else it was reverieDuring the rare moments when my father articulates the feelings he holds for my mother—however awkwardly stated—it is his heart that I hear speak.
One day, my kids, too, will find themselves eavesdropping from the second floor of the house during their parents’ CFC household meeting (or maybe any casual conversation, if we’re too blessed), hearing the affirmation of the love that overpowers their father.
I stake this claim for I believe I deserve nothing less. :)
A battle cry for life and faith learned this weekend:
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND. :)
Always.
I can never imagine a time when I will find myself not amazed by how the Lord continues to move me—mind, body, heart, and soul.
My weekend’s adventure in pictures! :) Yes, I flew on a plane for the first time in my life, danced with the kids like crazy, ate durian with my bare hands in a marketplace, fell in love at first sight with Mindanao, and spent every bit of it with the God who allowed all these things to happen.
CHADA!
1. Someone whom I can be genuinely crazy with.
2. Someone whom I can be silent with.
1.5. Someone who can understand my craziness and silence.
And it’s not on the basis of its undeniable sinfulness that I want to stop, but because I know I am so much more than what my weaknesses have compelled me to become.
I know it is genuine love that pursues the great, but it is tiring, and everyday I find myself not of strength enough to love.
I am lost.
This is one of the best things God has been telling me since time immemorial. It’s overwhelming the way this message is affirmed by this Facebook application.
And damn right, God meant me for flight.
[Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions]
“Collecting tributes for the Spaniards, the [Kapampangan] native authorities exploited their own people” (136).
They have always been weird.
“That the literature has survived despite the inhospitable conditions can only be attributed to the inherent strength and resiliency of both the people and the language. These strengths must be adopted to the present historical reality for an authentic literature which embodies the life of Capampangan speakers as an integral part of the Filipino nation. Only in this way can this literature be true to the name, Capampangan, co-dweller of other Filipinos on shores and banks in the Philippine islands” (140).
ANSABE?
- Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions
Pity that the creative writer isn’t always the best literary scholar. These editors try so hard.
I want ice cream.
When I read texts by any of my teachers, I get one of the best feelings in the world: kilig, humility, awe, respect, a sense of community and pride - something that I can’t seem to find a word for.
“A careful regard for the topography of the region and the colorful cultural practices developing in such a locale identity, no doubt, the peculiarities of Tagalog ethnicity. Yet, there are no essential traits and habits that can distinguish Tagalog culture as these, too, are shaped, twisted, and bent by changes in time, by violent upheavals in history” (181).
“Tagalog writers have created a literature always aspiring to reconcile art with the desire to repossess their ethnicity and to dream up versions and visions of their subdued society.”
- Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions
National Heroes: Jose Rizal -> novelist; Andres Bonifacio - lyrical poet and “influential essayist in the tradition social philosophy”
Andres Bonifacio is underrated.
“Manila was an affluent and prestigious Muslim kingdom long before the coming of the Spaniards.”
@-)
“In time, Manila picked itself up, and today continutes to be the nation’s glittering capital city” —
Glittering?
- Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
[Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions]
“Cordillera proverbs articulate keen observations about human acts and motives, and also embody reflections on the human condition. A Kalinga proverb remarks that ‘It’s the stomach that gives advice,’ indicating how hunger controls human behavior. Another Kalinga proverb says that ‘A person if alone, is afraid of the enemy,’ probably a comment on boasters but also a statement on human interdependence.”
- Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions
insert mental chuckle. In some cases today, it’s the genitals who do the advising.
“The Ilocos is difficult territory yet the Ilocanos have remained steadfast in their commitment to life as individuals and as a people, in the end making this territory a source of heroes and eminent men for the pagilian, or the nation.”
sans pinakbet and papaitan
“Iluko literature continues to be a witness to the life of a people that is linguistically different from the rest of the country but a people that is the same as the rest - the same precisely because the Ilokanos also speak of the ili, the pagilian”
- Bienvenido Lumbera, Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions
“Pangasinan was once the ‘rice granary of the Philippines’ before Nueva Ecija wrested that title.”
someone always holds the record for something until someone else wrests that title.
i-you-her; you-her-i; you-her-her boy-her-i-else
salt is bitter
can’tkeepthisupanymore——-goodnight
“It is interesting to note that in the riddle for ‘runny nose,’ two ‘Americanos’ are described as getting in and out of the military camp.”
Stumbled upon Kitin’s blog post on my dashboard, and because my curiosity was as much as my desire to—even for just two minutes—forget that my Philippine literature comprehensive exam is tomorrow (ASDFGHJKLFOIDLKAJFIOANOIFHAE), I bit into it.
Needless to say, no surprises there :)
And with that I go back to where my The Beauty and the Beast-informed life has brought me to. :)) Thank you, Disney, you never fail to make my heart smile.
Here’s the link: Which Disney Princess Are You?
20-something year old penniless aspiring writer-slash-humanities-student-at-a-premiere-university converses with 30-plus-something-year old millionaire bank manager about the subject of professions. 20-something year old penniless aspiring writer-slash-humanities-student tells the latter desire to teach language and literature at the university level. 30-plus-something year old bank manager tells former to work at ABS-CBN or TV5. “I can get you there, I have connections.” Penniless aspiring writer-slash-humanities-student declines and says, “No, it’s not my thing.” Fast forward to five minutes and two glasses of water after. Conversation moves to the happiness of 30-plus-something year old bank manager’s chosen existence in the happy world of finance, money, the good life, happenstances which never include the loss of material abundance because heck, 30-plus-something year old bank manager can own the world if desired. 20-something-year-old penniless aspiring writer-slash-humanities-student goes, “Oh, but there’s a study which ranked the happiest professions in the world. Accountants and bank managers, the business of our family, are ranked at the bottom.” ”What’s at the top?” ”Clergy. Teachers, writers, doctors, nurses.”
“Kaya pala, kasi madadali lang yung trabahong ganun.” [“It figures, because those are just easy occupations.”]
20-something year old penniless aspiring writer-slash-humanities-student-at-a-premiere-university chooses to engage herself to an unrequited exchange of reticence.
Here’s to reminding myself that God and I are taking a courageous step today.
Bahala na. :)
