When Work Becomes An Adventure

This month is definitely hectic for me. I like working on projects related to the empowerment of indigenous people. I was in Antique for a week for the mid-term evaluation of Empowering Indigenous People for Inclusive Development (EIPID)climbing mountains, crossing rivers, meeting beautiful people with good hearts and enjoying the beauty of nature. The project is halfway on its implementation period. I'm back to Iloilo City however I can always say that it was tough trekking the mountains but it was inspiring to meet people who work for the indigenous peoples. Sir Lope is one of the best I've ever worked with. We went to five municipalities in Antique for a week conducting FGD's and evaluation of the project. No, I dont think I was working rather I was learning and appreciating things. This is what happens when work becomes an adventure. Take a look at the beauty of the Province of Antique.

Sira-an Hot Springs at Anini-y, Antique.

On the way to Latazon, Laua-an, Antique

Soil erosion at Brgy. Lublub Valderamma, Antique.

We passed through rivers and mountains.

Wild pigs everywhere! @ Brgy. Latazon, Laua-an, Antique.

Fishing Boats at Anini-y, Antique. Seven Ati families live here.

The majestic mountains of Valderrama, Antique.

Nothing but huge rocks. It was a very bumpy ride up the mountains of Brgy.Latazon, Laua-an, Antique.

This place is beautiful. Lunch at Sira-an Hot Springs, ANini-y, Antique.

Some Ati women washing their clothes at the river. Simple life.:-)Hamtic, Antique

I stopped by to take this picture. @ Anini-y, Antique.

Shy and smiling. Some of the Ati kids talked to me in "inati". I was lost in translation.

Still @ Anini-y, Antique.

My partner in crime, Sir Lope's FGD with the carabao.

A simple hut among the seven Ati families. @ Anini-y, Antique

We have to go home at 5pm or esle we wouldn't be able to cross the river anymore.

Conquering the mountains of Valderrama, Antique.

Discussing with the Iraynon-Bukidnons of Brgy. Latazon, Laua-an, Antique.

Happy International Woman's Month

We deserve to smile and be happy because we are all fabulous, beautiful and warm human beings.

Happy Woman's Month to mothers, sisters, friends and daughters. You bring light in this beautiful world.

Calling All Historians

HISTORIANS. This is what we do.

I laughed out loud when I saw this. So true!

Guns, McDonaldization, Disneyfication and The Big Stick Policy

You can't talk peace and have a gun. - Francis M.

I bet Obama could use a lot of that these days. It seems like he's hell bent on his Big Stick Policy. Iran. Afghanistan. Name it. He'll use it. Henry Kissinger was right all along, power is indeed a great aphrodisiac. Big Stick Policy? Gunboat diplomacy? Power projection? Whatever you call it, it is still intimidation. The projection of power is just too blatant that it becomes so impossible to miss.

But no, we don't live in a bipolar world anymore. We live in a heterpolar world. Sources of power emanates from different junctions, not just on politics and economics. If global political order is unlikely, it is necessary to examine the economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of a new global order. Should we begin to call in a global cultural order in the new system?

Disneyfication, Coca-colonization, Mcdonaldization and the effervescent presence of consumerism. The fusion of consumerism with the arts, entertainment and sport is widespread. This reminds me so much of the creed of shopaholics. I shop therefore I am.

Is it the ultimate dead end?

Like McDonaldization, disneyfication continuously haunts our dreams. There is a need for us to deconstruct traditional narratives and circumvent ways in understanding the presence of popular culture. Oversimplification is essentially an overkill of everything.

We have no obligation to make history.
We have no obligation to make art.
We have no obligation to make a statement.
To make money is our only obligation.
-Michael Eisner

The real world is becoming more and more like a theme park - like Disneyland. If I were to believe what Michael Eisner says about Disney, I'm bound to run away from everything that starts with letter D. Do scholars tend to read too much on Disney films?

Yes and no.

Yes, movies are meant to entertain us, true. But how do we essentially explain to the young minds their first glimpse of other cultures? It goes to say that these films contribute to their social construction of the world.

The chase doesn't end there. I am beginning to stop myself from subscribing to life in the fast lane. No tough life there but just making sure that when the proverbial hunger pangs hit you, some take out food is available for your convenience. But food is not the only thing that counts here. It is said that in the 1980s and 1990s McDonaldization has extended its reach into more and more regions of society, and those areas are increasingly remote from the heart of the fast-food business.

According to Ritzer, there are five dominant themes within this McDonaldization process: Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, Increased Control, and the Replacement of Human by Non-Human Technology. Are these things familiar to you?

People are also becoming increasingly aware of the linkages among different aspects of the natural environment, the human impacts on the natural environment and the need to initiate policies that will sustain significant environmental resources into the future. Providing for the needs of the increasing numbers of people in the world from the same stock of resources is no easy feat.

If Kiko's been singing of you can't talk peace and have a gun, mine would be much simpler.

Indeed, where's Terra Nova when you need it?

In Search for Purgatory

What would you ask God if you had just one question?

Maybe 25 years ago, as a kid I have one question in mind. And yes I would not call him God either. I remember it very well that as a young kid I always insists to call him as Jesus. God is so adult. So Jesus it is. My question would be very simple.

Dear Jesus, is this purgatory?

My Dad used to tell me that this is purgatory.

When you’re a kid, you never question the wisdom of your elders. My earliest memory about purgatory was when I was six years old. I attended the mass with my parents and the priest was talking about purgatory, heaven and hell. Heaven as I knew and from what I’ve seen in the pictures was filled with white cotton candy clouds with all the angels flapping their little wings while singing in their melodious voices. I’m sure heaven is also filled with lots of candies and a bowl of creamy chicken soup waiting for everyone who enters its gates. Hell is of course filled with lakes of fire. A man with two horns and a tail laughing like a lunatic is seated in his throne. And yes, don’t forget the huge pitchfork he uses to poke the souls who are swimming in the lakes of fire.

But purgatory? Where is it? What does it look like?

After the mass as we were going out of the church, my dad turned to me and told me to be quiet. He pointed to this huge and magnificent structure. That is purgatory. Tall and towering, the place looks forlorn with some moss gathering at the sides and an eerie silence that engulfs it akin to those horror movies that I watch. Like the naughty kid that I was I looked at it with awe and great interest. I bet to any kid, any structure that is big and towering is an awesome sight. I turned to my father and asked him whether we could just take a look inside and say hello to the souls. I was promptly told that the souls were asleep it was best for us to stay quiet, pray for them and walk away.

From that day on, it is firmly entrenched to my mind that this is what purgatory looks like. In school, I would tell my other classmates with great conviction that I know where purgatory is. It is just right across Jaro plaza and that one should really be quiet upon approaching the area for souls are asleep. Some of them believed me. Of course, some don’t.

Years later, I found out that this place was no purgatory. It was actually an old belfry of Jaro Cathedral that was constructed during the Spanish period in the country. Now, I’m more confused if this is not purgatory, then where can I find it? And yes, I prefer to call him God now. Does it follow then that Jesus is for kids and God is for adults? If God don’t mind me asking another question I still would want to know where purgatory is. I’m thinking maybe it is somewhere between the stratosphere and ionosphere.

Where is purgatory?

In Praise of Difficult Women

We still have to listen to studies telling us that a single woman over the age of thirty-five had best avoid airplanes because she is more likely to die in a terrorist attack than get married.-----The Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women

I laughed when I read this. I went to my elder sister’s room and actually read the lines to her. She chuckled.

Yesterday was her birthday. She turned 35. We are both single. And yes, when I posted this as my status at Facebook, it was a riot. Of course, most of those who liked it are ALL single women themselves.

Was it a coincidence?

I have every reason to believe that when they read that status, it made them laugh. It’s funny but true, the irony of it all.

The Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel is a book I’ve bought from a book sale two days ago. It caught my attention primarily because of its title. I’ve started reading it as soon as I got home. It’s an entertaining feminist manifesto if I must say. It kept me chuckling and intellectually charged. It made me laughed out loud in fact.

The word bitch has been used and interpreted many times. Have you ever been called a bitch, too? Well lucky for you if you have been called once, twice or thrice. But then again, in what context were you called as such? I don’t even know how to begin to define the word “bitch”. It seems like the word has been used so many times and in so many contexts. Sometimes, being bitchy is good. Other times, it is not. It also goes to say that being Miss Goody Two Shoes is sometimes good. Other times, it is just not. You know sometimes you just have to fight when you know you just have to. No harm in it.

I would have loved to blog about it but I’ll restrain myself. I want to finish reading the book first.

For the meantime, I’ll bear in mind not to ride the airplanes after I turned 35.

Strictly Photos

Because it is December and things are bright and gay, for a change I've decided to post photos. Just photos.

Sinigang na Isda

Chicken Inasal. Yum!

Chicharon!

Biscocho. Piaya. Pinasugbo.

Pinamalhan nga Lupuy. Cooking Lupuy the traditional way.

Kinilaw na labanos. Radish salad anyone?

Singkamas and Naranghita.

That's all folks. I'll be writing next week.

Of Indigenous Peoples: Getting to Know the Ati's of Nagpana

Last week was a frenzy.

In the midst of everything, visits to the doctor, the endless readings and the writing of the Panay-Bukidnon claimbook, I took the time out to visit Nagpana, Barotac Viejo. It was their Pag-uli Tingob Festival. Nagpana is the home of one of the indigenous peoples' in the country, the Aetas.

The Ati's performing their native dance.

The place was beautiful. The people were friendly and accomodating. Lush vegetation covers the area. It was a feast for the eyes and soul. I've always been interested to write an ethnography about the indigenous peoples in the country. I've taught at the university for ten years. Academic experience is great. You learn a lot of paradigms and theories inside the four walls of the classroom but then theories are best when they are applied in real life situations. I am thankful and honored for the opportunity to be able to share and use my knowledge to help give the IPs what was righfully their own in the first place, their ancestral lands. For each paragraph that I write and each chapter that I finish,I do it with passion and love. Not because of anything else but more so because of the idea that this is a landmark step for the IPs towards the realization of their right to self-determination. The granting of the title of their ancestral lands would be written in the pages of Philippine history. It is a legacy that would be passed to the generations of IPs.

At Nagpana. Simply beautiful.

Kagang as they call it. This was taken at the nearby river.

In the Philippines, indigenous peoples’ communities are to be found in the interiors of Luzon, Mindanao, and some islands of Visayas. They either withdrew to the hinterlands in the face of colonization or they stood their ground successfully and have maintained a close link to their ancestral past. These communities comprise a diverse collection of more than forty ethno-linguistic groups, each with a distinct language and culture. The indigenous peoples continued to live in their relatively isolated, self-sufficient communities, at the time when most lowland communities had already been integrated into a single colony under Spain in the 1700s and 1800s. They were able to preserve their culture and traditions as reflected in their communal views on land, rituals, songs, dances and folklore.

The little boy who took my heart away.

Mass wedding of Atis.

Uprooting indigenous peoples from their land denies them their right to life and identity. This is also to say that they have continuously related to and established the environment they are in as the material basis of their existence.

Land is a central issue to indigenous peoples because it defines their very existence. For the IPs, their ancestral lands are not just a physical manifestation of their presence, not just a material base but most importantly, their lands are sources of collective memories of their history and culture. It makes their ancestral domain a cultural and spiritual link to the living and their dead. Hence, in this context, as seen in the eyes of the indigenous peoples, ancestral domains are sacred.

Through the years, they have survived as they have striven to maintain the cultural integrity that makes them different while adapting ingeniously to the changing conditions around them.

Shy but smiling. A young mother and her kids.

Simply beautiful. The water was inviting.

Native food. ( At the background, these are the members of the TSK, an NGO.)

Currently, the population profile of indigenous peoples of Regions VI, VII and VIII showed that there is a total of 62, 099 IPs in Iloilo , located within twenty two municipalities of the province.

I will be back at the community soon to write an ethnography about them. I know it's going to be an enlightening, fulfilling and interesting stay.

Of Prednisone, Filipinos and Hygiene

My face looks like a moon today, full moon to be exact.

Lately I’m taking steroids, 30 mg everyday of prednisone, one for breakfast and the other for supper. I really don’t like it for so many reasons but I gotta have it. If given a choice, I won’t take it. It is a corticosteroid drug that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Prednisone is used to treat many different conditions such as allergic disorders, skin conditions, or breathing disorders and a whole lot more.

I’m not a doctor. Now I really wish I pursued my dreams of becoming one.

Slightly full moon face. Three days before the prednisone but already taking the turbuhaler.

I have a bad case of asthma attacks lately and I was told by my doc that if by Saturday I'm not showing any improvements, I will be be admitted to the hospital. That scares me a lot. Right now, I'm trying to be a good girl diligently taking my meds, just to avoid all sorts of trips to the hospital. Changes in the Philippine weather makes me think that my fellow asthma gang out there is definitely having a bad time breathing like this woman here. I was actually laughing when I heard what the anchorman said at the news this morning. He said that the weather changes so often these days, one minute it’s raining and then the next time you know, the sun is already shining. Filipinos might end up crazy soon. He was quick to ask the question as to how pinoys with asthma were faring these days.

I literally raised my hands and feet.

Christmas is supposedly around the corner but the extreme heat we’re having makes me think we’re not doing justice to the idea of cold Christmas mornings. Sigh. And yes, I think that deadline at the office a week ago officially did it to me. Stress is really bad for one’s health.And yes, I have tonsilities, too.

My doctor gave me a week on pred. This explains the moon face that I’m currently sporting and I’m not proud of it. But since it is here to stay or two weeks or so, I might as well deal with it. This is my second day but I already transformed myself beautifully into a full moon.

My face beams like no other. It is pinkish,smooth and soft but yes, I still look like a moon. The fluid retention and weight gain that comes as one of the side effects of taking pred is scaring me. When the doctor told me he’s going to put me on prednisone, I am sure my asthma attack is that bad. I don’t like taking it, for one, it gives me a very bad case of heartburn. I feel like my chest is being lit by gazillions of matches altogether creating a wonderful bonfire. Yes, lately I’ve made it a habit to chug a liter of water in a matter of an hour and make frequent trips to the bathroom, of course.

Life under prednisone is not easy.

Second, the fluid retention and weight gain is frustrating. It would have been okay if the weight gain is distributed evenly throughout the body but for reasons I don’t know, the weight seems to accumulate more on thy face. Thus today, I feel like an enormous moon basking its glory under the dark sky. Well at least, I get to feel how it is to be a moon, right? (Positive thinking sometimes helps a lot.)

Third, there’s the craving. I don’t know why but one of the side effects of taking this steroid is that I seem to be hungry throughout the day. When asthma attacks set in, no processed food for me. No sugars. No fats. Not too much sodium. It’s okay with me. I’m not so much with sweets and processed foods anyway. I’ve already made a lifestyle change many years ago. I’m no die hard health nut but I take good care of my body. I do exercise. I’ve taken a good liking with taebo, everyday, except on Sundays, I sweat the toxins from my body through taebo.

I am a goat.

I eat vegetables like my life depends on it. I’m a vegetable lover and a certified green smoothie diva. But I like meat, too though not on everyday basis. Maybe once or twice a week is enough. To settle my cravings and hunger pangs as side effects, I’ve hoarded fruits and veggies like next week is the end of the world. Hoarding dark chocolates is tempting. Very tempting but I’ve always reserved this treat once a month, that is, during my monthly period. A bar or two is enough once a month.

With all these talks about food, I am thinking what is the standard Filipino diet.

Is it still rice and fish? And on the way throw in some nice vegetables to complement the thought. Being close to the Pacific ocean and being surrounded by bodies of water, it is not questionable that rice and fish may have been the standard Filipino diet. But with the changes through the years, is it still rice and fish? I, for one, can’t live without rice. No matter what they say about rice as too heavy for the stomach to be eaten three times a day (notwithstanding the idea that some Filipinos do eat rice with viand as a form of snack), I am still a Filipino through and through.

I want my rice. Period.

It’s okay if I can’t eat it three times a day like what I’m doing now. But at least once a day say breakfast or lunch, I should have it. The idea of not eating rice once a day is enough to make me delirious. You have taken one precious part of my life if you do that. Eating rice and fish brings happy memories of family meals. A friend of mine told me that when she went to Germany to study, one of their German friends told them that they seem to identify the smell of the Filipinos akin to a fish.

I don’t know if that is racist or what.

If I will believe what they say about Africans having that distinct smell or Koreans having that distinct smell then I might believe them that Filipinos do smell like fish. But through the years, I’ve met a considerable number of Koreans in the Philippines and a number of Africans who belong to different nationalities and I can say that it doesn’t hold any water. Some might smell but some don’t. I think it holds true to every nationality regardless of your color and affinity. Maybe it has something to do with what a person eats, maybe hygiene or maybe it has something to do with preconceive notions of certain groups of people. I don’t know

So, do Filipinos smell like fish?

I do especially when I’ve just finished eating some grilled tuna with lemon and soy sauce. Of course those are the moments that I literally don’t mind it. Otherwise, I smell good. I take a bath twice a day. Sometimes, three times a day. Spaniards three centuries ago made some interesting comments about us pinoys. Philippine settlements during the Spanish period are riverine in orientation, water is not a problem. Spanish chroniclers and historians noticed that Filipinos take a bath frequently especially if the scorching heat of the sun is too much to bear. Filipinos take pride in their hygiene.

Believe me, not much has changed.

Now, I really don’t know why I started with prednisone, then went on describing my diet and end up talking about our hygiene. I’ve read that some of the side effects of taking prednisone is nausea, heartburn, insomnia and mood swings. Sad to say, I have all of them. I was crabby the other night to someone and literally just shut off my system. I feel like an owl. I slept at the wee hours of morning and I feel like vomiting and my chest burns like hell. Sigh. After this episode, I will get back on the right track of living the good and healthy lifestyle. That definitely means no stress at work.

I may have written something that is out of sorts tonight, (Look at my train of thought) but I’m happy to say I feel better after writing this. Yay! I am positive that when I get back to my doctor this Saturday, he will be so generous and kind enough to let me get off this drug. I know I will get well soon and after that, I’m going to see a homeopathy doctor. Practice healthy living. Enjoy the sun. Have fun with my family. Hug and kiss the people that I love. I prefer alternative ways of dealing with things.

Now let me get myself some milk and start counting the lizards inside my room.

All The Single Ladies

Lately everybody, I think, is busy getting married except me.

I’ve made invitations, helped bake a wedding cake, be the events coordinator of my friends' weddings, shared good natured jokes about married life with them. And as always, when everything turns to the idea of how happy it is to be married to the person you love, they turn to me and ask me, so Joyce what are you waiting for? When are you getting married?

That question is no stranger to me anymore.

Í already have the date of my wedding, it will be a Sunday affair, 6p.m. Year is yet to be determined. Now all I have to do is find myself a groom.

If I could just choose the man of my dreams and haul him straight to the altar without him filing a case of kidnapping against me, I would gladly say, I found the one. I would gladly do it, with much gusto in fact!

The only problem is I still haven’t purchase a reliable baseball bat to use for my prospective groom. Just so when he happens to pass right before my nose, I can just weld my mighty baseball bat and strike the living daylights out of him. Drag him to the altar and get married. When he wakes up, he doesn’t have any choice but to accept his faith and love me until thy kingdom comes.

My love story would be an adventure for sure.

I met with a girlfriend yesterday and she was “mourning” the same funny problem as mine. We were amused about it. It seems like everybody is concerned of finding the right man for us. The only thing left that they haven't done is to put us in the marriage market in the literal sense of the word. In the Philippine society, when a woman reaches the age of 30, it is as if it is the time to send her to an emergency room. Time is ticking and she should find herself a husband.

If this was Spanish or American period in the Philippines, I am so sure that by the time I have reached the age of 25 then, I would be called a spinster. But at least they are now more forgiving with single ladies. This time at least when it is thirty years old. When you reach the proverbial thirty something, some people will undoubtedly ask you why aren’t you married at this age. Sometimes, I find it funny that many of my single friends share the same sentiments and funny stories as mine.

On occasions like weddings and baptisms or any family gathering for that matter, mark my word, someone is bound to ask you the question why aren’t you married yet. Our society seems to follow a sort of check list in order to belong to it. We were born first, then we reach puberty, adulthood, then it is expected that we get married. We have to leave a legacy in this world so we have children . And then, we die. (Okay, I sound so morbid with the last one, I know.) We have to follow those stages. It’s the natural order of things as some people would say. It’s a step by step process that society expects for us to follow.

When you’re single in a society that dictates double, sometimes things get nasty or yes, funny.

On gatherings such as weddings, birthdays and what have you, single ladies are almost readily paired with available single men. The son of a friend, the son of a neighbor, the cousin of a friend and so on. Sometimes, without being asked whether they would like to be paired at all. Believe me through the years, I’ve ALMOST memorize the lines before my relatives could even pair me with one. I really dont take it personally because their intentions might be for my own good but it still amuses me at no end. And by the way, if it’s any consolation, ALL my unmarried girlfriends have experienced the same thing one time or another.

Eventually, it has become a constant source of joke among ourselves.

The world is so busy finding the right man for us while we are so busy exploring earth and the universe beyond. I’m perfectly fine with being single just as I’m perfectly fine with being in a relationship. I know my time hasn’t come yet. There are adventures to experience and new horizons to discover. Earth is such a wonderful place despite of everything. One look at the sunrise makes me marvel about the beauty of our existence.

Yes, I am so busy appreciating life.

I’m never bored being single. Not once did it become my problem. Of course, I enjoy the company of a man and also develop interest in the male specie. Why not? the male species are fascinating albeit complicated sometimes. But to say I’m suicidal because I just turned 32 and unmarried? No sir, I am not. It will come in its own sweet time.

I really don't know.

Maybe tomorrow, next week, next year or maybe in the next five years or maybe ten years. Only God knows. But it will surely come. Period. For the meantime, society should stop expecting that I will go out of my way and hunt for the man of my dreams. He will come. In the right time, he will be there. And as what I jokingly tell my single girlfriends always, God provides. Ask and it will be given.

Being married is a blessing just as being single is also a gift.

You Can Do It!

I have good news and bad news. Which one do you like first?

No one is coming.

That's both good news and bad news, rolled into one. It sounds dismal but true. Sometimes, all we can really do is to help ourselves rather than wait for someone to come and rescue us. We can choose to wallow in misery, in fear or in loneliness or we can choose to motivate ourselves to do what is needed to be done.

I’ve told myself the same things last night. All those you can do it woman stuff that I’ve often used when I’m about to chicken out with something. It’s true that sometimes, no one is coming. In this case, the only person who can motivate yourself is no other than your beloved self. YOU.

After all, you are your own best friend.

It’s not being narcissistic rather it’s an antidote to fear. It’s not true that in times of trouble, we are alone. The whole world might leave you but no, Someone is definitely watching over us, and yes, you have yourself, too. If nobody comes and rescue you, I believe the only thing left for you to do is to rescue your own self. You are your own knight in shining armour.

Just get your butt moving. Exercise your body and mind. Just move and do the thing you ought to do. And just what Alanis Morisette in her song says, “ Everything's gonna be fine, fine, fine.”

And with that, all the positive vibes comes to you. They come with such a great force that you can begin to imagine yourself literally hauling a huge boulder down the cliff. Alone. (Okay, maybe too much but a woman can always try her best!)

Time won’t wait for you as you sit and mope over your latest disappointment in life, fact is, time will fly. Rather than get stuck somewhere between the stratosphere and ionosphere, why not just get up and kick your own butt.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned in this lifetime is that, you can pray and pray all you want and do nothing. Or you can pray for guidance and then do what you gotta do. Even if your knees are shaking, just do it. That way something gets done. One step at a time or you can run as much as you want. Whatever floats your boat. Sometimes we human beings are funny. There are times that sadness, loneliness and fear paralyze us until we can’t even begin to distinguish an apple from mango.

It’s not healthy.

In life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It’s a fact. You don’t win everyday. And we can always take comfort and wisdom from the idea that there are no mistakes, only lessons learned. Despite of everything, life is good.

So now, if you’ll excuse me please, I’m going to the coffee shop and buy my beautiful self some green tea and cinnamon rolls to go.

Feel free to join me.

Videoke, Cinnamon Rolls and Tutti Frutti

Filipinos are avid fans of videoke.

Life’s misery fades away as we firmly take hold of the microphone. As if poise to take flight, we brace ourselves with the first lyrics that come into view. Then we sing like rock stars, pop princesses, R and B singers and what have you. (Do they have Kundimans in videoke bars? Just asking.) We give it to them like a pro. Doesn’t matter really if some of us sing like frogs. When it comes to videoke, it’s the passion, not the voice that counts.

Filipinos are so fond of singing and it goes to say that fiestas, baptisms, or gatherings of any sort (except burial)are not complete without singing showdown. Even roadside eateries in the country compete with each other everyday in attracting customers. You can rent one or buy one. Videoke as I've known is best when shared with family and friends. Everybody gets the chance to show their singing prowess. Never mind if together we sometimes really do sound like frogs having a feast after a series of rainy days and cold nights at the swamp. The important thing is, we sing. When we sing, there's life and yes, most often than not, there's laughter and happy moments.

There are days that I really sing aloud, like you can really see my tonsils literally swinging like beach balls inside my mouth.

I’ve been known to be notorious when it comes to videoke machines. I believe I’m a picture of ecstasy whenever I take center stage. That’s what they call my “I own the moment” mode. I drop my inhibitions. Nothing comes between me and the videoke machine. The world is eons away, drawn back to Paleolithic period.

I am not myself when I take hold of a microphone.

You have to LITERALLY pry me away. The only way you can make me sit is to offer me a cinnamon roll. And fact is, videoke bars don’t offer some heart-stopping, salivate inducing cinnamon rolls.

So you pretty get the picture here, right?

I’m thinking that maybe if I’m not an ardent admirer of archives, archaeology, war time stories, museums and all things old and musky, I would probably be a rock star babe or some indie movie maker basking her glory in the limelight. But well if I become a rock star babe, I would probably be singing about Andres Bonifacio, Rosa Parks, Mao Tse Tung, Buffalo Soldiers, Ho Chi Minh or maybe Power Puff Girls ( I love them esp. Buttercup and no, they’re not historical figures).

My loyal legionnaires would be nerds. Historians and book worms to be exact.

We’ll blend our music like how the native Indians of Teotihuacan culture blend their cacao beans into delicious chocolate drinks. We will conquer the whole world with our stories of mystical origins and legends from far-away land. We will strum this life with unspoken myths of indigenous people fighting for recognition for lands that they truly own. We will beat the drums with the distant call of our ancestors bringing to life the stories of a buried past. It will be fun. Such passion. Such intensity.

It will be great.

Red Videoke Machine

I’m not exactly an authority when it comes to music but anything that resembles nothing but shouting and cursing is a no-no for me. There’s music and there’s trash. I don’t know how to understand it when all I can hear is shouting and cursing. I will be needing some serious translation for the stuff. At the end of the day, I’ll probably look like a walking zombie.

Alive but unconscious.

Back in college, I did conceptualize something about having a band solely made up of girls. We’re serious about our studies but all work and no play is not good. No, I won’t be the lead singer. Back then, I have special affinity with drums and guitars. My voice is three steps away from that of a songbird. And yes, it would be an all girl band. No men allowed. They’re lovable creatures but complicated.

Tutti Frutti.

That’s the name. I know it sounds sweet. It should be. The name was taken from one of my fave sweets, Tutti Frutti. Small and comes in different colors but nonetheless truly satisfies your sweet tooth. Why chose this? I don’t know. The name was just stuck forever in my head and refused to leave. I know I should have chosen something strong and appealing to the audience but how am I supposed to think of other names when my head is so full of nothing but Tutti Frutti?

Today, it literally reminds me of that Chippy commercial. TEAR HERE. That’s their band name, literally taken from the package of their favorite junk food. If Tear Here sounds cool these days then there’s no reason why Tutti Frutti wouldn’t rock during those times.

Agree?

But alas, after 31 years of existence in this beautiful planet called earth, I’m no band member. The toll of studying the economy and cultures of Russia, trying to figure out why Vietnam War was considered as America’s waterloo and the endless nights of reading Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations prevented me from fulfilling my secret (not so secret now) dream. There goes my dream of stardom.

Sigh.

I have given up my dreams of becoming a rockstar babe. The only consolation I get is the fact that even if I can never sing about Andres Bonifacio, Rosa Parks and the Buffalo Soldiers, I can actually write and discuss about them in class. To my heart’s content, in fact. This goes to say that I can have my cake and eat it too. Never mind if it’s only half of the cake. And besides, I can always look for Bob Marley’s song in the playlist.

Buffalo soldiers.

Now, what are you waiting for? Stop reading and look for some cinnamon rolls.




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SONA 2011: State of the Nation Address and Amazing Stories

Everyone was expected to look smart and chic.

The women looked stunning in their Filipiniana ensembles. The men looked dapper and handsome in their barong tagalog. Batasang Pambansa was in its full regalia. No it's not Runway Philippines. It would have been a Filipiniana fashion event if not for the distinguished faces of prominent politicians in the country. In the afternoon of July 25,2011, Filipinos listened to Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s second State of the Nation Address. For solid 53 minutes, the Philippine president reported to the nation.

Did you listen to the SONA yesterday? Or were you busy doing something else? As a Filipino, what grade will you give the president?

At the moment, I only have a few things to say about it.

Pres. Noynoy Aquino


First. It’s funny that the president should always punctuate his speech with how his administration fares well without failing to refer to the pitfalls of the previous administration. A good friend of mine actually posted something on her FB account. One shot every time the president blames the previous administration for the miseries of the present one. If this is the case then……

I might end up drunk by the time the president is finish with his speech.

I’m no staunch defender of the previous president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but I’m no fan either of the current one. I’m caught-in-between if I may say. I don’t want to say I’m not thankful for what they have done for this country.

I am.

It’s not easy to deal with the problems of the whole nation. A person could only take a few problems in one day. How much more that of the whole nation? But the thing here is, why do you have to spend so much time comparing your administration with the previous one? Would it be that the SONA is just a venue to compare and contrast the past and the present administration?

I don’t want to sound too judgmental but I just find it quite amusing and annoying that the president should be constantly referring to the previous administration in his speech. He seems to sound and appears to be on a war path. It is disturbing to me that he finds it practically simple to simply make it appear that he inherited the government in such a bad state from the previous one.

It is a shame that Noynoy forgets he is the president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Blaming the previous administration for the state of things when he was elected as the president of this country makes him appear no better than the former president. Will it make him good in the eyes of every Filipino because of that? Absolutely, no. It is appears to be politicking.

But indeed, yes, this is politics. What do you expect?

Second, I appreciate it that the president chose to deliver his speech in Tagalog and not in English. It’s like music to my ears. It is but fitting to do that. Our language captures the nuances of our very own culture. No more no less.

Third, I am particularly disheartened upon hearing figures of how some politicians continue to rob our country and the Filipinos the right to live like human beings, free from poverty and corruption. We get to hear the same stories year after year but still, they never fail to make me sad and at the same time, angry. It is righteous indignation if you ask me.

Fourth, I am now a firm believer to the idea that politicians should undergo a lie detector test before they step down from their offices. Just imagine the scenario. I’m quite sure many of them would be probably busy with their arguments against this suggestion.

And yes, I would be dead meat by the time they approve it.

Last but not the least, I never knew that having coffee at PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) was SO EXPENSIVE. I will have to visit them when I get myself to Manila sometime soon. I would love to taste their highly rumored coffee for a change. I hope I don't get choked while having it.

So, what's my grade for the president and his administration?

I'm giving him a conditional failure. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm giving him another year and let's see what happens. Then that's it.

For the meantime, for the sake of the future generation, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Ladies Room, Madame Senator and Women

I am particularly awed by her brilliance and fiery eloquence.

She's simple and very accomodating but yes, to her enemies she's a force to reckon with. When she speaks, everybody listens. She's one of the very few politicians in the Philippines who possesses unquestionable integrity.

How's that for excellence?

During our celebration of International Women's Month last March 4, 2011, we invited Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to open the Women's Month Celebration at UP Visayas with a talk about the Reproductive Health Bill and Women's Empowerment. This was in coordination with the Ugsad, the Regional Gender Resource Center and Western Visayas.

All pictures were taken last March 2011.

Always fiery and charismatic.She never fails to capture the audience with her witty lines and exceptional brilliance.

Visiting the UPV Gender and Development Building. (At the background is the unfinished building of UPV Cinema. Construction still ongoing.)

The university was picture perfect that day. Simply beautiful. (Took the shot just right across my morning class.)

All is set for the lecture, right Tita Lucy? Purple balloons and motif for the day. It's indeed Women's Month.

Prof. Jane (emcee) and Ms. Almera of UPV Alumni Office posed while everybody was going crazy with the senator ;-).

Tita Mabeth and Tita Lucy...Great job ladies! Let's toast to that!

That ever familiar facial expression...

The national theme for the month-long celebration was “Magna Carta of Women, the Philippine CEDAW: in support of the Millenium Development Goals" while the United Nation’s theme for Women’s Day was “Equal Access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent works for women.”

Other activities that week include:

Self-Defense for Women...Learning Filipino Martial Arts....Hai!!!

Ladies Room

The U.P. in the Visayas Gender and Development Office was grateful to all those who supported the event. It was a huge success.

Madamo guid nga salamat Inday Miriam!!!