lokohan blues nanaman

let me point out some anomalies. inuuto nanaman natin ang mga sarili natin e.
THIS IS NOT OUR GOVERNMENT. this place is probably INDIA (or some central asian country) --paano ko nasabi? tignan nyo yung ale na nakapila sa counter --left side. meron tuldok sa noo, yung babae na nagsu-solitaire naman eh naka-'sari' all indicative of hindu culture. look at the peering men in the background, matatangos ang ilong at maiitim. do they look 'filipino' to you? for all i know, our government employees don't play solitaire anymore. malamang farmville o di kaya babaran sa facebook (or driving a porsche perhaps? --sabi sa news last week na meron daw customs clerk na nagdadrive ng luxury car. wow.),. but solitaire? NO. child's play ito kumpara sa lupet ng katiwalian sa bansa natin.

will you just open your eyes first before jumping into any goddamn bandwagon?

hindi ako galit james soriano

"Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

dre hindi tayo magkakilala at hindi ako galit sa'yo.

namamasyal kasi ako sa cyberspace ng nabasa ko ito kaya medyo nagpantig ang tenga ko. tol, i am a filipino like you are. i don't claim to be as good in english like what you are but i'll try to drive my point home. see, if you know the history of languages it is always the dominating power in the world that dictates which language becomes widely used. let me remind you that during the greek period almost all people of the known world spoke greek. same case for roman empire who spoke latin everywhere in their dominion. don't deify english as something superior above all languages simply because you were born in an era when english speaking countries rule the world. let me pose a hypothetical question to you my friend: had the allies in ww2 lost, would your mom still be teaching you english? tingin ko hindi. ganito kasi yan dre, mamamatay ang wikang ingles at some point in time (pustahan pa!). now to refute your baseless claims..

"For while Filipino may be the language of identity, it is the language of the streets. It might have the capacity to be the language of learning, but it is not the language of the learned.

patay tayo dyan dre! magpuprotesta sa libingan ang mga dakilang pilosopo, siyentipiko, at mga pinuno nung panahon ni kopong-kopong tulad nila plato, aristotle, pythagoras, nietzsche, alexander of macedonia, julius caesar, napoleon bonaparte atbp. hindi kasi sila marunong magingles e. hindi pala sila "learned" sa standards mo. dre kahit ang panginoong jesucristo (aramaic at latin lang ang salita) sino pala ang learned? si g.w. bush? si sarah palin? si aling dionisia?

"I may be disconnected from my being Filipino, but with a tongue of privilege I will always have my connections."

dre, ito ang pinakamalaking kahangalan sa mga sinulat mo. can you not grasp with what mental faculties you have that when you speak english in places where it is widely spoken, you are just like everyone else? you're as common as a house cockroach (for lack of a better comparison) hindi ka "kunek" simply because you speak their language. baka isipin pa nilang unggoy kang nag-iinggles at pagkakitaan ka sa peryahan. at kapag nagsalita ka naman ng ingles sa isang bansang hindi ingles ang katutubong salita magiging "iba" ka. tandaan, hindi magkapareho ang "iba" sa "espesyal". your concept of language is somewhat oblique. knowing english will never elevate you to a position above your "katulongs", "tinderas", and "manongs".

"We used to think learning Filipino was important because it was practical: Filipino was the language of the world outside the classroom. It was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos,and how you texted manong when you needed “sundo na.”

marami ng namatay para sa wikang ito dre, alam mo yan. wag mo sanang maliitin ng ganun-ganun nalang. napansin kong paulit-ulit ka sa "language of the streets" na drama mo, kung ayaw mo sa "streets" edi lumipad ka, hindi yung bibirahin mo yung mga taong naghahanap-buhay na hindi ka naman inaano. hindi nakakatalino ang english at hindi lang sa classroom nabubuhay ang tao tandaan mo yan. you are just a miseducated and misinformed "konyo" who thinks he is lord over creation simply because you finished reading dan brown's novels or that mundane vampire romance called "toilet" series (ay, twilight pala).

wag ka muna magpaka-diyos. you only scratched the surface of english language yet you act as though you are some sort of a scholar. nabasa mo na ba yung finnegan's wake ni james joyce? naintindihan mo ba naman? eh yung war and peace ni tolstoy nabasa mo na? saka ka na mag-angas dre kung nabasa at naunawaan mo na ang mga yan. ang sagwa lang kasi dre, para ka lang nakikipagbarilan at wala kang dalang bala.

ipapaunawa ko sa'yo ang tunay na kakanyahan (essence) ng wikang filipino. basahin mo ang ANG KALUPI ni Benjamin Francisco. at sabihin mong mayroong katulad nyan sa wikang ingles na dini-diyos mo.

let's go to the movies

malalaman mong nanonood ka ng pinoy film o drama kung...

- palaging nahuhuli ang kapulisan sa pagresponde sa trobol. pagdating nila napatay na ng bidang lalake lahat ng hoodlums.

- may twist na related sa ampon o nawawalang anak ang plot ng istorya. nagkakaalaman lang kapag malapit na matapos ang serye.

- may maingay at malanding baklang side-kick ang bidang babae.

- palaging may mayaman at aroganteng karibal ang bidang lalake sa bidang babae.

- mayroong mahaba at mainit na diskusyon tungkol sa pulitika, relihiyon, ekonomiya, GDP, GNP, laissez-faire, ang bida at kontrabida habang sila ay nagbabarilan.

- may mala-diyos na kapangyarihan ang bidang lalake upang gapiin ang limampu o higit pang bilang ng mga kaaway ng hindi man lamang nalalagay sa bingit ng kamatayan. kadalasan organisado pa ang mga kaaway dahil nakukuha pa nila ang pumila at maghintay ng pagkakataon para lamang masuntok o mabaril.

- sa isang ospital, kinakailangan ang serbisyo ng duktor na lumalabas mula sa operating room, palilibutan siya ng mga karakter ng pelikula/drama at tulad ng inaasahan ihahayag nya ang balitang nasa kritikal na kondisyon ang taong nasa loob ng operating room o di naman kaya siya ay nasa bingit ng kamatayan at panalangin nalang ang makapgliligtas sa kanya.

- walang matalinong alalay ang kontrabida. naglalaro sa 20 IQ points ang karunungan nila. madalas sila ay nababatukan ng among kontrabida.

- kung ang eksena ay sa isang beerhouse, palaging dumarating sa puntong nagsusuntukan ang bida at kontrabida sampu ng kanilang mga alagad. (hindi ba sila makapag-inom at makapambabae nalang ng mapayapa?)

- mayroong sayawan at kantahan na nagaganap kung ang genre ng pelikula ay comedy o romantic comedy. ikagugulat mo ang dagliang transformation ng mga "innocent bystanders" into "professional dancers and singers". nakakairita.

- sa isang inuman sa tindahan sa kanto, sisitahin o aalukin ng mga tambay ang bidang lalake. tatanggi ang bida at susunod na ang suntukan. ipagtataka mo ang pambihirang bilis ng mga sunog-baga kung iisipin mong nakainom na sila at lasing pa. naisip ko noon na marahil sila ay nagsanay sa shaolin temple ng drunken-style kung-fu.

- palaging merong eksenang iyakan sa ulan. wag mo na itanong ang dahilan dahil hindi ko rin alam.

- kung ikakasal ang bidang babae sa lalakeng hindi nya gusto asahan mong mahihinto ang kasal sa ilang hindi maipaliwanag na dahilan. 

- sa isang roadchase sasabog lamang ang sasakyan kapag nakalayo na ang bidang lalake ng eksaktong isandaang metro o higit pa mula sa sentro ng pagsabog. ipu-focus ito ng camera upang magmukhang death-defying ang eksena.

- sa katapusan ng isang romantic na pelikula pipiliin ng bidang lalake at bidang babae na maghalikan sa gitna ng maraming tao (kadalasan sa gitna ng squatter's area). matapos nito, magpapapalakpakan ang mga nanonood.

- sa kaso naman ng indie films, palaging mayroong prostitute na kasali sa pangunahing mga tauhan. --credits to WOTL

- ang huling barilan sa pagitan ng bida at kontrabida ay palaging nagaganap sa isang lumang warehouse.

- ang ama/maestro/kaibigan/alalay ng bida ay mababaril subalit bago siya mamatay makapagtatalumpati pa siya ng kasinghaba ng gettysburg address ni lincoln.

- sa isang pagsabog na katumbas ng isang munting nuclear weapon, asahan mong makakaligtas ang bida.

- sa agawan ng baril sa pagitan ng bida at kontrabida puputok ang baril at parehong magrereact sa isang nakakabwisit na reaksyon ang dalawang partido. matapos nito mapuputol ang episode ng serye at paghihintayin ka hanggang sa susunod na araw.

...hay, pinoy talaga.

ppp

ppp - poetry poverty p-not

trabaho.

pag-unlad.

kahapon sa plasa ako'y nagtinda

yosi. bulaklak. laruan. pamaypay.

nasa piitan si itay sumali kasi sa piket.

may sakit si inay, tb daw sabi sa senter.

nakita ko sa liwasan larawan mong maganda

dilaw. mala-ginto at kumikinang.

naalala ko isang taon na ang lumipas.

naroon ka. kung saan ako nagtitinda.

madaming tao.

magulo.

masaya.

sa gitna ng ingay naroon ka.

pulu-pulutong na artista ang iyong kasama.

kaya magulo. kaya masaya.

nagsalita ka. nangako.

sabi mo dadami ang trabaho.

sabi mo uunlad ang buhay.

madami kang pangako.

ang sarap pakinggan.

binigyan mo ako ng pag-asa..

dumami nga ang trabaho.

mamayang gabi ang ate neneng ko naman uupo sa liwasan at magaabang ng sasakyan.

naka-kolorete. maiksing damit. umaga na siya babalik. trabaho.

uunlad ang buhay.

tama. lilipat na kami ng bahay.

mawawala ng ang barung-barong namin. demolisyon sabi ng mmda.

lilipat na kami sa sementandong tirahan. sa ilalim ng tulay. sa kalsada.

patuloy akong aasa sa mga pangakong tutuparin mo pa.

salamat sa pagtupad mo sa pangako mo. may trabaho. may pag-unlad.

bukas isang bagong araw nanaman. magtitinda sa liwasan. at muli kong masisilayan ang larawan mo.

kumikinang hindi dahil sa sagisag mong dilaw.

kumikinang dahil sa buhok mong pumapanaw.

the pig that wants to be eaten

i haven't eaten any pork for a good 9 months now.
so i see it fitting to write something related to pigs.

see, i came across two books back in the philippines both introduced by a friend, alan. hey alan!

1.) the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (misnomerly called a "trilogy" with 5 books) - douglas adams
2.) the pig that wants to be eaten: 100 experiments for the armchair philosopher - julian baggini

i finished the first (series of) book(s) and it gave me a nice laugh. and a good brain beating as well. the second one, is waaaay too cool but sadly i can't afford a 600-peso item from powerbooks back then so i have to borrow it from the above mentioned friend. this book is filled with thought experiments, discussing "what ifs" in our minds not to mention lots of questions throwing back more questions instead of answers. (sick!)

try this one thought experiment from that book. (which by the way is indirectly related to the first one as it is the source)

the pig that wants to be eaten

after forty years of vegetarianism, max berger was about to sit down to a feast of pork sausages, crispy bacon and pan-fried chicken breast. max had always missed the taste of meat, but his principles were stronger than his culinary cravings. but now he was able to eat meat with a clear conscience.


the sausages and bacon had come from a pig called priscilla he had met the week before. the pig had been genetically engineered to be able to speak and, more importantly, to want to be eaten. ending up on a human's table was priscilla's lifetime ambition and she woke up on the day of her slaughter with a keen sense of anticipation. she had told all this to max just before rushing off to the comfortable and humane slaughterhouse. having heard her story, max thought it would be disrespectful not to eat her.


the chicken had come from a genetically modified bird which had been 'decerebrated: In other words, it lived the life of a vegetable, with no awareness of self, environment, pain or pleasure. killing it was therefore no more barbarous than uprooting a carrot.


yet as the plate was placed before him, max felt a twinge of nausea. was this just a reflex reaction, caused by a lifetime of vegetarianism? or was it the physical sign of a justifiable psychic distress? collecting himself, he picked up his knife and fork...

to make things short, a pig was genetically-modified to beg to be eaten. para bang yun na ang sukdulan ng tagumpay nya.. ang katayin at maihain sa hapag-kainan.
there are reasons as to why raising (and eventually killing) animals for food is considered wrong, one would be its conditions while it is being raised. pinahihirapan ba sya, nasa mabaho, masikip, at mainit na lugar ba yung hayop na pinag-uusapan? the issue is, is it in misery while being kept in captivity? yung isa naman, is the act of killing the animal (which could, as a potential, have a decent future ahead like being a nobel-laureate-for-physics-type of future) so ayun nga, madaling lunasan yung unang isyu just make sure the animals are well-cared for (take for instance the tasty wagyu beef from japan that are not allowed to graze around or move for it to have tender, tasty, and healthy meat). now how do we address the second and ultimate rationale for vegetarianism? that is objection to the act of killing for food? now that's a tough one. pero madali lang yan with the advancement of technology. imagine, what if we could create animals that are virtually un-interested with their own survival, with a conscious consitution similar to that of a stalk of pechay. is it considered wrong to deny them the existence they don't even care to think of? or oddly enough, what if sila na mismo ang magmakaawang kainin mo sila? in an "utang-na-loob" way of begging.

look here, people may talk about being humane and mindful of animal dignity or respect to natural order of things pero wala ba tayong masasagasaang animal dignity kung gagawa tayo ng "mindless, brainless, decebrated" versions ng mga hayop na pwede nating kainin? hindi ka ba makukunsensya kung ganon ang sitwasyon? just asking.

anyways, who wants to be a vegetarian when you can always be humanitarian? three cheers for doctor hannibal lecter! :)

"in"-glish

i am not good in english. and i write "e.e. cummings" style.

in fact don't remember any grammar rules except the mantra-like statement "verb is an action word", which i learned back in grade school.

yet for the sake of writing (and keeping myself sane) i resort to er, writing.

see, i have lots of things in mind that i just wish to share to anyone who would care to listen. had these things have analogs (o kasing-kahulugan) in tagalog (or filipino if you must) then we wouldn't have any trouble would we?

english. is this a wise choice of a topic for a first blog entry? quite so. in my home country, the philippines, we pride ourselves as being "fluent" in english. three years in kinder-level education, six years primary, 4 years high school, 4 years college, english as a curriculum is inescapable as the guantanamo prison. assuming 14 years of english education, would that automatically make me a good english speaker? no. see, in the context of philippine culture anything that will sound funny, qualifies as funny. funny as in not to be taken seriously. imagine yourself sitting in a classroom of 80 boys and girls your age and then teacher asks you to recite a line from an essay. after an eternity, you say some painfully unfamiliar word(s) only god knows from where and then the entire class bursts into laughter. shit-in-pants moment. where you want to choke to death with your bare hands the guy/girl who laughed the loudest and vanish from existence until judgment day so help you god.

discouraging, yes. that's just how it works these days. pag di ka marunong mag-english gagawin ka nilang katatawanan (it's as if all those who laugh and jeer were born with the entire tomes of webster and oxford inscribed in their tongues) and you being the butt of jokes in your childhood grows a distaste for english and refuses to use it unless demanded by necessity (exam, job interview, etc.)

admit it, english brings about an air of authority to a person when he speaks it correctly. just shows how we remained ass-kissers of our american colonizers. couldn't it be just the same if you speak filipino with fluency? but alas, no. we worship english with a passion that it becomes embedded in our society even to the most trivial of situations. tinatawanan natin si pacquiao at melanie m, but have we heard ourselves speak english? or write facebook posts in english perhaps? can we say with certainty that we are indeed fluent? think again.

no, i don't hate english, believe me. what i can't stand is how it is being viewed: like a status symbol. i can name a dozen government crooks who speaks english fluently and yet managed to steal money and get away with it. and we remain ignorant simply because we were busy admiring how this guy finished law or post grad in some ivy-league school abroad and speaks english with a dazzling accent. sarap suntukin sa ilong e! akala mo como nage-english e pagkahusay-husay but at the end of the day we got robbed of tax money and he goes home with a fat paycheck. 'nuff said.

now on a lighter note, it is a fact that we have a natural talent for languages. english in particular. i know some people unschooled in language or grammar rules and yet they craft the most beautiful sentences in english. how? they watch english films. they listen to english songs. they read english broadsheets. they love english books. and the best thing is, they enjoy every moment of it. i forgot to say they watch english series. which, sadly but true, makes more sense than your average fantasy-filled, regular pack of pinoy primetime crap. i'm not being unpatriotic. i just happen to think that we need to up the ante in all media possible. make high-value shows that feeds the intellect, in a family-oriented but highly entertaining fashion. we can do better. we can make pinoy soaps patterned from "house m.d." or "csi" or "jag" or "the mentalist" or "the tudors". name it. we can do better than just recycling foreign series in tagalog. trust me, we can.

i strongly believe in the use of english as a tool (and not a status symbol for showing-off). likas naman tayong matalino in artistic and technical aspects. coupled with decent english let's make it a combo.

teka lang, primetime bida na pala.