overwhelmed. simply, joyfully, and gratefully overwhelmed. may i prove worthy, with the grace of god, of the trust that i am being shown and given. and about the reality that i am just one man, may his unfailing love for humanity be my assurance that everything will turn out fine.

rest in peace, patrick. may your strength be our strength when we face the difficulties of this life. may your courage be our courage when we face the many uncertainties of this world. and may your peace be our peace when we finally face the lord.

it's been a year since you left us. you will always be in our hearts and in our prayers. may you find rest at last in the arms of our father. till we meet again. mommy.

Salamat naman at hindi na lang sina Miguel de Jesus at Arnold Lau ang mababasa ko sa Multiply. Welcome back, Mr. Andrew Pinlac and Ms. Dandi Lopez, to Multiply.

1st Anniversary and End of Mourning

Start:	Jun 12, '10 4:00p
Location:	Cabanatuan City

For my mother. The traditional one year of mourning ends on this day.

Bongbong downplays allegations of rights violations during father's rule - Eleksyon 2010 - GMANews.TV

Link

Noynoy has double-digit lead in new SWS election survey - Eleksyon 2010 - GMANews.TV

Link

Manny Villar’s Tondo roots were ‘definitely middle class’ - Eleksyon 2010 - GMANews.TV

Link

From "The Island" (2005)

Lincoln Six-Echo: What's sex?

Tom Lincoln: Wait ? you're a virgin? You've been kicking around with *her* and you're a... a v-v-virgin? Well, I won't spoil the surprise. Boy, are you in for a treat.

Later...

Lincoln Six-Echo: [Lincoln and Jordan are making out] How come we never did this before?

Jordan Two-Delta: Shut up.

[they kiss]

Lincoln Six-Echo: That tongue thing is amazing!

Martial Law Babies

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Comics & Graphic Novels
Author:	Arnold Arre

I have read two of Arnold Arre's graphic novels but this is the first time that I ever bought one. I love his works for they excite me just as komiks (yes, that is the tagalog for comics) excited me when I was a young boy, but Filipino graphic novels are quite expensive. Boredom brought about by the summer break forced me into shelling out around 500 pesos for this one.

In the end, what can I say about Martial Law Babies? Let us just say that given extra money and time to waste, I will start collecting Arre's other works. Anyway, I have Zsa Zsa Zaturnah and Trese by other Filipino creators, why not Mythology Class, and the others.

Arnold Arre has a cartoony almost disney-like style of drawing his characters; a style that reminds of the '70s-80's komiks óf my childhood. What is unique to him is the atmosphere with which he imbues his pages. It might be the black and white medium which he, so far, employs in his work and how he plays around with this style. He can make a panel mysterious, funny, depressing, hopeful, and in the case of Martial Law Babies, nostalgic.

Or maybe it is just me. I can identify with his characters, particularly his protagonist, Allan and his conflicts. Among other things, like Allan, I am a Martial Law Baby. Having been born in 1973, I am a member of the so-called Generation X, a generation which grappled and, as the book premises, continues to grapple with identity crisis.

The World War II experiences of our parents and grandparents were mere stories to us. We were too young when the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Elvis Presley and the whole Flower People were at the peak of their power. We were but a part of the tail-end of the street protests and even armed struggle against facism of the generation before us.

This truth or reality had me questioning, in the same way that the characters in the novel were asking themselves: Where to now, Martial Law Babies? And it is but a timely question. I have three of my grade school batch mates as candidates this coming elections. I have recently told my students that my generation are the up and coming leaders of our society. Our time has come, in a sense. Are we up to the task?

The novel inspired me to search for my classmates and friends. And thanks to Generation Y or Z's facebook and other tools, I have found them. I just want to keep in touch and know what, and most especially, how they are doing. Based on their profile pictures, their posts, and photos, it seems that they are happy. I am glad, for I am too.

Reading Ed Comprehensive Exams

Start:	May 12, '10 08:00a
End:	May 16, '10
Location:	Ateneo Educ Department

The final academic hurdle before the thesis.

signing off.

Kick-Ass

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

As a moviegoer, I am not hard to please. Give me a film which truthfulness by way of its storytelling I do not question and I will be a happy and feel that I have spent my money wisely.

Kick-Ass is a gem for anyone who goes to the movies to have a good time. You get a charismatic lead actor, a child prodigy for support, a balding has been in the head hair department but certainly not in acting, and a set of actors for villains who are able to solicit the perfect balance of fear and loathing from you.

The movie is not a typical super-hero film. Yeah, it has the colorful costumes, the exciting soundtrack, the breath-taking fight scenes, and the geek-turned-super hero plot. If only for these, I would recommend the film but it also offers quite a lot of things.

It has insight--a commentary on the nature of heroism visávis today's individualistic society. How right it is that the movie is set in New York. The characters are individually unforgettable, too. Kick-Ass, Red Mist, Big Daddy, and Hit-Girl. I would predict, they'll be part of geeky conversations for a long time. Lastly, I would say that Kick-Ass has a perfect blending of the various cinematic elements of sound, cinematography, and editting. I have to thank director Matthew Vaughn for this. I have forgiven him for the waste that was "Stardust" because of this.

I have read that some viewers are offended by the language, the explicit portrayal of teenage sex, and the excessive violence in this movie. In real life, I have a problem with these. In movies, however, or in any other form of legitimate art, these are not a big issue for me. If a person has enough sense not to imitate everything that one sees then why should profanity, libido, and blood in cinemas be a concern.

http://jejemons.blogspot.com/. for jejemons. by a jejemon. lolz.

ateneo is in the news again: the supposedly psych dept medical report on noynoy aquino

"Amazing! You are almost human... so many character flaws." - Little Green Men to a Robot in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins Movie

"Konsepto sa Kuaderno" ni A Solver Agcaoili

Laging ganito

ang gawain ng makata.

Manghuhuli ng mga salita,
sagrado sa kanilang kalungkutan
sa ibayo ng lahat ng gusto

sa layo man o sa lapit
ng mga isip na naglalakbay
kahit ang katawan ay sa karsel

ng mga alalahaning nakakulong
sa araw-araw. Tulad ng pagsusulat
ng mga pamagat ng tula

sa gitna ng pag-ihi
sa gitna ng pagbahing
sa gitna ng pagpigil ng pag-utot

dahil nakakahiyang sa salita
matutuklasan na ang alagad
ng mga saknong ay

may panghi ang ihi
may kulangot na sumasama sa pagbahing
may pamatay na bomba sa pag-utot.

Kami sa exilo, may kung anong pagpapanggap
ang ibinubunga ng dolyar sa bulsa
o ng ideya na ang dating makatang

singhirap ng daga
ay Ingles na ang dila
at kasabay ang gobernadora 

ng kapos na isip
sa pila ng mga nagpapabuntat
walang pusi-pusisyon, sabi niya,

pantay-pantay pati pag-alipusta
sa kapwa manlilikha ng mga parirala
sa mga nanghahabi ng mahika

mula sa mga panaginip kung ano ang dapat
na tunog ang sa katahimikan ng isip
na nakakaalam kung ang mali ay itinatama

na nakakaalam kung ang tami ay minamali
tulad ng marami sa atin
mga halakhak ang puhunan upang magapi

ang iba, maisahan man lang,
masabi lamang na ang angking galing
sa hungkag na bukanegan ng pagsisinungaling

ay siya ring totoo sa panahon ng pagbaha
ng mga dugo sa papel
at doon ipupunla ang bagong tula
ng mapagkunwaring salita.

UH Manoa, Feb 27/08

Ilocos Norte Holy Week 2010

camera on the pew

My attempt at being artistic. All shots are taken with a point and shoot Sony digital camera and edited with the iPhoto editing tool.

The pictures are taken in four different places: Laoag City Proper, Paoay (one shot only), Dingras, and Baccara, all in Ilocos Norte.

The Ilocos Chronicles 2010: Entry #4

Six down.  One more to go.   Here, I list down the churches that I have, so far, visited in fulfillment of one of my to do’s for this visit to Ilocos.

St. William Cathedral, Laoag City.  One might wrongly dismiss this church as negligible in a visit to Ilocos Norte.  A person may conclude that its importance lays solely in the fact that it is the chief edifice of Roman Catholicism in this province.  At least that was how I regarded it in the past.  It looked as if a three year-old child had designed its disproportionate façade.  It appeared small, even squat and thus pales in comparison to its majestic, albeit sinking, bell tower.   This week, however, I get to visit this church two times in as many days not as a tourist but as a pilgrim.  I went to the place as a worshipper.  And because of this, I saw more than a building.  I saw a magnificent monument of faith. 

St. Nicholas Church, San Nicolas, I.N.  I had neglected this church in the past.  Maybe it was a case of “being so near yet so far“ or of anyone of those expressions that I love to use yet fail to fully understand.   It seemed to me that it is a minor church, even ordinary, compared to the other big churches of Ilocos Norte.  It appeared that way every time I would pass it by on my way to Laoag.   Its pragmatic importance lies on the fact that it is near my destination city and thus serves as a mere landmark.

So, this week, I resolved to visit the church. It will be one of the seven churches I will visit this holy week.  And the resolution came to pass last Holy Wednesday.  And what impression do I have of this church now?  Let us just say, “First impressions do last.” The church have been too dolled up.

St. Augustine Church, Paoay, I. N.  Woe it is to anyone who fails to visit this glorious breathtaking testament to Catholic Filipino faith!  I just had to visit it for the nth time.  What is new is that I resolved to relish its beauty.  I will not have companions tugging at my sleeves complaining about the heat of the sun or the many other sites we have yet to visit.  I went to Paoay alone and via public transport.  It’s easy since so many jeepneys are plying the Laoag-Batac-Paoay route. 

This church never fails to amaze me.  It just sits there in the middle of the plain and it appears as if it will do so till eternity ends.  Its interior is a big disappointment though.  It’s ceiling is not that of the Sarrat Church which can be likened to an intricate lattice of giant woods suspended fifty feet from the ground.  Its floor tiles are not as well preserved as that of the Baccarra Church and it does not anymore preserve the sanctity that even the busy St. William has.

St. Roch and St. Gabriel Churches.  In Banna and Nueva Era, respectively.  These churches are not among the major catholic churches in Ilocos Norte.  In other words, they are not tourist sites.  I decided to get out of my way to visit them anyway.  First, I have my planned visit to seven churches; my personal version of the visita iglesia.  I had a mere glance of the Immaculate Concepcion Church in Batac for I was too lazy to get off the jeep.  The Sarratt Church, for its part, I have seen so many times.  So I need two churches to give me the numbers.  Secondly, Banna and Nueva Era are important places to me.  It’s my Uncle Victor who facilitated the completion of the new St. Roch Church when he was yet a young priest.  I spent a summer vacation there when I was in high school and I just have to see how it turned out.  Nueva Era is where the paternal cousins of my mother live.  I have grown up knowing one of them merely by name and that is my Tito Boy.  And they were supposedly six brothers and sisters!  And so I injected into my visit to them a tour of the church.

The two churches are the size of a regular chapel in Central Luzon or Manila.  Seven or eight of them could have fitted easily inside the St. William Cathedral.  Obviously they have not been constructed with an overflow of funds.  Nevertheless, they are beautiful to me.  Like the cathedral, they had people in them. Not tourists, but locals.  Worshipping. To think that I was in Banna on Good Friday night and Nueva Era on Sabado de Gloria afternoon.  People were guarding the Santo Enterio in one and preparing for the Easter Vigil and the Salubong in the other.  They too are testaments of a faith that is pulsing with life.

St. Joseph Church, Dingras, I. N.  This church has made this particular Ilocos visit uniquely special.  It is a newly discovered wonder.

I do not know if I have seen this church in the past but did not pay it too much attention.  Or maybe I have not really seen it though it’s on the road going to Banna given that it is hidden behind gigantic acacia trees.  But what I have seen this week has left me awestruck.  The reason is that the St. Joseph Church is actually a “Rurog.”

My cousin said that it’s Ilocano for “skull”, but, given the church’s context, I surmise that this word can also mean “ruins” for that is how the Dingras Church is and a historical marker from the national government describes it so.  The church has been that way since a 1913 earthquake practically destroyed it save for its walls.  But the people did not give up on the edifice; their dream was and still is to rebuild it.

It is a large church.  Perhaps it is the largest in Northern Luzon and therefore to repair it requires tremendous sacrifice and generosity on the part of the faithful.  The past fifteen years, they have been able to put up a new roof over it, and there were minor repairs performed but there is so much work to be done.  Time seems to be finally catching up on the church since the top of its façade is leaning towards the interior threatening to crumble anytime.  The people of Dingras both here and abroad seem to know this for they are taking action to save the beloved “Rurog.”

My hope and prayer is that they achieve this goal and that other people from other places help them.  For then it shows that this particular church belongs not so much in the past but in the very present; that this structure is not only an expression of their ancestors’ faith but more importantly of theirs.

St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Baccarra, I. N. I hope to visit this church tomorrow, Easter Sunday.

The Ilocos Chronicles 2010: Entry #3

Adobong Sili.  Dinardaraan. Via Crucis. With a meal and a prayer—that was how my first day here ended.

To begin, a definition of terms is in order.

Adobong Sili is one of the Ilocano sidaen my brother, Jay and I crave for when we would visit Lolo.  Green silis that, strangely, are not maanghang are used along with sukang iloko and native bawang—two other things that I love about Ilocos, to prepare this dish.  Toyo is used sparingly perhaps so as not overpower the taste and color of the sili.

Dinardaraan, the Ilocano version of dinuguan is rather new to me.  I discovered it several years back when Uncle Vic took me and several other people to eat at a diner in San Nicholas.  I do not remember where that mini restaurant was exactly located but it was just along the highway between Laoag and the nearest neighboring town.  It appears that to prepare the dinardaraan, the pork is fried first before being mixed with the other ingredients.  I remember being amazed by its crispiness that was perfectly complemented the slight saltiness of cooked pig’s blood.

I enjoyed these two dishes at an “Ylocano Restaurant” called Saramsam.  It’s a quaint, charming place that I discovered by accident at the corner of Rizal Avenue and a minor street whose name I did not care to find out.  The price was rather expensive given that I am in Ilocos and Ilocano food is supposed to come from here and not transported from somewhere else.  But, I am tired from walking so eating here is worth it.

Via Crucis is, of course, the Stations of the Cross in Latin.

---

Speaking of walking.  I walked around the center of Laoag yesterday.  Why?  Because I am in Laoag, that’s why.  It is perhaps one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the Philippines because it has sidewalks that can actually be walked upon.  Besides, my grandparents’ house is relatively near the city center.  I remember walking from the house to the cathedral for my Uncle Vic’s ordination close to three decades ago and also for the funeral mass of my Lolo.

I went out of the house a few minutes after four o’clock in the afternoon.  The world around me had turned bright orange.  I slept the first part of the day after spending some time chatting with two of my cousins here, Tina and Arnold.  The other one is Christian, their kuya, but he was in school or asleep, it depends on who you asked, when I arrived.

I visited Lola in her room just before lunch.  She’s very thin and appeared to be sleeping.   Later, just to let the heat of the day pass, I watched on my laptop the film “Stand by Me,” which I found in the film collection of my cousin, Tina.  I have seen the film in bits and pieces but not, it goes without saying, in its entirety.

I walked to the center of the city soon after.  I secured a bus ticket back to Manila, first.  To reserve a seat is the safest thing to do if one has an appointment in Manila a day after a holiday.  Partas would be too risky, if that is the case.  So, I headed to the Maria de Leon terminal but, surprise!, they were fully booked for Sunday night.  I went to Farinas, but with the way their buses look from the outside, they were not really an option.  I thought to myself, “RCJ Liner is better.”  They might not have the De Luxe buses of Partas and, I found out today, the Super De Luxe buses of Maria de Leon, but they were trustworthy too.   Well, at least the last time I rode them, they were.

I went to the RCJ Liner terminal after walking around the city center.  I passed by the capitol building and then made my way to the market and then back to the cathedral.  From the cathedral grounds, I took a picture of the sinking bell tower and the church’s facade.  After taking a picture of the underbelly of the bridge, I crossed the main street to the plaza in front of the city hall.  It was from there that I walked to the RCJ terminal. 

It was already six o’clock and I was tired and hungry.  McDonald’s was temptingly close but I have my convictions.  I decided to head for Lorreine’s Eatery where I had my breakfast that morning.  It was on my way there that I discovered Saramsam.

The Ilocos Chronicles 2010: Entry #2

Vigan longganisa and tortang talong for breakfast at a side street diner.  

What a way to start the first day of my Ilocos 2010 visit.  Native food. The Vigan longganisa, that is. My brother Jay and I share this conviction that, when we visit the provinces, we avoid the familiar, aka what can be found in Manila. 

Relish what a place has to offer.  Be it food, sight, sound, and language. There is a 24-hour McDonalds, a Jollibee, and Chowking here.  Heck, I just saw a Robinson's Mall in San Nicolas town in the middle of what is threatening to be an Ortigas Center mini me.  It is tempting to seek these places out.  Maybe to feel safe amidst all the strangeness of a place. But then, what is the point of the whole visit?  What is the point of escaping busy Manila if one will hanker for what it provides so easily?

Anyway, I am here now.  After 9 nine hours of travel on a very comfortable Partas De Luxe bus, I am finally here.  

Speaking of Partas, I don't think I'll advice people taking it on a holiday rush to the north.  Be it the Christmas season, the semestral break or like now, the Holy Week.  I do not know on other days, but at around 10 pm last night, there was a lot of people at their terminal in Cubao. True, they have the De Luxe bus which has three seats in a row compared to the usual four. This particular bus offers enough leg room for a six footer and the seats are fully reclinable, something that I discovered regrettably a few minutes away from Laoag.

But I do not know if they have a regular schedule for the departure of these buses.  Maybe they do, but judging from my experience last night, when the flood of people comes, the alternative is: all hell breaks loose.  

It was not a horror story for me.  Being a bus rider for such a long time, I have developed the tolerance for the long lines, the rush of running after the monsters, and the subtlety of using my size to get inside them.  So last night was the usual for me.  It's part of the whole adventure.  If it is any other person, maybe I would recommend riding on their own vehicle, taking the plane, or trying Maria de Leon out.  There one could reserve his seat ahead of time. 

The Ilocos Chronicles 2010: Entry #1

Cliche title. But that's what's been on my head all day: thinking of posting blog after blog of my trip to and from and, of course, stay in Ilocos Norte and call them with that title.  That's the plan though.  I really do not know if I can muster enough will power to write again after this one.  I am a ningas kugon, that is why.

Going to Ilocos this summer was in my mind long before I verbally uttered it to my dad two weeks ago.  Lots of changing of mind happened since then. I mentioned it to Mommy's cousin, too.  That's Tito Boy Valido, through facebook chat.  Having informed them, there is no backing out since the questions "when are you going to Laoag" by one or "when are you coming to Laoag" by the other would inevitably crop up.

And so that was what happened last Saturday night.  I told my dad, "I'll be home in Cabanatuan by Monday.  I think I am not going to Ilocos anymore. What do you think?" It was really my way of subtly  saying, "I really do not want to go and endure that 8 hour trip inside a close to freezing bus. Two times!"  And he goes, "I really think you should go and visit."  It's no great wonder.  He's from the place.  And so, of course, are my grandparents.  And I haven't visited Lola since I don't remember exactly when. 

Also this morning as I was preparing to finally submit my final paper for my final subject in MA, out came a message from Tito Boy through facebook.  "Are you already here?"  With that question, I just have to go to Ilocos.

So here I am, counting the last few hours before departure to beloved Ilocos.  There is no sarcasm there.  Believe me, I love the place, I adore the place, I long to see the place.  It's just that, for now, what I need is to sit on a rocking chair in front of the cable tv with the laptop to my right and a good book at my left turning on the aircon if the heat gets to me while trying to muster enough will power to review for compre.  In Cabanatuan, of course, my true home. 

Now all that has become, "Maybe next week."  After the demo, after the enrollment, and after I clean my carrell and sort out my reviewers for the comprehensive exams. 

For the Holy Week, I am off to Ilocos Norte.  Perhaps there, I'll join the celebration at my Uncle Vic's parish, go out with my cousins, eat real Ilocano food, and do visita iglesia. Certainly however, I'll be able to see my Lola Betty again.  

Just keep on reading to find out if I did. 

 

The Class That Was 1B 2009-2010 [HQ]

For Isiah.

Conquering a Fear [HQ]

I have a fear of heights but through this experience, I discovered that it is something that I can overcome. I thank my brother, Jason and my sister-in-law, Rhoda for their generosity and love of family.

This video is an edited version of my first zip-line experience and iMovie project. I fixed it on the plane ride back to Manila.