Thursday, April 27, 2006
Seasons of sweat (in collaboration with mamu, inspired by leoy)
to all pinoys who are frying under the philippine sun, sing with me now
525,600 celsius
525,000 people who sweat
525,000 different odors
from people sweating and looking all wet
In greenbelt
In landmark
In sm or even glori
In churches
in kalyes
like shaw boulevard
In MRTs
In LRTs
And even in PNBs
In banyos
In bancos
in our muslim brother's mosques
525,600 celsius
how do you measure the heat in this land?
what about hemps?
what about hemps?
what about hemps?
people with hemps
people with hemps
people with hemps
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
A sunday with mommie
Sometimes we forget that people are more than the labels they wear in our lives. That mothers are more than mothers and aunts are more than their sisters. That they lived in interesting times with far more remarkable stories to tell. And that sometimes, the best way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon is to listen to them.
**
Ets:
How did Abuela know that lolo was cheating on her?
Mama:
It was a small town naman. Everybody knew already that papa was having an affair with his secretary. I think that when he wanted to leave her, he couldn’t because she was menor de edad and her father was the chief of police who threatened him. So he just stuck it out with her.
Ana:
I think I know na why tita milagring doesn’t like lolo very much. Didn’t Naty beat her up once tita?
Mama:
Ah yes. That Natividad with her mother and her brother chased after milagring on her way home from school and beat her up. She was only in grade 4 can you imagine. And she went home all dirty and bruised with bald patches of hair because they pulled it out. Buti nalang tunying and quiting saw what happened and stopped it.
Ana:
What did lolo do when he found out?
Mama:
He was in Manila at that time trying to win mama back. But when he came home and heard the stories, he believed the version of Natividad.
Ets / Ana (in unison):
Ha?!? How can he do that?
Mama:
Because this natividad claimed that Milagring was calling her the four-letter word (PUTA!) But actually it was your tita marilou who was really very angry at her and who shouted the four-letter word everytime she would see them. But marilou was the strong one so they couldn’t touch her, so they ganged up on milagring.
And when papa went home and found out, naku, he really beat up marilou and blamed her for what happened to milagring.
Ets / Ana (again in unison):
What?!?!?
Mama:
You know, after that, marilou locked herself up in the room for 4 days and did not come out. She was just in the corner, crying. Lola tried to calm her down but she really wouldn’t stop. She just kept saying over and over that nobody loved her and that no one was gonna take care of her.
So mama called me up in tears cos I was also in Manila at that time and she told me to please come home and look after my sister. So I left school and went home and stayed with Marilou until she was better. Kawawa naman.
Ets:
Ang kapal. Why were they so angry ba?
Mama:
Because my lola refused to let them in the big house. And for Naty that would have been the greatest recognition. But my lola was firm and she really told her one day that the only in-law I will ever receive in this house is Victoria. So Naty was very frustrated.
Papa kept on trying to sneak them in but my Lola never accepted them. One time, this Naty was really crazy ha, one time she even pretended that she was possessed by my Lolo.
She went there to the ancestral house and with a deep voice said “I am Paco. Come here and give me a kiss. And please let Natividad live here so I can live here again.”
My lola just looked at her and said “My god you’re crazy. You’re not Paco. You’re Naty and you’re not welcome here.”
Ets / Ana (laughing so hard):
No way! Really? She pretended to be possessed?
Mama:
Yes. And my God how she got the whole town believing ha. Even your tita marissa went there to the farm to have a conversation with “paco.”
And you know one afternoon, I saw naty in town and I really went to talk to her because I’ve been hearing that Papa wasn’t sleeping anymore because of her craziness. So I told her “hoy, What are you trying to do? Are you trying to kill my father with these ridiculous stories of yours?”
You know what she did, she looked at me and said “Why are you afraid of me? I am paco.”
So I told her “You are not Paco. You are crazy. And you are the kabit of my father do you hear me? You are not Paco, You are the kabit!”
Ets / Ana:
hahahahahhahahahahahahaha. My God she was really crazy noh.
Mama:
Tapos one time, papa tried to bring that natividad and Maryanne to the big house (Maryanne is their first-born child) because Maryanne was sick raw. You know I couldn’t stop myself. I was already married but I went to the big house to throw them out. That was the ultimate insult already. And I knew that the best way to hurt Naty was to hurt her daughter so I drove her out of the house.
And papa was there and he stopped me ha. He had the nerve to tell me that I had no heart. I told him “Why? Where was her heart when she beat up Milagring? Where was yours?”
Ets:
Do you think Abuelo regretted it in the end?
Mama:
Yes. He did. You know, a few months before he died when he was already losing his sight, he started calling out for us and and mama. And naty told him that we had all already died, can you imagine? Naku, how he cried when he was told that. And Zeny (my aunt who lived right beside them) literally heard him howling through the night in agony. So finally the next morning, she went there to ask how papa was doing and when papa asked her if it was true that his children and Victoria had died, she told him that we were all still alive and in Manila. You know, he got down on his knees raw talaga and started thanking the Lord that we were okay and he just kept on crying.
Ets (teary-eyed):
God, really?
Mama:
Yeah. He died a lonely man. How sad.
**
My mother is the 3rd of 8 children. That’s 8 not counting that 2 my Abuelo had with Natividad.
Its funny how the first 4 have such wonderful memories of my lolo while the younger ones had no amor for him at all. They were the ones who were greatly affected by his adultery. They were the ones who walked the streets in old tattered shoes while his daughters with Naty paraded around town with new shoes and matching bags.
**
Men suck!
**
Ets:
How did Abuela know that lolo was cheating on her?
Mama:
It was a small town naman. Everybody knew already that papa was having an affair with his secretary. I think that when he wanted to leave her, he couldn’t because she was menor de edad and her father was the chief of police who threatened him. So he just stuck it out with her.
Ana:
I think I know na why tita milagring doesn’t like lolo very much. Didn’t Naty beat her up once tita?
Mama:
Ah yes. That Natividad with her mother and her brother chased after milagring on her way home from school and beat her up. She was only in grade 4 can you imagine. And she went home all dirty and bruised with bald patches of hair because they pulled it out. Buti nalang tunying and quiting saw what happened and stopped it.
Ana:
What did lolo do when he found out?
Mama:
He was in Manila at that time trying to win mama back. But when he came home and heard the stories, he believed the version of Natividad.
Ets / Ana (in unison):
Ha?!? How can he do that?
Mama:
Because this natividad claimed that Milagring was calling her the four-letter word (PUTA!) But actually it was your tita marilou who was really very angry at her and who shouted the four-letter word everytime she would see them. But marilou was the strong one so they couldn’t touch her, so they ganged up on milagring.
And when papa went home and found out, naku, he really beat up marilou and blamed her for what happened to milagring.
Ets / Ana (again in unison):
What?!?!?
Mama:
You know, after that, marilou locked herself up in the room for 4 days and did not come out. She was just in the corner, crying. Lola tried to calm her down but she really wouldn’t stop. She just kept saying over and over that nobody loved her and that no one was gonna take care of her.
So mama called me up in tears cos I was also in Manila at that time and she told me to please come home and look after my sister. So I left school and went home and stayed with Marilou until she was better. Kawawa naman.
Ets:
Ang kapal. Why were they so angry ba?
Mama:
Because my lola refused to let them in the big house. And for Naty that would have been the greatest recognition. But my lola was firm and she really told her one day that the only in-law I will ever receive in this house is Victoria. So Naty was very frustrated.
Papa kept on trying to sneak them in but my Lola never accepted them. One time, this Naty was really crazy ha, one time she even pretended that she was possessed by my Lolo.
She went there to the ancestral house and with a deep voice said “I am Paco. Come here and give me a kiss. And please let Natividad live here so I can live here again.”
My lola just looked at her and said “My god you’re crazy. You’re not Paco. You’re Naty and you’re not welcome here.”
Ets / Ana (laughing so hard):
No way! Really? She pretended to be possessed?
Mama:
Yes. And my God how she got the whole town believing ha. Even your tita marissa went there to the farm to have a conversation with “paco.”
And you know one afternoon, I saw naty in town and I really went to talk to her because I’ve been hearing that Papa wasn’t sleeping anymore because of her craziness. So I told her “hoy, What are you trying to do? Are you trying to kill my father with these ridiculous stories of yours?”
You know what she did, she looked at me and said “Why are you afraid of me? I am paco.”
So I told her “You are not Paco. You are crazy. And you are the kabit of my father do you hear me? You are not Paco, You are the kabit!”
Ets / Ana:
hahahahahhahahahahahahaha. My God she was really crazy noh.
Mama:
Tapos one time, papa tried to bring that natividad and Maryanne to the big house (Maryanne is their first-born child) because Maryanne was sick raw. You know I couldn’t stop myself. I was already married but I went to the big house to throw them out. That was the ultimate insult already. And I knew that the best way to hurt Naty was to hurt her daughter so I drove her out of the house.
And papa was there and he stopped me ha. He had the nerve to tell me that I had no heart. I told him “Why? Where was her heart when she beat up Milagring? Where was yours?”
Ets:
Do you think Abuelo regretted it in the end?
Mama:
Yes. He did. You know, a few months before he died when he was already losing his sight, he started calling out for us and and mama. And naty told him that we had all already died, can you imagine? Naku, how he cried when he was told that. And Zeny (my aunt who lived right beside them) literally heard him howling through the night in agony. So finally the next morning, she went there to ask how papa was doing and when papa asked her if it was true that his children and Victoria had died, she told him that we were all still alive and in Manila. You know, he got down on his knees raw talaga and started thanking the Lord that we were okay and he just kept on crying.
Ets (teary-eyed):
God, really?
Mama:
Yeah. He died a lonely man. How sad.
**
My mother is the 3rd of 8 children. That’s 8 not counting that 2 my Abuelo had with Natividad.
Its funny how the first 4 have such wonderful memories of my lolo while the younger ones had no amor for him at all. They were the ones who were greatly affected by his adultery. They were the ones who walked the streets in old tattered shoes while his daughters with Naty paraded around town with new shoes and matching bags.
**
Men suck!
Monday, April 10, 2006
COMPULSIVE EATERS - the resurrection
The logo needs redoing.
The products need tweaking.
The line needs finalizing.
And the owner needs some financing.
But the passion and the energy is back baby yeah!!!!
let's do this. and this time let's do this all the way.
The products need tweaking.
The line needs finalizing.
And the owner needs some financing.
But the passion and the energy is back baby yeah!!!!
let's do this. and this time let's do this all the way.
Friday, April 07, 2006
I give you frodo, the light of elindil
President Arroyo had her 12th birthday a couple of days back. In celebration, the New York Times came out with a lovely editorial piece entitled "Dark Days for Philippine Democracy." The editorial pretty much called PGMA a would-be dictator and implored their President Bush to caution ours not to cross over to the dark side.
PGMA's people (from the presidential spokesperson to our ambassador to the US) are, of course, desperately scrambling to defend her. They say that the opposition's "irresponsible political efforts are impacting international perceptions." They are, yet again, justifying the reasons behind the president's actions these past couple of months. They, as expected, refuse to see that maybe, just maybe, the editorial's concerns are valid and should be considered the next time they have a cabinet meeting. That these 'perceptions' are in fact reflections of what is.
I am embarrassed to admit that I've been too tired and too busy to give a shit about what has been going on. When she declared a state of emergency last february 24, I was busy launching a spa. When I heard that she ordered the arrest of Randy David and several others, I remember briefly thinking "Wow! Marcos is back!" and went on ahead to make sure that the floating candles were lit and the ushers briefed. And when i found out that the military were closely monitoring opposition publications, tv and radio stations, i thought "ahhh... that isnt right" and then proceeded to google what hair style i wanted and where i should get it from.
However, now that my hair has been cut (3 times at that) and the spa has been launched and other projects are done, i have no more excuse to ignore what is up with this country.
The truth is that the future scares me. This country is thirsty for a leadership that is bigger than one leader. This country is hungry for a government that will put the needs of its people first and political agendas last.
In 1986, the world watched in awe as millions of Filipinos came together to drive a dictator to exile in a revolution that did not see a single drop of blood. Today, the world is watching still, but this time in fear, cos we seem to be heading back to where we started.
I dont want to second guess the president. I will give her the benefit of the doubt, because I'm a piscean who believes in the good of people, that she is acting as a president who wants the best for this country. But when you claim that you're protecting democracy by curtailing it, especially when its still highly unnecessary, may pagka nonsense ka ata sa part na yon.
You're farting paranoia ma'am and it stinks all the way to New York.
So to you frodo, on your birthday, I give you the light of elindil. May it allow you to see beyond your paranoia and acknowledge that maybe your detractors have a point. If you just pry yourself away from your cha-cha campaign, I'm sure you will see this.
***********
Yesterday, the US ambassador to the Philippines was interviewed about her take on the New York Times editorial. Sabi nya "We are happy (or proud - i forget) that the media are free to express their opinions in our country." or something to that effect.
tsk tsk tsk
***********
Although hwag naman sanang seryosohin ng US ang concern nila sa democracy natin noh. Baka feeling big brother na naman etong mga kanong to at pasukin tayo.
tsk tsk tsk
PGMA's people (from the presidential spokesperson to our ambassador to the US) are, of course, desperately scrambling to defend her. They say that the opposition's "irresponsible political efforts are impacting international perceptions." They are, yet again, justifying the reasons behind the president's actions these past couple of months. They, as expected, refuse to see that maybe, just maybe, the editorial's concerns are valid and should be considered the next time they have a cabinet meeting. That these 'perceptions' are in fact reflections of what is.
I am embarrassed to admit that I've been too tired and too busy to give a shit about what has been going on. When she declared a state of emergency last february 24, I was busy launching a spa. When I heard that she ordered the arrest of Randy David and several others, I remember briefly thinking "Wow! Marcos is back!" and went on ahead to make sure that the floating candles were lit and the ushers briefed. And when i found out that the military were closely monitoring opposition publications, tv and radio stations, i thought "ahhh... that isnt right" and then proceeded to google what hair style i wanted and where i should get it from.
However, now that my hair has been cut (3 times at that) and the spa has been launched and other projects are done, i have no more excuse to ignore what is up with this country.
The truth is that the future scares me. This country is thirsty for a leadership that is bigger than one leader. This country is hungry for a government that will put the needs of its people first and political agendas last.
In 1986, the world watched in awe as millions of Filipinos came together to drive a dictator to exile in a revolution that did not see a single drop of blood. Today, the world is watching still, but this time in fear, cos we seem to be heading back to where we started.
I dont want to second guess the president. I will give her the benefit of the doubt, because I'm a piscean who believes in the good of people, that she is acting as a president who wants the best for this country. But when you claim that you're protecting democracy by curtailing it, especially when its still highly unnecessary, may pagka nonsense ka ata sa part na yon.
You're farting paranoia ma'am and it stinks all the way to New York.
So to you frodo, on your birthday, I give you the light of elindil. May it allow you to see beyond your paranoia and acknowledge that maybe your detractors have a point. If you just pry yourself away from your cha-cha campaign, I'm sure you will see this.
***********
Yesterday, the US ambassador to the Philippines was interviewed about her take on the New York Times editorial. Sabi nya "We are happy (or proud - i forget) that the media are free to express their opinions in our country." or something to that effect.
tsk tsk tsk
***********
Although hwag naman sanang seryosohin ng US ang concern nila sa democracy natin noh. Baka feeling big brother na naman etong mga kanong to at pasukin tayo.
tsk tsk tsk
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