Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Like Real People Do

I will not ask you where you came from
I will not ask you, neither should you

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips
We should just kiss like real people do

So I will not ask you
Why you were creeping
In some sad way I already know

So honey just put your sweet lips on my lips
We should just kiss like real people do

Monday, November 30, 2015

Manila of My Childhood

A mental image of Manila for most of us may probably consist of one or two of the following: Jeepneys. Traffic. Poverty. Filthy and congested streets, street children, street vendors, dilapidated buildings and houses, neglected by society.

But underneath the smoke, the dirt, the traffic lie a few more things that most of us have neglected over time. Art. History. Culture. All have been buried deep beneath Manila's dirt and poverty, set aside by most of us in pursuit of other things such as money, success, progress.

My siblings and I visited the Planetarium and the National Museum last November. We had our own little field trip through the Andromeda and nearby galaxies at the Planetarium. It was this round theater with chairs arranged in a circular pattern. Right in the middle of the room is a complex-antique-right-out-of-a-sci-fi-movie looking projector, which had a lot of lenses that shoot up to the dome-shaped ceiling. So we watched this presentation with our heads tilted back to our seats, looking up at the ceiling as if it were the night sky full of stars.

After the visit to the Planetarium, we decided to cross the street to the National Museum. It was a gloomy afternoon. The sun was hiding behind grey clouds. It drizzled quite a bit on our way to the museum. We passed through Luneta Park and there stood a towering statue of Lapu-Lapu. If you are Filipino and you do not know who Lapu-Lapu is, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Just kidding. Anyway, Lapu-Lapu is the first native to resist Spanish forces who tried to colonize the Philippines back in 1500s. So he was regarded as the first Filipino hero. There he was, standing tall, perhaps guarding over Manila somehow. Funny thing is in  the 1500s he fought in Mactan, not Manila. But anyway he also has monument in Cebu.




























The National Museum houses the works of most celebrated Filipino artists and displays artifacts which had been part of Philippine history and way of life. Life depicted through paintings, sculptures, sketches, woodworks, textiles, various arts through various media.

























This was the very first branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, originally know as El Banco Espanol Filipino de Isabell II, ushered in the start of the Philippine banking and finance industry.

We were fast growing up. And as cliche as it may sound, how fast time flies. It's refreshing to revisit the places we had gone to when we were children. The last time I was at the Planetarium and National Museum was when I was in third grade, I think. A lot has changed since then, but some things remain the same.




Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Puso

Hinihingal ka lang
May oras pang natitira
Kahit parang ang layo pa
Habol

Kung harangan ka man
Sumalakay man mga bantay
Lahat kami'y maghihintay
Habol, habol!

Dehado kung dehado
Para sa'n pang mga galos mo
Kung titiklop ka lang
Titiklop ka lang
Matalo kung matalo
Huwag ka sanang magkakamaling
Sumuko nalang

Maagawan ka man
Lalung huwag kang papipiga
Kumpiyansa lang bawat bangga

Kumaripas ka na
Humanda ka na sa paglipad
Pakpak nati'y ilalantad

Dehado kung dehado
Para sa'n pang mga galos mo
Kung titiklop ka lang
Titiklop ka lang
Matalo kung matalo
Huwag ka sanang magkakamaling
Sumuko nalang

Ang puso 
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay

Ang puso 
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Good Friends and Great Adventures

We were at a bus station in Manila at 4 in the morning. Everything around us was pitch black, as the sun has not risen yet. We were in a sketchy part of the city, where buses and trucks and basically all types of vehicles would converge, where street vendors would sell their wares, and where people would be too busy or in a hurry to get somewhere. But at that moment, all was quiet. The city was still asleep.

About 7 hours later, after a very long bus ride, tricycle ride, and boat ride, we found ourselves in a cove enclosed by mountains, we were at Anawangin Cove in Zambales. It was off the grid, there were no phone signals, no electricity and no resorts within the area, so we had to rent tents to stay in for the night. It was not really a problem since most of us are used to roughing it out. And thank goodness for running water.




We hiked up the mountain on the left side of the beach one afternoon. I think it was about 4 pm because the sun was in its most golden glow. The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the view became. We were out of breath by the time we reached the top of the trail, but nothing was more breathtaking than the vista that was laid before us. There it was, the mountainous terrain. At the foot of the mountain was a forest covered with pine trees. Right across the forest was a coast within a cove. And right between the mountain and the sea was a flowing river. We will remember this for the rest of our lives, I told Arian, who was huffing, puffing, trying to catch her breath just as much as I was.









I've read somewhere that the saints go up the mountains to pray, even Moses and Jesus would climb up a mountain at night to pray there until dawn. Perhaps it takes them away from all the chaos of the world down below, and gets them closer to God. And the mountain lets them pray in peace. And someway somehow I've felt that peace within when I was there at the top of the trail.



After the climb, our friends headed back to our tents. While Arian and I took a dip in the sea. It was refreshing after climbing that trail in that scorching heat. We crossed the river on our way back to camp. There was this big arching tree with a big branch with a rope  hanging on it. And Mon hung on it and swung herself to and fro, over the river and back to the bank. She was always the bravest among us. After she did it, suddenly swinging on that rope became a dare to all of us. It was not a question of whether you could do it or not. You either do it or you won't have any dinner. And that was that. So we did it. All of us.















And it was terrific and terrifying at the same time! It was especially fun when Thesa did it.We all felt infinite within that short moment. And we felt young in a good way. No matter how old we get, we all still find that child within us.

That night, by the bonfire and over toasted marshmallows, grilled fish, and rum coke, Jason told us about his drunken episodes from way back. I can't tell them to you in detail, because they are Jason's own story to tell. But they were so funny we could not stop laughing. Looking back, it reminded me of that line from that book by Stephen Chbosky. It went like this: There's nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.

On the boat ride back to the mainland the following day, we saw a group of dolphins. They were riding the waves from the boat. We saw their dorsal fins and tails coming up and out of the surface of water, almost as if they were waving goodbye to us and hoping to see us again. It was one of the many things that made this trip so magical and memorable.

It was nice to disconnect from the conveniences of technology and the comforts of home for a while, and reconnect with nature. We slept under the stars and frolicked under the sun. It felt so good to be alive. True enough, life was meant for good friends and great adventures.



'Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar

Photos by Claudine Monsale

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Dylan and Ivy (Sonnet 43)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.


I love thee to the depth and breadth and height


My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.


I love thee to the level of every day's 

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.


I love thee freely, as men strive for right. 


I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. 

I love thee with the passion put to use















In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.


I love thee with a love I seemed to lose



With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,



Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,


I shall love thee better after death.



Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Photos by Guj Tungpalan


Friday, April 3, 2015

A Standstill in Time

It's always a wonderful feeling. Knowing that every morning, God's mercy and grace are renewed, and you wake up to a fresh start of the day.



To tell you the truth, I'm not really a morning person, but I am a huge coffee fanatic. One of the reasons I get up in the morning is my longing for that wonderfully warm cup of joe. It's funny how when I was younger, I wanted my coffee to be very sweet and milky, but as I grew older, I longed for the stronger kind. More coffee, less sugar and cream. The kind that has that kick to wake me up in the morning. My coffee is usually paired with wheat bread and cream cheese. I could have that coffee-bread-cheese combo every morning and won't tire of it. It's my daily breakfast, simple as it seems, but I am truly thankful for it.

During breakfast, I would read a chapter or two from the bible. Because of course, I can't live on bread alone. And the words gave me the much needed boost to start my day. I am thankful for every morning when I have time to read and reflect. To have that quiet time alone with my thoughts. Because I often could not put my thoughts in order--tasks I have to accomplish, errands here and there, bills I have to settle, looming deadlines, endless lists of things I want to have, places I want to explore, dreams I want to pursue--all get mixed up inside my head. So it's nice to have calm mornings like this when I can put all my worries on pause. I could not tell you just how much of a gift it is now, nor how many times I've felt like my life has been saved by the bible.



There have been times in my life when I've had so many questions, disappointments, self-doubts, and struggles within. There were many times when I tried looking for answers to my questions or solutions to my problems, and failed, then I'd get frustrated at the end of the day. Until I gave up trying and found myself reading the bible, for lack of other books to read. I'd started with the New Testament, and now I am reading the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. It's really amazing how the answers I was once searching for can be found in the gospel.

Of course, there are still many things I don't understand and still many unanswered questions. And maybe that's okay. In my quiet moments, I've found that God always finds a way to make me feel loved and cared for and that I need not worry nor doubt. These are ways I can't easily explain, but come in the simplest forms. Random acts of kindness, children's laughter, vibrant sunsets, starry evenings, songs of freedom, dancing to my heart's content, lambing from Spots (our cat), bonds of friendship, moments with family.



I guess I am in that point in my life wherein I start to value the little things that make life great. More than the things that money can buy. I am still learning, of course, it takes time and a good deal of effort. Every day I try to thank God for the overflow of love and grace and wisdom. For making me see the meaning and purpose of the people and things in my life, to know whether someone or something is worth keeping or worth letting go. These are among the beautiful truths that are revealed to me, beautiful awakenings in these quiet thoughts, in these peaceful mornings when time is at a standstill.

And as the sun rises to its full glory, giving light and color and warmth to everything it touches, I take sip from my cup, and know that something wonderful is bound to happen today.

Good morning!

Time stands still, beauty in all she is
Every breath, every hour has come to this

Sunrise over the coast of Calatagan photo by Daniel De Leon

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

An Ode to Women

People will always have
Their opinion about you
No matter what they say,
Or what they think,
The only thing that matters

Is your opinion about yourself
You can never let anything
Nor anyone, not even you
Bring you down
Always remember:

You have a sparkle within you
An inner strength, inner
Grace, and inner beauty
That nothing and no one
Can ever compare



Thank you, Jon Jorgenson, for ever inspiring and ever blessing.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Art Fair Philippines 2015





To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. Osho

I love February. Not only is it the love month, it's also the National Arts Month, and of course my birth month! So basically a lot of things going on around this period. To kick things off, my friend and I went to the Art Fair Philippines 2015 at the Link.

The Link is a retail and car park building located along Makati Avenue, beside Landmark and right across Greenbelt. The 6th and 7th floors of the parking space have been converted into galleries. It was Friday evening when Arian and I went to the exhibit, a sort of cultural diversion from our otherwise corporate life. The Art Fair featured works of various artistsRamon Orlina, Norberto Roldan, Victor Balanonmostly people I don't know, whose works I don't fully understand.

There was this one time when Arian and I argued on how to view a painting. We were standing in front of this abstract oil on canvas. We could not figure it out. Then she said, "Kelangan kasi tinitingnan siya from afar para magets mo." (You have to look at it from afar.) Then I said, "Hindi, dapat nagssquint ka." (No, you have to squint your eyes when you look at it.) We both sounded ridiculous.

To be honest, I'm no art connoisseur. I don't know the proper way to view art pieces, if there is any proper way. But that does not mean I don't appreciate it, as a matter of fact, I do. We could all use a bit of beauty in our lives. And being in the fair was quite refreshing, inspiring even. To make something out of nothing is a wonderful gift. And am glad that the art fair, which is just one of so many, provides a platform for artists to showcase their creativity, express their deepest thoughts and emotions, and more importantly provide motivation and inspiration to aspiring artists and art lovers.

So I tick the art fair off my bucket list. But this is definitely not going to be my last.

Art pieces from top: "I Am Seeing Things" painting by Elmer Borlongan; a painting in the "White" collection of Marc Aran Reyes; painting by Jaime Roque; bottom left: "Defeaning Silence" painting by Keiye Miranda; bottom right: art installation

Photos by Arian Magsino

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Oh, the Places You'll Go!












In all my travels, although there hasn't been many, there's always that inexplicably wondrous feeling of discovering something new, or rediscovering what has always been. Being in a different place, in the midst of a different culture, in the company of different people, somehow puts things into perspective. Like another one of the mysteries of life has started to unfold. 

Mostly, I travel alone. Sometimes with friends, sometimes with family, but mostly on my own. And guess what, I don't really mind. It's when I get myself lost that I find myself the most.

And I come back home a different person from who I was before I left. With new stories to tell. With a stronger set of values. With a broader view of the world around me. With a deeper appreciation of all the things I have, all the people I love, and all that I am blessed with. Little by little I begin to understand, although I can't fully grasp, how deep, how high, how long, how wide, how great God's love is.

Today is your day
You're off to Great Places
You're off and away!

Flying kite photo by Cesz Urbano