On Friendships, Death, and Legacy
For us, people in their late 20’s (there, I said it), death is already something we’ve given a serious thought or two. As Serj puts it, think of the years between the present and the year we were in Grade 5, put that together with our age today and that’s when, one by one, we would inevitably start complaining of chronic illnesses, like hypertension, dyslipidemia, or if someone gets unlucky, cancer. Come to think of it, that time isn’t very far off actually, for the years pass us by faster now that we’re older than when we were younger.
This has been the topic of discussion when my friends and I went beer-drinking at La Mesa Grille in SM Mall of Asia after watching Ratatouille last Saturday. Or rather, this has been the topic of discussion for two weeks in a row. But we’re not quite that worried yet about aging and death. We simply thought of how the years have gone by and how through those years our friendship was strengthened. I guess Nietzchean philosophy still applies: what doesn’t kill a friendship strengthens it and it isn’t called poison either.
We talked about the time when one by one Death would stop for us and what we would do during everybody’s wake. Somebody joked about how their sons/daughters would be driving them to the wake because they would already be wheelchair-bound by then.
And they would still come late, as always, a friend quipped.
Laughing at the idea that our quirks would remain unchanged even when we’re already old and sagging, we agreed that for each one’s wake, those who remain will bring a bottle of that person’s favorite drink, pour him a shot in a jigger and put it on the coffin with several sticks of ciggies (even if he doesn’t smoke), lighter, and an ashtray and drink to his death and perhaps, rebirth, if there would be an afterlife. We believe that death must also be celebrated with joy like birth for death means that one has lived.
Naykupu!
“Hello, Noy!” eksayted na banggit ng nanay ko sa kabilang dulo ng mundo. Ramdam ko ang kakaibang emosyon sa kanyang mga boses. Puno ito ng galak at parang batang may maraming ikukuwento.
Nanay ko nasa Amerika, kasama ng kapatid ko na nars. Umalis siya ng bansa mga apat na buwan na ang nakaraan. Ito iyong minimithi niya noon pa. Gusto niya masamahan ang aking kapatid at makatulong sa pag-aalaga ng aking mga pamangking ipinanganak at lumaki sa Amerika. Marahil naiisip din niya na makakatulong siya sa pinansiyal na pangangailangan namin dito Pilipinas.
Unang buwan niya sa Amerika, tumawag siya sa akin na mangiyak-ngiyak dahil maliban sa ini-rereklamo niyang malamig na panahon doon parati pa niyang namimiss ang kanyang apo dito sa Pilipinas. Oo nga at meron din siyang mga apo doon sa aking kapatid na babae. Pero iba pa rin ang relasyon niya sa apo niya dito na kapareho niya ng salita o wika. Nakakatawa dahil kahit graduweyt ang nanay ko ng pagka-titser, ilang pa rin siya sa salitang banyaga.
“Nay, kumusta?” Tanong ko sa kanya. Puno ng pagtataka ang boses ko. Alam ko na iinit na naman ang tenga ko sa telepono dahil puro na namang kuwento at paalala ang maririnig ko sa kanya.
“Noy, halin kami sa Texas. Nagbakasyon kami kanday Grace na amiga ni Inday. Kanami didto Noy. Parang Pilipinas ang klima kag kadamo sang pinoy.” Oo, Ilonggo kami. Si nanay kung makipag-usap sa akin, Ilonggo. Ako naman, kahit na marunong mag-Ilonggo Tagalog ang gamit ko o Filipino. Wala namang problema dito dahil nagkakaintindihan naman kami. Gustuhin ko mang magsalita sa sarili naming salita o dialect, ako ay nabubulol na kaya minamabuti ko na sa Tagalog magsalita.
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Fish & Co. Seafood in a Pan
Singapore has brought a lot of good things to our country. These include the latest and trendiest in fashion and accessories. Do you know that they also brought food?
Fish & Co opened its first branch in Singapore about nine years ago. It has since then expanded to the different countries around Asia including the Philippines.
The first time I ate at Fish & Co in Greenbelt 3 was when we were entertaining foreign clients. All I can remember was how good the calamari was and how exorbitant the prices were. It wasn’t a place that encouraged me to dine there frequently.
I was able to go back again to visit for a sort of counseling lunch that I had. It wasn’t the first choice that we had but the new pictures on their menu were so enticing that the choice was actually made for us.
Bangkero Festival 2007
“Viva Señor San Roque!”
That’s what you’d be hearing this whole week as Barangay San Roque, Legazpi City celebrates the Feast of their patron saint San Roque.
Living along side an ocean, the people of Brgy. San Roque commemorates the legend of Bangkero (boat man/people).
In the story, the Roqueñans were living peacefully by the beach with fishing as their source of income and life. Sharks and all sorts of huge scary fishes are not much of their concern because they have become used on encountering such situation, more like happy
about it too since that would mean something bigger to catch. However one day, a sea monster we Filipinos have come to know as “syokoy” (merman) appeared suddenly in the ocean and threatened the peaceful life the Roqueñans have.
People were screaming, children and women alike running away from the horrible creature. The brave men of San Roque all gathered up and faced the beast while the whole Barangay prayed sincerely for Señor San Roque to bless ang guide them. In the end, the scary sea monster was defeated and the whole barangay rejoiced.
Today, every Purok within our barangay prepares a street presentation and exhibition for a competition. Naturally, the best interpretation of what happened in the legend will win. The theme of this year’s celebration focuses on the little kids of Barangay San Roque. Night after night weeks before this feast, my brother Jasper, and sister Sami together with the neighborhood kids practiced their performance.
Prey
Poised to go for the kill.
That’s how my friend, Hubert, found me the other day. He asked how it was, chatting with Reggie.
“Fine,” I said.
“You look ferocious.”
“Oh no, I’m not.”
I fiddled with the strap of my shoe, only to find out that, for some strange reason, the clasp is already gone.
” When you stalk prey, you do not try to intimidate him so that he doesn’t have to move somewhere else or to try going into a defensive stance at all. He’ll know you’re there and think that you’re up to something, but still he won’t do anything. Now you have to dazzle him in some ways that he’ll never know what hit him once you’re upon him or he’ll see you come only in the last minute and his heart will be beating so loudly he’ll only be relying upon instincts to make his next move. But the desire will also be there when, with open arms, he’ll grab me as I come.”
The Longest Kiss Game
It was crazy to have gone to that place with those guys. But it would have been crazier if I let the opportunity pass me by, knowing that I wouldn’t even get another chance to go inside, even if I have the guts to do so.
Ten o’clock is early by any of Malate’s night creatures’ standards. But for people who wanted an early escape from stressful reality, any hour of the night is the magic hour for guiltless pleasure and insanity. And so, the dark red heat of the place enveloped us, as the burly doorman pulled back the leather-upholstered door.
There were already a number of patrons lounging around the first floor. But still, personal space was maintained within a radius of barely two feet. Red and yellow lamps hung in every corner, throwing soft, delicate light on everything and everyone, making them look exquisitely gratifying. With limited space available, long, high-backed, leather-upholstered couches lined one part of the wall. Here’s where most of the men and some women were seated, on one another, with legs entwined, or leaning towards each other, men on men, women on women, and women on men. Some who cannot occupy the couch anymore leaned against the walls, one arm wrapped at each other, the other hand holding a cigarette or a drink. The tinkling of the glasses and bursts of boisterous laughter complemented the blaring house music.
Dan, Ralph, PJ, and I went up to the second floor to get our drinks. There were less people and were all probably waiting for their turn to get into the washroom, for purposes of which, I’m sure, wasn’t only limited to answering nature’s call. Or rather, Dan, said so, because he just went inside and came out with, rather, a small smile on his face.
Bayang minumulto…
Bata pa alng ako, marami na akong nakikita at naririnig na mga multo… Naalala ko pa noong bata ako, isang pamilya ng mga multo ang lumapit sa akin at nagtanong, subalit hindi ko naman sila maintindihan. Bakit ako pa ang kailangan tanungin? Sabi ko sa sarili ko. Namulat ako sa lipunan ng mga multo. Hindi ko man sila maintindihan, kailangan kong mabuhay kasama ang mga multong ito ng aking buhay. Maraming mga multo sa paaralan namin. Ewan ko, dala siguro yun ng kasaysayan ng tinitirikang lugar…
Madalas magpakita ang mga multo tuwing English class, Math, Science pero hinding-hindi sa Filipino class namin. Marahil takot lang sila sa guro ko noong mga oras na iyon. Pero, sa tuwing sasapit ng Filipino class, tuwang-tuwa ako sapagkat hindi ko na kailangan pang makakita at makarining ng mga multo.
Sabi ng mga teacher ko, kailangan naming matututong makisalamuha sa mga multo ng aming buhay sapagkat una: hindi naman nila kami sasakatan at ikalawa: sila ang magtataguyod sa aming buhay pagdating ng araw. Kaya maging multo na rin daw kami!
Cookout Hang-over: a UP Centennial Special
This year’s Cookout was the most well attended so far, inspite of the fact that it rained hard twice when the event was about to start and in the middle of the program. The event proved itself as a fitting launch for the UP Centennial celebration in UP Cebu.
I was present during the event proper and some of the prior preparations as the “alalay” of my girlfriend Beryl who is presently a councilor of the UP Cebu Student Council (SC), the activity’s main presentor.
I have to give the credit to the Cookout production team and over-all event director head Chassy Cortes for the best Cookout program ever. While Monster Radio DJ and former SC chair Paulo Walker played an important part in the successful promotion of the event.
Prequel to Saging Lang Ang May Puso Single
I have to say I still can’t get over this video clip yet. And oh, before I forget, Mark Lapid has another crappy movie, Batas Militar.
Anyway, this is the promotional trailer for Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar. It pretty much explains everything about how Mark Lapid’s line came about. Truly amazing, truly a work of zombies and mutants.
