BURIDIBUD

It hit me like that: diced sweet potato, sprigs of moringa and himbabao, tomatoes cooked to a pulp, and the bits of smoked fish blending like the yin in the yang of bagoong broth chocking all my senses.

I was overwhelmed, speechless, paralysed by the memory of that great Ilocano vegetable stew as prepared by my grandmother --- she who cooked like an angel --- shocked and in great awe as one of the greatest spectacle I have ever seen unfolded from the mist of the fading dawn.

But Borobudur is much, much more than the buridibud of my childhood --- it is a 9th century homage to one of the greatest feet ever to tread earth, a representation of the journey from the world of desire to that of forms and formlessness.

Borobudor is the world's largest Buddhist temple [although my Cambodian colleague might not agree], guarded by 504 stone images of the Great Teacher, 72 of which are enclosed in stupas that represent the only possession he had when he died: his clothes [the base], his drinking cup [the mound], and his walking stick [the spire]. 

Borobudor is magic, a piece of serenity on earth, best enjoyed during sunrise, and definitely a major moment of my continuing journey.

I'm glad I came...    

SUPERMAN LIKES 69

Now it can be told.

Superman, cleverly disguised as a Kryptonite, is actually an Indonesian from Yogyakarta.

He was born and raised in a place called Kraton Ratu Boko [note the "K"!] not in Louisville as those Superman movies would like us to believe.

His grandfather is actually King Boko, who was killed by Prince Bandung Bondowoso, who eventually proposed marriage to Princess Loro Jonggrang who is King Boko's daughter and Superman's mother, who of course rejected the prince, who then turned the princess into a stone.

That is why Superman is a man of steel, because he was born from a mother of stone.

How was I able to say that? Here's my proof:

And every afternoon, the descendants of Superman converge on the gate of Ratu Boko, in the guise of watching the spectacular sunset, but with the true intention of absorbing the power of kryptonite [i.e. golden rays of the sun] that bounce from the ancient walls.

Here's my proof of that:

What they do not know is the real power emanate from green kryptonite bottles, known to only a few, including me. 

The rays of the sun are superficial compared to the energy of the green bottles whose mere presence, like the Dementors of Azkaban, can turn glasses [i.e. beer mugs] into ice.

It gave me intelligence to be able to understand why Superman and his descendants should fight for and protect Article 69, for the good of the people, whom they are sworn to protect, and unlock the mystery why King Solomon fell in love with the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba.

It gave me power over matter so that I was able to reduce the size of a road bike, fit it in my luggage, and bring it home.

I have that power, because I too is a direct descendant of Superman, and here's my proof:

THE LEGENDS OF PRAMABAN AND PANTABANGAN

Once upon a time, Prince Bandung Bondowoso proposed to Princess Rara Jonggrang who said yes, IF the prince can build a thousand temples overnight, who did with the help of his supernatural friends, but upon completing the 999th was tricked by the princess who ordered her maids to start pounding rice and building a fire which tricked the cocks who crowed earlier than usual.

Some 2,876 kilometers in Pantabangan, Minggan the Giant also proposed to the mountain goddess Maria Sinukuan who said yes, IF within the night the giant can stop the river from flowing, which he almost did until the goddess made the cocks crow earlier than usual.

The giant just went away and wept but the prince was more unforgiving and turned the princess into stone which today is known as the Slender Virgin [or Rara Jonggrang] of the Sewu Temple that could have been the 1,000th temple of the Pramaban temple complex.

Pramaban is the biggest of its kind in Indonesia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 9th century, totally abandoned by the 16th century, and rediscovered in the 18th century.

Today, the spires of Pramaban backdrop the story Rama and Sita as told and retold by the Ramayana Ballet in full colors...  

...equaled only by the passionate narration of star gazers and campaigners worldwide, and the oriental flavors unleashed by what so far is my best full-noodle lunch in Yogya.

THE ROAD TO YOGYA

Yogyakarta was not easy.

I've got to bring something there, which took almost two months to prepare, including trips to Davao and Guiuan and Bantayan, and a slew of email exchanges. 

That in itself deserved a P600 dinner at Victorino's and a trail ride on a typhoon-ed Friday.

A day before, I dropped by a gathering of once and current as they agreed on a 22nd meet-up instead of the 29th so I can come, went beyond my supposedly iron-clad rule of having only a couple of beers at most, and forgot that what I actually have in Panay is an old pair of Caterpillars with broken soles.

That's how I got to the Changi Airport, on old leather work shoes, where I cashed my complimentary $20 voucher for a box of tea and chocolate, and lunched on a chicken-and-mushroom bowl of noodles washed by a bottle of Tiger Beer despite my craving for roasted Chinese duck.  

That's how I got to Yogyakarta, on old leather shoes and a stale beer breath, to meet seasoned international campaigners, and perhaps induct myself to becoming one of them.

I'm back in Indonesia after 12 years and that deserves a glass of San Miguel Beer in a Heineken mug after the bar run out of Bintang, and made Derk and Dini very happy.

KILLING MIAG-AO

Kolehiyo na si Bulan.

Pagkatapos ng apat na buwan ng pagtatao sa bahay, pagluluto ng adobo para sa hapunan, paghuhugas ng mga plato pagkatapos ng almusal, pag-papainom ng oresol sa nilalagnat na aso, paglalampaso sa bahay, at iba pang puedeng gawin ng wala pang masyadong ginagawa.

Makapananghali kami nakarating ng Miag-ao.

Siopao lamang ang naging pananghalian namin sa airport kaya pagkatapos naming mamili ng mga hanger, timba, tabo, planggana, laundry bag, at electric fan na kakailanganin ni Bulan sa dorm ay natisod namin ang Ted's sa tapat ng palengke, umorder ng extra special batchoy at malalaking pandesal, nagpatuyo ng pawis, at nagnilay kung papaano ko uubusin ang apat na araw at tatlong gabi bilang chaperone sa Miag-ao.  

Sa Lampirong natulog si Bulan sa unang gabi niya sa Miag-ao.

Ako'y nakakuha ng kuwarto sa Apitong at dahil wala akong internet access ay maagang natulog, maaga ding nagising, naglakadlakad katulad ng nakagawian sa mga bagong lugar na napupuntahan, pinanood ang pamamaalam ng gabi sa paparating na araw, tinulungan si Bulan sa pag-aayos ng gamit sa kulay berde niyang aparador, at sinamahan siya sa kanyang psychological test.

Pagkatapos n'un ay isang napakahabang kalahating araw, kaya lumabas kami ng highway at pumara ng dilaw na Ceres Bus papuntang San Joaquin, nakipagmatigasan sa napakainit na sikat ng araw, uminom ng malamig na Mountain Dew sa palengke...  

...muling pumara ng dilaw na Ceres Bus pabalik at bumaba sa Tigbauan, naghanap ng makakainan, walang nahanap dahil mabagal ang internet signal ni Bulan...

...pumara ng mahabang dyip papuntang Guimbal, inikutan ang plaza, kumain ng fish ball, naglakad papuntang palengke, at muling pumara ng mahabang dyip papuntang Miag-ao. 

Nakapag-FB din ako sa wakas sa Miag-ao sa isang madilim na internet cafe na burado ang mga keyboard, nagtangkang maghanap ng matutuluyan, nagdesisyon na sa Apitong na lang ulit matulog, muling nakatulog ng maaga, at muling nagising ng mas maaga.

Araw ng orientation ni Bulan at matapos kong masiguro na nasa loob na siya ng covered court ay sumunod ako, pasimple, pilit tinatanaw kung asan sa mga nakapulang t-shirt ang panganay ko, bago ako muling nagpahatid sa bayan ng Miag-ao. 

Matapos mamalengke ng ilan pang gamit ay sa simbahan ako tumuloy at nagpatuyo ng pawis, nanood ng misa para sa patay, at pumila sa kaisaisang gumaganang ATM machine sa Miag-ao para mag-withdraw ng allowance ni Bulan para sa susunod na linggo.

Iniwan ko sa kama ni buklan ang mga gamit at pagdating niya ay nananghali kami sa kanilang common dining area.

Nagpahatid ako sa labas ng Lampirong, nagpayakap, nagbiling diskarte na niya ang mga susunod na araw.

Sa tricycle, natuyo sa hampas ng hangin ang luhang namuo sa aking mata...

ISLA

May iisang meron kina Lolo Kadyo, Father Mike, Mang Aldo, Hepe, at Sonny.

Lahat sila ay nagnasa kay Isla, kasama ang mga kabataang nakadungaw sa bintana at mga may edad na nakaupo sa sala, mga nakikipanood ng betamax kina Patok, naghihintay na bumakat sa tubig ang puting duster ni Maria Isabel Lopez, umaasam na hubarin na sana niya ito. 

Nagnasa din ako kay Isla, ng Bantayan, sa hilaga ng mas malaking isla ng Cebu, at sa pinakamatandang parokya nito sa kabuuan ng Visayas at Mindanao, na nangangahulugang may matandang simbahan d'un.

Katulad ng mga bata at matatandang nanood ng betamax ay nairaos ko ang pagnanasa, sa pamamagitan ng habal-habal, sa arkilang P250, sa pagputok ng unang araw ko sa Isla. 

Pangatlo o pang-apat ang kasalukuyang simbahan na itinayo noong 1839 sa matandang bayan ng Bantayan na naging ganap na parokya noon pang 1580, mas antigo sa kalapit na bahay kastila na isa nang pakulutan at tindahan ng Air21, na malapit sa luma pero mas bagong bahay na sumuko sa bangis ni Yolanda.   

HABAL-HABAL DRIVER: "Ser, may isa pang simbahan sa Sta. Fe. Gusto ninyong puntahan?

AKO: "Luma din ba katulad ng sa Bantayan?"

HABAL-HABAL DRIVER: "Napalitan na ng bago ser, pero kakaiba siya dahil may katapat na simbahan din."

Dumaan nga kami d'un, at kinunan ko ang kasalukuyan pang inaayos na simbahang Katoliko, mula sa bakuran ng katapat nitong simbahang Aglipay, bago ako pumara sa tabing-dagat, at nasaksihan ang pagdapurak ng komersiyo sa paraiso na sana.

Maliban sa pier ay walang dungis ang dalampasigan ng Isla.

Maputi at pino ang buhangin.

Hindi kasing dami ang tao katulad ng sa Boracay. 

At masarap ang inilaang pansit sa aming pagpupulong. 

Ebak ang isa sa mga problema sa Isla, dahil nga siguro sa napapaligiran ng tubig ay hindi na kailangan ng kubeta.

Yellow submarine, flying saucer, booby trap. Iba't-ibang klase ng pag-ebak na walang kubeta.

Bumaha nga daw ng ebak n'ung dumating si Yolanda, kaya kubeta ang naging proyekto ng aming opisina sa Isla, kasama na ang panawagang maghugas ng kamay pagkatapos umebak, at pagsasaayos na din sa mga mapagkukunan ng inuming tubig. 

Binalikan ko ang lumang simbahan ng Bantayan sa huling araw namin sa Isla.

Pagkatapos ay namili kami ng mga daing na iuuwi.

Sana.

Dahil dumating si Hanna dala ang Habagat.

Bawal lumayag ang mga barko papunta sa Isla, kaya bawal munang umalis sa Isla...