Malikhaing Pagsulat

*a free-writing exercise in Filipino*

Nung nasa Unibersidad pa ako, kinailangan kong kumuha ng isang subject sa Filipino. Elective lang naman, pero required kasi, so kailangan sumunod.

Malikhaing Pagsulat... yan ang kinuha kong elective. Ok naman daw ang subject na ito. Basta ang kabilin-bilinan sa akin, huwag mo kunin si Jun Cruz Reyes na teacher.

Sino na nga ba si Jun Cruz Reyes? Parang napaka-familiar ng pangalan nya. Hmmm... ah oo! Sya ang sumulat ng isang essay na binasa namin nung high school. Actually nagustuhan ko ang essay nya -- easy reading at witty. Nakalimutan ko ang title, pero alam ko... sinabi nya na kung si Jesus Christ daw ay pumasok sa kolehiyo, malamang napagalitan at nasita sya dahil sa kanyang long hair. Witty, di ba?

Anyways, balik sa Malikhaing Pagsulat. Samakatuwid, pumila ako at nagpa-enroll sa subject na ito. Habang nakapila, nagdadasal na wag sana si Jun Cruz Reyes ang maging teacher.

Unang araw ng klase. Pumasok ang teacher sa room -- maliit, maitim, payat, medyo dugyot, kung titignang mabuti. Unang salita... "Class, ako si..."... at isinulat ang pangalan sa blackboard...

J...U...N...

POTA!!! Si Jun Cruz Reyes! Talaga naman pag sinwerte ka! Sa lahat ng UP Professors sa Filipino, bakit sya pa?!

So yun nga, ang kinatatakutang si Jun Cruz Reyes ang teacher ko. Wala na akong magagawa. Pinaghirapan kong pilahan ito (hindi pa computerized ang registration nung araw), at mahirap nang mag-ChangeMat (change matriculation).

I vowed to myself na gagalingan ko, para hindi ako mapahiya sa klase. Kilala itong si Jun na mahilig mang-okray ng mga estudyante.

Sa awa ng Diyos, hindi naman nya ako na-okray... ng masyado. May mga pahaging paminsan, pero kumpara sa mga salitang binitiwan nya tungkol sa mga classmates ko, ok na ako dun.

Sabi nya sa classmate kong half-chinese... "Chinese ka kasi... kaya ka hindi makasunod"

Sabi nya sa isang star player ng Volleyball Varsity Team... "Puro bola kasi inaatupag mo"

Sabi nya sa klase in general... "Gusto nyo magyosi? Lumabas kayo ng classroom. Teacher lang pwede magyosi." (habang humihitit sa kanyang yosi)

Ang tanong... bakit ako nagsusulat tungkol kay Jun Cruz Reyes? Dahil nagkaroon ako ng urge na sumulat sa tagalog. Mahirap at challenging ang Malikhaing Pagsulat... pero susubukan. Kaya, abangan!


3:05pm
17 January 2010
Ladprao Song 1

Empake

6 word blog...

bye Gotham, till we meet again!



6:05pm
10 January 2010

* this is my first blog entry for 2010, and i settled for the 6-word blog. tsk tsk... have to do better next time *

2010

Scars remind us where we've been...

... but it doesn't have to dictate where we're going.

Here's to new chapters, great adventures, exciting trails, fresh start, happy beginnings! :)

Joey Albert

I remember the boy...
But I don't remember the feelings anymore.

(sobrang cheezzyyy!!!)


10:40pm
23 December 2009
Wednesday
Cable-landia

Dumbo

I am now in Chiang Mai. Around this time last year, I was also here. But unlike today, I was on vacation last year.

I can't really complain because I enjoy what I'm doing... so it doesn't really feel like work.

On my way to Chiang Mai (the land of elephants) from Bangkok, the Thai airways flight kept on playing xmas songs. For the first time this year, I felt xmas. I actually felt a tug in my heart (tagalog translation: kurot sa puso). Not the painful kind, more like a nudge, a reminder that this beating organ still exists. I made a mental note to make use of it soon. Me heart needs some exercise -- literally and figuratively.

As the plane was about to land, I was smiling. And as I looked out in my window, I swear I saw little Dumbo, flying in the Chiang Mai sky... his snout brightly glowing with a red color, and Santa's sleigh tied at his back.

Merry xmas, Dumbo!


10:30pm
15 December 2009
Tuesday
SP Hotel
Chiang Mai

Bite My Tongue

They say that when you have nothing good to say, don't open your mouth. Bob Ong, a Filipino contemporary author known for using humor in writings, put it in a more interesting way. But I forgot how we said it.

Anyways... my point is... where I am now made me realize that with all the potholes, pollution, garbage, poverty, greedy politicians and killings in the Philippines, we are still better off -- in a lot of ways.

I wanted to say more, but I don't want to say bad things about another country (and more importantly, I don't want to be deported). I don't like hearing foreigners describing the Philippines in a negative light, so I will just keep my silence.

However, there are words which I will forever associate with this place...
... dust
... sad eyes
... old

But I am almost sure that I will have more words, more beautiful words, to describe it in the future.


11:00pm
December 08, 2009
Tuesday
Golden Buffalo Hotel

TV Addict

TV addict...

nope, not me.

my neighbor.

from my room's bath, i can hear my neighbor's tv on overtime mode. i think they NEVER turn it off! and for that, thai telenovelas and tv ads are part of my room's ambient sound.

that's my neighbor...
scientific name: televisionus adiktus


10:05pm
03 December 2009
Thursday
Ladprao Soi Nung
BKK

Massacre

Horrible, despicable, inhuman, savage, pure evil.

Slowly

6 word entry:

"Bangkok... loving every bit of it!"




what have i done so far in bangkok?
- ate raw vegetables and weeds (dipped in super hot sauce)
- tried to be vegetarian for a day (but kept snacking on chips)
- rode a non-aircon bus again (after 10 years)
- took the subway
- ate super spicy (hot) food!
- ate cendol (thai style)
- went to a bar and saw a male star from Bubble Gang
- made new friends
- learned thai phrases (i know how to count in thai now!)
- was supposed to ask "how much?" in thai, but said "go straight ahead" instead (hahaha!)
- was at a total loss when cab driver wouldn't stop when i said "trong pae", then learned after that i was telling him to go straight some more.



19 November, 2009
Thursday
my room, Ladprao Soi 1
BKK

Bangkok

I'm back in Bangkok.

New work.

New house.

New office.

New colleagues.

New life.

New adventures.

I am hoping for new and happy trails.

For photos of my new house, visit my Facebook account.


4:55 pm
12 November 2009
Thursday
Jatujak, Bangkok

Torn

i'm excited...

then not...

mixed emotions



07 November 2009
Saturday
Gotham

Wrong

*6 word blog entry*

You're My Right Kind of Wrong


October 26
Monday
Cablelandia

Neruda

I'm back to my 6-word blog entries. My entry for today...

"If You Forget Me, by Neruda"



19 October 2009
Monday
Kiddie Toes Montessori School
Santiago City, Isabela

Teargas

I've always told my friends that i am apolitical. Even after studying at the University, or having worked with different civil society organizations since 1997, i still consider myself to be apolitical. (I refuse to be sucked in all these political ideological debates).

Having said that, i have very little experience in mobilization and street rallies. I've only attended 3 rallies my entire life. And that also means that i have not experienced how it is to be hosed down with water from firetrucks, or being beaten by policemen, or tear-gassed for that matter. And that's fine with me. These experiences are something which i do not really seek.

So it was a bit of an irony when i was able to experience how it is to be teargassed... in Istanbul!

I am now here attending a CSO Strategy Session at the World Bank Annual General Meeting. We were having a very peaceful strategic meeting in our hotel when we noticed a burning smell. Then it became stronger, and i noticed that it was very similar to the smell of my Chemistry 16 class way back in college. Then my throat started getting parched and itchy, and my eyes were irritated and became watery. That's when we realized that the police released tear gas targetted to the protesters, which were located outside of our hotel.

They had to shut close the hotel so no one can go out. You know how NGO people are, they will sacrifice their safety just to be in the thick of the action.

So there, i can proudly say that i've been teargassed. Does that mean that i am now less apolitical? *wink*


12:55 am
07 October 2009
Wednesday
Hotel Grand Star
Istanbul

ps.
remind me to tell you about the Filipino Mafia, Baklava, The Russian Guy and The Boots.

Distance

my 6-word blog for the day:

"I think I don't miss you."


i've been really lazy lately. i don't want to write, because i might write something i'd soon regret.

more aptly put in tagalog.... ayokong ibuhos... baka malunod ako.


4:20pm
27 September 2009
Sunday
Batu Ferringhi, Penang

Ilusyonada

6-word blog entry:

Hoping it's not just Fata Morgana.


9:30pm
20 September 2009
Sunday
My Shoebox (glad to be back)

6 Word Blog

.
new face... old feeling... scares me.


2:50pm
12 September 2009
Saturday
Santiago City

6 Word Memoir: on what i feel today

saw him again. he's happy... bummer!


10:10pm
Aug 22, 2009
Saturday
Cable-landia

Syana

Syana
- noun
- tagalog
- slang
- root word: Probinsiana (a woman from or living in the province)

I am a Syana.

Born and bred in Isabela.

But for the past 18 years, I've been away. Since I studied in the University, I've been spending most of my days in Manila, and just go home during the holidays.

But since 2 years ago, I've been spending more time in the province. The nature of my work permitted me to work almost anywhere I want to, as long as there's internet access.

As I am writing this, I've already spent my 30th day here in the province. I miss my small shoebox in manila. I miss eating out and going to the movies. I miss the regular gatherings with the Dyosas.

I must admit I miss the Gotham rhythm. But I am slowly getting the hang of the Syana pace -- slow, relaxed and stress-free. I guess, a Syana I will always be.


8:05 pm
07 August 2009
Friday
Santiago City, Isabela

Yellow

yellow... amidst the green


01 August 20009
Saturday