The awaited daughter has arrived

The family was starting its day

The dying’s burial concerns have been communicated

A good time for death to come

 

And it did

Death like a visitor

Came on a sunny morning

 

Unexpected yet expected

 

Swift yet slow

Painful yet sweet

Dreaded yet prayed for

 

One wishes to have done something more

But knows nothing more can be done

One wishes not to cry so much

But still does

One wishes it is not happening

But knows in his heart and mind it is

             –Quezon City / 23 February 2007 / 3:40 pm

 

How do I describe the man who just died?

 

His family were by his side

When he breathed his last

His widow wailed and his orphans cried

His relatives prayed and his friends grieved

His young grandchild was outside playing all the while

 

His neighbors streamed in

Through the kitchen door they came

The womenfolk swept the yard

And found where the pots and pans were kept

The neighborhood barber gave him a bath

A shave and clipped his nose hairs

The menfolk gathered bamboo poles and put up tents

The man who lived at the edge of the barrio

Donated firewood to boil coffee and cook food

The village chief gave a sack full of rice

His young grandchild was outside playing all the while

 

Phones rang and his relatives said

“Wait for us please.  We’ll be there soon to see Nobling”

For six days and nights the house filled

Mourners spilled out into the streets

Both the boisterous and the infirm

Came to pay their last respects

To the man who just died

Many strangers arrived to offer prayers

They have heard of the man who served them well

The village’s gay person adorned his coffin with flowers

While the drunkard remained sober.

Outside his young grandchild kept playing

 

It seemed the entire town came

When we buried the man who died

The church singer sang his favorite tune

While his younger brother gave him a salute

His young grandchild kept looking around

Wondering why everyone was crying

And when will his grandfather wake up

From his long sleep

 

                                -- Quezon City / 23 February 2007 / 4:21 pm

 

The awaited daughter has arrived

The family was starting its day

The dying’s burial concerns have been communicated

A good time for death to come

 

And it did

Death like a visitor

Came on a sunny morning

  

Unexpected yet expected

Swift yet slow

Painful yet sweet

Dreaded yet prayed for

  

One wishes to have done something more

But knows nothing more can be done

One wishes not to cry so much

But still does

One wishes it is not happening

But knows in his heart and mind it is

             –Quezon City / 23 February 2007 / 3:40 pm

 

I only see you cry when angry

But your tears today were of love

 

Your eyes welling with tears

and your chest heaving with grief

you wielded syringes, tubes and pumps

you read blood pressures and timed drips

you drew phlegm out and massaged limp limbs

like a virtuoso

 

How you must anger death by now

How many times have you snatched Papa from it

as we did nothing but cry, watch and pray?

 

But there is some joy in my tears

As I watched my sister, the nurse

the tearful virtuoso

frustrating death

                   –San Pablo, Isabela / 8 February 2007 / 4:28 a.m.

 

We struggle for death

not to be so quick

and painful

 

Death is not an enemy

It can sometimes be a friend

 

We want death to come

when it’s calm

when loves have been assured

when gratitudes have been declared

when goodbyes have been said

when it’s most needed

and prayed for

 

Like a friend

 

                       –San Pablo, Isabela

                         8 February 2007

                         3:50 a.m.

 

Metro Manila has become unbelievably huge and swamped with malls.  But however big it has become and how many would claim to be its new center, there remains to be one and only downtown—Quiapo.

            I hated tagging along my mom whenever she made her regular trips to Quiapo.  It was a crowded, hot, chaotic and filthy place.  (Still is.)  I could never imagine it as the country’s best shopping destination once, complete with the first airconditioned department stores and cinemas.

            But I’ve grown to love Quiapo these past years.

            It all started when I was given my first SLR camera by my Uncle Ben.  And when one talks of cameras there is only one place to go—Hidalgo street.  At first, I went there to have my black and white pictures developed.  The best professional film developers are there.  And because my first camera was a Petri, Hidalgo was the only place where they could clean and repair it or where I could buy accessories.  I even have a buddy-camera technician in Quiapo.

          I’ve had a succession of cameras after my first—especially after it got dunked several times on Sinundungan River on a human rights fact-finding mission.  I had Yashicas because of two things: they’re cheap and are compatible with Carl Zeiss lenses.  While my camera bodies may be crappy, my lenses were top grade.  I even influenced Gilbert Mendoza, Erel Cabatbat and Angel Tesorero into becoming Quiapo denizens.  Hidalgo was also where I wold buy lots of second hand camera magazines.  Ten pesos each!

            Then there is Raon.  I can no longer remember all the things I bought from there. My wife and I even bought a juicer there once.  If I am in need of any electrical appliance, Raon comes to mind first. 

            When I need eyeglasses, I go to Paterno.  I buy new ones there or have my old ones fixed.  I used to buy sunglasses on this street behind the Catholic church but the Muslims around the Golden Mosque now sell them for 35 pops a pair.  Saan pa ako?

            And, of course, Quiapo is the pirated CD (audio CD, VCD, and DVD) capital of the universe.  I once brought two Ilonggo barangay chairpersons there to buy karaoke CDs.  They were so afraid of the Muslims they hardly spoke and looked at the merchandise.  Funny.

            Since my sister in law converted to Islamism, Quiapo is also where I would buy her and her family halal meat.  Chicken, beef and veal are sold in a Pakistani-owned shop there.  For haram eating carnivores, there’s Excellente Ham store near the Quinta Market.

            My wife frequents the bead shops on the street connecting Quinta and Plaza Miranda.

            Last month, I was introduced to Mojd Halal restaurant.  Their rottiserrie chicken is to die for.  It’s Mindanaon-Middle Easter fusion.  It’s spicy but the lemon grass tang is strong. 

            Do not expect much from this restaurant on the looks department.  It is always teeming with people; it is a hole in the wall.  It’s got creaky ceiling fans and I dared not use its bathroom.  It’s located very near the mosque and the DVD shops.

            For the second time, I had lunch at Mojd Halal today.  I was actually invited to a free lunch at Barbara’s inside The Orchidarium at Rizal Park and I would have loved to park my buns on its antique chairs.  But my mind was set on eating at Mojd Halal since morning, I refused.

            I ordered a chicken quarter and the Mojd Halal rice—red and spicy.  I also ordered a vegetable salad and a soda.

            Driving back to Quezon City, my mouth is still assaulted with the richness of flavors.  And having had two hefty servings of rice, I felt sleepy.

            I think I am becoming like my mother.  I now love the crowded, hot, chaotic and dirty downtown.  Try visiting it once in a while.  I am sure you will find some things to love in Quiapo.

= = = =

1-28-2007

 

 

 

This morning, while waiting for the slow internet connection to do its work, I checked Friendster and started reading bulletins.  I saw this:  

   

Date: Friday, 12 January, 2007 (;52 PM  

Subject:  blogs to read  

 ‘if, like in the premiere nights of FPJ (or any other movie star) films, i get asked what i think of these blogs, i would also say what the movie fans usually say: “maganda! punung-puno ng aksyon! at may aral pang mapupulot!” and i would also add the familiar: “ang galing talaga ni idol!”’

 http://bukaneg.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/   

-writer/journalist atbp. Raymund Villanueva

http://cparaullo.blogspot.com/

 

-BAYAN Chair Carol Araullo, to Music and Theater friends, more popularly known as Atom’s mom.   

Two things: First, I was listed with THE Carol Pagaduan Araullo—my seatmate’s mom.  Second, it was THE Rica Nepomuceno who made the list. 

Ano ba ‘yan?  Bakit ang gwapo ko yata ngayon?  

= = = = = = = = =  

http://www.friendster.com/bulletin.php?bid=108570285&uid=4858150  

http://www.friendster.com/ricanepo

= = = =

1-14-2006 

Who did not imagine themselves as superheroes when they were kids?  I did.  I didn’t care for the underwear they wore outside their tights but I dreamt of saving damsels in distress with names and faces that corresponded with whoever I had a crush on at the time.  But those were the times when comic superheroes were ordinary, unlike the new-breeds like Spawn or Andy Capp.

     In my weng-weng moments I still catch myself thinking what I would do to this country’s traditional politicians or the imperialists if I were The Flash or The Invisible Man.  But there are no toxic spiders or mutant genes to make me one, are there?

     So, like the rest of humanity, we get our kicks by reading and collecting comic books.  Through our superheroes, we live our impossible dreams and put right the wrongs of this world. 

     I did not and do not collect comic books like Ina Silverio or Nato Reyes for the simple reason that my budget then and now is just enough for Pinoy Funny Comics—you know, the local one on newsprint with Planet of the Apes as its most popular feature.  I do not have relatives to send me some like Tonyo Cruz.  What I have though is this all-color anthology I unearthed in some book sale some years ago.  It presents in a rough chronological order the last century’s most popular comics.  Wala sila nito.

     Following are what this book has listed down as the most popular comics and superheroes:

1. The Yellow Kid & Buster Brown—“It blazed the path that a century of creators followed.”
2. The Katzenjammer Kids—“…two incorrigible mishief-makers who lived to bedevil their American-German mother…”
3. Foxy Grandpa—the grandfather who “invariably outwitted them (his grandkids).”
4. Little Nemo in Slumberland—Lahlee Taguba, Vince Borneo and Mao Hermitanio’s idol; finds adventure in sleeping.
5. Mutt and Jeff—Bayang Karerista’s role models
6. Bringing Up Father—a comic strip all children with fathers can relate to.
7. Krazy Kat—before Felix, Heathcliff and Garfield, there was this cat.
8. The Gumps—started as a cartoon about a goat; pioneered the four frame strip.
9. Gasoline Alley—as old and as historical as Henry Ford’s Model T.
10. Ripley’s Believe It or Not—created when Ripley hit a slump and the deadline’s near.
11. Barney Google & Snuffy Smith—originally about a henpecked husband; nothing to do with the search engine.
12. Thimble Theatre starring Popeye—made eating vegetables and having a slang cool.
13. Winnie Winkle—about the plight of the working girl post World War I.  Post WWII, however, “working girl” had another meaning altogether.
14. Dick Tracy—because he is such a good and dashing detective, we forgive him his yellow trench coat.
15. Flash Gordon—c’mon.  sing it: “Flash!  A-haah! Savior of the Universe!”
16. Fritzi Ritz/Nancy—naalala ko si Sally Cariño.  Hahahaha!
17. Tailspin Tommy—the most popular aviation strip ever.
18. Skippy—a ten year old morose philosopher.
19. Wash Tubbs/Captain Easy—first serious strip on investigative adventure instead of humor.
20. Joe Palooka—before Manny Pacquiao, there was Joe Palooka.
21. Buck Rogers—without him, there might not have been a Flash Gordon, a Star Wars or Star Trek.
22. Tintin—a young brash reporter who rarely delivered the news (parang ako nung rumaraket ako sa dyaryo. Hahaha!)
23. Blondie—responsible for introducing the Dagwood sandwich to American culture.
24. Alley Oop—it’s not about the acrobatic basketball maneuver; it’s about a caveman who most NBA players essentially are anyway (who d’man?)
25. Mandrake the Magician—who pales grandly compared to how Tongressmen in this country pop out legal justifications for their con-ass.
26. Terry and the Pirates—far away places, adventures, pretty girls and humor.
27. Li’l Abner—“finally married Daisy Mae on March 29, 1952.”
28. Mary Worth—“a mature woman reduced by the stock market crash of 1929 to selling apples on New York streets.”
29. Little Lulu—a classic example of kid comic.
30. The Phantom—the environmentalist
31. Prince Valiant—who grew old and became a grandfather.
32. The Lone Ranger—with Tonto inspired “Brokeback Mountain.”
33. The Sandman—latest reinterpretation was by Neil Gaiman!
34. The Human Torch—originally a synthetic man.
35. The Submariner—half-human, half merman
36. The Blue Beetle—the most unkillable character in comics-dom.
37. The Shield—the first patriotic superhero
38. Hawkman—actually inspired by a bird collecting twigs to build a nest!
39. The Flash—Mercury Drug’s mascot (kahit matagal bumili ng gamot sa kanilang botika!)
40. Captain Marvel—the world mightiest mortal: Shazam!
41. The Spirit—whose precinct is located underneath his tombstone.
42. The Shadow—two guns?  Rock and Roll!
43. Brenda Starr, Reporter—soapy
44. The Justice Society of America—the first superhero team, which became the Justice League and later Superfriends.
45. Green Lantern—the good version of Frodo’s ring.
46. The Atom—a powerful five-foot hero.
47. Walt Disney’s Comics—my favorite is Donald.
48. Blackhawk—about a crack squadron
49. Plastic Man—Vic Sotto? Not!
50. Archie Andrews—the quintessential American teenager and his gang
51. The Newsboy Legion/Boy Commandos—British heroes naman, for a change.
52. Crime Does Not Pay—“All true crime stories”
53. Sad Sack Sarge—His greatest battles lay in fighting Army rules and red tape.  (My kind of hero.)
54. Young Romance—Hey, superheroes do fall in love sometimes.
55. Willie and Joe—“…revealed the grim, soul-draining reality of war.” (if soldiers fight for wars of aggression, that is.)
56. Tarzan—cheetah’s daddy-o and Jane’s papa.  (He had a son named Korak.)
57. Two-Gun Kid—the gun-toting American version of Zorro.
58. Casper The Friendly Ghost—cute, babyish.  Very unlike the Scottish Banshee.

59.  

    Adventures into the Unknown—“Ano ang nasa dako pa roon?  Aawuuuuu!

60. Superman—yes, he with undies outside his trousers.
61. Batman—he once slugged it out with Superman in “The Dark Knight Returns.”
62. Captain America—Uncle Sam’s anti-Hitler propaganda machine for kids.
63. Wonder Woman—first woman superhero;  originally wore a star-spangled skirt
64. Pogo—its creator was anti-McCarthy. (Bravo!)
65. Strange Adventures—the original “Planet of the Apes.”
66. Bettle Bailey—everything that Lance Corporal Daniel J. Smith isn’t—the rapist!
67. Peanuts—sold lots of Hallmark cards!
68. Tales from the Crypt—very entertaining, before its tv version introduced the irritating narrator.
69. Weird Science—comics for geeks
70. Dennis the Menace—when first released in England, it had the title “The Pickle.”
71. House of Mystery—House of Representatives regarding its turon budget?
72. Two-Fisted Tales—it’s about war, not boxing
73. MAD—heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh!
74. Richie Rich—who grew up to become Mark Jimenez?
75. Mighty Mouse—the first comics in 3-D
76. Turok—Son of Stone; not “turok para stoned, pah-reh!”
77. The Brave and the Bold—“dinosaur-fighting WWII veterans.” Huh?
78. Dondi—“Have orphan, will travel.”
79. Challengers of the Unknown—the blueprint of the later “Fantastic Four.”
80. Legion of Superheroes—featuring the also superheroes.
81. BC—cave men commenting on modern men.
82. Strange Worlds—with outlandish titles to boot (Fin Fang Foom)
83. Sgt. Rock—“…the sergeant generals want to be.”
84. The Fly—an insect superhero
85. Captain Atom—created by Spiderman’s creator
86. Asterix—who convinced the world that a French man could be funny too.
87. Metal Men—were later made human to stimulate sales.
88. The Astonishing Ant-Man—takes serum to shrink him into insect size
89. The Incredible Hulk—the pogi who becomes pangit when he becomes a superhero.
90. The Mighty Thor—whose patron saint is St.Joseph the Carpenter.
91. Little Annie Fanny—if you know who she is, you’re a naughty boy!
92. Andy Capp—comics-dom’s most politically incorrect hero.
93. Magnus, Robot Fighter—made robots look sexy.
94. Iron Man—the original cyborg.
95. Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos—another GI Joe rag.
96. Modesty Blaise—originally rejected as inappropriate for family newspapers.
97. The Doom Patrol—the world’s strangest superheroes team.
98. Dr. Strange—mysticism and interdimensional traveler.
99. The Avengers—first assembled to take on The Hulk (loko itong mga ito a!)
100. Daredevil—the man without fear and sight.
101. Creepy—no, JDV was not part of the group, despite his droopy look and dumbo ears.
102. Barbarella—was intentionally drawn to look like Brigitte Bardot.
103. Teen Titans—bida naman si Robin dito for a change.
104. Enemy Ace—the first anti-hero hero.
105. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents—superheroes who were secret agents.
106. The Silver Surfer—who stands and flies on a planggana.
107. Zap Comix—the first significant underground comic book.
108. The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers—“the joker, the prankster, the fool.”
109. Zippy—Bondying!
110. Conan the Barbarian—Arnold Shwarzenneger made him yucky.
111. Doonesbury—most censored, tibak kasi.
112. The New Gods—sayang, it didn’t make money.
113. Tomb of Dracula—where “Blade” got introduced.
114. Jonah Hex—scarred freak of a gunfighter.
115. Swamp Thing—half-man, half plant (like majority of the congresspersons who keep quiet while the country is being raped).
116. The Punisher—starring Dolph Lundgren (B-movie!)
117. Metal Hurlant/Heavy Metal—revolutionized comics graphics.
118. Warlord—sword and sorcery sensation.
119. Howard the Duck—was a “fowl play at the box office” when made into a movie
120. Judge Dredd—his name was resurrected from a horror story.
121. Cerebus the Aadvark—“a funny animal in today’s world of humans.”
122. The Fantastic Four—power times four.
123. The Amazing Spiderman—too much of a super loser as a normal person.
124. The X-Men/The Uncanny X-Men—became popular when they were joined by a Canadian named Wolverine.
125. Spawn—comics’ greatest lover
126. Elfquest—Mahal and Mura’s tribe.
127. For Better or For Worse—humor and heart
128. Garfield—“He defends our right to pig out, sleep in, and be selfish.”

129.  

     The Far Side—geeks’ favorite!

130. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—started out as a parody to current fads.
131. Calvin and Hobbes—retired at the top in 1995. (Tama ba, Ian Dexter Marquez?)
132. Watchmen—no sequel was produced despite clamor.
133. Maus—literary masterwork.
134. Concrete—thoughtful, gentle rock giant.
135. The Crow—an immediate cult success.
136. Dilbert—scourge of American business.

 

 

 

     There you go.  One hundred glorious years of comic books, newspaper strips, and cartoonists.

= = = =

12-11-2006

My profile has been getting lots of views lately from people I don’t know and from places I only read about. Someone from Mindanao’s interior is waging a campaign to have me checked out. (She’s a government employee so she must have lots of time on her hands. Hehehe!)

       Here’s the latest of the several she had to say about me:

      

       “until now i’m still gassing like mad because of what Raymund “bukaneg/kabuneg” Villanueva wrote in his blogs, entirely for me. ang ganda ko! errr…para pud sa malaybalay…

       ”friends, check my profile and scroll down to the testimonials, that one from Raymund, click on the blog thingiewhattevah and read on…

       ”FYI: si Raymund dati kong fan, nag-organize nga siya nga solid dynamic ruzanne fans club northern luzon central chapter!!! gwapo siya, he said so. Ang nanay niya, until now, tahimik sa isyung ito. hehehe.

       ”bitaw, si Raymund, naging ka-kumpetensiya ni buding and tetel sa one-night-only capitol grouds showdownof dancing, singing, redhorse and acapella rendtitions of each their alma mater’s songs/hymns. Ofcourse,talunan si Raymund. sisters ko pa lang yun, huh!

       ”but most importantly, READ his BLOGS! grabe! newspaper ko ang blogs ni Raymund. it’s the only thing nanapaka-honest, informative, funny, down-to-earth and all that ek-ek-ek.

       ”oi, kabuneg, punta kang malaybalay. promise, as in promise…sagot ko lahat!

       ”lahat ng mga tanong mo!

       ”hehehe!

       ”salamat, kabuneg ha! touched ako, grabe!”

 

       And check out her comments—four of them!—in my blog preceding this. Just because I messed up on the date of her pregnancy, she proceeded to graphically explain when she lost her cherry and when she actually got preggy. Eeewwww!

       In the interest of truth and nothing but, I have the following rejoinders to this debate on who’s had a crush on whom.

       Siya po ang may gusto noon sa akin. Wala pong Ruzanne Romo Fans Club sa North Luzon. Sa Manila lang po. Its founder and president is now a congressman, not a hard-up F1 driver wannabe who I really am. I am not a former fan; I still am (just) an active member—but card-carrying, chest-thumping, and flag-waving.

      Someone said that a person may be judged by the friends s/he keeps. If that guy is no fool, I wonder what people think of me for having Ruzanne as a friend.

= = = =

12-03-2006