Parting shots

I read a story early this year about a man who staged a mock funeral for himself by gathering his family and friends and asking them to say their eulogies for him because he wanted to hear what they would say in his actual funeral.

That is a bit morbid a scenario, but that’s what actually inspired me to write how I would remember my officemates — past and present — when the time for us to part ways (to pursue different directions) comes.

Here we go:

Elaine. Despite all the nice things that Elaine is, I will always remember her as the girl who pretended to be sweet and tahimik during her first 6 weeks in the company. So unsociable she was then that Kiko, Patsy and I often wondered about whether or not her being quiet was for real. And taking into consideration what she turned out to be when she finally decided to peel off her layers — a big bully — I could not help but be glad and sorry at the same time. Glad that I won the wager (I betted that she was just pretending) and sorry because I was one of those whom she chose to (try to) bully.

Patsy. The reigning editorial mascot when I arrived at FAME, Patsy’s “coveted” title may now go either to Chie or Lorien (in my humble opinion). These two imps could sometimes be such a pain in the ass while being so awfully funny that I often find myself wondering what to do — throw at them whatever was in my hand in annoyance or laugh out loud in amusement. But really, there is only one pervert, illogical and sablay person in the world, and that’s Patsy.

Chie Chie. The girl who has yet to learn that punctuation marks serve a purpose, she is both a menace and an angel. I know I will forever be haunted by her soon-to-be-more-famous lines: “Ano’ng oras ang 3pm?” “Ayan, lumamig na tuloy ang ice cream ko,” “Nine AM ng umaga?” and “Miss, meron ba kayong coke na nagyeyelo, yung tipong nag-a-ice?”

Why soon-to-be-more-famous? Well, Chie, boys and girls, is now a commercial model. Her beautiful face is soon to dominate (and add color to) your primetime TV viewing. Hehe

Jing. It comes as a surprise for those who are not in the know, but yes, Jing is Chie Chie’s sister. But while Chie Chie is taranta personified, Jing is the personification of calmness. Everybody would already be panicking, but she would just be sitting there, working calmly and unaffected by the chaos around her, most probably courtesy of — who else? — her dear sister.

Manong Ricco. I’m actually a few months older than him, but I call him Manong. He can be makulit or masungit sometimes, especially when puyat, but he’s such a darling. Whenever I have to stay late (most often until 1:30am; sometimes 4am) in the office, I only need to ask him to please stay late too, and he would be canceling his appointments, including his date with … uh-oh, can’t say (Sowi!). What’s more, he’s one of the very few people who think I look funny when I am mad. In fact, I suspect he enjoys it when I am “sinusumpong” because it is during these times that he laughs most often. Nakakainis!

Ryan. We’re not really related. Neither is he too young (nor I too old), but yup, he calls me “Tita.” He lives in the shadows of his more famous brother (for now) — GMA’s Jiggy Manicad — but Ryan is destined to surpass Jiggy’s fame. And no, not because he is soon to be given big breaks, but because of some “bomba” about him that I would leak to the press.

Just what it might be? Hmmm… I won’t tell. Hehehe

(Disclaimer: Hey, I am just joking about this racket about Ryan. Despite all the kakulitan that he does in the office, he is one sweet guy. Let me borrow Arno’s words when he talked about Ryan and Jiggy: Maganda ang pagpapalaki sa kanila ng kanilang mga magulang. And that, I think, is the highest compliment any person could ever hope to receive.)

Of beaches and bitching

It’s a bit hard for some of my friends to comprehend why someone — and that means me — could not easily be charmed by the sight of a beach to strip down to her swimsuit and jump in for a good swim. Beaches, they say, equate swimming and basking under the sun.

Not for me, though. I love beaches because of their romantic appeal. I find them especially appealing when they are calm, either at sun up or sun down. The soft sound of the waves paying homage to the shores simply reaches the depth of my being, soothing and relaxing my spirit.

During turbulent weathers, beaches are not much of a sight, for they spell terror and destruction. But I like them just the same, for beaches at the height of a fit are reflective of my explosive tendency when provoked — daunting and terrifying.

Yup, I also know (now) how to bitch. And I've been told I do an extremely good job of it. Ha ha!

/Photo: Puerto Galera, April 12, 2006/

One bright night...

... I looked up, and saw the moon smiling upon me. I smiled back, wondering what she thinks of me, now that I’d bared myself to her.

Deciding she’d surely understand, I closed my eyes, feeling her gaze still fixed upon me, now with a tinge of concern.

No, I’m not going to cry.


[seb/August 25, 2004]

Love paradox

7 reasons people are so crazy about (and go crazier because of) love.

1. Love means both holding on and letting go.
2. Love can bring forth heaven as well as hell.
3. Love can either make your heart whole or cut it into pieces.
4. Love promises total bliss while, at the same time, spelling out misery.
5. Love can hurt as well as heal.
6. Love is both a problem and a solution.
7. Love brings out so many questions and offers nothing but itself as the answer.

[seb/2001]

The healing process

My good officemate, Manong Ricco, mumbled something the other day about a certain dilemma of his about which I cannot talk here but to which I can completely relate. His dilemma has nothing to do with mine, but our dilemmas are somewhat parallel so that when he mumbled, “Hindi kaya naglalaro ang tadhana?” I just looked at him — dumbstruck — so that for a change, I was unable to say anything witty that would tell him I thought he was being corny, or worse, idiot.

He'd told me enough to know it wasn't his fault that he's at his current situation, and I sure did not do anything that would lead me to where I am now. All I can remember is, there I was, welcoming each day — sometimes cheerily, at other times, rather relunctantly (as any other normal person does, I must say) — and woke up one day with my life suddenly not as orderly as it was the last time I checked.

What has happened? I don't know. But suddenly, I am at a point where whatever I would decide to do would bring forth immense happiness to one soul, and death to another.

So maybe, Manong Ricco is right. No matter how careful you are in your steps, sometimes you just find yourself in situations you'd rather not be in.

Believe me, I never asked for this. I did not go out looking for this. But this is where I am now, and so I will have to deal with it.

I know I won't get out of it unscathed. For whichever way I turn, I would hurt someone. Not a consoling thought, especially because I am sure I would likewise get hurt in the process.

Oh, such a dreadful task it is, this thing that is being required of me to do. But I know I will have to do it. And I believe I am strong enough to weather it. I am both a fighter and a survivor, am I not? There's no reason I should fail. Things, after all, know how to right themselves.

And besides, there is such a thing as healing process. The thought of it should be enough to bring comfort to my soul and for me to do that which is right.

P.S.

I just find it beyond reason that I will have to hurt someone — myself included — in order for me to be happy. It simply doesn't make sense! But then, a lot of things that happen in life don't make sense immediately — at least to the human reasoning. They often do years thence. So I guess I just have to stay positive and keep believing that things will be alright. That I will be alright. That everyone will be alright.

OFW Wannabes

In Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) latest offering, Pinoy Wannabes, five one-act plays revolving around the issue of OFW migration explore how the promise of a better life could ironically gnaw away ties and shatter dreams.

Using an ever-present red luggage as a unifying element — at least visually — the five sketches portray present-day Filipino realities.


Yung Plano is a tale of the disintegration of an OFW family, with its first scene being that of three kids trying to take care of themselves in a home with absentee parents, and its last being that of the parents as idealistic ‘70s activists. The backward telling of the story gives it a more powerful impact than it would have had if it were told the usual way. The irony of the parents’ strong convictions and ideals when they were young losing out to the promise of a better life — in the land of the “enemy,” no less — is not at all missed among the audience.

Ang Kamera ni Mang Leon, on the other hand, hits home quite easily, in the light of the ongoing mass exodus of health workers abroad. The issue of physicians working in the country as underpaid and overworked doctors versus being well-paid albeit of much lower status care givers abroad, is still a much talked about topic.

And when life in the country becomes too burdensome to bear, running off to other countries “to set things right” is all the more an easy decision to make. In Kalat, an abused wife decides to leave the country to clean up other peoples’ mess, and hopefully and eventually, her own.

Panaginip talks of young lovers oceans apart, with only a dream of one day being together to hold on to. Exhilarating and loaded with witty punches, and yeah — that same-sex kissing that made the viewers rowdy for no less than a minute — this mini-play might have been the last to leave the viewers’ minds, if ever it would.

And finally, who doesn’t want to have a pasaporte? Virtually every Filipino dreams of owning — and using — one. In Pasaporte, the Juan and Juana de la Cruzes of the country were given the center stage as they give their arms and legs for that elusive US visa. And fail.


While the five mini plays may not have wholly captured the lives of the millions of Filipinos working abroad — for surely their actual experiences are much more colorful, their dilemmas more heartrending, and their stories more moving — the sketches are simply poignant. With its emotional and social appeal (which is expected of all PETA productions), Pinoy Wannabes has managed to set the audience roaring with laughter. And hopefully, take home a message or two.

A quote for Tayns

I won't gush about the musical adaptation of Carlo Vergara's Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah anymore because almost every theater fanatic I know is done raving about it. In fact, Celestine and Salve even hailed it in their respective blogs.

So let me just post a quote from the play the meaning of which I wish Tayns would fully grasp: "Ang pag-ibig kapag dumating, salubungin mo na parang isang kaibigan na matagal mong hindi nakita." —Aling Britney to Ada

Tayns, getz mo? Hehehe

Salve speaks...

Finally, Salve has spoken. Hehehe Let me copy&paste her testimonial here so you'd have something to read kasi di pa ako nakakasulat. I'm sure she had quite a laugh penning this...


The perpetually poised woman, yeah, Sherma. Kahit late na sa usapan, kailangang may count ang bawat step, nakataas-noo, may angle ang face, naka-emote ang eyes at... ay, natisod!`Yan, `di kasi tumitingin sa dinadaanan.

When I first heard her name, my impression was, Baka may foreign blood `to, or baka Persian siya. But I was wrong, of course. She’s a hundred percent Pinay. And I had quite a laugh when I learned the etymology of SherMa.

Sherma is a very talented writer, smart, a fighter. If she believes and knows she’s right, she’ll fight for it. She had never surrendered in any battle. Other people might think she’s a snob, but if you know her alam mo na may kabaitan naman `to kahit paano. Puwede mong ilagay sa emergency key ng phone mo ang number niya. `Pag nag-SOS ka, she’ll make a way to be there for you.

She’s also a perfectionist. Hindi sa kanya puwede ang 'puwede na' — something that might irritate or make other people raise a brow at her. But when you spend a lot of time with her, you’ll get the hang of it.


Hayyyy! There... you've got a picture of me — from the horse's mouth, no less. Hehe