Tuesday, December 17, 2013

ANGELES OVERNIGHT

Halos isang oras ang biyahe mula Cubao hanggang SM-San Fernando, kasama na ang pagsakay sa mga pasahero ng isa pang bus na nawalan ng preno sa NLEX at sumundot sa puwet ng kapwa nito bus, na nadagdagan ng isa pang masalimuot na biyahe mula SM papuntang Angeles dahil sa nakababaliw na trapik sa may Marquee Mall, at halos isa pang oras mula sa binabaan ko ng dyip hanggang mahanap ng traysikel na parang-taxi-maningil-ng-pamasahe ang aking hotel kung saan naging tagapakinig ako sa hampas ng head board ng kama sa dingding mula sa kabilang kuwarto at naulinigan ang impit na ungol ng isang babae na hayaan lang na magsuntukan ang kama at dingding bago ako lumabas at naghapunan sa isang Greek Restaurant na katabi ng hotel.  


Kinaumagahan, muling nagpalabas ang kabilang kuwarto --- ang sarap sabi ng babae, huwag kang sumigaw sabi ng lalaki, wala akong pakialam ang sagot ng babae, dilaan daw sa itlog, puede daw sa puwet kapag matigas --- kaya muli akong lumabas ng kuwarto at nag-almusal ng mamantikang Australian breakfast at nagpahatid sa SM-San Fernando para sa biyahe pabalik ng Maynila.


Kagabi, may anghel na bumaba at sumamba sa kabilang kuwarto. Hindi ko lang alam kung may baon siyang pansit...
     

Sunday, December 15, 2013

CLARK BALIKAN

Pagkatapos mag-black out ang viewfinder ng camera ko matapos kunan ang pityur sa ibaba...


...ay bigla kong naalala na ika-16 na taong anibersaryo nga pala ng kasal namin ni Ateng.

"Hmp!" ang sabi nang tinawagan ko.

Hindi siya maghahanda ng pansit...

...at huwag na huwag daw akong mag-uuwi ng pityur ng kahit anong simbahan. 

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

SUBIC AND BACK

Nagpunta ako sa Subic para makigulo sa National Brown Rice Conference.


At magmerienda ng kulay brown na bihon guisado.


Ayos ang conference.

Walang kuwenta ang pansit.

Sunday, December 01, 2013

ANG PAGBABALIK NG GOBERNADOR atbp

Siya si Bagis Henry [nakapagitna].


Kilala din siya sa palayaw na "Ukop" (halimlim sa Tagalog].

Si Brod Henry alyas Ukop ang ninong namin sa aming final initiation sa frat noong 1989.

Ngayon lang ulit kami nagkita buhat n'ung grumadweyt siya.

And'un din si Bagis Leo [nakapula at umaabot sa bote ng Emperador Lights] at Bagis Tiki-Tiki [nakaberde, napangalanan dahil madalas daw magsuot noon ng t-shirt na may markang American Tiki-Tiki].


Watalubs pa din si Brod Leo [siya si Leovin Cojuangco noon].

Madalas kong ka-chat pero matagal ko na ding hindi nakita sa personal. 

Dumating din sina Bagis Romeo [PNP, nakapula] na gustong maging Mason, Bagis Rod [PAGASA, nakaputi] na isa nang Mason, at Bagis Darling [nakabughaw at nakatayo, Darlito ang ngalan niya kaya gan'un ang palayaw niya] na hindi Mason.


Siyempre, may long table ng kung ano-ano [tsampiyon ang dala ni Brod Darling na inihaw na baby balyena].


At sabayan kaming kumanta [nakatayo pa, kasi anthem ng frat] ng "Today" ["...while the blossom still clings to the vine..."].


Matagal na panahon bago ako ulit nakadalo sa anniversary at homecoming ng frat.

At napansin kong madami sa mga batang brod and sis ang Tagalog na ang lengguahe... 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

WHY WE NEGOTIATE

Unang-una sa lahat siyempre ay para sa bayan.

[Hindi 'din masamang magalugad ng libre ang mundo.]


At ang pagkakataon na makapaglingkod sa pinakamasipag na delegasyon sa proseso ng UNFCCC.

[Lalo na sana kapag nakumpleto na 'din sa wakas ang mga inampalan ng PCCC.]


Iba 'din ang pakiramdam na makabanggaan sa siko ang mga ministro at bise-ministro.

[Hindi nila alam e muntik na din akong naging ministro noon... ng simbahan.]


At ang paminsanminsan na mainterbyu sa TV.

[Pero dahil Vietnamese TV ay hindi ko na ito mapapanood kahit kalian.]


Hindi mawawala ang mga photo ops.

[Bagamat mas madalas na ako ang kumukuha kesa kinukuhanan.]


At ang bragging rights na oo, minsan ay nakatrabaho ko siya...

[...nakasabay kumain, nakainuman, nakasama sa photo shoot, nakabiruan, napatawa...]


Monday, November 18, 2013

NEGOTIATORS' DAY OFF

It was our Sunday off.

But MD and me have to brief the "Minister" and the "Ambassador".

That under the equivalent of a Polish rain [ambon to us] which amplified the chilly air.

The Convener waited for us in a bus stop while we waited for him in another.

So that left me, MD, the "Minister", and the "Ambassador" for the Old Town briefing and beyond.

"It was from those paintings that they rebuilt the Old Town. And those are the explosive charges the Germans planted. Warsaw's narrowest house is behind the big bell".




The "Ambassador" knows her Old Town.

And the New Town too where I got another church.


Lunch was pure envy as I watched them nibble on lamb, pork chops, and duck while I have to do with a bland baked trout in a whatever sauce.

But I had pansit finally: homemade Polish noodles in chicken broth.


Plus thick hot chocolate and muffins for dessert in another place.

We took Bus No. 128 back to the hotel.

The briefing has successfully concluded... 

Monday, November 11, 2013

STARE MIASTO

Acclimatize, un-jet lag, settle down: DONE.

Report to the Oxfam Team: DONE.

Get to know how the tram works: DONE.

Register and get my badge: DONE.

Report to the delegation: DONE.

Google Warsaw: DONE.

Now the walking and the shooting. 

"You can actually walk. It's just around 30 minutes from here to the Old Town. Turn left at the palm tree and follow that road," said the blonde Mona Lisa-smiling hotel receptionist to my question on how to get there via tram.

So I did.

Through the Centrum, the two blocks along Aleje Jerozlimskie, to the palm tree amid Rondo de Gaulle which announced the left turn to Nowy Swiat.

A ribbon-ed and forlorn Copernicus sitting in front of Polish Academy of Sciences was the first to greet me.

Click, click, click.

Then what I came for: churches, and lots of it! 

Nowy Swiat hosts a lot beginning with the massive Smaller Basilica of the Holy Cross [circa late 17th century]...


...the rococo grandeur of the smaller Church of St. Joseph the Visitations [circa 1664]...


...the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and of St. Joseph [circa 1661] wrapped in an unholy renovation package where the famous Frederic Chopin was first employed as a pianist...


...and St. Anne's Church [circa 1788] just before the dramatic entrance to the Old Town [Stare Miasto].


I clicked, walked, clicked more, and walked some more --- through a long queue of shivering people trying to get into the Royal Castle, then to Piwna Street where the imposing facade of the Church of St. Martin [circa 1356] cast an eternal shadow on an Indian restaurant on the opposite side.


A right turn took me to the Old Town Square and Warsaw's monument to its mermaid defender.

A U-turn brought me to the defensive walls and the Barbican which links the Old Town to Nowe Misato (New Town], and to the Church of the Holy Spirit [circa 14th century] and the nearby Church of St. Jack [circa 1600s].



That's when the chill and hunger came.

But a unique saw-toothed church facade jutting out of the Old Town skyline beckoned so I went back through the Barbican, Piwna Street, the Old Town Square and the mermaid,  to Swietojariska Street where the Cathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist [circa 14th century] --- Poland's most important church and the Polish royalty's preferred spiritual hangout --- stand side by side with the smaller but more ornate Shrine of Our Lady of Grace Patron of Warsaw [circa 1600s].


On the way back to the hotel, I battled between Indian and Polish cuisine but finally settled for a vegetarian baguette sandwich.

I'm cold, I don't eat meat, and hot noodles is not served in Warsaw...

Friday, November 08, 2013

FROM FISH HEADS IN MANILA TO POTATO PANCAKES IN WARSAW

It must be the wear-and-tear of 43 years.

Or the 3-days-and-2-nights in the hospital and a draconian no-fat-and-alcohol diet imposed in its aftermath.

The burden and reluctance of travelling has never been this pronounced as starkly illustrated by the boiled eggs and tomatoes I have to do for breakfast while Moi and Bong feasted on an additional platter of fried dried fish swimming in a vinegar-garlic dip and fried eggplants liberally drenched in a bagoong-and-calamansi dressing during a pit stop in Zaragoza.

Manila is more forgiving as we lunched in equal footing on huge bowls of fish heads in sour broth that were surgically deconstructed into bits and heaps of bones even a cat will find too clean to eat.

Then a total culinary self-flagellation on air as meat was discarded in favor of a tasteless combo of boiled broccoli and young corn during the Manila-Taipei leg, a more palatable bit of baked potato cubes minus the chicken somewhere above China then a sausage-less breakfast of an egg omelet just before touchdown in Amsterdam, and finally a welcome egg sandwich on the connecting flight to Warsaw.

The cold and dank Polish weather does not help.

But the waiter at the Hotel Metropol restaurant did with his recommendation of a Polish dish of potato pancakes with spinach in feta cheese when I told him I don't eat meat...

Monday, November 04, 2013

SINO ANG KUMAIN NG MAMI KO?

Sinubukan kong patayin ang oras habang nagpapa-change oil sa talyer ng mga tao sa paulit-ulit na panonood sa mga nakamamanghang pakikipaglaban ni Eli sa "The Book of Eli", ang mga kautuan sa reunion nina Lenny Feder at tropa niya sa "Grown Ups", at ang makabagbag damdaming paglilibing ni Katniss Everdeen kay Rue sa "The Hunger Games".


Nakatulog ako.

Paggising ko ay ubos na ang rasyon ko.

Sino kaya ang kumain?

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

PANSIT SA PANAHON NG BAGYO, LINDOL, AT ELEKSIYON

Oktubre 14

Kahit papa'no ay hinimas ng bagong lutong miswa na iginisa sa patola at tinadtad na karneng baboy ang pagkagitla sa lakas ng hampas ng Bagyong Maring na bumunot sa mga matatandang puno ng akasya sa highway, tumumba sa mga sementong poste ng NEECO at CELCOR, at tumangay sa mga bubong ng mga barong-barong at magagarang bahay sa Cabanatuan.

Oktubre 16

Nakatulong ng bahagya ang paghigop ng mainit na mami na binili sa kanto upang unawain kung ang Diyos nga ba ang may akda sa lindol na tuluyang gumupo sa mga simbahan ng Dauis, Baclayon, Loboc, Maribojoc, Loon, at Loay sa Bohol.

Oktubre 28

Nakagigimbal ang panunuyo ng mga kandidato sa mga botante sa pamamagitan ng pamimigay ng ilang supot na Payless at isang kilo ng bigas na lasang putang-ina...


BABALA: Ang pansit sa itaas ay kasama sa handaan sa pagdiriwang ni Kuya Serge ng kanyang kaarawan at walang kinalalaman sa bagyo, lindol, at eleksiyon.    

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

ODE TO BOHOL

Just like that…

[I had it planned / to escape on a rented van // chase the road to Loon / a pit stop in Maribojoc // perhaps a glimpse of Loay too / even Dimiao as an afterthought // but later I said / much to my regret…]

...and a brutal self-flagellation.




FOOTNOTE: Photos of the colonial churches in Dauis, Baclayon, and Loboc were all taken between July 15-16, 2013.

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

ORION'S BELT

Once upon a time, tiny aliens from the Arquillian Galaxy came to Udyong to escape from an invasion of giant cockroaches. 

They first disguised as white friars to intimidate the natives and hid the treasure of their galaxy in the hollow of wood beams shaped into a cross.

In what is now Abucay, they re-established their kingdom and built a giant castle which today is known as the church of St. Dominic de Guzman who was actually their first king on earth.


But the earth's air was deadly for the lung-less Arquillians who eventually found refuge beneath the salty waters of Manila Bay where they morphed into various forms of sea species which fishers now catch and smoke into that famous Bataan tinapa and tuyo.




They built another castle in Udyong --- today known as the church of St. Michael the Archangel who was the Arquillian king at that time --- and moved there the treasure hidden in the cross at Abucay which is actually a set of tiny stars stitched into a belt that was smuggled into earth as the collar of a cat called Orion.


When the cat died while protecting the treasure from the giant cockroaches who finally found the Arquillian colony on earth, Udyong was renamed Orion in its honor and the treasure moved to a fortress built in present day Orani where it remains hidden until today in the necklace of its custodian who is known as the Nuestra Senora Virgen del Santo Rosario...

Thursday, October 03, 2013

THREE AND A HALF DAYS

LINGGO,

mabigat ang loob kong sumakay sa Five Star bus matapos ang lingguhang ritwal namin ng pamamalengke dahil obligado akong dumalo sa pagpupulong ng AK politburo --- batas ko kasi na natatanging pampamilya  lamang ang mga araw ng linggo --- na hinimas naman kahit papaano ng pag-level-up ko sa Candy Crush habang nakabiyahe kaya namili na din ako ng sitsarong-may-laman sa La Paz bilang pasalubong at naghimagas ng isang double sundae with double hot fudge sa Mcdo-Panay na agad kong naubos habang inihahatid ako ng berdeng traysikel sa Casa Pura kung saan inabutan kong ganado nang nagkukuwento si Matthew at hinainan ako ng late lunch na inihaw na salmon na pinatungan ng late dinner na callos bago kami sumakay sa susugaksugak na taxi papuntang UP Kapit Balay kung saan inabutan kong pinapayok ni Chito ang isang boteng red wine.


LUNES,

natuklasan kong may isa pa palang simbahang pamprotestante ang UP habang naglalakad para mag-almusal sa University Coop na ang pagkain ay inilalakong katulad ng mga pansit na nakapila sa bangketa ng Hidalgo at napagtanto kong ang adobo nila ay maasim at lasang panis bago ang kalahating araw na presentation ni ComYeb tungkol sa GDR na sinundan ko ng pag-uulat ng adaptation cluster na sinundan ng mga pag-uulat ng mga tiga technology, mitigation, at finance na natapos sa isang plenary-na-break-out-group-sana bago kami naghapunan ng chop suey, sisig, spicy shrimps, adobong kangkong, pinakbet, at sinigang na tiyan ng bangus sa Trellis na tinuldukan namin ng mga pagtatanghal sa isang videoke bar sa may Matalino kung saan bumirit ako ng "Bed of Roses".



MARTES,

tinapa, itlog, at babecue ang pinili kong almusal sa mga inihain ng University Coop na inilalakong parang mga ibenebentang ukay-ukay bago ko kinunan ang protestanteng Church of the Risen Lord sa unang pagkakataon at katolikong Church of the Holy Sacrifice sa pangalawang pagkakataon habang naglalakad kami pabalik sa Bahay Kalinaw, magmerienda ng lomi at pandesal sa kalagitnaan ng mahabang diskusyon sa organizational development, sumakay ng taxi papunta sana ng Central Office na pinderetso ko sa terminal ng Baliwag, at nakauwi sa bahay namin sa Bacal 2 ng bandang alas-9 ng gabi.




MIYERKULES,

alas-4 ng umaga ako nasakay ng Five Star bus pabalik sa Maynila at alas-7:30 ng taxi sa ilalim ng tulay ng EDSA-Quezon Avenue papuntang UP Bahay Kalinaw na ginalugad ko ng mabibiling yosi habang hinihintay si Lot at ang kanyang ipapahiram na winter overcoat bago ako nag-almusal ng humba-na-napagkamalan-kong-adobo sa Rodic's at nag-preside sa mga presentation nina Ate Alice tungkol sa loss and damage at Riza tungkol sa adaptation with co-benefits na kagyat kong nilisan matapos isara ang RTD papuntang Central Office kung saan nalaman ko kay Amor na nandoon pala sila ni Eboy kagabi, tinawagan si Goyie tungkol as pag-advance ng retirement benefit at kung ano na ang nangyayari sa pondo ng OP project bago hindi sinasadyang turuan ang tatanga-tangang taxi driver sa daang matuwid papunta sa terminal ng Baliwag sa Cubao, nakatabi ang lalaking may kakaibang amoy, at makauwi ulit sa wakas sa Bacal 2 ng ganap na ika-9 ng gabi...