November 30, 2010
Powerbooks-Greenbelt
Makati City
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
LAGALAG: THE FINAL JOURNEY
Four years after beginning their journey, the Lagalag notebooks are now on their way back to where it all began. I was on my way to Cancun, Mexico to attend the 16th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Oyet invited me to visit him in San Francisco on my way back home to the Philippines. He asked me to bring the Lagalag notebooks. I said yes but first, The Dafinator who has been the guardian of the notebooks for almost 2 years now must turn-over them to me.
That turn-over happened in a less than a minute. But the inside story is it almost did not happen and on the last possible day too. The Dafinator and my schedules just would not fit despite repeated attempts to do an eyeball. Finally, the green Honda Civic arrived at the lobby of the Discovery Suites in Ortigas and the man called Randy handed the bag containing the 2 precious notebooks. And I rushed back to Nueva Ecija to pack my luggage and scrambled to find a car to bring me back in Manila and catch my flight.
The notebooks, accompanied by a copy of Mondo Marcos, are now in Cancun where they will stay until December 10 when it will continue its journey back to where it all began...
That turn-over happened in a less than a minute. But the inside story is it almost did not happen and on the last possible day too. The Dafinator and my schedules just would not fit despite repeated attempts to do an eyeball. Finally, the green Honda Civic arrived at the lobby of the Discovery Suites in Ortigas and the man called Randy handed the bag containing the 2 precious notebooks. And I rushed back to Nueva Ecija to pack my luggage and scrambled to find a car to bring me back in Manila and catch my flight.
The notebooks, accompanied by a copy of Mondo Marcos, are now in Cancun where they will stay until December 10 when it will continue its journey back to where it all began...
Saturday, November 20, 2010
ATANG
Para sa 2 pasahero ng motorsiklo na nagkataong makasalubong ng trak na minamaneho ng lasing na driver...
Para kay Toleng na biglang iniliko ang traysikel sa kanto...
Para kay Tata Terong na ama ng kainuman kong si Kuya Kiel...
Para sa tatay ni Kuya Elgie...
Para kay Caloy na pinaslang sa Laguna...
At higit sa lahat, para kay Julie na sumuko sa karahasan ng mundo at kinitil ang buhay...
ANG ATANG NA PANSIT sa itaas ay hinubog sa kamay at nagsilbing hapunan sa isang restoran sa may Retiro na may pangalang Shanghai Hand-pulled Noodles. Tamang-tama sa aking panlasa ang malapot at malasang sabaw, ang malambot na sahog na karne ng baka, at ang bagong gawang pansit. Nawa'y karapatdapat na alay sa mga nauna nang kinuha...
Saturday, November 13, 2010
CALOY
Una kaming nagkakuwentuhan ni Caloy habang sinusunog ang mga basura ng aming campus paper office. Staff writer siya, Editor-in-Chief ako. Galing siya ng Los Banos, Laguna.
Sumunod na taon ay tumakbo siyang presidente ng university student council. Kami ni DanLop ang mga operator niya. Tiga-diskarte, tiga-durog ng kalaban. Talo kami.
Sumunod na taon, ako naman sana ang tatakbo. Pero sabi ng mga PO sa SAMASA ay huwag muna. Si Caloy daw ulit. Sabi ko, may talo siya ulit ayon sa aking nabasa sa mga dahon ng bayabas. Ako may lusot dahil madaming Ilokano sa CLSU. Di daw talaga puede. Napag-usapan na sa taas.
Kumalas ako. Nagtayo ng sariling partido. Ramdam ko noon ay napagkaisahan ako. Pero na-disqualify ako dahil graduating na daw at nakatakdang mag-practice teaching. Pero bakit pinayagan noon ang mga graduating na magte-thesis na?
Umatras ako sa college council. Bumaha ang boto. Nanalo ako kasama ang buong partido. Nananawagan kami ng boykot sa university student council election. Sa kolehiyo ko na pinakamalaki sa buong CLSU ay may anim na bumoto. Apat doon ay pangalan ko ang nakasulat.
Dun kami naghiwalay ng landas ni Caloy. At ni DanLop.
Ang huling pagkikita namin ni Caloy ay nang dalawin nila ako ni DanLop sa opisina. Magdamag kaming nag-inom ng Ginebra at nagyosi. Sama na daw ulit ako. Sabi ko, dito na lang muna ako. Mukhang mas bagay ako sa NGO work.
Matapos n'un ay nahuli si DanLop sa Rizal. Paminsanminsan ay nadadaanan ko si Caloy na nag-aabang ng sasakyan. Tapos wala na akong naging balita sa kanilang dalawa.Hanggang sa mabalitaan ko ang nangyari kay Caloy...
Saturday, November 06, 2010
I CAME, WAS NERVOUS, AND GOT 10 MULTIPLIED
On top of a bulky foldered proofs of ties are endorsements from the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Climate Change Commission, and the Department of foreign affairs.
I was confident but not sure.
I've been there before. Through an invitation from the Ambassador herself.
But now was different. I'm on my own. It's a B1/B2 visa and at stake is San Francisco CA, and a much shorter route to Cancun.
The Consul asked 3 questions: what's my purpose? who is Wilfredo Pascual, why am I going to Mexico? He did not asked for even one of the documents I have.
"Cancun is safe but keep your head low", he said.
A week later, I got my US visa. And it says 10 years = multiple entry.
The plate of pansit below I dedicate to him and the US Embassy.
I was confident but not sure.
I've been there before. Through an invitation from the Ambassador herself.
But now was different. I'm on my own. It's a B1/B2 visa and at stake is San Francisco CA, and a much shorter route to Cancun.
The Consul asked 3 questions: what's my purpose? who is Wilfredo Pascual, why am I going to Mexico? He did not asked for even one of the documents I have.
"Cancun is safe but keep your head low", he said.
A week later, I got my US visa. And it says 10 years = multiple entry.
The plate of pansit below I dedicate to him and the US Embassy.
