Saturday, April 07, 2007

LAHAR!

(Ang sumusunod ay akda ni Kimat T. Amianan na nalathala sa LAHAR souvenir program noong Disyembre 1992 at may pamagat na “Paano Tinimpla ang Rumaragasang LAHAR”).

Katatapos lang noon ng “Sa Bawat Gubat” ni Sir Santi at kasalukuyang ginagamot ng mga artistang estudyante ang hang-over nila sa acting.

“Party naman tayo o.”

“Oo nga naman, kahit pansit lang ang handa.”

“Sige, saan?”

At sa bahay nga ni Willi P. napuyat ang dilat na buwan dahil sa kainan at kuwentuhan, at tuloy naging padrino sa iniluwal na pagarap ng buntis na imahinasyon ni Nine. (Si Willi P. nga pala ang komadrona).

LAHAR ang ibinansag sa sanggol sa isang binyagang ginanap sa ibabaw ng isang bandehadong pansit dahil para raw ito sa mga estudyante ng CLSU na sinalanta ng Pinatubo. LAHAR-GL. Lapiang Hinabi ng mga Artista para sa Rehabilitasyon ng Gitnang Luzon.

Mula sa rooftop ng apartment ni Willi P. ay nagtuloy ang grupo sa kabundukan ng Capintalan upang bigyang buhay ang guniguni kasabay sa paghamon sa matatarik na mountain trail at pagtuklas ng kanilang aesthetic sense (ow?).



Sa San Jose, sa kabila ng naghahabulang uhog sanhi ng malamig at unpolluted air ng kabundukan, pormal na binihisan ang LAHAR.

Sina Mam Ayet, Willi P. at Shubert ang bumuo sa script at lyrics ng mga awiting nilapatan ng musika nina Nine at Von. (Si Nine at Von nga pala, kasama sa music pool na kinabibilangan nina Loy, Joey at Big Ben).

Dumayo pa sa lahar country sina Willi P. and company upang humakot ng material. Doon, nakipagniig sila sa lumubog na multo ng nayon ng Sta. Rita, nakipamuhay sa mnga evacuees, at gumapang sa mga matatarik na burol ng Sapang Bato upang mabigyan ng buhay ang mga ponemang umaalagwa na sa kanilang mga isipan.

Umarangkada na din ang Wonder Woman ng LAHAR na si Tessa E., ang production manager, at ang kanyang sidekick na si Ate Lina, financial officer. Sinuklay nila ang Nueva Ecija sa paghahanap ng sponsors at patrons.

Rehearsals na.

“Mark, Andrew, Jenny! Konting intensity pa sa facial expression!”

“Sherwin, Odang, Jean! Gawing natural ang pag-arte!”

“Tessa, Weng, Boboy, Janet, Efren…”

Nabulabog muli ang Reimer’s Hall. Namilipit ang mga katawan at pumiyok ang mga boses habang namom’roblema si Tessa E. sa paghahanap ng pambili ng pagkain, ng ganito, ng ganun. Napasubo naman sina Mam Ayet, Shiela, at Ate Lina sa souvenir program.

Nagtakbuhan ang mga araw.

May nalagas, may nadagdag.

Saan kukuha ng pera para sa sound system? Sino ang aako sa ganito at ganyan? Ayoko na!

Pero tuloy ang rehearsals sa Reimer’s Hall sa pamamahala nina Direk Will P. at Delfin. (Si Delfin, yung cute na director at writer ng Panggising).

Matiyaga ding nakaantabay ang grand old dame ng LAHAR, si Doc Unabia.

Malapit na ang playdate. Double time. Wala nang pahingahan. Saka na ang assignments at exams, pati boypren at gelpren. Kailangang maganda ang palabas. Kailangang may maipalabas…

Salamat sa mga taga CLSU --- USSG, Collegian, SOs, at college councils --- at mga kaibigang umalalay sa LAHAR. Sa December 10, darating ang grupo sa University Auditorium. Magpe-perform sila para sa atin.



Profile: The Church of San Juan Bautista in Barangay Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

THE WARRIOR (THE INITIATION OF KIMAT T. AMIANAN 1)

He has been told by the elders: “Don’t ever go where the Kabayong Bakal graze”.

This is a top rule that the Tribe of Lam-ang: Dagiti Natutured, Nalalaeng, Nabibileg, Nasisiglat should keep in mind and obey. The Triskelion Knights rule that part of Hogwarts and they are their ancient and bitter enemy. But the allure of Lady Barnacle is too much for Kimat T. Amianan to resist and he would many times traverse that rule, hidden by the archangel’s invincibility potion and protected by a magic dagger.

Kimat T. Amianan is the top general of the Tribe of Lam-ang: Dagiti Natutured, Nalalaeng, Nabibileg, Nasisiglat warriors. That makes his head a prime trophy for the enemy. That did not worry him though as well as the fact that Lady Barnacle’s castle is within where the Kabayong Bakal graze. What matters are the moments of blissful ecstasy in Lady Barnacle’s bosom when the moon sings like Lucy-in-the- Skies-With-Diamonds and the trees dance the Bohemian Rhapsody. Then it happened…



It was the feast of the Wizards of Hogwart when Lady Barnacle sighed her perfumed breath to the wind to summon Kimat T. Amianan who became so magically enamored that he did not notice the signs: the moonless sky, the falling leaves, and the footprints he left behind. The shadows came like whispers and it was too late when he found out. He was already surrounded by the Triskelion Knights and their cousins.

He fought like the Spartans at Thermopylae but there were hundreds of them. The last images he saw were three winged figures that suddenly appeared among the shadows, held back the stunned murderous throng, and made way for him until he reached the gates out from where the Kabayong Bakal graze. Until now, he swears that they look like the Keepers of the Treasure…

(To be continued…)

Profile: Church of San Juan Bautista in Angat, Bulacan


Angat was established in 1663. Fr. Juan Morelos (OSA) started work on the first parochial buildings in 1684. Fr. Gregorio Giner (OSA) initiated building what could be the present church from 1753 to 1773. Fr. Joaquin Calvo (OSA) finished this in 1802 and also initiated building the bell tower. Fr. Ignacio Manzanares (OSA) had the church and convent restored in 1866 after being damaged by the 1863 earthquake. Fr. Manuel Blanco once served in the church and the lush vegetation of Angat inspired him to write the epic Flora de Filipnas. The church had just been faithfully restored and it looks much like the original building.



END NOTE: Hogwarts is the magical school of sorcery in J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series. All other persons and places cited --- except the Spartans at Thermopylae --- are based on facts but are my own fictitious characters.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

EGGS, EGGPLANTS

One of my interns was tasked to prepare the parlor games for our last year’s post-Christmas and pre-New Year party.

She must be fond of tortang talong because her games turned out to be about eggs and eggplants.

The first contest is who among the pairs (should be male and female) will first break their eggs (hanging down the middle of their thighs from the waist) by swinging them with their movement (pakintudkintud) until the eggs collide and break.

Tossing an egg the farthest distance between pairs without breaking it followed.

Then the eggplants.

I forgot what the first one is all about (I was busy drinking Generoso brandy with some of Nueva Ecija’s dakilang magsasaka).

The second one is my favorite: eggplant is placed between boy’s thigh (imagine what it connotes), girl mashes the eggplant using only one of her hands at one time (imagine again).

First pair to reduce the eggplant to pulp wins.

I told my intern, “Dapat may bibingka eating contest para kumpleto na”.

So?

Wala lang. I should post at least one story every week and it has been a tough 7 days for me.

Ciao!







Profile: Cabiao’s Church of San Juan Nepomuceno


The Augustinians accepted Cabiao as a mission in 1834 and built the first parochial buildings after thirty years. A church of stronger materials was later built that was damaged by floodwaters, probably rebuilt, and probably damaged again. Fr. Federico Cortazar (OSA) initiated the church’s restoration in 1871 and that was finished during the term of Fr. Martin Arconada (OSA) in 1884. This might be the present church but there are no traces of the old structure maybe because of the many repairs, renovations and restorations it underwent.



PHOTOS (top to bottom):

1) First timer
2) Nakahawak na minsan
3) Nasanay sa maikli
4) Sanay
5) The winner (captured ang hand motions sa bilis)
6) Cabiao, Nueva Ecija