Sarung Banggi sa higdaan nakadangog ako...

SARUNG BANGGI SA HIGDAAN NAKADANGOG AKO...

The Bicol’s famous classical love song never left my memory since I was in grade school. Our teacher then gave us homework of translating the Bicol love song to English language.

..NIN HUNI NIN SARONG GAMGAM

I asked favor from our bicolana neighbor to help me in my assignment and she wholeheartedly granted my request. At first, I was doubtful of the thing she’s started writing, I thought the song is all about the adventure of some bicol legendary hero.

...SA LUBA KO KATURUGAN

As she went through my homework, I began wondering of the story that is now being impressed on me by the English translation. I never thought that the song would be such plain, simple and serene…

Friends for lyf and death...

I’ve long heard about this local comedy movie shown last year but can’t find the time to rent or buy a dvd. A little bit interested because my friends who have watched it complimented the movie for its effortless comedy appeal. I’m speaking about the movie “Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat” starred by Ruffa Mae Quinto (who is also one of the executive producers of the said movie), Pokwang, Candy Pangilinan and my new favorite actress today, Eugene Domingo (she has just won the Best Supporting Actress last MMFF award for her excellent performance in the movie “Bahay Kubo”).

“Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat” is a story of four women who swore to be friends forever, they become domestic helpers out of their personal needs and reason to fish their luck to other country. However, one of them (Candy Pangilinan), was beaten to death by her employer, making the other three worry because her family gave her condition that she must come home safe, sounds and alive. The three other friends find all means to make her still look alive in front of her family despite the painful truth that she’s dead.

I spend the weekend over some good movie like this one, my mom brought home DVD and on Saturday morning as the other family members left the house to go somewhere, I stayed in our living room and put the television on. (I’m the storekeeper for that day so I need the movie paused every now and then because someone would have to buy goods, candies or Jolly Ice Candy from our sari-sari store).

The movie directed by Wenn V. Deramas was good, not only because of the unstoppable comedy scenes but moreover with the way that such good, full of sense story was collaborated and executed in a great comical attack. It reflected the real pictures that happened in true life but the illustration was made in heavy comedy, light drama approach.

Friendship…

I was sincerely moved by the power of friendship of the four leading characters. This is something that I’m 100% sure, everybody can relate (unless you really don’t have friends). Brite, Res, Dolly and …(I forgot the name of the other one), anyway the four swear to be friends, they always find time to meet one another and have great time over some good movies or shopping. In spite of each schedules, obligation and other activities, their date must be always included in the list. And the friendship still lives and goes strong even at times of great trouble and failure…you will surely be reminded of your own friends who never leave your side through good and bad times.

OFW…

A part of the movie told us about the fate, of which other OFW encountered as they sacrifice a lot over the other country. It might appeared humorous to see the four comedienne played the role of domestic helpers, with their employers giving orders here and there, making the whole scenes as funny as it is intended to make the audience laugh. But in reality, we know that such can never be a funny experience for the real Overseas Filipino Domestic Helpers who face the real employer, who take the real orders, who receive the real bruises, and who encounter the real death. As I laughed with the story and acting of the remarkable comedienne of our movie industry today, I also came up with the realization that aside from the intention of the movie itself to bring laughter to the audiences it also intended in one way or another to showcase the real happenings that fall upon our co-Filipinos working abroad.

Comedienne expresses the best drama…

Being a comedienne is one of the challenging roles ever. It’s easier to portray a drama scene than to do a certain role that highly requires immediate response from viewers. You have to meet high expectations of making them laugh from time to time. And in the part of the movie’s leading casts, it never becomes a hard job to collect loud and joyous amusement from the people. The four actresses have created remarkable names in the industry as they successfully created their unique style and approach in doing comedy roles.

More often, good and effective comedienne also make it effective to do drama. After they make you laugh all the way, they would finally shift the scene to some good heartbreaking drama, and there you are shifting also your mood, now sympathizing with them as if you are a part of the story. Of course, if they were able to make you laugh so hard, they would be able to make you cry also… and these are true only to actors and actresses with high quality of good acting (which getting rare nowadays…)

PAKIRAMDAM (Paglalakbay sa Marinduque noong 2005)

Lahat na ata sa atin natanong ng ganyan, bata, matanda, mahirap, mayaman, tindero ng fishball, may-ari ng ABS-CBN, barker sa Divisoria, leading star ng Miss Saigon, tagasubaybay ng wowowee, o kahit sinu-sino pang personalidad sa mababa at mataas na antas ng lipunan. Hindi man diretsong naitanong malamang naiisip na ng kahit sino sa tin kung anong pinakamabuluhang bagay ba ang gusto niyang mangyari sa buhay niya.

Minsan nakakainis matanong ng ganito lalo na kung hindi ka handa sa isasagot mo. Naranasan ko 'to nung elementary ng pagawin kami ng teacher ko ng sanaysay tungkol sa plano namin sa buhay pagkatapos ng dalawampung taon. Malamang hindi nakagawa ng lesson plan yung teacher kong iyon kung kaya't naisipan niya na lang kaming paglakbayin sa hinaharap. Nainis ako dahil nahirapan talaga akong mag-isip ng isusulat ko sa papel ko, sawa na kasi ako sa pagsasabi nang, "dalawampung taon mula ngayon, isa na kong mayamang negosyante na may magagarang bahay at magagandang kotse, kasing-yaman ko na si Bill Gate, at tatlong beses sa isang araw kung tumawag sakin ang presidente ng Pilipinas, bibilhin ko ang buong pulo ng Mindanao at patitirahin ko dun ang mga tao sa Malacañang..."

Hindi ko na maalala kung ano ang eksaktong isinagot ko nun, pero sigurado akong walang kwenta yun dahil 5 minutes na lang bago mag-bell malinis na malinis pa rin ang papel ko na hiningi ko lang sa katabi ko. (buti nakaabot pa ko, dalawang piraso na lang ang natitira sa kanya nun ng magmakaawa akong manghingi, huli na nang malaman niyang yung may sulat sa likod ang naiwan sa kanya at yung malinis na papel ang napunta sakin). Kung ngayon tatanungin mo ko, alam na alam ko na ang isasagot ko. Kailangan talaga sinusuong muna natin ang malawak na mundo bago natin malaman ang mga bagay na kailangan natin at kailangan ng kapwa natin, sa ganung paraan kasi mas nagiging malinaw kung paano natin gusto tumakbo ang sariling nating buhay...kung paano tayo makikibagay...kung paano tayo makikipamuhay...kung paano tayo sasabay...

Touching others' lives...

Masyadong general, sounds corny para sa iba, parang showbiz at politics ang dating, playing safe na pagsagot pero sa part ko very sincere ako na ito talaga ang gusto kong mangyari sa buhay ko...to touch others' lives...

Sa tanghalan...

Tuwing summer, ginagawa sa Tanghalang Hulyo 23 ang Community summer workshop, hindi pa ko makapaniwala nun ng sabihin nila saking isang linggo o mahigit pa ang itinatagal nila sa community para magbigay ng theater workshop sa mga bata dun. Isang linggong hindi ka uuwi sa bahay mo, isang linggong hindi ka hihiga sa kama mo, isang linggong hindi mo matitikman ang luto ng nanay mo at isang linggong hindi ka makakapag-txt sa cellphone mo. (walang signal sa pinuntahan naming probinsya)

Hindi na ko umaasa pa na makakasama ako, simpleng overnight nga lang hindi na pinapayagan yun pang isang linggo akong mawawala sa bahay. Pero sadyang totoo pala na may miracle na nangyayari sa buhay natin, akala ko kasi noon para lang yun sa mga hindi nakakalakad, hindi nakakakita, hindi nakakarinig, hindi nakakapagsalita...yun pala pwede rin ang miracle sa mga anak na hindi pinapayagan ng magulang na bumiyahe sa malalayong probinsya. Ayos!! First time kong makakarating ng Marinduque, woo!!

Hinatid ako ng nanay at tatay ko sa Jam Transit bus station, bitbit ng tatay ko ang bagahe na naglalaman ng mga gamit ko para sa isang linggo habang ang nanay ko naman halos ayaw bitawan ang kamay ko. Parang maluha-luha pa ang nanay ko nun, pakiramdam ko tuloy mag-aabroad ako at tatlong taon akong mawawalay sa pamilya ko. Kabado pa ko, tapang-tapangan lang naman talaga ang lola mo pero hindi ko rin alam kung paano ako mabubuhay sa isang linggo na ibang mga tao ang kasama ko sa iisang bubong...

It's byahe time...

Binawi ko sa bus ang kakulangan ko sa tulog, epekto marahil ng pagiging excited ko kaya ganun. Ano ba ang meron sa first time at laging parang kinikiliti ang pakiramdam?? Bumiyahe ang bus papuntang dalahitan, Lucena at doon sumakay kami ng RORO papuntang Marinduque. P115 ang pamasahe noon sa pagkakatanda ko, masikip sa loob, nagsisimula na rin kasi umuwi ng probinsya ang mga tao para sa darating na Mahal na Araw. Mahigit kalahating oras pa ata ang itinagal namin sa daungan bago ko naramdamang umaandar na pala kami. Muli na naman akong inatake ng excitement dahil sa wakas mararanasan ko nang bumiyahe sa tubig. Kasama ang mga naglalakihang bagahe tiniis namin ang init at naghalo-halong amoy ng mga tao sa loob ng RORO, muli itinulog ko ang mga sandaling iyon dahil kalaliman pa yun ng oras ng gabi. Ala-singko ng madaling araw ng magkaayaan ang grupo na pumunta sa deck, lalong nanuyo ang buhok ko sa sobrang lakas ng hangin doon, halos liparin pati mga anit namin sa ulo. Walang kasing-ganda ang hindi mabilang-bilang na mga bituin sa langit, parang mga chandelier ni San Pedro na kislap ng kislap at ang malawak naman na dagat sa ibaba ang nagsisilbing carpet...walastik talaga ang palasyo ni Lord!!! Kung naniniwala kang nagkakatotoo ang mga wish sa falling stars malamang maiinggit ka pag nalaman mong halos bumaha ng stars sa dagat ng mga sandaling iyon dahil minu-minuto may nahuhulog na bituin sa langit...ang ganda panoorin ng meteor shower, sayang lang talaga hindi ko naisipang magwish...bakit ba kasi minsan ang hirap ko ma-convince na pwede magkatotoo ang isang bagay??

Sumabog na ang bukang-liwayway at natanaw na namin ang isla ng Marinduque. Gusto kong magmura sa sobrang ganda ng view, hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang ibang mga kababayan nating Pilipino na pilit hinahanap sa ibang bansa ang magagandang lugar samantalang sa Pilipinas pa lang mabubusog na ang mga mata nila. Idagdag mo pa ang mga isdang naglalaro at lumalangoy kasabay ng ROROng sinasakyan niyo...laksang isda'y narito naaa!!!!Ahon!!

Narating na rin namin ang isla sa wakas...parang may hangin sa loob ng ulo ko, medyo nakaramdam ako na konting pagkahilo. Kung may tinatawag na Jet-lag meron din kayang RORO-lag??? Nasobrahan ata kami ng pagtambay sa deck kung saan napagalitan pa tuloy ang isa naming kasamahan na umupo sa fence sa gilid ng RORO. Balak kasi sana niya gayahin yung MTV ni Celine Dion sa My heart will go on pero sinabotahe na agad ng watcher ng RORO ang pangarap niyang mag-ala Rose ng Titanic...

Marinduque here we come...

Gusto kong magpakalunod sa sariwang hangin pagkababa namin ng RORO, isa sa mga hinahanap-hanap kong amoy kapag bumabalik na ko ng Maynila ay yung amoy ng sariwang hanging may hamog ng damo at alat ng dagat...panalo talaga, kung nailalagay lang sana sa bato ang ganung amoy sana naadik na lang sa ganda ng kalikasan ang tao, tiyak hindi na nila maiisipang sirain at pagsamantalahan pa ito.

Sumakay na kami ng tricycle, P100 ang bayad papunta sa brgy. Tugos, Boac, Marinduque. Literal na baba-akyat kami sa mga malulubak na bundok kaya huwag mo nang ipagkait ang isangdaang piso kay manong driver kung ayaw mong ibaba ka niya at iwan mag-isa sa mga gubat na madadaanan niyo. Dahil sa bulubundukin ang lugar, sinasabing maraming mga NPA ang nananahan dito, madalas daw kumakatok sila sa mga bahay-bahay kapag gabi para manghingi ng mga pagkain, tubig, damit at kung anu-anu pa. Pero minsan huwag ka rin masyadong pakasisiguro sa mga kumakatok sa bahay niyo, kung ang babati sa'yo pagbukas mo ng pinto ay may pakpak at mahaba ang dila, malamang hindi NPA yun...aswang yun pare! Aswang! Awoo...

Boac ang kapital ng Marinduque at pang-61 sa mga barangay nito ang Tugos kung saan kami magbibigay ng community theater workshop. Para kaming maharlika kung ituring ng mga tao dun, dinadalhan kami ng pagkain, pinapahiram kami ng mga kagamitan nila sa bahay, kulang na lang pati bahay nila ipahiram nila mismo sa amin. Naliligo kami at naglalaba ng damit sa isang poso malapit doon, minsan inaalok ng mga kapitbahay ang palikuran nila para doon na kami maligo. Naaawa ata sila sa kalagayan namin na kinakailangang bilisan namin ang paliligo sa loob lamang ng limang minuto dahil marami pa ang susunod.

Binubuo ang grupo ng labing-walong tao, nakaset na ang routine namin para sa buong isang linggo. Kailangang gumising ng maaga para makapag-almusal at makaligo ang lahat bago ang itinakdang oras para sa mga aktibidades. Alas-nuwebe ng umaga dapat sinisimulan na namin ang pagwoworkshop, alas-onse ng tanghali kailangang bumalik sa bahay para tulung-tulong magluto ng pananghalian, itutuloy ang workshop ng alas-dos at uuwi sa bahay ng alas-singko para naman sa hapunan. Mayroon pa ring aktibidades na ginagawa ‘pag gabi, madalas ito yung mga assessment meeting namin para sa nagawa sa buong maghapon. Sa tanghalan, bawal ang tamad (dapat tumulong ka sa pagtatrabaho para mabilis matapos), bawal ang maselan (bawal din naman ang sobrang balahura), bawal ang mabagal kumilos (tiyak madalas kang mauubusan ng pagkain pag ganun ka), bawal ang iyakin (pero lahat naman ng tao dito emosyonal).

Sa unang tatlong araw, kami muna sa tanghalan ang nagkaroon ng workshop. Binigyan kami ng Being Acting workshop ng director namin. Naging problema nung una ang lugar na pagdadausan ng workshop, dapat kasi akma ang lugar, tahimik at may sapat na espasyo. Sakto may nakitang lugar malapit sa tinutuluyan naming bahay, isang malawak na espasyo na nasasapinan ng damo at napalilibutan ng mga puno, hanep, ang sarap mag-inhale-exhale, pakiramdam ko nawala lahat ng polusyon sa loob ng baga ko at napalitan na ng sariwang hangin.

Workshop…

Pakiramdam ko, pakiramdam ko...habang nakahiga sa damuhan sinasambit namin ng paulit-ulit ang mga katagang 'to. Oo, para kaming sirang plaka habang gumagapang ang mga maliliit na insekto sa balat namin. Nakakatulong ang magpaulit-ulit para ma-sink in sa atin ang isang bagay o ang isang uri ng pakiramdam. May mga taong akala mo likas na bato pero napagtatagumpayan rin pala ng mga ganitong uri ng workshops. Naramdaman ko na makati pala sa balat ang mga damo, nakakakiliti sa tenga ang marahang ihip ng hangin, nakakasilaw pa rin pala sa mata ang hindi maaraw na kalangitan, nakabibingi ang sobrang katahimikan, mas mainit ang pakiramdam kapag may katabi kang tao kaysa kapag may katabi kang punongkahoy, masarap makipagkuwentuhan sa halaman, nakaaaliw magbunot ng damo, masakit maglakad ng nakayapak, awit sa pandinig ang huni ng ibon at agos ng tubig sa malapit na sapa , masarap lumanghap ng hanging may hamog, masarap damhin ang samut saring pakiramdam.

Gamot din pala sa manhid ang acting workshop. Mas mabuti nang makaramdam ng sama ng kalooban kaysa mabuhay ka sa mundo ng walang pakiramdam.

Pet Parade!!!

And so, here are the pet parade hosted by the Ceballos Household Company!

Our family are so fond of pets, be it domestic, exotic, or insect! Yes you heard it right, we came to a point that we have to entertain on our home my brother’s diversified friends such as umang, salagubang, gagambang bahay, gagambang talon, antic (large ants), dagang costa, itik (trained rigidly for the monthly itik race in our barangay), isdang banak, isdang gurami, isdang costa, gagambang antic, umang na tumatalon, dag--- whatever!!

We love having someone to be with us. Our most favorite of all kind of pets are dogs. Even when we weren’t born yet, Mama and Papa used to have pets back then. They had a dog and cat who were amazingly closed buddies. And when they had children, I guessed they had passed on (through the genes pare) the passion and sincere love for animals. Every one in the family got depressed when a pet have to bid his goodbye, we mourn like we’ve lost a family member, dark clouds seemed to enclose our home and each one of us find his or her own place to shed the tears of loneliness.

Man maybe considered the highest form of mammals, but animal, I believe is still the most good-hearted creature on earth. Their loyalty never fails, obedience never ceases and love never betray. And now, I would like to present to you my ever-loving best friends who never fail to greet me when I’m home, who still wag their tails even they were being punished, who follows orders even when they were being reprimanded and who still lick your face with love even when they were being neglected …

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my honor to introduce to you the loyal members of Ceballos Household Company:

“BAMBINA the mother of all dogs”

She has grown big, with a size not normal for a local breed of dog. Her hairs always look tousled no matter how we mind combing it or shampooing it. Bambina is the version of a typical “nanay” who finds no time to beautify her self because she’s all too busy the whole day taking care of her babies. But Bambina is barren. She never had a puppy of her own, she’s now eight years old but never did she get pregnant her entire life. I think that has been Bambina’s greatest frustration as a female dog, being unable to reproduce. Despite the painful truth, nothing stopped Bambi in fulfilling her designed role on earth of becoming a mother to the motherless. She performed the role to the other pets in our home treating them as her own. She cleans them (even now that they were all grown up), plays with them at a time, back up them in times of trouble and waited for them (especially Legolas) to be home before she finally get into sleep. (Our dogs go outside every after meal to heed the call of nature and sometimes to have a stick of yosi with their kumpare). Of all our pets, Bambina is the most vocal of her feelings. She often tell us how she feels, or when she’s hungry or when she needs somebody to open the gate for her, she’ll just approach you and bark in a lowly modulated voice..”wharr..wharr..” and you have to understand it quickly or else the soft roar will change to a growl! She just can’t help it, Bambina is not getting any younger, like any other aging creatures…Bambina’s patience now starting to get lesser…

Bambina during the photo shoot starting to get annoyed. Iba na talaga ang tumatanda, nagiging ma-attitude!

“LEGOLAS, ang ASO kong HOODLUM”

We named him after one of our all time favorites in the movie Lord of the Rings, the prince elf Legolas. Of course, many will surely disagree for naming a dog after one of the characters portrayed by the famous Hollywood star Orlando Bloom but we don’t care anyway! Hehe… We tagged Legolas as Siga ng Road 6, Road 6 is the number of our road and Legolas during his youthful years often riot the other dogs that used to pass by our house. Be it larger or smaller than him, he didn’t mind at all. My father always told him to be a cool-headed dog, reminding him like a father to a son that getting into trouble is not a responsible act. He’s the bravest among the rest and his posture often remind us of Buck, the dog character in Jack London’s Call of the Wild who happened to have a wolf blood runs on his vein. Legolas is more of being independent. He opens the gate alone when he needs to go out (bad thing only we never trained him to close it), and he eat grass whenever he’s not feeling well. (We can’t provide for a vet, but aside from the grass therapy, we are able to at least provide them generic medicine.) Legolas, a cowboy dog who’s senses is the sharpest and attitude is the most disciplined. You’ll count few times that he’s been a headache to the family and when you told him to be back in a few minutes after he went out of the house, that exactly he will do. Only that, Legolas is a bit of a jealous dog, newcomers especially the cute puppies often experienced to be chastised by him. Mama gets mad at this irrational act of Legolas, she would say “Hindi ka ginaganyan ni Bambina nung tuta ka ha!” At least Legolas has changed from his childish way, he’s not doing the same now with Jack and Jill… maybe he’s starting to realize na tumatanda na rin siya…and he has to be matured enough.

I instructed Legolas not to look on the camera

“JACK of Hollywood – tirador ng tsinelas”

He’s not the dog you’ll happen to watch at some telenovelas or movies but he’s a potential dog with an X-factor of making it to the showbiz world. He was being bullied by his twin Jill though he’s the guy and should-be the more dominant. He has already destroyed two slippers! And during his leisure time he finds time collecting nails, hammer, and even the palita he managed to carry inside the sala, I really don’t understand what satisfaction does he achieved in biting these objects, which happened to be rusted already. We will pick up those scattered pieces and return it to right places, after a couple of minutes Jack will again scatter those (tigas talaga ng ulo! Kanino ba nagmana to?) He’s not the typical guard dog who can be 100% courageous in facing danger, but like any other loyal pet, he will stand by you no matter what happen, he’ll never leave, he’ll just stay there behind you…

Jack is a handsome teenager dog whose fur so soft like that of a stuff toy. I always hug him and he like licking my face and sitting on my lap, though he’s grown up now (so pa-baby pa rin). Among our pets, he’s the one who’s not conscious to the camera…frustrated artist talaga (mana sa ateh).

Jack on his another pose…

“Jill the Bossy type of girl”

She’s not your ordinary girl. Jill can be lined up to the new wave generation of teenager today: liberal, up-to date, dominant, independent and very firm in all her decisions. We often tease her to look like Dobby, a character in Harry Potter’s Chamber of Secret, and it’s all because of her long and wide ears. Her character a lot of contrast to Jack, she’s very wild and a bit of ill-tempered, and the only thing that she and Jack have in common is their craving for rusting nails, hammers, and slippers… If she will be transformed into human, she will be 100% boyish type with strong and genuine character, maybe a sporty type or someone engaged into dancing or mountain hiking.

She’s too shy in front of the camera, we actually had a hard time getting an image of her. Jill is a lot of being a jealous dog. She wants the attention to be all her, and she often rival with Jack in being the star of the family. Maybe it would still take her enough time to realize that acting as such is very childish, and that she must change about herself.

“Wushu the Cockroach killer”

Wushu, is the newest and youngest member of the family. Her passion each night is to murder at least two cockroaches a day. A young merciless killer who uses bathroom whenever she needs to heed the call of nature, her mother cat trained her well. She stays up all night for her night duty of hunting cockroaches and rats, and during the day she would snore deeply in the sofa or sometimes in our swivel chair!

Close Up shot of Jill bratinella

Wushu Stolen shot

Animals know love, pay loyalty and acknowledge friendship. Pets are angel sent to each family. They rejoice with you when you’re happy and sympathize with you when you’re sad. They’ll stand with you through good and bad times…they’re more than of being a best friend to me. I love them very, very much.