuti at tumangos ang ilong? Bakit kailangang magkulay mais ang buhok ng ilan sa atin na kung tingnan ko naman ay hindi naman bagay sa ating kayumangging kulay? Para sa akin kasi, nakakahihiya ang magpumilit maging isang hindi naman tunay na ikaw.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Some people are just too dumb lucky!
Yesterday, I had to wake up early as I had to accompany my eldest son to the hospital who was due for an operation. He developed an epidermal cyst on his right thigh which alarmed me and my wife. Thank God that it looked harmless to the doctor although she said it has to be removed just the same. We will know for sure as soon as the result of the biopsy comes out.
So, with nothing to do, I bought a newspaper, tried doing the sudoku and the crossword puzzles, when both cannot be finished (had to redo the sudoku on another paper at home as I used ballpen which cannot be erased) I read the paper which as usual contained news on the MILF and the GSIS vs. Meralco. What struck me was that it also contained a story on the 15 richest monarchs in the world as covered by Forbes Magazine. It turns out that the king of Thailand is the richest with a net worth of $35 billion and the king of Swaziland as number 15 with $200 million. The list is as follows:
1. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thailand - 80 yrs. old) $35 billion
2. Sheikh Kalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - (UAE, 60 yrs old) $23 billion
3. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia, 84 yrs old) $21 billion
4. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei, 62 yrs. old) $20 billion
5. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid (Al Maktoum Dubai - 58 yrs. old) $18 billion
6. Prince Hans-Adam von und zu Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein, 63 yrs. old)$5 billion
7. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Qatar, 56 yrs. old) $2 billion
8. King Mohammed VI (Morocco, 46 yrs. old) $1.5 billion
9. Prince Albert II (Monaco, 50 yrs. old) $1.4 billion
10. Sultan Qaboos bin Said (Oman, 67 yrs. old) $1.1 billion
11. Prince Karim Al Hussein (Aga Khan, 71 yrs. old) $1 billion
12. Queen Elizabeth II (UK, 82 yrs. old) $650 million
13. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Kuwait, 79 yrs. old) $500 million
14. Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (Netherlands, 70 yrs. old) $300 million
15. King Maswati III (Swaziland, 40 yrs. old) $200 million
Looking at the list, my wife, exasperated just looking at the list said, "samantalang tayo, utang yan" (we may have that much although in the form of debt). Come to think about it. How much does the country owe now? Maybe we can get these guys to donate a billion, each?
What piqued my interest is that it seems that these guys really had it good in life. What did they do to deserve this vast wealth? Why are they so special? I am sure they also eat for sustenance, go to the toilet to relieve themselves, cater to the same human needs. My only consolation is that knowing that they are human beings like me, they also have their own problems. Maybe even more. Kings have been assassinated even by their own blood, solely because of the power and the money they have. Maybe the real monarch who thinks about the common man, works just as hard to keep his nation afloat, and that is not an easy job. Who knows? All I know is that I am contented with my family, a small house on a small piece of land I call my own (well as soon as I have paid the mortgage completely, hehe) afford a few luxuries in life. And that is all I prayed for. So I will always work hard and stay poor.
So, with nothing to do, I bought a newspaper, tried doing the sudoku and the crossword puzzles, when both cannot be finished (had to redo the sudoku on another paper at home as I used ballpen which cannot be erased) I read the paper which as usual contained news on the MILF and the GSIS vs. Meralco. What struck me was that it also contained a story on the 15 richest monarchs in the world as covered by Forbes Magazine. It turns out that the king of Thailand is the richest with a net worth of $35 billion and the king of Swaziland as number 15 with $200 million. The list is as follows:
1. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thailand - 80 yrs. old) $35 billion
2. Sheikh Kalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - (UAE, 60 yrs old) $23 billion
3. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia, 84 yrs old) $21 billion
4. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei, 62 yrs. old) $20 billion
5. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid (Al Maktoum Dubai - 58 yrs. old) $18 billion
6. Prince Hans-Adam von und zu Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein, 63 yrs. old)$5 billion
7. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Qatar, 56 yrs. old) $2 billion
8. King Mohammed VI (Morocco, 46 yrs. old) $1.5 billion
9. Prince Albert II (Monaco, 50 yrs. old) $1.4 billion
10. Sultan Qaboos bin Said (Oman, 67 yrs. old) $1.1 billion
11. Prince Karim Al Hussein (Aga Khan, 71 yrs. old) $1 billion
12. Queen Elizabeth II (UK, 82 yrs. old) $650 million
13. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Kuwait, 79 yrs. old) $500 million
14. Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (Netherlands, 70 yrs. old) $300 million
15. King Maswati III (Swaziland, 40 yrs. old) $200 million
Looking at the list, my wife, exasperated just looking at the list said, "samantalang tayo, utang yan" (we may have that much although in the form of debt). Come to think about it. How much does the country owe now? Maybe we can get these guys to donate a billion, each?
What piqued my interest is that it seems that these guys really had it good in life. What did they do to deserve this vast wealth? Why are they so special? I am sure they also eat for sustenance, go to the toilet to relieve themselves, cater to the same human needs. My only consolation is that knowing that they are human beings like me, they also have their own problems. Maybe even more. Kings have been assassinated even by their own blood, solely because of the power and the money they have. Maybe the real monarch who thinks about the common man, works just as hard to keep his nation afloat, and that is not an easy job. Who knows? All I know is that I am contented with my family, a small house on a small piece of land I call my own (well as soon as I have paid the mortgage completely, hehe) afford a few luxuries in life. And that is all I prayed for. So I will always work hard and stay poor.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Lecture in Makati
Having worked in Alabang for so long, I have not been attuned with the streets of Makati. I am a virtual tanga when it comes to the city. Last Saturday, I had to attend a lecture given by Paolo Manalo who is here on a short respite from his tedious studies in Scotland, initiated by my poetry group, Pinoy Poets at the Filipinas Heritage Library. Being a self-taught, poet enthusiast, I would like to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a lecture in poetry and learn. I need all the help I can get no matter in what form. So, venue is not a problem for me. All I have to do is ask around. Well, I cheated a little. I coaxed my daughter who works within the city to take me there. It proved to be a little costly.
First, I had to lure my daughter to go to Makati on a Saturday, her rest day. To do that, I told her we were going to eat at Avenetto at the Glorietta. My other daughter learned about it and wanted to tag along, and she did. Lunch was splendid! We ordered two plates of the seafood pesto, a chef's salad and a pizza. I consumed one plate while they shared with the other one. What can I do? I go bonkers with good pasta. The chef's salad was so-so. Not as good as Italianni's or even Sbarro but on a hungry stomach, that'll do.
Here's the catch. My daughters did not know where the library was either. As it was still early, we went window shopping, my first born found a shoe to her liking, bought it and took me to Landmark. "Okay, this is Makati Avenue. Where did they say the Library was?" I had no clue. My friend just told me it is along the avenue. Yo make matters worse, my battery was about to die on me. I told my kids to go head for home. I will find my way.
I asked around around but nobody could give me a response with complete certainty. When I reached Ayala Museum, I knew the library would be at the other side. How do I get there? I couldn't find the imderpass to cross the street. I texted my friend, praying that my battery would be enough to send and receive a reply. He did and confirmed that the library was in front of the Manila Pen. I decided to go back to Greenbelt and just grab a cab! I never take my car to Makati. I don't want to get lost and waste precious gasoline.
To make the story short, I found it. The lecture was held at the Filipiniana section at the basement of the library. It was biting cold down there. Too bad, we didn't have time to browse their collection. The lecture was very informative. Paolo talked about how and why we rhyme the way we do. He gave examples of sonnets written by Juan Salazar aka J. F. Sinukuan, Angela Manalang Gloria, Jose Garcia Villa and others. The lecture was wittingly entitled, Our love for Glove Doves. How many words rhyme with love? Not too many! Glove, dove, and near rhymes like of, grove, prove, jove. There were other things he discussed but I don't think you'd be interested anyway.
After the lecture, we had dinner at Cafe Bola! (So that's where the freaking underpass is!) and went for a bucket of beer at Oody's, both in Greenbelt. All in all, I'd say it was a well spent day. Can't wait for the next lecture.
First, I had to lure my daughter to go to Makati on a Saturday, her rest day. To do that, I told her we were going to eat at Avenetto at the Glorietta. My other daughter learned about it and wanted to tag along, and she did. Lunch was splendid! We ordered two plates of the seafood pesto, a chef's salad and a pizza. I consumed one plate while they shared with the other one. What can I do? I go bonkers with good pasta. The chef's salad was so-so. Not as good as Italianni's or even Sbarro but on a hungry stomach, that'll do.
Here's the catch. My daughters did not know where the library was either. As it was still early, we went window shopping, my first born found a shoe to her liking, bought it and took me to Landmark. "Okay, this is Makati Avenue. Where did they say the Library was?" I had no clue. My friend just told me it is along the avenue. Yo make matters worse, my battery was about to die on me. I told my kids to go head for home. I will find my way.
I asked around around but nobody could give me a response with complete certainty. When I reached Ayala Museum, I knew the library would be at the other side. How do I get there? I couldn't find the imderpass to cross the street. I texted my friend, praying that my battery would be enough to send and receive a reply. He did and confirmed that the library was in front of the Manila Pen. I decided to go back to Greenbelt and just grab a cab! I never take my car to Makati. I don't want to get lost and waste precious gasoline.
To make the story short, I found it. The lecture was held at the Filipiniana section at the basement of the library. It was biting cold down there. Too bad, we didn't have time to browse their collection. The lecture was very informative. Paolo talked about how and why we rhyme the way we do. He gave examples of sonnets written by Juan Salazar aka J. F. Sinukuan, Angela Manalang Gloria, Jose Garcia Villa and others. The lecture was wittingly entitled, Our love for Glove Doves. How many words rhyme with love? Not too many! Glove, dove, and near rhymes like of, grove, prove, jove. There were other things he discussed but I don't think you'd be interested anyway.
After the lecture, we had dinner at Cafe Bola! (So that's where the freaking underpass is!) and went for a bucket of beer at Oody's, both in Greenbelt. All in all, I'd say it was a well spent day. Can't wait for the next lecture.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Inherent powers
I had been absent from the blogging world for almost two weeks since my sister's passing. Not that I had nothing to write about but my pen, or should I say my fingers couldn't find the words on my keyboard. Suffice it to say that I was not in the mood. The words just could not come out. My sister's passing, although was expected, still brought pain as she is the first sibling to pass away. At any rate, life has to move on for after all, struggles, pain and suffering are all for the living. I might as well face it now and wake from my useless slumber.
I was reading the paper this morning when an article written by Mr. Neal Cruz caught my attention. In the article, Mr. Neal Cruz writes about how the city government of Quezon City plans to widen a sidewalk in Novaliches without paying the rightful owners.
When I was still studying, I was taught that there are three inherent powers of the state. These are police power, taxation and eminent domain. Eminent domain is the right of the state "to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or rights in property with due monetary compensation..." A landowner, whose land sits on a track of land that is proposed to be part of a public hiway, for example, cannot deny the state to have his/her land expropriated, but with due compensation. This can be what the Quezon City is probably exercising when it told residents of the Susano Road to give up three meters of their property for its sidewalk widening project. However, the city government seems to have abused its power for it does not want to pay for the land it is getting from the rightful owners. Never mind that the cost of land in this part of the country is at Php30,000 per square meter. The city government can always pay for a lesser price.
The thing is it does not want to spend a single centavo. Too bad that not only does City Administrator Tadeo Palma insists that they shall not pay for the expropriated land, the owners will retain ownership. What does this mean? Several things: The owners have land that they cannot use, the commercial establishments lose merchandise in favor of illegal sidewalk vendors and unfortunately, would probably be asked to pay for the land's real estate tax! What utter misfortune lies in wait for these land owners? What have they done to deserve this injustice?
I was reading the paper this morning when an article written by Mr. Neal Cruz caught my attention. In the article, Mr. Neal Cruz writes about how the city government of Quezon City plans to widen a sidewalk in Novaliches without paying the rightful owners.
When I was still studying, I was taught that there are three inherent powers of the state. These are police power, taxation and eminent domain. Eminent domain is the right of the state "to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or rights in property with due monetary compensation..." A landowner, whose land sits on a track of land that is proposed to be part of a public hiway, for example, cannot deny the state to have his/her land expropriated, but with due compensation. This can be what the Quezon City is probably exercising when it told residents of the Susano Road to give up three meters of their property for its sidewalk widening project. However, the city government seems to have abused its power for it does not want to pay for the land it is getting from the rightful owners. Never mind that the cost of land in this part of the country is at Php30,000 per square meter. The city government can always pay for a lesser price.
The thing is it does not want to spend a single centavo. Too bad that not only does City Administrator Tadeo Palma insists that they shall not pay for the expropriated land, the owners will retain ownership. What does this mean? Several things: The owners have land that they cannot use, the commercial establishments lose merchandise in favor of illegal sidewalk vendors and unfortunately, would probably be asked to pay for the land's real estate tax! What utter misfortune lies in wait for these land owners? What have they done to deserve this injustice?
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