Maiba Lang - Some Old Friendster Blog

I am totally lazy to do that paper. This is the hard part. Can't move myself to do it because I am so demotivated and demoralized about it. It's hard to do something you are uninspired of, but you have to do it anyways for the sake of compliance. How can I motivate myself?

Now that I am giving in to the demotivated, lazy me, I am posting my old blogs from the good old friendster days...hehehehe. This is my circa early 20s age :p

******

(wrote this one during the times that I was such a fan of Bob Ong. Tried the way he writes. I think this blog was somehow a hit because there had been appreciative comments on this by random friendster users. And I also found this plagiarized! could you believe that? it is nakakainis, but somehow, nakakaproud. Anyways, here it goes. A real story in my life :p

ANG ALAMAT NG BABAENG MUNTIK NG MAGING TUTUBI

(warning: contains ideas that are highly violent and inhumane)

Meron akong sadistic tendencies nung bata pa ako…sa mga insekto. Naaalala ko pa, lahat ata ng insektong napadaan sa aking mga kamay ay nakaranas ng karumal-dumal na kabanata ng kanilang maikli na ngang buhay. Sari-sari at artistic ang aking paraan ng pagtapos sa kanila.

Nariyang guluhin ko ang pila ng mga masisipag na langgam (tuwang tuwa ako pag nakita kong nataranta sila), patakan sila ng kandila at ihiwalay ang ulo sa kanilang mga katawan.

Bukod sa boring at usual na pagtapak sa katawan nila hanggang bumulwak ang lamang loob, pinagtitripan ko din ang mga ipis sa pamamagitan ng paglunod sa kanila sa isang drum ng tubig na galing sa alulod ng aming bahay. Minsan naman, tinotorture ko ang mga kahabag-habag na nilalang sa pamamagitan ng pag-ipit sa kanilang katawan sa kahit na anong mabigat na bagay (usually mga paa ng upuan o lamesa). Babalikan ko sila kinabukasan, titingnan ko kung buhay pa. Pag naman medyo busy ako, pinapainom ko na lang sila ng baygon.

Pati langaw, tinalo ko. Simple lang naman, sinusunog ko sila sa kandila.

Pero siyempre, ang pinakapaborito ko sa lahat ay tutubi. Marami den akong paraan kung pano sila pahirapan. Nariyang putulin ko ang kalahati ng kanilang pakpak, saka ko sila papaliparin. Nariyang putulin ko ang kanilang paa at kamay saka ko papaliparin. Minsan naman pinapakain ko yung maliit na tutubi sa malaki. Nililibing ko din sila ng buhay sa buhanginan tapos babalikan ko kinabukasan, titingnan ko kung buhay pa.

Papagabi na noon. Siguro mag aala sais na. Dahil adik akong manghuli ng tutubi, kahit medyo madilim na lumarga pa din ako. Meron akong nakita…dun sa talahiban. Dahan-dahan kong nilapitan. Isa…dalawa…tatlong dahan-dahang hakbang. Gahibla na lamang ang layo ng aking mga daliri para sa isang krimen bago matapos ang maghapon nang nakalipad ang maliit na nilalang. Sayang, nakawala!. Madilim na kailangan ko ng umuwi.

Nakatambay kami sa garahe ng aming bahay nang magsimulang mangati ang talukap ng kanan kong mata. Napakakati! Kinamot ko siya ng kinamot pero hindi mapawi ang kati. Maya-maya, napansin ng isa sa aming kasambahay na namamaga na ito. Namamaga, lumaki at nagpantal ang aking talukap! Para itong pinasukan ng kung anong bilog at lumubo ito ng ganon.

Tinanong nila kung anong huli kong ginawa. Sabe ko nanghuli ng tutubi sa talahiban. Mamaya ay nagspeech na ang isa pa naming kasambahay. Sinabi niya na daw sakin na wag ako pupunta ng pagabi na sa talahiban, marami daw dung lamang-lupa. At ito ang pinakamalupet…dahil daw sa dinepopulate ko na ang mga tutubi, baka daw hari o reyna (at siyempre may super powers) na ang tinangka kung hulihin kanina. At nag cast na ng spell upang parusahan ako.

 Dumating na ang aking mga magulang. Nagimbal sila sa mala-tutubi kong talukap – dadalhin na daw nila ako sa albularyo. Isang mahusay na albularyo mula sa Barangka!

First time kong dalhin sa albularyo at natakot ako. Ang persepsyon ko kasi sa mga albularyo ay nakaitim, may inverted triangle na panyong nakapalibot sa bunbunan, madaming kwintas, amoy mantika at gumagamit ng black magic! Hindi maganda ang mga naririnig ko tungkol sa kanila, baka tusukin na lang nila ako..o baka naman may sumapi sa king kung anong lamang-lupa.

Habang papunta sa barangka ay nagsimula na ding mangati ang kaliwa kong talukap. Maya-maya pa ay namaga na din ito. Doon ko napagtanto ang nangyayari sa akin. Nagiging isa na akong tutubi!

Pinapakiramdaman ko na din kung tinutubuan na ako ng pakpak. Tama, pinaparusahan na nga ako ng langit.

Nakarating na din kami sa aming paroroonan. Tumambad ang isang matandang babae sa aking harapan. Puti ang kanyang nakataling buhok na sa wari ko’y hanggang balikat, mayroon siyang kakaibang kwintas, malamlam ang kanyang mga matang matiim ang pagkakatingin sa akin at ito ang pinakamalupit - nakafloral siyang daster. Nalaman kong siya ang aking albularyo, ang aking tagapagligtas upang muling maging tao.

Pinaupo niya ako at siya naman ay umupo sa aking harapan. Sa aming gitna ay isang basong tubig, meron din siyang tangang isang itlog. Sinimulan niya na ang ritwal.

 Una tinanong nia ang aking buong pangalan. Sinagot ko, “<INSERT MY NAME> po”

Nagdasal siya sa isang wikang hindi ko mawawaan habang itinataas at ibinababa ang itlog sa aking harapan. Pagdaka’y binasag niya ang itlog at inihulog ang laman nito sa isang basong tubig. Naghalo ang malagkit sa malabnaw na likido sabay wika sa aking,

“dwende ang may kagagawan niyan,”

Buo ang aking isip na tutubi ang may sala at aking sinabing, “Hindi po ba tutubi manang?, yun po ang huli kong ginawa”

  

Muli niyang pinagmasdan ang itlog na nalubog sa tubig, “Tama ka, tutubi nga, nabato mo”

Gusto kong sabihing wala akong binabatong tutubi pero hindi na lang ako sumagot.

Muli siyang nagsambit ng kakaibang dasal, isinawsaw ang daliri sa pinaghalong itlog at tubig at saka pinahid sa namamanhid ko ng mga talukap. Kasabay nito ay ang pagbanggit ng paulit ulit ng aking pangalan.

Paggising ko kinabukasan normal na uli ako. Sinabi ng tatay ko na kung hindi daw ako napagamot, baka daw meron na akong pakpak.

 Di ko alam kung maniniwala ako sa nangyari pero para makasiguro, hindi na uli ako nanghuli ng tutubi…ever!

*****

(this one I wrote out out of a fad in facebook. But I also posted it in my friendster blog. This was also a hit I think :p)

MAKIUSO NA RIN TAYO: 25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

 Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 9:12pm

Rules:

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25

random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25

people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I

tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. (To do this, go

to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in

the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the

right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

In random order they are:

1.I don’t throw up. I did it once out of food poisoning and it was a loooong time ago. I also haven’t experienced passing out. EVER. Want to experience throwing up again and passing out. I want to become a human being.

2. Like Shelah in her 25 things, whenever I hear a song I like (like those diva-ish songs of beyonce, or tina arena or aretha franklin and the like), I imagine singing it on a stage like a hot, bad-ass vocalist.

3. Contrary to the media hype and multitude of screaming fans all over the world, I am annoyed with Twilight. Sorry na!

4. Just today, I finished one song booklet of Magic Sing. ALL ALONE. That means I sang non-stop for almost 5 hours, with little breaks when the phone rings or someone buzzes the door. I didn't sing all songs though. Just the ones I like. I have a slight sore throat right now.

5. During the times when dolling up was not in my vocabulary, whenever we have a stranger knocking at our door to look for the house owner (say, someone who sells or delivers something), I am always mistaken as the housemaid. They say, “Andiyan ba ate mo?’ huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh

6. Aside from being mistaken as a housemaid, I also experienced being mistaken as a rubbershoes vendor in a tiangge. I was waiting for someone and standing casually by a tiangge rubbershoes space when somebody approached me and asked, “miss magkano to?” wwwaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!

7. When I was in kindergarten, I used to believe I have the super power of controlling minds. The super power at its peak manifested itself when one day, when my teacher was checking if we clipped our nails and hits the hands of those who didn’t, and I unfortunately forgot to clip mine, I summoned her not to check my fingernails. How? As she was about to go to my seat, I made the super power gesture, mimicking Ina Magenta of Okay Ka Fairy Ko, and voila!!!! She stepped back, went to other classmates and didn’t bother looking at my nails. Can I say amazing? :)

8. Sometime in my life, a magician invited me for an additional income. That is to be his sidekick. That is to be the sidekick lady that the magician puts in a coffin like box that he will slice into 3 pieces and then after some hocus pocus, he will revive back into a one whole, unblemished, un-chopped, human being. That is for 2 thousand bucks per gig. So much for stardom!!!! Hahahahaha. I declined, and then he said, “Ito na nga binbigyan ng pagkakakitaan ayaw pa.” Boooo!!!!

9. I am xenophobic. That is after being a target of men who ask for your number and name upfront on a busy metropolitan thoroughfare, a man who stops the car while you just want to cross the street to ask where you’re heading, a man who asks for directions but suddenly gives you a piece of paper out of nowhere, with his cellphone number written on it; and a man who asks for direction turned exhibitionist. Now, being xenophobic has its reason doesn’t it?

10. I believed I was “naengkanto” when I was a kid, when, after attempting to catch a dragonfly (which was my childhood notorious hobby), my right eyelid became very itchy and swollen. Everybody in the house believed that the dragonfly queen and king were punishing me, and I, sooner or later will have wings growing at my back. My parents brought me to a witchdoctor somewhere in Marikina, with a glass of water, raw egg and prayer in a weird language as a cure for me. The next morning, I was back to being normal. I didn't become a dragonfly….weeeee!!!! The whole story is here by the way: http://glyzkietot10.blog.friendster.com/2005/10/ang-alamat-ng-babaeng-muntik-ng-maging-tutubi/

11. I don’t have a third eye, but when I was a toddler, I remember seeing an old man with a pale complexion, with white smoke surrounding him. He seems levitating as well. I will always say it out loud like, “Ma, may tao o.” Years later my mom revealed that they actually don’t see someone whenever I say that there’s a person by the door or by the bed. Imagine the creeps I gave them.

12. I joined a volleyball team when I was in grade 4 without any idea how to play the game. In one game and I had to take the service. I threw the ball in the air, swung my arm to hit it, got surprised that my body turned around 360 degrees instead of hitting the ball, and realized I wasn’t able to hit the ball at all!! It happened twice in a row. And it happened in front of a crowd. Why not, it was school intramurals!!! LOOOOOSEEEEEER!

13. When I was really little, like 2 or 3 years old. I thought that soil is edible and actually tasted it. Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read and heard it right - SOIL. I like the taste especially after the rain.

14. I like eating papaya mixed with powdered milk. Some people are grossed out with that and I can't comprehend why. It's delicious, really. When there’s no dessert, I also like eating powdered milk. Bare. As in powder.

15. When I was in highschool, I stabbed my classmate with a pencil. He’s still alive anyways. Ang kulit kasi eh!

16. I won first place in a quiz bee in highschool :-) The subject was Technology and Home Economics. Does that indicate I'll make a good home maker?

17. I drowned while swimming in a beach when I was a kid but I didn’t panic. I thought I was actually swimming while underneath the water. It was actually a calming experience, you know, being just buoyant while the water and the wave take you wherever.

18. I am a sucker for leche flan. I can eat one lanera in minutes. I worship pili nuts coated with sugar. I can eat one bottle of pili nuts with sugar at one sitting. I also have the ability to eat cinnamon bread every freaking day.

19. During my elementary years and early high school years – at the time that school girls were drawn to sweet valley and nancy drew – I was preoccupied with tagalog romance pocketbooks. I was influenced by our househelper who never forgets to buy it every payday. We had like boxes and boxes of it. And I was sure to read one pocketbook in a week.

20. I fell in love with Vince Hizon during the Barangay Ginebra fever. I was already planning how to work in PBA when I grow up to meet and seduce him and eventually be his wife. And, I was genuinely hurt when he got married.

21. I have been into a lot of odd jobs. I worked once for a security agency. There were lots of security guards. :p

22. I can’t take a bath without a hot water. Even on weekends. Even in summer. Except if it’s scorching hot.

23. I had an imaginary elf friend in kindergarten. had an imaginary elf friend in kindergarten. I normally put my elf friend hanging between the garter of my shorts or school skirt and my tummy.. My elf friend was also invisible so I could hold it in my hands without someone noticing. And I never saw my elf friend because as I said, the elf friend was invisible. I made it all up though because it was just a crazy trend in school to have a dwende best friend. I needed to be “in.” Peer pressure, peer pressure.

24. There were a few times that I was mistaken for the girlfriend of my kuya and our bunso. And mom is always scandalized by it.

25. I was a big fan of Wowie de Guzman and Judy Ann Santos love team. I never missed a movie of them. And I collected pictures of them and put it in my wallet. I outgrew it already, so friends, love me still please?

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FIN

Asian is Beautiful: A 5 Day Cultural Indulgence over Vietnam

I arrived in Hanoi in the wee hours of the morning. We were a group of 17 people taking our master's and doctoral degree for community development. It was a study tour with a mission to expose ourselves to the government structure and poverty reduction paradigm of Vietnam. We were going to explore three cities for this objective – Hanoi, Vie Tri and Ha Long.

Our first destination was Vie Tri City. As we were traversing the road for a 50 minute trip from the capital to the province, I curiously peeped at the window to see what Vietnam is.

The first thing that came into my mind was, “It feels like I’m just in the Philippines” The roads particularly reminded me of Visayas Avenue, NLEX and Bulacan, except for some French-inspired establishments. The signage were all written in the local language, but to me, they seemed to have simply resembled the signage of commercial complex or local stores existing in just about every corner of the Philippine’s thoroughfares.

We finally reached Vie Tri City at around four o’clock in the morning. As I stepped down from the coaster we were riding, my first impression for the first 50 minutes I spent with the country suddenly changed. 

Vietnam’s first shout out was its food. Nam, our local host, gave us a loaf filled with basil and ham and some herbs. It was minty and herby, and was very far from our sweet pandesal. The loaf tasted strange…but I thought it was good. Local biscuits, local orange fruit, local beverages and the local beer were also offered to us as our welcome food.

After several hours of sleep, the sun rose and the little village we were staying at took its full beam after our eyes. And Vietnam started to unfold itself unto me….

It was very, very, interesting. It felt very local. Every artefact, every concept, every item, every person, and just about everything shouts a proud, cherished, deeply held and well preserved culture - a culture that is very much Asian but is unique only to Vietnam. It was similar yet distinctive. It was familiar yet exclusive. It was related but inimitable. 

A morning at the laid back village of Vie Tri City

almost all house doors look alike

The modernization of Vietnam is unable to obscure its heritage and tradition. Almost everyone was still wearing their traditional hat and was riding traditional mode of transportation - a bicycle or motorcycle. In the workplaces such as the farms and factories, most localities are still wearing the Vietnamese traditional attire. 

Locals on their way to the Five Temples

The design of the houses was a blend of Buddhist and French traditions. And I found it so remarkable because it was the most glaring manifestation of how a present-day socialist regime works – they all look practically the same - even the inside! And yes, even hotels in Ha Long are designed just like houses…only it has more floors.

Ha Long Bay, which for me resembled our very own Roxas Boulevard, was impressive. It depicted a very progressive city but was still very laid back.  There were also no skyscrapers that gave me a relaxed feeling. Commercial establishments abound but they all looked the same. Except for some very few buildings, nothing has seemed to deviate from the Buddhist-French architecture.

 

Vietnam houses under construction. Should not be not more than 70sqm otherwise you pay the taxes. Even the inside look the same. The works of a modern-day socialist regime :)

Establishments in Hanoi City.

Hotels in Ha Long City. This is the backpackers' area

Ha Long Bay

Hanoi City though was quite the opposite of our Ha Long and Viet Tri City experience. It was busy and noisy and was filled with tall buildings. For me, it was basically like Manila. But just like Ha Long and Vie Tri, the obvious progress, seen in infrastructure and a very busy local economy, is unable to erase or outshine  the vibrant heritage and culture of Vietnam.

Motorcycles scattered all over Hanoi

Tourists in Hanoi. Still courtesy of Naty :)

Hanoi City. Still courtesy of Naty

For one, the famous tourist spots in Hanoi showcase Ho Chi Minh, who is Vietnam’s cultural icon. In the museum where the wax image of Ho Chi Minh lies, solemnity was imposed on the tourists. No one was allowed to take pictures and silence was strictly observed.

Uncle Ho's House

The Buddhist tradition, even in the city, remained to be unwavering and continually celebrated. This can be seen in various temples in the city. One tourist spot is the Temple of Literature. Luckily, our visit to the temple coincided with the graduation of Vietnamese students. We found out then that the temple symbolizes education, and with that, the students traditionally go there during their graduation day. The graduates take pictorials inside the temple (just like pre-nup pictorials as wedding tradition in the Philippines) while they wear traditional attire. I find it amazing that the youth wear traditional clothing in a milestone of their life. It gave me the impression that nationalism is instilled in and are practiced by the younger generation – something that is unfamiliar to the Philippines.

Temple of Literature

Traditional Vietnamese attire worn by graduates

Photo Ops of Graduates :)

Buddhist charms sold inside the Temple of Literature

Even the food in Vietnam is able to remain authentic amidst this generation of fast food. It remained true to the genuine Vietnam taste – minty, herby, spicy, less sugar, less salt, less meat. Now that it has preserved it’s true authenticity, even the way it is eaten is also traditional – it is a ritual, a process, a celebration. For me, the local food is a true Vietnamese brand and has sustained its tradition because the locals themselves fully patronize it.

Typical Vietnamese breakfast

Authentic coffee. Very strong. :)

Staple drink. It's refilled once the glass is empty. And the teas are bitter too.

We were almost always on hot pot.

Eating hot pots is a ritual. There is a proper way of putting the ingredients.

 Vietnamese delicacies

The Vietnamese brand holds true as well in the vast farm fields I have seen on our way to Ha Long City. Even the farm highlighted Vietnam’s strong Buddhist culture as the graves of their loved ones are planted in the middle of the rice fields. Their loved ones serve as guidance and bring economic prosperity to them. The farm fields were very striking too with their lush green color and the practice of integrated farming. I have not seen something like it in the Philippines. The farm fields were filled with various commodities such as rice, vegetables, high-value crops, and even duck and fish ponds.

I wonder if Vietnam implements best practices in integrated organic farming

Graveyards in the middle of farm field

Back in the city, there were very few establishments that are of foreign origin. But generally, everything sold or eaten is locally made. It was said that the government’s thrust towards economic development is fully supporting products made by Vietnamese. No wonder they are reaping the benefits now – a burgeoning infrastructure, a large workforce and reduction in poverty. There are also no homeless, no slums and no street children.  

A PERSONAL REFLECTION....

 

All these things I witnessed in Vietnam say one simple thing. Vietnam supports its own; Vietnam patronizes its own; Vietnam loves its own. The nationalism and patriotism among the citizenry are burning. They take pride in who they are, and what their heritage is. 

And perhaps, I believe, that this is one of the top reasons why Vietnam has overtaken Philippines in terms of development – socially, economically, environmentally. I never realized how westernized the Philippines is until I visited Vietnam. Both the Philippines and Vietnam were colonized for hundreds of decades, but I am amazed how Vietnam has kept its heritage while the Philippines has well-preserved our colonizers’ influence rather than our own.

I am not saying that being westernized is negative. What I am trying to point out is that we are so patronizing of foreigners that we have forgotten to sustain our own oriental heritage and appreciate our indigenous roots. 

The everyday Filipino/Filipina life is bombarded with foreign influence – from the food we eat, the language we speak, the shows and movies we watch, the music we listen to, the commercial establishments we see, the products we consume, the holidays we celebrate, the religion we subscribe to, the clothes we wear.

It is very common as well that we Filipinos/Filipinas prefer foreign over our own. Like in how we view products, we tend to have the mentality that “Lokal ito kaya mabilis masira,” or “Mas maganda yun kasi imported.” We are inclined to give high regard to products made by foreigners as compared to ours. 

This is also true on how we perceive our country. It is a common regular experience that almost all of us aspire to work or migrate abroad. Although the reasons may be very valid, there is one glaring fact that surfaces. We see a better life or opportunity in a foreign land, not in ours. 

Unlike the Vietnamese who are still in their truest organic form, the identity we Filipinos have is always a blend of various cultures. Our indigenous peoples in the mountains, the true origin of our Filipino race, are regarded as uncivilized, and are most often marginalized instead of being acclaimed or credited as they remained untouched by foreign colonizers. Right now, the standard of being a mainstream citizen of the Philippines is to be modern and western, or otherwise be tagged as “probinsyano”, “jologs”, “lahing katutubo” or simply uncool.

A five day stay in Vietnam is not enough to truly understand the factors of its progress, but my stand is that - if we Filipinos and Filipinas will only believe in our own, then we will rise to development just like the Vietnamese. Having a carefully crafted strategy in leading a country is one thing, but what is essential is the participation of the citizenry to make the vision of development a possibility. I believe that this participation will emulate from nationalism and patriotism, just like the Vietnamese.

Maybe we can blame the corruption in the government for the hopelessness of this country. But maybe even how corrupt the government is, it would paint a different picture if all the skilled workers are serving our motherland rather than other countries; if we support our local products instead of patronizing foreign ones; if we try to recognize our organic potentials than looking elsewhere; if we Filipinos will try to build on and maximize what is endemic instead of imitating our foreign counterparts. I firmly believe that what makes Vietnam now is its deeply rooted patriotism. I hope we too, someday, will be able to internalize our true love for our motherland...and this can make anything happen.

This experience in Vietnam gave me a lot of realization, but regardless if these realizations are good or not, one thing is for sure...I get to appreciate and love our country more.  This trip triggered as well my interest in oriental culture.

Asian is beautiful. Vietnam is beautiful. The Philippines is beautiful. 

More pics at:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151592804123708.1073741825.558118707&type=3 

 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151594026673708.1073741826.558118707&type=1