Let's pray that Super Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) will spare us....
Let's be prepared. Laging maging handa. Constant vigilance.
Kaya natin ito!
Entries for October, 2009
Salamat sa Diyos at malugod na nairaos kahapon ang pag-iisang dibdib nina Jojo Ballo at Cathy Lasam. Ginanap ito sa San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila.
Naroon ang ilang miyembro ng Pinoypoets. Sayang at hindi nakarating sina Emong at Ani (and partner).
Isa si Xam sa mga abay.
The smiling groom with his mom.
The beautiful bride.
Kodakan muna.
Ang reception ay ginanap sa Villa Imaculada, Intramuros, Manila.
Slicing of the cake.
Cheers!
Table Number 20.
Table Number 20 with the couple.
The single ladies.
Waah! Anong gagawin ko dito sa garter???!!!
"Higher! Higher!"
Thumbs-up si Jojo! Pasado daw ang straight-acting ko! Haha!
Pareho lang kaming busog niyan. Haha!
Ang tanong: "May sexual tension ba?" Ang sagot: "Tension lang." Salamat sa The Idiot's Guide on Straight-Acting for Gays. Haha!
The wedding cake.
Photo-op with the wedding cake.
Group pic ule.
Xam as Britney (o photo-op with the baging).
September 30, 2009
Dear Jude Kevin,
Hello!
Pasensya ka na kung ngayon lang ako nakasulat sa iyo. Marami lang inaasikaso ang Kuya Rogerick mo. Pero huwag kang mag-alala kasi palagi naman kitang iniisip.
Natanggap ko ang pinakahuling Annual Progress Report mo, at natutuwa ako sa iyong pag-unlad! Nakatutuwa ring isipin ang mabilis mong paglaki! Ang tangkad mo agad! Patuloy ka lang sa pagkain ng masusustansyang pagkain katulad ng prutas at gulay at isda at karne.
Pero, Jude Kevin, nag-aalala ako sa iyong nakuhang marka sa paaralan. Masaya ako na maluwalhati kang nagtapos ng Grade II, at asahan mo ang patuloy kong pagsuporta sa iyong pag-aaral. Kung may alinlangan ka o pag-aalala, huwag mo itong isipin. Magsisikap ako lalo para sa iyong kinabukasan.
Ang gusto ko mag-aral ka ng mabuti. Sikapin mong makakuha ng matataas na marka sa mga subject. Kahit sa Math, kahit pa napakahirap na aralin ito. Alam ko iyan kasi ayoko rin ng Math, haha! Gayunpaman, gawin mo ang lahat para palagi kang pumasa sa subject na ito. Magtanong ka sa mga teacher mo kung may mga hindi ka naiintindihan sa mga pinag-aaralan ninyo. Sabi nga nila, ang batang palatanong ay lubos na natututo.
Kung mag-aaral kang mabuti, matutupad ang lahat ng mga pangarap mo. Ano nga ba ang gusto mong maging pag laki mo? Ikuwento mo naman sa akin.
Jude Kevin, isa ka sa mga inspirasyon ko sa aking mga pagsisikap. Lagi mong iisipin na narito ako para sa iyo. Umaasa ako na magtutulungan tayo upang matupad ang lahat ng mga pangarap mo.
Higit sa lahat, patuloy tayong manalig sa Diyos, dahil hinding-hindi Niya tayo pababayaan.
Hanggang sa susunod!
Kuya Rogerick
When I lost my two parakeets, my mother insisted that I get new lovebirds. For my loneliness.
Two weeks ago, I adopted a pair of African lovebirds. I named them Petpet and Patpat.
I am again getting another pair, pero baka next week ko pa sila kuhanin. Dapat sana last week, pero binaha ang bahay ng kausap kong breeder.
I'll name this new pair Marra and Gino.
Noong bata pa tayo, madalas idinadaing natin sa ating ina na mayroon tayong sakit.
Karaniwan dito ang lagnat at sipon.
Minsan, kagat ng langgam o lamok.
Makirot na ngipin.
Madalas tayong nagkakagalos tuwing makikipaglaro tayo sa kalsada.
Karaniwan na ang pilay.
Konting himas at hagod lang ng ina, konting pahinga, balik agad kinabukasan sa paglalaro sa labas.
Pag bakasyon, nauuso ang beke, tigdas, bulutong at sore eyes.
Ito ung pagkakataong mahaba-haba ang ipaglalagi natin sa loob ng bahay.
Para magpagaling.
Bawal lumabas sapagkat baka mahawa ang mga kalaro.
Naroong lunas sa beke ang pinaghalong suka at tina.
Huwag kakamutin ang tigdas at lalala. Bawal tumapat sa electric fan.
Dapat kumain ng malalansang pagkain katulad ng itlog at uminom ng Royal Tru Orange para lumabas ang mga bulutong. Para hindi na magkabulutong kailanman.
Magpatak ng gatas ng ina o kalamansi sa mata para malunasan ang sore eyes.
Noong bata pa tayo, naaalala natin ang hapdi at kirot na agad ding lilipas, bigla na lang mawawala at malilimutan.
Pagkaraan, natututuhan natin ang salitang kanser.
Sakit na walang makapagpapagaling.
Sakit na hindi matukoy kung bakit o paano o saan.
Sakit na tumitimo at hindi kagyat nawawala.
Saka natin nalalaman: hindi na pala musmos ang isipan.
***
Tita Arlene, our prayers are for you. Umasa tayong gagaling ka. Magpatuloy lang tayong manalig.
What is the truth about the mysterious Dr. Cake? Why, at his funeral, is there no name on the brass plate so ostentatiously screwed into his coffin-lid? Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate, has written a tantalising novel about poets and their afterlife.
My eyes felt like burning when I turned off my PC last Friday. Maluha-luha ako. This went on until Saturday night. I asked for my sister to buy Eye-Mo. This eased the pain.
I'll go to an eye specialist one of these days for consultation.
***
I had fun yesterday at Hands On Manila's Servathon. We went with the Likhaan Center volunteers and people from Emerson. Nagpamahagi kami ng relief goods sa two communities sa Malabon, sa may Longos at Catmon.
We went to SMX at MOA for the culmination of the event. It was amazing to see at least 12000 volunteers sharing stories about their experience.
Unfortunately, my digicam could not load the photos I took. I don't know what happened, really. Bad bad thing that happened.
Nag-grab na lang ako ng photos from Fe's Facebook (photo above c/o Leo):
***
I'm using my brother's Eee PC notebook now. Inggit ako! Wah!
Sinehan Digitales presents a QUEERiosity Project: “Boylets”
Synopsis:
How far will you go to prove your worth? Yes, how far will it take you to realize your worth? Teenaged Krys is simply starting his day intending to prove himself to his father. But when breakfast starts terribly wrong, Krys runs away and meets a group of adolescents from the slum area near their new apartment. Lost and confused, Krys spirals with his new friends as they prove, test and evaluate their own worthiness as well. And this means some gambling, stealing, flirting with girls, servicing matured gay patrons, and experiencing sex and a hint of love.
Boylets casts young actors who are not professional celebrity performers but young men who have gone through similar stages in their lives.
The movie stars JOEFFREY JAVIER, CHARLES DELGADO, RUSTY ADONIS, and FRANCIS SIENES. Directed by CRISALDO PABLO. Showing on OCT. 14, 2009 @ Robinsons Galleria, Remar Cinema Cubao, Isetann Recto, Cebu
Ilang beses akong naging Best in Social Studies noong high school. Lalo akong nagpursige na mag-aral ng subject nung naging teacher ko na ang Subject Coordinator, si Mrs. Ofelia Francisco.
Terror teacher ito, pramis. At hindi raw marunong ngumiti. Paliwanag ng class adviser ko nung Senior year, nakabaligtad daw kasi ang mga labi ni Ma'am. Kaya kahit ngumingiti, laging mukhang nakaismid.
May ibinagsak daw siyang fourth year student noon. May atraso kasi sa kanya. Nagpadala kasi si student ng birthday card, na may endearing message. Ang sabi: I wish you a happy birthday! This may be your last. Hindi daw niya pinag-graduate ang dyaskeng estudyante.
She twice became my teacher in high school, nung sophomore at senior years ko. Surprisingly, she became my favorite teacher. Kahit ang way niya ng pagtuturo was for the students to memorize the contents of the History book. Asian History nung 2nd Year ako, at World History nung 4th Year.
By recitation ang klase. Mataas ang marka mo kapag tinawag ka niya para sabihin ang pagsisimula ng bansang Laos. Pero mas mataas ang marka mo (with matching Very Good remark) kapag nasabi mo ang pagsisimula ng bansang Laos, ang lokasyon nito sa mapa, ang mga bansang sumakop dito, ang paraan ng pagsakop ng mga bansang ito sa Laos, ang development ng bansa, at ang mga suliranin nito sa kasalukuyan. Pwede mo na rin isunod na bigkasin ang susunod na kabanata sa libro. Plus points pa kapag may additional information ka about the country na hindi nakasaad sa libro.
I enjoyed that kind of practice. Torture di ba, pero nasiyahan ako. I loved the subject even more.
I became the Social Studies Club president just to impressed her, and of course, of my love for the subject.
When I took up Economics in college, sabi ko sa sarili ko, I would like to teach under her guidance. Under kasi sa department niya ung Economics subject. Un ang immediate plan ko.
I learned later that she retired early. I have not heard any news about her since.
Kumusta na kaya si Ma'am?
The fire did not dance
The fire did not dance
last night because Death
hovered above its head.
Its flames did not breathe
blue and yellow blaze
but merely illuminated
in the darkness.
Soon, what will remain
as embers will embark
on a journey with the wind
to a place unknown.
Younger Woman Shopping for a Blouse
Laura Kasischke
She holds it up to see it better,
trying to imagine ...
Where did that last decade go?
I remember
driving fast past
the sloppy needlepoint
of lilacs in the breeze,
dancing in a pine-paneled bar.
I remember
sending a postcard to a man
I’d read about in the paper.
He’d survived an ordeal, but what
was it, and who are you? All
this honey all over my hands.
Where did it come from, and what
if a bear crosses my path now?
What if the bees find me?
She cannot imagine herself
in that, and puts it back.
“Younger Woman Shopping for a Blouse” from Gardening in the Dark. Copyright © by Laura Kasischke.
I think I am a bad parent. After almost three weeks noong naiuwi ko ang new African lovebirds ko, one of them died today.
I don't know what actually happened. Basta kahapon ng umaga, I saw the bird with a big bruise sa left wing niya. May tuyong dugo sa dung pan ng cage. Bright yellow feathers were scattered on the floor. The bird was quiet and weak.
I thought the bird would survive, since the bird acted like he was not injured. Both birds did no chirp their happy songs.
It appears that a big rat or a cat attacked the cage. How?
I realized that the bruise was not due to bite or something, that the whole left wing was really missing. I thought the wing was just clipped due to the bruise. How to fly with just one wing?
***
I discovered this early evening that the bird died beside their water container.
Sadness chirped. Again.
***
Buti na lang, nandyan si Melai to cheer me up:
And the wonderful K Brosas, with this:
Galit na naman sa akin si Kuyatot ko. Ang careless ko talaga magsalita.
Madalas kasi, mabilis na tumatakbo sa isip ko ung dapat kong sasabihin, pero hindi pa siya tapos ma-process sa isip ko pero nasasabi ko na. Madalas, misunderstood ako.
Hay. Sana lumamig agad ang ulo niya. My fault, I know.
Can We Just Stop And Talk A While
Gary Valenciano
Fancy meeting you alone in the crowd
Couldn’t help but notice your smile
While everybody else around us is going about
Can we just stop and talk awhile?
I’ve been often told our world’s growing old
And that friends are harder to find
Do tell me more about yourself
We could share a thought or two
Now who would mind?
Maybe then we could go for a ride
Drive down to the countryside
Get away from the gray
And frenzied hurly-burly of the city life
Early yet to say what lies ahead
It’s the first day of the rest of our lives
Can we just stop and talk awhile
Get to know each other
Who are we to know?
Love could be waiting at the end
‘Round that bend and so
Let’s stop and talk awhile
Can we just stop and talk awhile
Get to know each other
Who are we to know?
Love could be waiting at the end
‘Round that bend and so
Let’s stop and talk awhile
Let’s stop and talk awhile
Let’s stop and talk awhile
Let’s stop and talk awhile
Bakit pagkatapos namin maglabing-labing ni Kuyatot, panay na lamang ang kanta namin ng "Mamang Sorbetero?"
Pinoypoets, in partnership with the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library, presents "Mind the Gap: The Work of Fragments," a lecture by poet Conchitina Cruz. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held on October 24, Saturday, 2:00 PM at the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library. This event is the fourth of a series of lectures celebrating Pinoypoets' fifth anniversary. Visit www.pinoypoets.com for details, or contact Pinoypoets through mail@pinoypoets.com or 0917-6934821 for inquiries.
(L-R: Emong, Joel, Nanoy, Xam, Conchitina Cruz, Kath, Ergoe, and Rhodge)
Nakatutuwa kasi andaming pumunta! We never expected it! Blockbuster ang lecture!
Sulit kasi almost three hours ang lecture ni Ms. Conchitina Cruz. The audience was also participating in the discussion. It was a lively audience, actually.
Was able to see other poets from High Chair. Joel and Rosvie were there.
I hope we'll see more people at Marc Gaba's lecture this December. Stay tuned.
Still wide awake.
The fly paper I placed inside my room caught one fat rat. I hope it did not get fat nibbling my books.
Luna our dog is itching for sex. Heat season for bitches. My sibling saw a big labrador in our neighbor's house. My sibling exclaimed the dog was super pogi. Luna and the super pogi lab will make a good pair, I guess.
I have just finished doing my sister's term paper. The topic I suggested and was approved by her teacher was the Korean pop music invasion. I was hoping the teacher would pick the topic on lung cancer. But the teacher, I assume, is a fan of Wondergirls.
Lately I am thinking of trees, and butterflies, and birds. Lots of birds. Big birds. Small birds. Birds of different feathers.
What is grief made of?
Have you heard of that story why dogs circle their corner before lying down to sleep? Luna hates hotdogs. Luna likes to haunt and kill rats.
So many things to think about these days. I wonder if I can manage.
***
So here I am, restless at 2:31 AM. Might as well nibble on my books, for a change.
Scared my wits... I now hate sleeping alone in my room... Might wake up being bitten by procompsognathids, those little green dinosaurs the size of chickens... Or being hunted by velociraptors... Or being fed to tyrannosaur's babies...
I'm now interested in buying Crichton's Sphere. I'm a fan now.
why should you fear?—
me holding my arm out into the crisp December air—
beige cord and then the plastic parenthetical opening wherein I
have you—you without eyes or arms or body now—listen to
the long ocean between us
—the plastic cooling now—this tiny geometric swarm of
openings sending to you
no parts of me you’ve touched, no places where you’ve
gone—
Two petals fall—hear it?—moon, are you not coming soon?—two fall
(from The Swarm)
I was so happy when I received the good news from CCP Ani people. My two short poems were included in this year's collection: Sa Templo and Pamanhik.
Sabi nga ni Xam, at least na-publish na rin sa wakas ang Sa Templo. (Kahit na-publish na ito sa Obverse 2 at sa Sidhay folio.)
I said, yes, finally nga, mapa-publish na ang lumang tulang iyon. (Kahit alam kong hindi naman sa pagpa-publish ng isang tula natatapos ang lahat.)
Ang ikinatutuwa ko talaga ay dahil sa hopefully, makaka-move on na ako sa ganung topic o theme. (Kahit may nagsabi sa akin na the theme is a well one can never exhaust.)
Madalas, mahirap mag-let go ng isang tula. Ang daming kinatatakutan. Ang daming alalahanin.
Sabagay, madaming reasons on letting go of a poem.
Ung sa akin, parang gusto kong sabihin sa tula na sige, gusto ko na tumalakay ng ibang maaaaring matalakay pa. Ilang taon din akong na-stuck sa ganiyang tema.
Ung iba, nagle-let go ng tula kasi mukhang hopeless na ang growth nito. Sabi nga ng isang Pinoypoets workshop panelist noon: Ibasura na ang tulang ito! Mahirap lalo pag may paborito kang linya sa tulang ginawa mo, tapos madadamay ang linyang iyon sa pagkakabasura ng buong tula.
Ung iba, nagle-let go ng tula kasi feeling niya, nabibilang ang tulang iyon sa mas malaking pagtitipon ng mga tula: isang koleksyon o antolohiya.
Ung iba, trash lang ng trash ng mga tula kasi di pa nila napi-feel na ang tulang iyon ang The One.
Iba-iba man ng dahilan, I would like to believe that letting go of a poem is always, in some degree, a painful process. (Because a process is a process is a process. Kung ano man ang ibig sabihin nito, feel ko lang siyang sabihin.)
***
At nakita ko pa muli ito, na isang pagbasa noon mula kay Louie Jon Sanchez:
Ibang-iba naman ang lirikong sandali na inilahad ni Fernandez sa isa pang tulang napili ko para sa diskuyong ito, ang "Sa Templo." Isang tula ito na handog niya sa isang E, "para sa isang gabing kapiling siya." Sinadya niyang ikubli ang sensuwal na karanasan sa matalinghagang pagdalaw ng persona sa isang tinatawag na templo ng isang libo't isang Buddha. Bago ito para sa akin, at talagang nakapukaw sa malikot (o malisyoso?) kong isip ang enigma nitong tula. Inaalingawngaw nito ang "Lantay" ni Rebecca Añonuevo at "Ang Sabi ko Sa Iyo" ni Benilda Santos.
Sa una'y maaari tayong mahalina nang husto sa imahinasyon at pagpaparamdam na nakapaloob sa tulang ito. Ngunit sa mas matalik na pagbasa, lilitaw ang pinakamalaking suliranin: Subuking tanggalin ang pag-aalay na "Kay E., para sa isang gabing kapiling siya." Ganoon pa rin kaya ang epekto ng tula? Maaaring sadyang malikot lamang ang isip ko sa pagkakahinuhang may "hiwagang" naganap sa pagitan ng makata at ng pinag-aalayan ng tula (ginagamit ko ang makata ngayon at hindi ang persona dahil talaga namang kumpisal ng makata itong tula). Ngunit may makapagpapahiwatig ba ng pangyayaring ito na nakapaloob sa pag-aalay kung hahayaang makatayong mag-isa ang nilikhang tula na wala ang pag-aalay? Halimbawa'y walang pag-aalay, maaaring maligaw pa tayo sa pagmumunakala halimbawa, na isa lamang Budistang ritwal ang lirikong sandali. Datapwa nilinaw naman na dumalaw nga "kagabi" sa templo ang persona na nakahubad.
Hayaan ninyong gamitan natin ng Semiotika ang paliwanag: Kung hindi makikita ang salitang "kapiling," na napakamakahulugan (loaded)--maaaring may kaugnayan sa pagtatalik, di ako makatiyak--magkakaroon pa ba ng kahulugang nakasalig sa nasa o proyekto ng makata ang mga salitang "hubad," "napanganga," "bumukas," "pamumukadkad," at maging ng "balat"? Sa akin, hindi na siya naging sensuwal na karanasan. Mahiwaga siya, oo, pero hindi na sensuwal, na iniisip kong mithing larawan ng makata. Sa lirikong sandali na ipinakita sa atin, higit na naging balakid ang pag-aalay na ginawa ng makata sa (sandaling?) irog. Batid kong mahirap magsulat ng ganitong mga tula, ngunit maaaring balikan ang mga binanggit na tula. May tanong pa nga ako sa makata: Intsik ba si E. kaya pinili mo ang imahen ng Buddha?
***
Santi arrived! Hope it will not become another Ondoy or Pepeng. Fingers crossed!