Saturday was a productive day. I went to a furniture shop
in the town proper of Sta. Rosa, one of my father’s childhood friends owns the
shop and informed my father that he will be retiring soon. My father told me
that there aren’t a lot of great furniture workers in Sta. Rosa as the new
comers are nothing more than “Dayuhans” or outsiders and don't know a rat's ass about wood. We went there since I’m
working on my sewing frame.
After that I went to DLSU Manila to attend the World Poetry
for Peace event and meet an online friend, I also get to meet interesting
people, where we shared ideas at McDonald’s.
Stitched shots
The Ffff exhibit will be opening tonight so when evening
fell I went to Mandaluyong and see the exhibit where my friend Zeus Bascon was
included in the lineup of artists exhibiting their works.
It was an interactive show where guests can write on Zeus’s
hand-bound book in Japanese method.
The exhibit is open until October 14th, take a
look and interact with the other works available so I don’t have to write about
what the other works are like. See it for yourself!
Zeus and I went back to Laguna together and perhaps it
was a stressing day for him. On the way he was bothered by an event that
happened recently that involved a lady beggar and them in eating in a
restaurant. The lady beggar was asking for food.
He said he wanted to give the food because they’re not
eating it anymore but a friend of his said that people should work hard if they
want to eat. A
friend of his who are known to be quite penurious and mean to beggars also
wanted to give it to poor woman. He was so bothered that he asked me what he
should have done or what was the right thing he should have done.
So their left overs remained on the table and the beggar remained hungry, happy ending.
Mendicancy is prevalent in the Philippines, that is why
there is a law “Anti-Mendicancy” PD 1563, prohibiting and penalizing anyone caught
begging and giving alms to beggars. Please people, know the law of your
country. Ignorance will only make a bigot out of you, read, go to lectures and explore new grounds.
If you want to follow the law and be a good citizen then
by all means be stingy to these poverty stricken creatures. Otherwise, follow
what your instinct tells you, help a person in need – if it’s perhaps the thing that makes you human.
There are many reasons and issues why Mendicants are prevalent in the country and yes we want to put an end to poverty and giving them food won't help much in their situation but there are many ways on how we can help put an end to poverty. Support organizations that builds communities, build homes or helps to educate children.
After going to a Regan-MacNeil-head-spinning meeting with freelance writers on a Sunday evening, I came across a church in a middle of a mass. I can hear the echoing voice of the priest through the speaker system conveniently installed around the church so that everyone, including the clueless kids parents bring to church who keep running around the church grounds, peasants outside the vicinity who seriously need some charity help, people outside the church who no longer fits it and others can hear the on-going mass.
I have nothing against church masses, I think they are really effective in keeping all the bad people in the world to take a few hours of not doing something horrendous to mankind and the world. To give them a few moments to simply take a pause from all the dwindling, lying, stealing and killing human dignity.
I am not saying that all church goers are bad people, but it’s a fact that not all church goers are good people.
There are a lot of proven serial killers in the world who were arrested that are involved in churches and even building charity projects. Going to church for them is like a chain that holds back the monster in them – but we are getting sidetracked from what I want to say.
I couldn’t help but notice the huge tarpaulin banner at the gates of the church that says “NO to RH Bill”, I also couldn’t help but over-hear the rubbish that was coming out from the priest’s mouth.
He was saying that same-sex marriage and homosexuals will never be accepted as they – the homosexuals are unnatural creatures.
If I were one of the audience which most were simply pretending to be listening, I would have walked out of the place immediately. But the sheepish audience remains to be herded to the land of bigotry.
Even if there was a burning bush that told him that homosexuals were unnatural creatures roaming the earth, I still wouldn’t stay to listen to him. His audience of course remained, oh the rudeness if one dared to leave – he or she may even be stoned to death, you never know – some of them already tried to burn down CCP and I believe most of them are only waiting for someone to cast the first stone.
I would take the initiative to leave not because he’s saying something bad about homosexuals but simply because the priest is teaching the people to discriminate and look at other beings as inferiors instead of teaching peace and equality.
I quickly took the jeep that came across since I need to get home early.
They say that the Philippines is composed of 85% Christians… No wonder we're having a hard time progressing.
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the Roman Emperor from 54AD to 68AD who used Christians to light his garden at night by setting them on fire. He also persecuted a lot of Christians for entertainment. It was also rumored that he killed one of the apostles.
Christians back then were strapped down on metal chairs placed on coals and burning fire and other torturous deaths preceded these unfortunate souls of the early ages. They were placed in the coliseum filled with angry bulls as targets and were burned alive for Rome’s entertainment.
These Christians died defending their religion, never renouncing their faith despite their skin scorched by metal or burned by fire. They stood their ground and held on to their faith of Christianity. They didn’t have photos of Jesus or a cross to worship back then, perhaps because it wasn’t in the market and artists aren’t around much. They only had their faith, shining brightly in their souls to guide them, they harmed no one despite their religion challenged or prohibited and when suspected of being Christians - which was considered a crime, they didn’t deny it.
Politeismo by Mideo M. Cruz exhibited in CCP has created such uproar with the Catholic Christian community, demanding for the exhibit be cancelled and or closed down. Vandalism were also made by the appalled Christians, attempting to burn down the exhibit is very… spiritual really.
Visual Art is a sibling of Literary Art and being able to express and convey your ideas to challenge people and tap into the shells of their souls - is what most of us are struggling to achieve – in forms we see would best fit without anyone dictating on our backs what not and what to do or how and how to do it.
We of course believe in a free world, free to express whatever we want to – until someone points a finger and demands for our expressions be halted out of being offended simply because they do not understand or that they think it’s wrong.
Martial Law On Art
Imelda Marcos has demanded the exhibit to be closed down. (Please check out the news on what she has to say about the exhibit, it’s all over the internet)
People who produced the exhibit and the artist have received death threats.
I’ve just read the news that the Kulo Exhibit will be closed down and it was a decision that boards have agreed upon.
Holy Christians!
I have read a lot of what the unhappy Christians had to say about the exhibit. Without understanding what the exhibit is trying to express, they have resorted to being appalled and called the exhibit and artist not –so-holy names aside from “blasphemous”.
But what is faith and how do you defend it? What is spirituality?
I am not a Catholic or any other follower of any branch of Christianity. I read about spirituality and religion. I do not bother going to church, it is a waste of time – I would rather read. I have read the bible (parts of it) and just recently the Teachings of Buddha. The next on my list would be the Quran.
Faith and Spirituality is not about worshipping stones, images, sculptures or toilets.
It is how we treat others and live our lives, following a ‘code’ which we will never betray ourselves for it is a sacrilege on our own. Faith and spirituality goes beyond that, beyond material symbolisms.
As what the spiritual university taught me, we should detach ourselves from these materials as they are nothing but manmade illusions, what’s important is how we live each day and what’s here (Points to forehead, where the soul was believed to reside in our bodies) so if ever these objects were used in whatever form or ways, we are unaffected and are able effortlessly to contain PEACE within ourselves.
Burning and vandalizing other people’s property is not a shield to defend spirituality and faith, it is nothing but a weapon to harm others and worse, harm the image of the religion that is supposedly to be defended.
Am I spiritual? Not so much but I follow a certain path. I know enough not to harm anyone who insults or challenges me. Just enough to entertain any idea that comes my way and not react in such barbarous ways.
It is always fascinating to see what these Christians have to say and would do when their religion has come into play, especially in our country. They always have something to say, most of the time from a rigid and narrow perspective.
People who were offended didn’t see the art form in its wholeness but it was the parts that offended them simply because they lacked the proper education or capacity to understand, then they labeled it as immoral and wrong.
But what if it were created to offend a religious community, which comprises more than 80% in this country? What if its own purpose is to create uproar? Then these people were nothing more than pawns… actors in a play.
And if it was made to insult and trash their religion, does it justify that the exhibit be vandalized and burned to the ground and closed down?
When Buddhism was starting out and Shakyamuni Buddha with his followers came to a town where everyone insulted them, degraded them and refused to give them food and even harmed them throwing out their preposterous beliefs. A follower of Buddha said “Why don’t we just move on to another town? We are being treated in such inhumane ways.” In which Buddha replied “And what if the next town is the same? Should we move to another town again? No… we stay here and endure this until it ceases” and it did.
Should art only convey the good? Should it be limited?
I suppose we should just write about happy poetry filled with all the positive adjectives available in the dictionary and maybe even sing praises.
Who’s really obscene here?
Is it the one who tried his ideas in harmless and artful ways or the ones who tried to express their ideas by vandalizing other people’s work and gave out death threats?
I write for several clients, these clients come from every corner of the world. I wrote for games such as sports, casino, board games and others. I would also sometimes write about real estate, a country in Central America and environmental awareness and sometimes just plain quirky topics like lottery. In other words, I pretty much write about – anything.
As a starving writer I don’t say ‘no’ to these writing jobs since my company would probably give me the boot. Then again, I have come to certain lengths in order to push the limits of my boss’s temper.
Writing about psychology and addiction wasn’t bad, I liked it. It helped me learn about certain disorders that’s possible to be exhibited by a person.
Recently I’ve been given an assignment to write about Adult Dating and anything that is associated with it. Adult Dating is a pretty term for casual sex apparently.
Since the global financial crisis had devastated the consumer population across the earth, it seemed that people, particularly North Americans affected by the Credit Crunch just aren’t fit to go to fancy dinners anymore, at least… most of them. A number of US citizens have also fallen to spiraling depressions, they didn’t want to go out and perhaps have passed up doing what they used to love. They have retreated to their apartments, caves, mansions that will soon be repossessed, have filed bankruptcy chapter 7 or 11, etc and took comfort in eating microwavable TV dinners while sulking over the crisis that has loomed.
I have reasons to believe that Filipinos were the only ones who’re pretty much unaffected.
For the American Capitalist, this is very bad. The snail is beating the speed of global economical progress and they have now pushed the emergency button.
Did I just hear the US dollar rate go down?
Good news for people who buy their items online!
I was digitally summoned through a Skype meeting and my boss informed me to put on hold whatever I was writing and had to produce several articles about “Adult Dating”.
As much as I wanted to write about the horrors of Adult Dating, I was assigned to write about people, who have voracious appetite for something else, (trust me, it’s not what’s for dinner) on how to meet easily and how they should go out there and well “mingle” with likeminded beings.
Has dinner become THAT expensive for people to skip it altogether and go on directly to feeding their carnal organs? I managed to produce more than a dozen articles about the topic and it left me feeling like a pimp, no… worse… I felt a little bit reduced… degraded. After two seconds I have detached myself completely with the emotion and finished work in a male persona.
After work my friends and I have decided to have dinner and of course talk and hang out.
I told them I was assigned to write articles encouraging people to date without dinners.
They all laughed and one said “Do people really need encouraging? It’s happening left and right.”
I must add that it could be happening here and there, now and then, clockwise and counterclockwise, etc.
“So where’d you get the contents of what you wrote? Experience?” said a friend of mine, they were making fun of me.
I didn’t show the slightest appalled reaction “Imagination, stock knowledge and common sense” I answered without seething. “Even if I had to eat tofu for the whole month and end up broke I’d still bother to pay for dinner, I don’t think it’s a matter of being destitute to resort to such body-conscious desires. I’ve met a lot of rich folks who’ve forgotten the essence of dinners. I don’t agree much that it has something to do with their budget, but yes, it plays a small part, a tiny part” I added.
I’ve met people who will give me quizzical looks when talking about dinner and some of them just simply don’t like the idea. They would rather hang at bars, well – they are perhaps the ones who are interested in nothing but going to bed and getting naked or who knows, maybe they just really like a closed space packed with sweaty people, beating with loud music and has cigarette smokes for oxygen while chugging down a bottle of beer against the ambiance of a restaurant where people talk in low tones under nice lighting, wearing something that actually covers their body and eating delectable meals and drinking wine while the fresh or AC air is filled with soothing jazz or classical music. But I do go to these bars on occasions, as often as once a year when invited by friends and I don’t entertain most invites, since I would rather play videogames, write, read, philosophize with friends to hours on end, sleep or spend a meaningful time with a close friend or someone I would like to know more.
In our times, it’s accepted as normal behavior but for spinsters like me, well… we are shunned to the nearest library to poke our noses on any interesting book. I know it may sound such a loser thing to do but I take great pleasure in that. Trust me, you can also get picked up at libraries, at least there you know the people you meet actually READS and someone you can philosophize with.
The culture today has definitely been more open to these things and most of us are more than eager to join the bandwagon while there’s a handful few who would rather stay and be left behind.
According to psychology, impulsive sex for people causes guilt and remorse among other not-so-positive emotions.
The financial status of a person does affect a person’s regard about sex. Poor people who have no other outlet of entertainments (lack of television, books, music etc) would just simply take their pants off – thus the ever ballooning population of the Philippines. Also poor people don’t have access to better education and any philosophical sources out there in the nasty tenements they call home.
Of course, a certain percentage of homosexuality in the country is desired, WE are needed in order to leverage population even just for some tiny little bit and luckily we are very good at that.
Then again, harlots will be harlots - with articles promoting such acts or without. Doesn’t matter where you came from; rich or poor, intelligent or well not-intelligent or mentally-challenged…
Soon, when such sensibilities that a few of us have, had completely died out -
I can just imagine that in the future, if someone asked you out for dinner – it would just be plain ridiculous and out of this world.
My childhood friend Zeus Bascon invited me to go to a road trip with his family over the weekend. It was a long and fun drive to Quezon from Sta. Rosa Laguna. The plan was to have a picnic there.
I was already at their place at 7am which isn’t bad since I live 5 minutes away from their house if I were driving a car. His mom said we start by 7am and I hate being late at any event.
When I came over last Friday I took the bike with me instead of the car, my 10 year old cousin gave me a bike since he bought a new one. Now I have a small bicycle altered to accommodate my size.
The handle bar and seat were heightened so I could pedal and maneuver the bike comfortably and it was also painted chrome.
I stuffed the bike in my trunk in case the terrain in Quezon is good enough for biking. Unfortunately I was unable to use it since the place was too rugged and mountainous. There was absolutely no way of enjoying my mini bike in the area, such a shame.
It wasn’t easy to drive to the place especially if you’re carrying 5 other people in my really old car, or my mom’s car, the back seat was packed with 4 people making it very hard to go uphill and I think after the trip I would have to get Ula, the car, checked. I should have told them not to overload the car, I thought there would only be two people at the back.
Since the stereo was busted we resorted to improvising, so the song we all sang to was…
Classic.
I cooked spaghetti with mushroom and tofu, I already know that I can’t eat whatever they’re having since the diet of a vegetarian is typically unheard of in Filipino families. But thankfully they’re starting to realize that I don’t eat meat anymore. Someone cooked fried eggplants, I was grateful.
Tiaong was a mountainous place in Quezon and people there speak in a rather funny accent that is almost similar to the people of Batangas.
There where overwhelming amount of vegetation and trees. There were corn shrubs, a few of them I accidentally run over since there was absolutely no road to follow. I also happen to rear a coconut tree but since the terrain was absolutely incorrigible it was a miracle I was able to park somewhere.
There was also a river at the northern end of the place so all of us have decided to take a look.
Floating plastics, foil wrappers can be found on the side of the creek and on its surface. I have never seen a really clean river in the Philippines so I wasn’t surprised although there were fishes and soft-shell turtles living in the river.
Unfortunately they are in grave danger since the people around the area heartlessly shoot them. We saw a man fishing with a spike like equipment and he didn’t even let a small fish, about 4 inches long, go. He shot the poor creature, as though it would really fill him up when he eats it. I think a boiled sweet potato would have filled his stomach more and he wouldn’t have to bother swimming around, not to mention having to endure the searing sun.
While playing my double-reed harmonica in an upbeat tune which Zeus said sounded like Huckleberry fin-ish but I aptly named the tune “An Ode to Maria Makiling” (A fairy, nymph or deity in Laguna – particularly in Los Baǹos) we marched from a hill to the river banks and started to dip our feet in the shallow part of the river, feeling the strong cool stream.
The sun was too harsh so I retreated under a shade of tree and sat on a boulder, playing continuously with the harmonica just at the side of the river bank.
It wasn’t long when we heard a sort of explosion not too far from the river.
“That’s a gunshot” said Zeus’ sister and later on, her husband came in saying someone was shooting a turtle on the other side of the river. Dismayed by such news I quickly stood up and placed my harmonica at the back pocket of my denim shorts.
I saw Zeus dragging a log near the side of river, saying he could do something with the beautiful log. It seems that he wants to take it home to Laguna and take it to the car. I told him he’s not carrying that 60 kilo log to my car and he should just leave it here and come back for it next time.
“It’ll be gone by then” he reasoned.
“Tie it to a tree” I said.
He asked his brother-in-law to help him carry the log but it proved to be heavy. “There’s someone shooting down turtles at the other side of the river, we need to stop him. Drop the log, it’s already dead but the turtle is alive and we need to save it!” I told him.
“Fine.” He said, dropping the log and the two men followed me uphill to the other side where the shots originated.
Upon reaching the other side of the river, we had to go downhill but it was too steep. I was waiting for Zeus to dash down but it took him a while to figure out how he could go down the bottom unscathed. I followed quickly after, dashing below and not a bit troubled by what would happen.
If I had to shield the turtle with my body – in a heartbeat I would, although my heart does have the tendency to skip beats.
The new ground was near a cliff where there were tall weeds and shrubbery, a little bit of clumsiness and we'll definitely fall on the river. Not knowing what you’re stepping on will increase the possibility of plummeting down the river below.
Another shot came and we were sure it was pretty close.
I looked around and saw the guy, whom Zeus’ father was talking to earlier.
I thought perhaps we can ask him where the guys shooting the turtle down can be found.
As we drew closer to his position, at the edge of the cliff – I saw him raise his arms holding a .45 caliber and fired a few more shots.
“I got it! It’s a big one!” the idiot said.
It was too late, I saw the turtle a bit smaller than a car tire sank at the bottom of the river about less than a 100 meters in distance. We were at the edge of the cliff and below would be the river, about 8 feet below.
“There! Saw that huge green shell sinking?” he said.
“Where?! Where?!” Zeus said
I was offended gravely. “Why did you kill the turtle?” I asked him.
“We eat them.” He said.
“Well, aren’t you going to get your kill?” I asked again.
“That part of the river is very deep. Deeper than the bamboos you see” he said, “I’ll just let it go and let it surface on some shore” he gave a smirk as though he felt he was so awesome.
It seems he has no plans of fetching his kill, he’s not planning to eat the turtle. He just shot it for target practice and he’s old enough to know that what he’s doing is wrong. He’s not retarded not to know, he has no excuse – he’s just an ignoramus who thinks we will be impressed by what he was doing.
Is he trying to tell us in a way that he has a gun?
“Poor creature” Zeus and I said.
We told the ignoramus that these turtles looked like pawikans or sea green turtles and they are endangered species but he said they are soft shell turtles (much to Zeus’ disappointed he won’t be able to get any turtle shells)
The ignoramus guy said “They are endangered in your place, but here it isn’t.”
Oh and that makes it right to shoot them? I thought, only a buffoon would reason that.
“At this rate they will be endangered” I said.
“Look there’s another one” the brother-in-law said, we all looked to the direction and saw a small young turtle about 8 inches in diameter. The soft-shell turtle reared its head on the surface of water to take a few breaths. We can clearly see its body on the water, wiggling its stubby fat legs to float.
The ignoramus guy once again aimed at the turtle and commenced on pulling the trigger.
“No!! Stop!” I was about to grab the gun from him but I halted when he looked at me very surprised and lowered his gun.
“If you’re going to eat them, I’ll give you money so you can buy food at the market. Just don’t kill them.” I said.
Imagine a guy around my age going to shoot an innocent poor creature that emerged from the bottom of the river simply to take amounts of oxygen in order to continue its harmless life but would only be shot down.
“Huh? What?” he said. He was surprised at what I said.
“How do they taste like?” Zeus asked.
“They taste like beef” he said.
Liar, I haven't tasted turtles but I don't think they taste like beef. Soft-shell turtles as what my office-mate told me were the turtles used in soup.
I didn’t have any homicidal thoughts against the man at that time but I do want him to stop, but what chance do I have when he has a gun and I only have a double-reed harmonica?
There was silence and the turtle after taking sufficient amounts of breath retreated back to the bottom of the river. The creature is safe for now, I thought to myself.
We left the guy at the cliff and I told him to not kill them anymore. He didn’t say anything and we left.
Zeus told me about cultural boundaries, that I can’t just tell people to stop what they’re doing if it has become part of their culture. Uh-huh shooting down turtles with a .45 caliber is very cultural, I wonder if they have a “Let’s shoot down soft-shell turtles” festival.
Then again, if it were, I don’t care if I’m crossing cultural boundaries if I could save a turtle’s life.
It is immoral no matter how I look at it.
Zeus said we need to educate these people and I agree, but I wasn’t in the mood to lecture the buffoon with the gun and tell him about global warming, endangered species and that shooting any living creature down is not right – when in fact he ought to know these things. Is that gun even registered?
“He’s not going to eat the turtle, he’s just practicing his aim” said Zeus’ brother in law.
True, how is he going to fetch his kill when it sank more than 10 feet below the surface of water? Would he really take the time to wait for it on the shore when that is so uncertain? How many more turtles has he killed and how many more will die?
No other living creature in this world has the capability to be such monsters than humans, all other animals will only harm a human when provoked or threatened. They would never ever harm anything out of pleasure.
Hunting in several regions on earth would be acceptable. The English before would shoot down foxes since these animals harm their stocks and farms. They would collect the hunted fox and make use of its hide. But why shoot down a turtle when it’s harmless, it already has a slowed motion, why else shoot it?
A bear would never attack or scratch a human just so he could sharpen his claws.
After a while we went back home. I’m sure that guy has done it a lot of times and I’m not going to stand here thinking about those poor creatures getting shot for mere target-practice.
I will try to contact PAWS or DENR if I had to. Or even PETA, although I don’t really like PETA but the circumstance is asking for it. PETA is too extreme, too intense for my taste.
I don’t want to go marching down holding planks or sign-boards. I may need to consult my friends for help on this one.
There were people who killed animals and made fun of animals that spread all over the news like the kid who hanged a puppy by the ear and the one in UP who stepped on a kitty - those aren't even close to what I've witnessed. I literally saw an adult man gun down an innocent creature who has no chance of fighting back.
Anyway here’s a video for PETA from Bullshit (I love this show)
I have a lot of reasons why I’m vegetarian and when I was in college, torturing animals was the last reason why I was following this diet to heart but it doesn't exactly mean I don't care about animals at all - I just have better reasons in being a vegetarian than just mere compassion towards animals.
Please don't tell me to eat meat, I will eat meat if I want to - thank you.
Do watch the PETA Bullshit show and know more a bit about PETA who wants to shut down Manila Zoo.
DÃa del Libro 2011 and Bersong Europinoy 3 was held in Instituto Cervantes last Saturday, April 16
I was excited to attend Book day or DÃa del Libro, it was a hot Saturday so I was forced to buy an umbrella. After getting lost around Kalaw St., going around in circles in a cab and phoning a friend on how to get to the new Instituto Cervantes place, I was relieved by the sight of books, cheap too in a language I barely understand.
DÃa del Libro, according to the Bersong Europinoy 3 booklet, is an international book day which originated in the Catalan region of Spain to celebrate St. George’s day in which roses are given in exchange of books. There were jazz performances, workshops, poetry reading, food and book fair, wine fair and contest all summed up in one festive day.
So if you purchase a book or something in one of the sellers, you will also be given a rose for free, long stemmed too.
There were several publishing houses selling books at discounted prices while on the side would be wine bottles and next to it would be Alba, selling food and other delicacies.
I went to the Bersong Europinoy to see several poetry performances. Poems from Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Philippines were performed.
Of course there’s an English translation to the poems, which I’m afraid tragically failed to retain the feel of the original poems since I’ve seen livelier zombies than the English translation readers. Well it’s just like a movie adaptation, always failing to match up with the based book.
One performance that I loved was read by a German couple, a poem by Gottfried Benn titled Palau. They said they practiced and listened on how the original poet had performed it probably more than 50 years ago. The poem was read as though to lull the audience and put them into a state of transience consciousness. It was beautiful indeed which inspired me on how to construct my future poems specifically those that I want to be read in an audience. I also have a certain fondness to the German language but I don’t think I’m biased at all.
My favorite Poem by Lord Byron was performed by United Kingdom, a woman with British accent, it was interesting.
Evidently there were delegates of different nationalities, therefore proper decorum and politically correct behavior must be observed.
I am gravely appalled by the two young performers from the Philippines, they have shamed us, shamed themselves. I was sitting next to Abdon Balde Jr., whom I take advices from with book writings and submitting manuscripts to publishers and he said he will teach me a lot of “Kabalbalan” because he read some of my poems. He’s also a chairman of UMPIL and has taken home several awards and a National bookstore consultant. He has written 10 books, so I’m an UMPIL member because he suggested submitting an application. A man of the literary world whom I revere and look up to and is still alive, he said he’s in his early 60s.
There were two young performers, probably around my age but perhaps older for a few years that have performed the most abominable performances ever to grace Instituto Cervantes. The first performer, in which despite writing a few young adult novels and performing all over the country have shamed himself, on the platform he told a story about him stalking a guy on facebook and he sang and recited a poem but after singing, the Europeans have complained and the director of Insitituto Cervantes, Jose Rodriguez walked out and exited the room.
I wanted to follow him but spontaneously combusting was more apt in this situation, Abdon was quietly sitting next to me. The guy whom I shall not name, out of respect - for myself, performed a number about stalking a guy while his armpits were wet, a reaction from the heat perhaps in an AC room. He made gestures and sang in a pedestrian manner. It was obnoxious.
After the performance he recited a poem which wasn’t in the booklet, a deliberate abandon of rules. That was when Jose, the director, exited the place. He thought it was funny but no one’s laughing.
After that, he somehow realized the repercussions of what he did and was seen on the side of the stage biting his nails out of, I don’t know, shame? Had he any...
His friend, also didn’t perform what they were suppose to read but rather read a poem that seem to promote war between nations. I wonder if he had forgotten there were representatives from different countries in the audience that was made painstakingly obvious because most of them were blondes.
In a very cultured event he was wearing what seems to be off for the season, a beanie for his head, a shirt that appeared to be two sizes bigger and baggy pants. I have reasons to believe he’s stuck in the 90s or to believe he’s a gangster. A beanie, seriously? The sun had unleashed his hellish rays outside!
I’m all for self-expression and all, but there is still certain decorum artists need to observe in certain situations and these are magnified more so for artists and performers unless one wants his or her reputation down the gutters. I always believed the generation of my youth are quite reckless and well… callow. Should Culture and Decorum be included in College curriculums?
The only performance that took the audience off their seats was from Abdon, he even had a lot of people taking his autographs after.
After the event I roamed around the place and bought a book that was rather interesting, with a typewriter cover and a set of traditional vintage cards I’m going to use in my new place in Katipunan and send to friends. So I had two roses with my purchases, I gave it to my friends whom I met in intramuros after Insitituto Cervantes.
Before leaving I saw a common friend, she introduced me to the douche who made a clown out of himself, he asked “Did you see me embarrass myself?” in which I replied “Yes…” we had a chat for a bit and I left since my friends were waiting. I remembered back in the Salon de Actos, he said to the audience that his only Culture is "Bacteria" a very common joke you can hear if you were in a comedy bar. I guess he was right, the only culture he has is... of Bacteria level. Rubbing it on his face wouldn't help.
And my theme song for the Book Day event would be from BT's Emotional Technology - Communicate
I've been listening to his Album "These Hopeful Machines" the whole week. I'm hooked I must admit. I love Electronica and Trance.
And I am now living in UP Bliss. The miserable landlady just couldn’t find her happiness so her embittered life seeks to embitter others but she messed with the wrong person or shall I say persons? I was fine with moving out and leaving the place, I asked a couple of friends if I could borrow a suitcase to put my stuff in and my friend said he could lend me a few, he also offered to help me pack up.
So we met in Gateway and there I explained everything on what happened. The landlady lent money to a friend of mine and apparently my friend didn’t pay her completely back and so her lack of logical reasoning compelled her to transfer the debt to me, she wants me to take responsibility on what happened when in fact she should have asked vital information first before lending anyone money. She didn’t even ask for my friend’s name when she handed the money and I wasn’t there as well and then she wants me to pay it back. She’s setting herself up for a huge heartbreak then is shocked and hurt when the expected happens. What a douche…
Apparently her brain hasn’t completely grown yet, that’s not the only thing that hasn’t really grown with her body but moving on I don’t owe her anything as far as anyone’s concerned. She told me to leave the money with the maids since she doesn’t want to be there when I’m packing and taking my sweet release. I told her perhaps we can talk about it and the troll refused, even called me insensitive then she expressed how pissed she was that I’m having fun with my life and enjoying it. That’s the difference between us, I’m happy – she’s miserable.
Funny thing was when she was texting me about how I should move out, instead of feeling a sense of dread, I was laughing in our office. Thank you Equanimity. I didn’t care if she won't give my deposit back, I wanted out of that place for a long time, I was just consuming the last days that was already paid for.
Meeting my friend at gateway, as planned, we took the MRT at around 6:40PM. While waiting for the train to arrive I realized my friend was a male… then the train arrived and that we had to get in the commons car.
Brambleberry: I seriously wished you were a girl right at this moment (Glances at the front cars for women/handicapped/senior citizens/privileged lesbians)
Friend: I know right? (Car door opens and a swarm of people tries to get in and out, making the door seem quite puny and small)
Brambleberry: Argh! This is worse than getting kicked out of CGS!! D: (And it was, packing out of CGS was a breeze)
We spent the next few minutes in forced *Dr. Kwak-Kwak yoga positions with strangers breathing to our necks and armpits. That was one of the rarest moments I ever took the commons car, last time was when the same friend and I went to divisoria, which wasn’t as bad as this one if I remember correctly and that was a year ago.
Arriving at Shaw Blvd. Station, it was a miracle we could still walk and stand straight. We went to CGS, waited a bit since I didn’t have the key to the unit since my landlady changed the locks and didn’t even have the decency to give me a spare key but honestly I didn’t expect much coming from her.
My friend and I started packing in a gay manner and no stress at all. The guard did slow us down a bit but released us anyhow. The sasquatch landlady told me to leave 1k in which I don’t really understand since she owe me more than that for my deposit, she texted me a message of what seemed to be a computation of some sort with the debt of my other friend but I couldn’t grasp it since it was in Jejemon.
I don’t speak and understand jejemon unfortunately and my friend said I shouldn’t leave her any amount at all. Which is just true, the landlady was truly delusional.
Conclusion in a big shell: Delusional people get hurt a lot.
Smoothly without breaking a sweat a taxi came over the building and so we left quickly, I tried the admin of CGS to report the illegal landlady however the admin was already closed, I don’t know if I should report it but a lot of friends of mine told me I should, I know it’s the right thing to do too. Up to now I still haven’t reported it, so perhaps tomorrow.
After loading my things to UP Bliss, which I must add, was my lesbian-aunt’s-life-partner’s-sister’s place. I treated my friend with coffee in Maginhawa.
The retarded landlady, after discovering that I didn’t leave her claimed money, was so enraged she tried calling me and sent me a message that didn’t really manage to sink in my memory, fortunately my mobile phone fell into a comatose. She started calling my friend’s number since we called her earlier on the phone for her to speak with the guard at the lobby building.
Unfortunately for her, my friend was in the mood to get his mean-bitch fix this month and well the landlady turned out to be his virtual punching bag. Now he has someone to annoy in the future. He was actually “kilig” during their exchange of text messages.
Friend: Are you like Om Shanti right now?
Brambleberry: Yeah, I don’t really care. (Pretty much my mood most of the time)
Friend: Can you like really be mean this moment and just do your Om Shanti later?
They had a wonderful text messaging conversation, it was FLIP-TOP TEXT Message Edition and as expected my friend had succeeded. Such feeble minded lady does not stand a chance, I felt sorry for her. She’s just so miserable, bitter, unhappy and lonely.
Friend: You’re landlady is one retarded crazy bitch.
Brambleberry: She makes a good writing material (smiles, the bright side)
I am now happily staying at my aunt’s place in UP Bliss and very much enjoying it. I am currently abusing Trinoma’s sluggish excuse for a wifi connection and working remotely.
There was this roommate ad I saw online, it was rather short but seemed sincere. Since I’m quite the adventurous type I tried answering the roommate ad and well, the one who posted the ad responded immediately and we set up a date to meet after work, so I could check out the place.
Yes, I know I should be afraid with these ads online and I should be careful. The thing is, fear is not exactly in my vocabulary and if things get weird and out of hand, I suppose it’s something good to write about. For some sort of reason I actually felt fine meeting this woman and didn’t feel anything suspicious. Although the ad seemed a bit too good to be true, I didn’t expect much but still was willing to look at the place. Of course, my sanity also has something to do with it.
Moving on, I went to the place. It was easy looking for the place but the woman said I should look for a white gate and there I was, standing in front of a house where the address pointed me with a maroon gate… I walked away from the house and tried to hang out for a bit.
I saw a girl who welcomed 2 other girls in the house and when I saw that girl, immediately my gaydar detected a lesbian to where the girl was located, the XY coordinates do not lie.
They went inside and I was left outside looking exactly like a creep. Then I saw a girl in an office work attire approaching.
She said “…Veronica?”
I looked at her and smiled “Hi” I said as I extended my hand for a greeting.
“Is this the place?” I asked as she led me to the maroon gated house.
“Yes, this is it” she replied. She sounds decent I thought.
Coming in there has a huge dog on the porch and a 4x4 vehicle parked in the garage.
We had a bit of a small talk and I felt her ease up on me. She seemed a bit superficial and reminded me with women who baby talk with good English to back them up.
We went inside the house, it looked old but seemed nice. I saw the girl whom my gaydar certified as a lesbian sitting on the sofa in the living room chatting with her friends. Then from the stairwell came down a young lady, not tall, fair skin, short nut brown hair and my gaydar again detected the presence of a lesbian, though this one the sniff-o-meter seemed weak. She was really cute and nice, I thought.
We were introduced by the woman and we shook hands.
“So, what do you do?” she asked.
“She’s a writer” the woman said as I was about to open my mouth. I simply smiled at the cute girl.
“Woah! Wow!” she said and she almost jumped, I don’t know why but the only thing I did was smile and look at her. She said wow for about 5 times, what’s with writers??
We talked for a bit and she asked me questions all the more, it seemed that she’s a student in UP Diliman, though I didn’t ask what she was taking and she’s 20 years old.
Later on the other girl, the one sitting on the sofa who was also approved by my gaydar as a lesbian came and we were introduced, I forgot her name but she has long hair and was wearing a tank-top that was so gay. Again the question of my profession and surprisingly, she too was rather astounded. She said she wanted to be a writer too but more on Travel writing, I told her that’s not exactly my field.
The woman who posted the Ad asked me to come with her to the room. So we went upstairs, she had forgotten to clean up so I stood outside the room for 5 minutes and was let in finally.
The room was decent, it wasn’t that big but good enough I suppose. She showed me the cabinet and everything else. I sat on the empty bed across from her as she asked me questions. She asked if I have a boyfriend, some details about my job and other stuff I don’t think she should be concerned about. I was nice enough to answer most of them.
She said she’s single, not so happy with work and other things I have forgotten about since I was on the verge of falling asleep.
I told her about my parking concern since I have a car and going home in the dead of night, she said it was fine.
She was showing me the other parts of the house. It was as though she’s trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner and since I don’t want to hear anymore of her explanations, I said “When can I move in?” of course I gave her a knowing smile.
Suddenly she stopped and looked at me, her eyes gleamed with delight and she jumped with her hands together as though in prayer. “Really?!” she said and she held both my hands, “I’m so happy!”
For a second I thought we’re getting married, since her reaction seemed like she just won the lottery. “That’s great!” she said, thinking about it she was really happy at that moment. We discussed when I could move in, which was the coming Saturday.
Finally we went back down, since I removed my shoes at the bottom of the stairs, I sat on the last step and put back my shoes. The cute girl was at the top of the stair case and called up to me “Do you like it?” she asked in a jolly manner. I said yes it and that it was decent.
“Are you taking it?” she asked and then I smiled and looked at her “Yes, I am” I answered.
Her smile widened “YES!” she excitedly said and jumped a bit. “Oh wait I have to dress up,” and she hurried back to her room.
I saw the cute girl exit the house, she was dressed differently and seemed as though she’s going somewhere. She was wearing a gilded blazer and top I usually see hipster lesbians wear, a pair of skinny jeans matched with boots.
The woman was talking to the caretaker and seemed to be arguing, there seemed to be a misunderstanding.
It seems that she had mislead me with the information of the rate and she was now confused on what to do.
We went outside and luckily the cute girl was still standing outside the gate. I saw her and she smiled. “Still here?” I said as I stood next to her on the side of the main road.
“I’m waiting for my dad’s car, are you going?”, we had a bit of a conversation and told her I was moving this Saturday.
“Where are you going by the way?” I asked
“Just dinner with my dad…”
The next thing we know, her dad’s car was before us and she carried her luggage and walked towards the car.
When she was about in the middle of her walk I said “See you later! … Oh wait no, I mean see you-“ she stopped and looked back “See you ummm” she said
“See you tonight?” I replied.
“See you Saturday!” she said and she went in the car. It sped off and got tinier in the horizon.
It was sort of obvious I was happy and I turned to the woman, she seemed troubled.
“Listen… we need to talk” she said
And that was the end of our beautiful relationship… just kidding.
Apparently she had given the wrong information about the rate and changed her mind about getting a roommate. I was astounded and didn’t say a word. I left the place and thought about it for a bit. I didn’t ask for the cute girl’s number since I was seeing someone at that time and I have taken monogamy to the next level.
Too bad, even the other girl who was wearing a tank top called me “Future Housemate” when I left. A week later I took the place at CGS…
I’ve never heard from that woman ever since and I never went to the area again.
The area is in Maginhawa and the house is along Grill Queen, I’m not sure if they still have the Maroon gate since it has been months after all.
I invited the woman to the Pride Parade and told her to ask the other girls to come along too. Alas there were no respond whatsoever from her.
Perhaps I should hang out around the place, there is a cool coffee place nearby anyway.Who wants to have coffee? Hit me a message. :]
