trip to the National Museum and Museum of the Filipino People

I’m not even surprised that Miko and I got caught by the Manila police last Saturday on our way to the Museum of the Filipino people. According to Mamang Pulis, we turned right where we weren’t supposed to. Miko explained, “Wala naman pong nakalagay na NO RIGHT TURN ON RED SIGNAL, at wala rin po sa stoplight na hindi po pwedeng kumanan.” Mamang Pulis insisted that it was a major intersection with a blind curve which IT WASN’T. How can a major intersection have a blind curve?! He said he’d have to confiscate Miko’s license and he could only get it after five working days AND attend a 2-day seminar. “So ano po ba yung best na magagawa namin para sa inyo?” he asked. In other words, “Ano pong best na presyo ang mabibigay niyo sa ‘min?” Miko paused and I could see the wheels in his head calculating how much he should give him. Ganyan talaga pag hindi sanay. So I, Queen of Traffic Violations, stepped in.

“Sir, once again we’re leaving for America on Monday and we won’t be back until December. There really isn’t a sign that says NO RIGHT TURN ON RED SIGNAL ‘cause if there was, we really wouldn’t have turned. There has to be a city ordinance for traffic rules like that, if it isn’t shown on a sign. Besides, the traffic light didn’t have a separate signal for a right turn or any turn for that matter.”
“Ma’am, Tagalog po.”
Miko picked up my cue and added, “Yes Sir, and we’re just going to the National Museum of History and we don’t know where we’re going ‘cause we’re not from here and—”
“Sir, Tagalog! Do you understand Tagalog?”
“A little…”

TANGA EH FIRST HALF OF THE CONVERSATION WIKANG FILIPINO GAMIT NATIN!!!!

The policeman winced and said, “Wait lang Sir I will call my partner! HOY English daw! Dito ka nga!”

In the end the other policeman said, “Ok Ma’am, Sir today we will gib you a chans.”

I love itttt. Now to the real story: the National Museum of History and the Museum of the Filipino people.

We took the tour of John Silva, who calls himself a “writer, a fundraiser, and an advocate for the arts and heritage preservation”. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been to the Met, the MoMA, and Guggenheim of New York, and other museums around Southeast Asia but not my own country’s National Museum until yesterday. Credit for this trip goes to Chino, who told me about it.

The museum used to be the Department of Finance until President Ramos recognized the need for a National Museum. I didn’t know that. (Actually the whole tour was like that: “I didn’t know that!”) We started in the Kasaysayan ng Lahi room where lots of pre-colonial artifacts were stored. Reminder: we were not “DISCOVERED” by Magellan. You cannot discover something that already exists. We had a kind of religion, civilization, dance, music, language, and rituals even before the Spaniards bastardized us.

Our ancestors put bones in jars before the soul would journey to the afterlife. This is the “jar of all jars,” over 2, 000 years old. Looks familiar? Check out your 1, 000 peso bill. This very same jar is at the back.

These statues are called “Ang Bulul”. When these were brought into the museum, the lights in the room exploded for 12 days straight. The statues needed to be appeased, they didn’t like being behind glass. Mr. Silva had to get a babaylan (a kind of priest) who did a ritual involving a chicken, ripping its head off, and splattering the blood around the area. After that, the lights never exploded again. Although museum guards have reported that the statues switch places at night. Mmmm Night at the Museum Pinoy version.

according to Miko this is the inspiration behind the Oblation Statue. HAHAHAHA.

Salita Manon is the ONLY dreamweaver left in the country. She induces a 39-degree fever, sleeps, and weaves her dreams when she wakes up.

After the Museum of the Filipino People, we headed to the National Museum. I saw the most awesome allegorical Spolarium by Juan Luna. It was finished in Rome back in 1883. The Romans are the Spaniards while the dead gladiators being dragged are the Filipinos. I never understood the extent of this painting’s impact until yesterday. Luna and Hidalgo were the first Filipinos to join the prestigious Bellas Artes competition in Spain and won first and second respectively. This was a time when Filipinos were called monkeys and indios. Parang, “Omigod how could a Filipino win a Spanish arts competition so kadiri naman yuck.” During the celebration, a man named Jose Rizal said, “If we are equal in the arts, why not in political rights?” This quote sparked the being tibak of Rizal and the Filipinos back home.

It’s HUGE. They had to cut this up to transport this to the Philippines.

I loved being here:

There’s this indescribable feeling of being around works of great artists. Manansalas, Ocampos, Abuevas, Franciscos… I get giddy just THINKING about them. Imagine in the future… There will be Panday komiks here. Harakiri time.

1/3 of the Museum’s budget comes from the Congress. The rest come from private corporations. And Tonyboy Cojuangco, who, as it turns out, is not just a patron of Gretchen but of the arts. Another interesting to note is that the museum is free to the general public on Sundays, and free to the poor anyday. You just have to go there and declare that you’re poor. How did this happen? President Erap allocated 50 million pesos for the museum with the condition that it be accessible to the masses. I was pleasantly surprised to learn this. He had a heart for the arts pala.

I recommend all Filipinos to go there. I think it’s important to know that these things exist. It gave me a deeper appreciation and a better understanding of our heritage and culture. I prefer taking guided tours over going on my own ‘cause the artifacts get contextualized that way, but it’s really up to you. Do make time for it. To see more pictures and descriptions of my trip: http://www.facebook.com/annaoposa?ref=name#/album.php?aid=138001&id=524913851&ref=mf

http://nationalmuseum.gov.ph/

ANC leadership forum, part II

Mariel and I headed to UP Diliman’s School of Economics two hours before the 2nd leg of the ANC Leadership Forum began. Couldn’t miss seeing Erap, Legarda, Binay, Lacson, and Fernando live. Then we received word (well, more like an 8-minute statement) that Sen. Lacson is no longer running for president. Though I believe he’s one of the more competent ones in terms of experience, he didn’t have a shot anyway.

Among the candidates, Loren Legarda was the standout. She’s so articulate in both Filipino and English. Tuloy-tuloy magsalita at mag-isip. She’s the ONLY ONE among all those who have been interviewed na may clear vision of what she wants to do. I love that she mentioned how rich our country is in terms of the environment and culture and how we should capitalize on that. “Cultural renaissance,” she called it. She wants to focus on agriculture and education. She said, “Hindi mahirap ang ating bansa pero misallocated, misappropriated, ninanakaw.” This is what Gold and I call a POINT APRUB moment.

Mayor Jejomar Binay’s favorite phrases were, “Kami sa Makati…” and “Sa amin sa Makati…”. He mentioned how he used to have a piggy bank when he was a kid; now he owns a piggery. One of the online comments was something like, “Ruling a city ==/== ruling a country.” True that. Mayor Binay should run for VP first. I don’t see him as our president. He’s open to running for VP naman daw. He thinks the funds should be focused on local government, as opposed to national. Too much corruption goes on in the national level, he said. Things will work faster daw if the money is in the local govt.

I didn’t realize how funny Erap was until this evening. His favorite phrase was, “Kidding aside…” His hair looks so stiff and slick. Hay. He shouldn’t run anymore. I think he’s doing it out of pride because of how he was unjustly treated. But he claims to have forgiven the Arroyo family. Whenever he ran out of time to answer, he’d say, “Sandali lang. Kinukuha ko yung time ni Senator Lacson!” When the audience would clap in the middle of a statement, he would say, “Sandali lang. Let me finish!” with a po-po-po-poker face. According to him he was no real estate left; he’s turned them over to his family corporation which he is no longer a stockholder of.
 

I have lost all my respect for Mr. Bayani Fernando. First of all, ang sabaw niya sumagot. Ang bagal niya mag-isip. Non-sequitur pa misan.

bayani: I am above the law
cheche: ….
bayani: yes I abide by the law.
cheche: oh I thought you said above.

bayani: ang mga kailangan natin ay nasa harapan lang, galing sa mga nuno natin

Hoy kuya ninuno po.

Sen. Legarda’s and Mayor Binay’s net worth is about 40+ million each while his is… Ready ka na ba… 170+ million!!!!!! I read an online comment na parang, “Wala siyang piggery, pinkery lang.” HAHAHAHAHAHA. Thanks to his steel corporation in cooperation with MMDA and Marikina!!!! And this is the kicker. After the forum ended, he had an entourage of security waiting outside the building: several men dressed in blue on blue motorcycles, at least two back-up vans, and a black car that had BAYANI on the side with the Philippine flag. Okay fine. Then when we were at the Katipunan-C.P. Garcia intersection stoplight, we were all waiting patiently because of the red light and suddenly he and his entourage come zooming by making all the noise for the world to hear with matching blinking red lights.

)(*#$)(*@#$)(#$()@#$**(&!@#!@&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Fernando, ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA MONG SABIHIN NA GUSTO MONG MAGLINGKOD SA MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO. Simpleng batas ng traffic hindi mo masundan. And to think your peopleare catching those who commit traffic violations. If anything, you’re supposed to be the first to follow and implement these laws. You don’t have the privilege to break them. Kung hindi mo magawa ang maliit na bagay, then you have absolutely no right to run this country.

Only 150 guests were allowed in the theater. Naloka ako sa student council. Tama ba namang i-announce, “Those who registered by e-mail are considered invalid… We just wanted to gauge how many people wanted to go.” Someone in front of us remarked, “Eh di dapat kinlaro niyo.” O nga naman. The student representative who asked a question gave a like, five minute speech pa about how her question is very relevant ‘cause majority of the voting population is from the youth and how being part of UP and the council is like this and like that and how she’s not a member of the partisan chorva chorva then FINALLY, “And my question is…” She asked (not verbatim), “What are the core qualities you possess that will make you a good president?” At least she followed it up with, “And what programs do you have for the youth?” Ito namang si Loren, sinagot, “My FOUR qualities are…” Ay madame, core po. Binay also enumerated four qualities. Useless din yung next question, “What qualities should a justice (of the Supreme Court) possess?” ANO BA kahit hindi ako presidential candidate masasagot ko ‘yon!!!!! There are soooooooo many more issues that are relevant to the presidency. Good thing ANC’s anchors are intelligent. Cheche Lazaro asked about their stand on the HR bill!

bayani: ah eh natural ways blahblahblahblah so natural ways and have kids you can afford.
binay: freedom of choice… right of birth…
loren: I am anti-abortion but I believe that women should make informed decisions.
erap: sang-ayon ako sa sinabi ni mayor binay at senator legarda. (audience cheers) marami pang dagdag dahil sa aking naging experience…. (audience laughs, remembering his promiscuous ways) ……bilang pangulo. (audience goes wild)

REPLAY OF "COUNTDOWN TO 2010: AN ANC LEADERSHIP FORUM" ON STUDIO 23, JUNE 6, SATURDAY AT 6:00 P.M. AND ABS-CBN ON JUNE 7, SUNDAY AT 10:00 PM

Can’t wait for the next one. Philippine politics is more fun that showbiz! But then again, what’s the difference?!

***

P.S.

Mar Roxas went to the Senate with leis of garlic to ward of “Con-asswang.” I’m anti-Con-ass but GARLIC??? SERIOUSLY?????

Seriously.

Hindi na siya Mr. Palengke. Boy Bawang na siya.

Hindi ko ma-take. And this is one man running for president.

a “tibak” entry on current events

Before anything, I would like to share with you a hypothetical situation: what if there was Facebook during Rizal’s time? Our feeds page would look something like this:

 

na-keri niyo ba? thank to kim who forwarded this to me! 🙂

It’s important to read the papers, listen to the radio, and watch TV in order because I believe it is our responsibility to stay informed as citizens of this republic (CHOS!!!!!). No seriously. In high school I was a bit of a ditz, not really caring what goes on but I guess UP and SSEAYP have made me better than way. So let’s get started.

Katrina Halili-Hayden Kho Senate hearing
Please enlighten me on why this is a national concern that needs to be aired on national television. In theory, it’s supposed to aid legislation but when you have idiots like Bong Revilla and Jamby Madrigal conducting the inquisition, the real issues (women’s rights, domestic violence, privacy, etc.) disappeared. Tama ba namang itanong ni Sen. Revilla, "So Dr. Kho kayo pa ba ni Dra. Vicky Belo?"

WHAT??? SERIOUSLY???

I swear, puno ng mga gago ang senado at kongreso! I went to the Congress when they were gonna discuss the RH Bill and it was one of the most disillusioning days of my life. It started on time tapos biglang "The session will now go to recess." Congressmen were texting, sleeping, sitting on the tables while gossiping, talking on the phone… Dapat talaga unicameral nalang.

RH Bill
This needs to be passed ASAP. Tama ba namang sinabi ni DENR Secretary Lito Atienza na, "Walang problema ang maraming tao! There is nothing wrong with overpopulation!" Gago mag-boxing ka nga lang kasama ni Manny. Itong Catholic Church nakikiepal saying they won’t grant communion/confession to those who vote yes.

Countdown to May 2010 Elections
Because it’s less than a year away, all these politicians and politician wannabes are all trying to outshine and ruin each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the Leadership Forum aired on ANC with all the presidentiables (which is a Filipino-English coinage btw). Isn’t it ridiculous that we have, as of now, 11 potential candidates eying the presidency? We have

1) Jejobama who’s doing a good job in Makati so he should stick to something like that
2) Bayani Fernando who’s using his current position to go national eh parang hello METRO MANILA nga eh! Wtf.
3) Mar Roxas who said "GUTOM TAYO!" as a nation eh puta hindi ka pa yata nagugutom sa buong buhay mo eh. Stop pretending to be masa; you never will be.
4) Atty. Gilbert Teodoro who is potentially the most maayos one in terms of credentials but he’s just to pro-admin and needs more exposure.
5) Dick Gordon was an awesome DOT secretary (he started the WOW PHILIPPINES campaign) but I feel that his time has passed. I like him though.
6) Manny Villar. I don’t want to believe the double insertion just yet but the relevant question is, "Why build a road when one already exists?" To accommodate his property? I don’t know if that makes him a selfish bastard or a brilliant businessman or both.
7) Chiz Escudero may be impressive with his eloquence in both English and Tagalog but what has he really done except… Be in the opposition?
8) Noli de Castro ewan ko sa ‘yo
9) Loren Legarda, buti nalang maganda ka or else you’d be irrelevant as well.
10) Ed Panlilio is a hardcore Catholic. Yun lang po.
11) Estrada, pag manalo ka mawawalan na ako ng pag-asa sa bansa.

11. ELEVEN. I wish we had the two-party system here the way America does. At least we’deliminate nuisance candidates and we’d vote for causes, not personalities. Gets? Like in America, the Democrats are the more liberal ones and the Republicans are more conservative. The issues are clear. Which is why I really like Adel Tamano and Ace Durano, who are advocating for education and local tourism respectively. They have my votes (and I am registered, have been since I turned 18) for senator because I know they won’t ask questions like, "So kayo pa ba ni Dra. Vicky Belo?"

Book Blockade
I’ll keep this short because I might never end. I am angry that books are being taxed. We are supposed to be exempted from this because we’re part of the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials! But because of the success of Twilight, DOF realized how much money they could be making so that freakin’ Undersecretary (and lawyer) Sales released new guidelines. So now "non-educational" books are taxed 5% and "educational" books 1%. How do even define what’s educational and what’s not? All books are vehicles of knowledge (CHOS LANG)! AND AND AND. RA 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act of the Philippines was co-written by the DOF Secretary. Ano baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

I love this country but sometimes it just gets disappointing and frustrating.

On lighter matters, I am now enrolled. (Btw di ko gets mga nageenroll na kasama ang yaya or nanay. Ilang taon ka na ano ba.) Like Jono said, I feel like a freshman ready and excited to be a student again. I have awesome subjects (Old English and Medieval Lit… Italian… Stylistics… How to each English in a classroom… Yahoo) and even awesome-er teachers.

And did you realize that 2009 is half way done?

a paraiso called Bantayan

Bantayan is a tiny island north of Cebu. It’s not famous, I think, because getting there is quite a journey: an hour plane ride from Manila to Cebu, a 3-hour land trip from the airport to the Hagyana Wharf, and then an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Hagnaya to Bantayan. During our last trip, the van we rode overheated and we were stranded under the blistering heat beside a chicken farm.

The driver instructs us to walk to the nearby restaurant called Francis. In the provinces their definition of "nearby" is "oh em gee it’s so freakin’ far and it’s so init" for those raised in the city. So we hopped on tricycles and stopped at a carinderia called PRINCESS. Francis.. Princess… Princis… Frinsis?! Unsa man na uy!

We made it to Bantayan after a two-hour delay. Our exhaustion disappeared once we were greeted in the pier by this:

We (Claudine, Mariel, Danni) and I were there for the Final Coordination Meeting for the Global Legal Action on Climate Change. Sounds highfalutin but basically it was a huge environmental event that my dad’s team (composed of me and his two assistants haha parang ang laki noh?) organized for a cleaner, greener, and better Philippines. That weekend was beyond awesome. There were representatives from Greenpeace, WWF, Earth Day Network, Foundation for the Philippine Environment, and every region in the Philippines, from Region 1 all the way down to ARMM. There were lawyers and government officials. I could feel the synergy from the room! Everyone shared the same passion (love for the Philippines) but each had a different advocacy: marine life, solid waste management, caves, preservation of the Sierra Madre, wild life documentaries, endangered species, global warming, energy, etc. It’s not as boring or serious as it sounds. Especially not when you have Cebu lechon, Coke, and beer waiting for you.

this is why i will never be a vegetarian 😐 i am salivating again 😦

It was also a reunion of the SSEAYP delegates, since we are in this project together. We were supposed to head to the other island but a storm brew so we ended up swimming in front of our house. HEAVY RAINDROPS HURT.

 

kung may whale shark, meron ding whale human in the form of Ben Kalaw (joke love you so much)

A sandbar formed in front of our house (it wasn’t there two years ago!) so we took advantage and did our tiring and undying cartwheel shots and gay jumps.

 

On our last day we got up at 5AM to feed the barracudas.

cleaning our gear

After a few minutes in the water, we were attacked by invisible monsters (which were apparently shrimp larvae!). Our bodies were COVERED in ANGRY RED MARKS.

me and ding hanging on for our lives

My dad was like, "HAHAHAHA I WON’T JUMP IN THE WATER NA! BUTI NALANG HINDI PA AKO TUMATALON!" Us: 😐 😐 "So what lesson can we learn from this?" he asked. "Oh I don’t know… Make your daughter and her friends jump in before you do so you don’t get bitten?!" I said. ACCCCK. Never mess with the sea after a storm. It changes everything. (And we didn’t get to feed the barracudas. Mofo.)

itching from head to toe (literally i swear)

I’ve been going to Bantayan since I was a little girl (there wasn’t even electricity then!) so I grew up with an illusion that all beaches in the Philippines looked as beautiful as Bantayan. And then I was introduced to Puerto Azul, Punta Fuego, and Caylabne and my cookie crumbled. Haha. It was in Bantayan where I learned how to swim with tiny sharks, sea turtles, feed fish from my hands, snorkel, and appreciate how beautiful
the Philippines can be. Waking up and seeing our front yard is something I could never get tired of. ‘Til next year! 🙂

 

 

nakakabuang na bohol

The awesome-est thing about Bohol is that it’s full of man-made and natural tourists spots. There are caves like this:

ding: ang itim mo teh. you blend in with the rocks.

Pristine beaches like Panglao:

Don’t go to Oops Beach Cafe. ONE SMALL, not-so-good margarita there costs 200+. Ma said baka OOPS (MAHAL ANG DRINKS DITO!) Beach Cafe yung original name. Instead, walk outside the beach and look for ROYAL VIKING. The cheapest, juiciest, most amazing grilled chicken EVER. EVERRRRRRRR.

Of course we saw the Chocolate Hills

 

Took the Loboc River Cruise (another terrific excuse to be a glutton)

Patted Prony the Longest Python in the Philippines where a gay caretaker does a really horrible Beyonce impersonation. One time s/he disappeared for a few seconds then came out from below the table crawling. Nakakagago.

The butterfly dome. Make sure you ask for Kuya Michael as your guide. He is a riot.

ma: oh em gee!
kuya michael: yes ma’am, OH EM GEE!

me: kuya pa-picture naman dito sa bridge.
kuya: aba, aba… ito ay bridge over drought water… hindi troubled.

looking at the display
us: kuya, tunay ba to?
kuya: yes ma’am, tunay. tunay-nty-five lang!

a butterfly was put on Claudine’s finger, the one wearing a butterfly-shaped ring
kuya: wow! ikaw na si madame butterfly! madam-iiii butterfly!

kuya: ito ang locust… parang low-cust housing!

Butterflies can mate for 6-12 hours. “Many foreigners wish to be butterflies,” he informs us. He showed us how they can even fly while mating.

He let us smell the butterfly that releases chocolate-scented pheromones and showed us how that particular butterfly is an actor. It plays “dead” when threatened.

Tarsiers are a suicidal species pala. When they get scared, they stop themselves from breathing or bang their heads against a wall/bark of a tree. This is a pre-death face I think:

gulat

The idea of a hanging bridge is kinda stupid. You know, you cross the bridge then what? But the Boholanos planted attractions on the other side: souvenir shops, food stalls, and the “Buko King,” a man who can peel a coconut with his teeth. Ano ba yun.

Our driver Kuya Yoyong was a great addition to our tour.

ding: dave, what’s our itinerary today?
dave: we’ll go to the blood compact shrine muna—
kuya yoyong: actually we’ll do blood compact shrine last because at this time of the day, there are lots of tourists there and you might not enjoy.

SOSYAL!!!!!!!!!!!

kuya: over here is the man-made forest. it’s called man-made because we planted each tree one meter apart. every three years, there are environmental accountant who count the trees to ensure
the growth and population of the trees.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

man made forest

I really believe Tagbilaran City, Bohol, should be renamed from the “City of Friendship” to the “City of Charity”. There is a donation box in every restroom, tourist attraction, and church, like so:

One church had a sign in front that announced “minimum donation is 25 pesos”. Demanding?! Eh hindi na ‘yon donation, entrance fee na yon.

AHH!!! OO NA HINDI NA AKO MANINIGARILYO!!!
 

luvz it napaka literal naman nito

lesson learned: DO NOT CORRECT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS USING HIGHLIGHTER/BALLPEN

Check out the video Ma made of our trip na rin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aplqk_ADCEQ

It was my second time in Bohol. First was maybe eight years ago with my family. It was more exciting this time around because my best friends from SSEAYP, Ivy and Dave, are both from Bohol. They met several times to plan our itinerary (which was e-mailed to me in Excel format with remarks and a "floated budget" hahaha Dave talaga.). It sucks that Ivy had to move to Bangkok for work three days before we flew in. Dave was still an incredible tour guide. Maraming salamat cheng! Next time we go there, sui-slide na ang gagawin!

the Mofos conquer the CCP Complex with Carlos Celdran

Regardless of individual preference, you must admit that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (Femelda? Imeldinand?) are fascinating. He topped the BAR from prison, she went to the Buckingham Palace wearing a tiara (but was later asked to take it off ‘cause she’s not real royalty). He’s dead but preserved in Ilocos while she is probably immortal. I will always be a fan because they recognized the importance of arts and culture and “Filipinizing” the Philippines. I love that, at one point, Boilshoi Ballet performed here and radio stations were mandated to play OPM. I love that books were written by and for Filipinos. Artists could live, not just survive, as artists. Absolutely power corrupts absolutely but what can we do? With brilliance comes insanity.

Imelda Marcos is fierce. Four years ago, she was at my lola’s birthday party and I SWEAR when Imelda enters a room, even if your eyes are closed, something in the air will shift. She is presence personified, and it ain’t just the hair. It’s easy to believe that Ferdinand fell in love-at-first-sight with her. After I sang “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” for my lola, Imelda went up to me and said, “You have a beautiful voice. Please do not stop singing.”

Oh my it was THE ULTIMATE MOMENT OF VALIDATION. My cousins and I had a picture taken with her.

look at us Remullas with our starstruck smiles

Anyway, to know more and be enlightened on the Marcos era, Mofo (that’s Kakki Teodoro to you) and I took the LIVING LA VIDA IMELDA! Architectural tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex as seen through the life and aspirations of Imelda Romualdez Marcos walking tour of Mr. Carlos Celdran (the description was obviously lifted from his website). Mof and I are fan girls. Major fan girls. How can we not be?! He has this incredible charm spiked with… Mystery. Okay my adjectives don’t do him justice. Basta when Carlos Celdran looks at me in the eyes while stressing a point I feel like he can read my soul. Parang I feel guilty even if I didn’t do anything! He’s a performer, visual artist, and writer. He’s like a cartoon who makes history relevant to the indifferent. As Mofie and I trailed behind him from CCP to PICC, she asked, “How could we have graduated and not known all of this?!”

After thetour, Mof and I wanted to take a picture with him but we were SO SHY. Imagine THE TWO OF US, TOGETHER, being SHY. That has never happened before. She was like, “Okay Mof this is it I’ll ask na,” then I’ll shriek “NO WAIT PLEASE NAHIHIYA AKO!” then burst into a fit of giggles then she’ll start giggling then she’ll say, “THIS IS IT I’ll ask na!” Then I’ll pry her away (take note: we are behind Mr. Celdran as we are doing this) and scream “NO PLEASE WAG NA.” This cycle went on about 4x until he finally turned around and in a little voice Mof goes, “Hi can we take a picture with you? Sorry we’re such dorks.” He said, “No, I’m the biggest dork of all!” His friend volunteered to take our picture.

Success!

Afterwards Mof and I were so ecstatic that we hopped on Arturo Luz’s sculpture and posed.

to be a beauty queen

Below are some common questions in Beauty pageants. How would you answer them?

1. What qualities do you feel a good role model should possess?
Beauty, brains, and brawn.

2. Why did you enter this pageant?
Because I’m beautiful inside and out. (Cheka!)

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The Philippines of course. But I’d like to live in Japan and Italy for a few months and about two years each in New York and England for my Ph. D and MA respectively. (Sosyal. If lang naman.)

4. If you could meet anyone in the world (living or not) who would it be any what would you say to them?
Jose Rizal. I’d ask him about the controversies surrounding him, like his sexual ambiguity. And Shakespeare, to inquire about the authorship of his works.

5. What is your most prized possession?
My friends ❤ hahaha showbiz. My journals and books. I’ve been writing in journals since I was 8.

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
26 years old? Hmm… Financially independent and taking my MA in England while formulating a plan to effectively promote tourism.

7. If you could live anyone else’s life, who would it be and why?
Sec. Ace Durano. He promotes tourism for a living. (www.awesomephilippines.com)

8. If you were elected President of your country, what would be the first thing you would do?
Concoct a virus that will kill useless Filipinos. Maybe three-five people from the executive and legislative branch will survive noh?

(Oh my hindi ako mananalo sa sagot na yon.)

9. If you had only one wish, what would it be and why?
Maging progresibong bansa ang Pilipinas upang wala ng kailangan lumisan mula sa lupang sinilangan.

(For the wiiiin!)

10. If your pageant title was threatened because you had gained weight, how would you feel and what would you do?
Live in the gym and yoga studio for a month then call my uncle/plastic surgeon for some reinforcements.

11. If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
75% for UP (professor’s salary fund and library maintenance)/Philippine artists/local tourism/environmental security. 25% for me and my boyfriend to go around Europe, South Africa, Egypt, South America, and Australia together. And for Mariel to go to Spain 🙂

***

Let me share a reluctant pageant experience. Last December, I was um, "crowned" Miss Nippon Maru (the ship we lived in for two months during SSEAYP). It was actually more embarrassing ’cause the competition was renamed to Princess of Nippon Maru. For the talent portion I wore a man’s shirt, a bow tie, suspenders, fake glasses, and sang "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray. Medyo kinareer nung co-contestant kong isa so bitter siya at naaway niya pa ako sa telepono… Kebs. I got drunk after the pageant and woke up with a really bad hangover. After breakfast I was running to my cabin to throw up but someone stopped me and said "PRINCESS CAN I TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU?" I was like, "NO NO PLEASE!" And she fucking knelt beside me and had someone snap the photograph. Oh my. (I made it to my cabin just in time.) During the morning assembly, I was asked to go on stage and give a THANK YOU SPEECH. What the hell. I LOOKED like hell! I didn’t even brush my hair! I was wearing a hoodie (baka may traces of vomit pa hahaha) and jogging pants! I ended up singing four lines of "For Good" and mumbling something like, "Thank you for all the support?" ’cause Prince Nippon Maru gave a long declamation about thanking his family and friends. What a ridiculous and mortifying experience.

There is nothing princess-y about me. Or pagaent-y. But I take pride in the fact that Miss Philippines won Miss Nippon Maru three years in a row. So whoever is representing this year, good luck! Mabuhay.

what i’ve learned from traveling

The past year has been a year of travel. It started with South Africa in April ’08, then Boracay early June. When I got into SSEAYP, I visited and lived in five more (Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam). I flew to Batanes for Christmas via Zest Air. Scariest flight ever. Like my mom said, “SHET! What does a company that makes JUICE know about flying planes?!” 2009 kicked off with Sinulog in Cebu, followed by Dinagyang in Iloilo, Bacolod, four cities in America (including San Francisco and New York), swimming with whale sharks in Bicol, drinking margaritas in Boracay, Coldplay and Disneyland in Hong Kong, Earth Hour in Palawan, and then Holy Week in Cebu. I don’t consider Tagaytay "out of town" ’cause I live in Cavite. Anyway, I decided to stay put in April because I needed to work (a.k.a. earn more money to travel).

Here are some things I’ve learned about being a gypsy and living out of a suitcase:

1) I believe that travel is one of the best investments ever. It gives an education and opens one’s mind the way no designer bag, no top-of-the-line gadget, and no lowered car can. It’s important for me to travel now, while I’m young, single, and financially dependent on my parents (HAHA). They don’t spend for everything ha. In fact, my life savings are almost down to zero because of this "luho". No regrets. I wouldn’t trade my travel tales for anything.

2) Never forget your toothbrush, lip balm, and comfortable shoes.

3) It’s okay to get lost. I am the most walain person in the world so I’ve gotten used to asking directions from strangers, getting off the wrong stop when I’m commuting, and unfolding my city map in the middle of nowhere looking as touristy as can be. I try to enjoy it by observing the people, sights, and discovering shortcuts and hole-in-the-wall bookshops and restaurants.

4) Learn the local language. This is my favorite thing to do. Since English is our second language, we assume that the rest of the world is that way as well. When other people can’t comprehend our English, we label them as bobo or sabaw, but they’re probably a lot smarter than we’ll ever be. Fluency in English is never a measure of intelligence. If you’re not good at languages, then just memorize the basics: hi, how are you, “This food is delicious”, “I’m full!”, good morning/afternoon/evening. I’ve also learned the most useful phrase in about six different languages: “I’m single… And I love you.” HAHAHAHAHA.

i’ll see you in two weeks darling! 🙂

5) Take pictures, write, bring home brochures, save tickets and receipts. So what kung mukha kang tourista! Tanga! Totoo naman eh.

6) Taste whatever exotic food you can get. I used to get panic attacks when I’d be presented with unfamiliar food, but after SSEAYP I’ve learned to just… swallow. Cuisine is part of culture.

7) No matter where you go, you are sort of like an ambassador for your country. Whatever you do, people will associate it to where you’re from and not who you are. For instance, if I do something stupid in a foreign land, people won’t say “Wow, Anna Oposa’s crazy.” They’ll say “That Filipino is crazy.” or “Pilipino kasi ‘yan.” Try to make a good impression to avoid Chip Tsao-related remarks.

8) The most important thing to pack (aside from sunblock, mine is SPF50) is your sense of humor. Never leave home without it. Smile at others and learn to laugh at yourself, even when you’re lost and your feet ache. ESPECIALLY when you’re lost and your feet ache!

9) Have lots of friends from all over the world. They will adopt you, feed you, let you sleep on their couch, and help you find your way in the new territory. And while you’re there, make new friends as well. (I have tagged those who have done that for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.)

10) There is no place like home. You know what, foreigners who take the DOT surveys always rank “People” as #1. As in the Filipino people over the food, natural resources, and activities of the Philippines. We often take our kind people for granted. There is no warmth and friendliness that matches ours. No nationality is as kalog and affectionate as we are. Having said that, I think nothing compares to our beaches (We have more coral species than the entire Caribbean seas put together! We got six out of the seven species of marine turtles!) and food (sisig, Cebu lechon, and tropical fruits can sustain me for life). So please do explore the country before loving others 🙂

I have three more countries and two more provinces ‘til Istart school in June. My long-term travel goals are to study in Japan and Italy for a few months to master the languages, conquer the Great Wall of China, see the pyramids of Egypt, stare at Shakespeare’s works while taking my MA in England (and probably cry from joy), and get incredibly drunk in Brazil. In the Philippines, I wanna go around Mindanao (Siargao, CDO, and Davao) and scuba dive in Tubbataha.

P.S.

I encourage you to vote for the Underground River as one of the new seven wonders of the world. All you need is an e-mail address and like, 5 mins. Go to http://www.n7w.com and cast your vote now! The Underground River and the Amazon River are constantly exchanging places as the 1st and 2nd in their category. Eh the Amazon River stretches along 9 countries so we have to work extra hard. Believe it or not, the Philippines has 98% wireless coverage thanks to Smart Bro and whatever Globe has to match it, so we have no excuse not to vote. The final entries will be whittled down to three entries by July. After that, voting will be done through text. We’ll eat the rest of the world alive. UNLITXT80 AND SEND TO 2870!

my take on current events

My commentary on politics, showbiz, and sports.

Roxas-Sanchez Nuptials
I think I read it in Inquirer that no bachelor would ever win the presidential race, at least not in this family-oriented country. Every president needs a first lady, thus Mar’s proposal to Korina. The tearful interview of Mar was disgusting. Eye-mo lang yata yun mga kafreshness. AT SYEMPRE hindi magpapatalo si Kris Aquino who claims she “felt used and discarded” that their wedding wasn’t announced in one of her shows. She has pictures in Inquirer crying. Kaloka.

Agoncillo-Santos Nuptials
I watched Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo AND Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo. I’m so happy and kilig for them. Wagi naman ang secret wedding nila. Parang Britney Spears at Kevin Federline lang diba? But their wedding will have a better ending than Brit and Kev. They insisted on a simple wedding because they wanted to focus on life AFTER the ceremony, not the wedding. So mature. Judai and Ryan 4ever.

Swine Flu
All I can say is that I’m glad it doesn’t affect pork and it hasn’t reached the Philippines. What would we Filipinos do without our Cebu lechon, sisig, adobo, sinigang na baboy, and siomai?

The sucky weather
Infernez, we are lucky to have this much rain because it barely rained in Luzon last year. 2008 rain showers were concentrated in the Visayan region (Who could forget Frank?). We’d be in serious drought without the rainfall. HOWEVER, rain is not welcome during summer. Summer means heat. Basking under the sun, on a beach. Not bringing out your umbrella and hoodies! The fruits don’t taste good now dahil naninibago sila sa panahon. AND the rainfall isn’t really going anywhere because we don’t have rainwater collectors. According to the 1989 Law (RA 6716), all barangays are supposed to have. So medyo pointless. Another question… If the rainy season is pushed up to April-June instead of May-August, does that mean our July and August will be sunny? Parang America na.

Recession
The global recession is alarming. My friends and I wonder what kind of lifestyle and career we’ll have in the future. America is suffering the most because well, they also have (had?) the most consumerist culture. In a way, I’m kind of relieved that the Philippines is in a chronic state of recession. When shit happens, we find something else to do, discover something to laugh/smile/sing about. We don’t kill ourselves or our families.

Poll automation
If the government can spend 11 billion on this, I don’t understand why they can’t spend on the basics that would make our country better: education, agriculture (with our natural resources, we can be easily self-sustaining), environment (environmental security is the simplest form of natural security), the arts (because we Filipinos are naturally talented in the arts), and tourism.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton
The whole country will stop the whole Sunday morning to watch this. (I’ll be in Island Cove where my brothers will be watching while I stuff my face with the best clubhouse sandwich I’ve ever tasted from the Island Cove Hotel. It’s on focaccia bread, which I think makes all the difference.) I’m not a very big fan of boxing because I find it barbaric. But of course, like all Filipinos, I’ll be rooting for Pacquaio. This is my favorite video of him.

“Oh yeah exactly the glabs of I use is ah you know that’s my glab is my glab so ah…” AHAHA basta watch it nalang.

Charice Pempengco
Ok fine she’s Filipina and she’s making her way to Hollywood so yey for Filipina pride. It’s about time our singers get more attention. However. I don’t really get what the hype is about vocally. She’s just a little kid who has a big voice, which is a dime a dozen here. Case in point: Sarah Geronimo and all those kampeon ng kabataan contestants. I hope Ms. Pempengco takes care of her voice, or it’ll be gone in a few years.

Senate bill promoting arnis to be a national sport
Ah. The Senate does something right every now and then. Dapat lang 🙂

simply no place like MANILA

Carlos Celdran describes himself as “a man who is trying to change the way you look at Manila one step at a time.” I got intrigued ‘cause I never liked Manila. I know the capital of my country to be dirty, polluted, and magulo. When foreigners ask me where to go in the Philippines, I recommend Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, but never Manila. Then recently I thought, “How can IREALLY love the Philippines if I can’t learn to love its capital?” So today, Ma, Danni, and I headed to Fort Santiago to take the famous Walk This Way Tour of Carlos Celdran.

 

"ladies and gentlemen, please, walk this way."

Carlos Celdran is AMAZING. Seriously. He is a compleat performer who redefined my concept of what a tour guide is. He sings, dances, acts, yanks out the most unexpected props and costume pieces from his bag (kinda like how Mary Poppins kept pulling stuff out of her bag), and carries a cassette player as he takes his audience through hundreds of years of Philippine history. He is a storyteller/comedian who makes history come alive. I learned more from him over the three hours this morning than my thirteen years in La Salle Zobel. It’s a must for every Filipino. The tour is GENIUS. I want to write about the things I learned but I decided against it because I want YOU to take it and experience it yourself. There are only a few tours left for the next few weeks so reserve now. Students get half off so fellow students, milk it while you can. Go to http://www.carlosceldran.com

 

I want to push for Intramuros to be a no-car zone. It’ll give employment to more kalesa and pedicab drivers and lessen the pollution. Vigan did it. New York City’s Times Square is going to. I’m figuring out how to make this happen. I also signed the petition for the Reproductive Health Bill. I’m pro RH Bill all the way and would like to donate condoms and birth control pills to Mr. Celdran soon. Next on the list is the CCP tour when it resumes. Must be taken with my theatre friends in our Filipinanas para bongga sa pics (and yes Mof, it was your idea).

Today I learned that Manila is a beautiful, historical place that deserves to be the capital of this country. To quote Mr. Celdran, “I believe that Manila can be a reflection of your state of mind. Being a city of extreme contrasts, it can easily become an intense personal experience. Manila can be chaotic and spiritual, dirty and divine, gritty and gorgeous all at once. If you don’t find beauty and poetry here, you will never find it anywhere.”