And then you called me

I forgot all about the promise you made when you said you'd call me to prove how noisy your floor could be, and how annoyed you could get around these rowdy co-inhabitants at the second floor. It's been a month, I think. I picked up and you said, "naririnig mo?" (can you hear it?) as if I knew what exactly you were talking about.

But we love to talk. Damn, we do!

Latins and Indians

While I am on the subject of quotes, particularly that of Coelho and his universe, let me share my favorite quote from Arundhati Roy:

“The only dream worth having is to dream that you will live while you are alive, and die only when you are dead. To love, to be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of the life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.” - Arundhati Roy 

But I would like to clarify thus far that I am not a Coelho basher. Neither am I a Coelho fan. I actually have not read any of his novels. I just feel strongly about this quote, which is only a speck among his undeniably large body of literary work. So Choelho fans need not hate me. As a matter of fact, I find materials written by Latin authors engaging. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende come to mind first. With the millions inspired by Coelho's novels, I am sure to find something there to inspire me, too. Plus, the likes of Fidel Castro, Che Guevarra and the Cuban people have always been an inspiration. Finally, the fangirl in me find it necessary to mention Gael Garcia Bernal. Enough said.

Going back to Roy.

I love that it embodies 99.5% of what I believe in. It exudes both strength and gentleness. At the onset, it may have the air of an existentialist. But really it comes from a woman who have gone way past existentialism into being a woman of the world. One who is romantic but never illogical, and one who is unabashedly politicized but not to the point of alienating.

Because she is the living proof of this beautiful quote, her words doesn't come off as an empty string of words nicely put together. She is an Indian woman who broke free from the historical chain of oppression. And for many years now, she's been helping others do the same for themselves. It is only through this that her own freedom will be fully realized.

I truly have a huge respect for this woman.

Curse of Coelho

‎"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." - Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Naknamputcha eh kakasabi ko lang. Power of choice nga eh. Kung tao ang universe, jinombag na niya si Paolo Coelho at ang mga naniniwala sa kasabihan niya.

The power of choice

Just when I plan to sleep early, I always end up in high spirits at my favorite hour of the day: 2am. In the the last 5 hours, I watched "The Secret" endorsed by my Yoga instructors. It's a documentary about the "Law of Attraction". Our thoughts are so powerful that instead of the concept of the universe conspiring a grand plan for us, it should actually be the reverse. The power of our thoughts command the universe in order to attract whatever it is that we want to achieve. It talked a lot about positive thinking to attract positive events. I definitely believe in the power of the mind but not really in the context of the mystic. I'm all about logic. If you allow yourself to carry a positive and brave disposition, then you are able to communicate well, excel at work, nurture relationships and love and believe in yourself. Putting the universe in the equation is refusing to accept the full credit of everything you have worked so hard for. In the same manner, blaming the universe for bad things is also a refusal to take the full blame of making bad decisions, of a failed strategy which resulted to your own misery.

But the universe, fate and god are concepts that make life easier to swallow especially when things go awry. That's human nature. Good or bad, we don't want to admit that it is our own making. Well, more of the bad. We are either too shy to fully own an achievement, or too guilty to admit to fucking things up. And so we say the universe doesn't agree or fate has a different plan, that it's not the will of god, or simply blame other people or circumstances. What we don't realize is that every single choice, thought and action are the only factors that can make or break us as a person in this world. It is our CHOICE that is the most powerful.

Back from the dead

Wow. I almost forgot about this blog. For the past year, the 2 attempts to sign in was a failure. I realized I was using the wrong e-mail address. Now, I'm back!

Napaka-trying hard blogger ko talaga.

The logic of the kuliglig

Ang pagmamaneho ng kuliglig ay coping mechanism ng mga maralitang taga-lungsod para mairaos ang pang-araw araw nila. Katulad din yan ng mga sidewalk vendors na kung ituring ng mga mayayaman (o feeling mayaman) ay eyesore. Palibhasa, wala namang maialok na disenteng trabahong nakakabuhay ng pamilya ang estadong ito. At hindi katulad ng mga mayayaman (o feeling mayaman) ang problema ng mga kuliglig drivers noong December 1 ay kung saang kamay ng diyos nila kukunin ang pang-kain, pambili ng gamot at pambaon sa eskwela ng mga anak nila. Kaya sa mga nagreklamong na-traffic daw sila papuntang work or school dahil sa mga naka-hambalang na kuliglig: ANG LAKI NG PROBLEMA NIYO. WOW. NAKAKAMATAY ANG PAGKA-STUCK SA TRAFFIC. GRABE. PASENSYA NA KAYO, HA?


Para naman sa gobyerno ng Maynila (at sa gobyerno in general), anong karapatan niyo para lipulin sila? Kayo na nagpapakasasa sa pera ng mamamayan. Kayo na de-aircon ang mga kwarto. Kayo na naka-SUV. Kayo na may mga master's at doctorate degree. Kayo na wala naman matinong programang pangkabuhayan, edukasyon (babawasan pa nga ang badget, e!). Kayo na sa loob ng isang daang taon ay hinayaang maging bansot at atrasado ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas kaya pirming naka-sandig tayo sa mga imperyalista. Kayo na pumapatay at nandudukot sa mga taong kumikilos para sa tunay na pagbabagong panlipunan. Kayo na malinaw na pumapanig sa mga malalaking negosyante at panginoong maylupa. Kayo na ayaw magpamahagi ng lupa sa mga nagbubungkal nito at ayaw magtaas ng sahod ng mga manggagawa sa pabrika dahil sa takot na mababawasan ang milyon-milyong pera niyo sa bangko, o di kaya ay mabawasan ang mga SUVs sa garahe ng mansyon niyo. Kayo na mga walang ginawa kundi sumali sa tree planting at run-for-a-cause ng ABS-CBN at GMA Kapuso Foundation, magtayo ng bahay kasama ng Gawad Kalinga, mamigay ng limos sa mahihirap bilang inyong idea ng "governance" at "uplifting the poor". Mga wala kayong alam! At mga wala kayong alam dahil wala kayong pakialam sa tunay na kalagayan ng lipunang ito.


Sa pag-ban sa munting kabuhayan ng mga kuliglig drivers, para mo narin silang pinatay. Gut-level at historical ang usapin ng mga kuliglig. Bahagi ito ng isangdaang taong pakikipaglaban para sa lipunang makatarungan. Tama lamang ang ginagawang pag-aalsa ng mga kuliglig drivers. Tama lamang ang ginagawang pag-aalsa ng mga estudyante laban sa budget cut. Tama lamang ang ginagawang pag-aalsa ng mga magsasaka sa hacienda luisita at sa lahat ng hacienda sa Pilipinas. Tama lamang ang pag-aalsa ng mga manggagawa para sa dagdag sahod accross the board, nationwide.


Kahit kailan hindi naging mali ang mag-alsa para sa isang lipunang makaturangan. Kahit kailan hindi naging mali ang mag-alsa para wakasan ang daantaong pagka-api at pagka-alipin. At hanggat patuloy ang pagsasamantala, pambubusabos at pang-aapi, hindi matatapos ang pag-aalsa ng mga mamamayan. Kasaysayan na ang nagturo sa atin nito. Ang tao ang mapag-pasya. Oras na mangyari ito, magtago ka na, Mayor Lim. Ang tunog ng kuliglig ay magiging dagundong. Dagundong ng pinagsamasamang lakas ng bayan na siyang puputol sa sungay mo at ng mga kauri mo.


Dec 2 2010| 3:50 pm