HAYSKUL NA SI BULAN!

THE LEGEND OF PANSIT ACCORDING TO MICHAEL L. TAN

May fave writers from the Philippine Daily Inquirer are Al Mendoza, Conrad De Quiros, Frank Cimatu, and Michael L. Tan.

Al and Conrad because I love their prose. Frank because he is Frank. And Michael because I learn much from the rich historical backgrounds of his essays. Like the following history of pansit in his essay on the evolution of to-go food in the Philippines that was published in the 20 March 2011 issue of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine:

... that the first recorded take-out food was illustrated in 1847-era prints attributed to a Honorato Lozano titled "Carinderia" and "Pancitero".

... that the term pancit did not originally refer to noodles but from the Hookkien Chinese pien sit which meant ready-made food.

... that the Chinese vendors then monopolized the herbal drugs and pancitero businesses.

... that pancit eventually evolved to mean a particular type of noodle including mami which means noodles with meat (although I prefer the version of meaning Ma's noodle or mami for which Ma Mon Luk became famous).

So that's Pansit 101 for us.

PRUSISYON

Hindi ako relihiyosong tao pero nanniniwala ako sa Dakilang Lumikha ng Sanlibutan.

Medyo allergic ako sa mga simbahan.

Wala akong bilib sa mga rebulto (lalo na sa mga paring pedophile at mahilig sa tsuktsakan).

'Yung pagsama ko sa prusisyon ni San Jose ay mas pagbibigay sa kahilingan ng isang kaibigan.

At bago nga naganap 'yun ay nag-anak muna ako ng binyag at naaya sa harapang Emperador Lights.

Alas singko ng hapon nag-umpisa ang prusisyon.

Ang ruta: simbahan, boundary, riverside, pantok, kabilang baryo, sentro, looban, simbahan.

Nagpaltos ang palad ko sa paghila ng karosa pero magaan ang pakiramdam at mahimbing ang naging pagtulog pagkatapos ng prusisyon...

TALABABA: Ang larawan sa itaas ay ang simbahan ng Lian sa Batangas.

MONDO MARCOS NOW AVAILABLE IN NATIONAL BOOKSTRORES

The Mondo Marcos anthology is now available at National Bookstores at P295.00 for the newsprint copy. Buy now! Limited copies only. At least one of the authors will sign autographs if you are within 10 kilometer radius of CLSU.

:-D

ENGKUWENTRO

Iba ang bulong ng mga anghel sa martsang ito. Pero sige, kailangang gawin. Plantsado na ang plano.

Narating nila ang barikada. Bakit kaya walang negosyador ang kabila? At kakaiba ang salansan ng mga hapon: pulis sa harap kasunod ng mga armadong marines bago ang barikadang barbed wire at mga bumbero sa likod. Baliktad yata.

Nag-umpisa ang gitgitan. Maingay. Pero malinaw ang narinig niyang atas mula sa dalawang heneral: "Fire!".

Pumutok. Bumuka. Bumulagta.

Naganap ang engkuwentro 24 taon na ang nakakaraan. Pero di niya kailanman makakalimutan ang pangalan ng 13 pinaslang n'ung araw na yun...

Nabalahaw ang peace talks. Tagumpay ang plano ng mga pasista.

TALABABA: Ang larawan ng simbahan ng Calatagan sa itaas ay inaalay sa alaala ng mga biktima ng isang trahedya na naganap 24 taon na ang nakakaraan.   

MASP IN CLSU (The Inside Story)

It was a week after the great earthquake of 1990 when several students came from UST.

It happened over bottles of gin and rum, in Room 9 of Men's Dorm 10, the night after the distribution of relief goods, as UST met CLSU ( or those who can't go home because the roads were still blocked by landslides), with George retelling the story of MASP, and Shubert the frustrated activist listening intently.

Shubert's friend DL was already in but would not take the former, in those days of uncertainty when the Alumni Center and grandstand and finally CAS got burned down.

There was Joey first then Kano and Egay and Monje and Jadz, followed by Aiisa and Tarods and Tina, then the rest with Ayet as the first adviser, who met one afternoon in the steps of the Auditorium on 20 August 1990, elected their officers and got OSA-recognized.

MASP it was called but its tenets were based on CEGP's IBP, which went on for some time until Shubert with DL's prodding conversed with Peti B to make the union official, then Raffy showing up just in time to save the day, and the Pamantasang Bayan sessions finally get rolling with Jim L among the first teachers.

But still Shubert was more IBP than TPP, until he bolted out of SAMASA and formed his own party, ASAP it was called and catapulted him to the CEdSC presidency.

Then BISIG and learning politics from the prophets themselves (i.e. Randy and Ka Dodong), and the early days of Citizens' Action Party, until things got disrupted by PRRM's Pinatubo Party.

But the love burned and still today, with Shubert keeping his distance but being there when necessary, he who belonged to many parties but in his lifetime voted for only one...

FOOTNOTE: The first photo shows MASP cadres and alumni offering a salute to commemorate MASP's 25th national anniversary . The second shows the CLSU alumni contingent to the anniversary while the bottom photo is my pansit offering to yet another MASP milestone.  

ROCKSTAR

Yan ang version ko ng "Huling El Bimbo" sa birthday party ni Kuya Astik. Oo, kumakanta din ako sa publiko kapag nakaisang bote na ng Emperador Lights.

FOOTNOTE: Photo taken by Kuya Egay Carrasco. Guitar accompaniment courtesy of Kuya Michael Valenzuela.