December 21, 2004

E. De Los Santos Avenue

The Avenue of the heroes.
The Filipinos had demonstrated the most powerful way to overthrow a corrupt government of the Philippines.
The People Power revolution of 1986 in Edsa was the awakening of the voice of the people that was been dormant for almost 25 years.
I marched on that day of eruption and shouted freedom and democracy that shattered the gates of Malacanang and created a dominoe effect all over the world.
The Koreans followed us like a cat that forgot to bring a copier.
The Tiananmen student uprising was a success with bloody mary on the side.
The Iron curtain was washed but never to be hang again.
The Filipinos had achieved the extraordinary event of a life time but that achievement can be exploited and can be use has a weapon of mass destruction.
The People Power revolution was the lava that came from Malacanang.
Perhaps Edsa Dos will be the last of the lava flow.

December 15, 2004

Beth Circa 90s


I thought she was just a dream but a blessing from heaven.

I was fresh out of the boat and was craving to taste the food of my God.
Los Angeles was amazing just like watching a real terminator movie. police choppers going around with their search lights on, looking for the right crime at the right time. I didn't like this city of angels with horns and tails.
I moved to the east of the coast to meet my destiny on the softness of the mattress.
Beth was from George Sherman Union. I called her that because she loved to see naked men running out of nowhere and to learn the courses of her alma matter. She was a thrill,sings and dance. She can turn your body up side down then drink the liquid of your body and complained about it.
She was scared of bearing the placenta. So, she put it in a jar to be remembered. I saw her dance with other men and came back to me like a doll that forgot to cry.

December 11, 2004

Abi


She was a smart wit.
She was just an innocent flower with a thorny branch.
She can tear you apart like a paper shredder and loves you like the warm climate of the Philippines.
She can give you intellectual ideas but made love like an inflatable doll.
10 years of my life with her was like an ice cream that never melted.
A boiling water that never boiled, and the fire that never burned.
She craved to be a sha-man but never to chewed the plant that can heal a human being.
She was the woman that open my heart to a new frontier but that frontier was already been conquered.
She loved like any other woman, she has the strength and ability to pursue her happiness but forgot to look back and reclaim the love she lost.

November 24, 2004

Why

I have been craving to reach my American Dream but it's still a long cold winter in New England.

The unclaimed Bouquet of roses are still fresh and the grey sky over Boston is like a curtain that hide my dream. I have been reaching for the star but the star just keep on fading. Why do I have to wear the crown of thorns?

I am not the savior of this world but just a lamb that wasn't butchered. I write like any other man who feels betray by others and being betray by himself. I sweat like a cow in the Philippines and freeze like a river in America. I haven't failed and will continue to wipe my sweat and break the frozen river to conquer the destiny that I haven't reach.



November 17, 2004

The Real American Idol


William Hung

He cannot sing, he doesn't look good and he can't dance either but He is a true American Idol. A new adolescent idol for the 21st Century.

William Hung is love by American teen agers and adults.
He is love and adore by the people who believe in claim to fame.
Just laugh, don't say anything or just plain shock but he is the person that claimed his 15 minutes of fame. The real american idol is laughing all the way to the bank.

November 15, 2004

Ako ay Pilipino

Bakit ang Filipino masakit mag-mahal kapag minahamal? @}--->---------
Umalis ako sa Pilipinas kasi wala akong kinabukasan. Hindi lang ako kundi ang buong pamilyang Castillo,Estrada,Gregorio at Stamatelaky. Ako ay Pilipino sa puso....naghihinakit na merong kaisipang dayuhan, hindi ako straight na tagalog talker but halo-halo ang aking pag-iisip parang matamis na merienda na mabibili sa Boni Avenue. Bakit ako ganito kababayan? bakit? Hindi ko pinilit na maging halo ang aking pag-iisip. hindi ko kasalanan umalis nang Pilipinas kasi ako ay nagugutom,hirap at payat. Bakit tayo ganito pasikat dito, pasakit doon. Para sabihin sa ating kababayan na may PUTI akong asawa na galing sa ibang bansa at may dolyar sa bulsa, may anak na blue eyes at blonde hair.
Mag kamao man ko mag binisiya. Nag puyo ako sa Pardo, Cebu. ako ay may step-father na bisoy ang pangan ay Nap. Nindut kaayo ang isla Mactan. Kamoo man ku mag sud-sud at maningas.
Mag-novena tuwing Miyerkules, at Sumisimba tuwing linggo. ito ay natutuhan ko noong naninirahan ako sa isla Cebu.
Bakit tayo nag-lilibak kung ang pilipino ay galing sa ibang probinsiya? Pinagtatawanan nating sila at nilalait.
Bakit tayong tiga Luzon hind natin gusto ang ibang probinsiya
Bakit ang Ilocano, Cebuano, Tagalog, lahat tayo ay hindi nagkakaisa.
Ang Bansa ko ay Kawawa-naman at walang tutulong kung hindi tayo.

November 10, 2004

The Filipino Soldier

It was around 8 pm on February 4, 1899 on a bridge in San Juan that Private WillieW. Grayson, an American sentry, shot dead a Filipino soldier.
The Filipino soldier is destructive, intellectual and subversive.
After the 1986 peaceful People Power Revolution in the Philippines. The Reform Armed Movement continue to fight their struggle for nothing. It was a bloody 6 years for Pres.Corazon Aquino. Six bloody years of AFP destruction of the Philippines and it's economy. The Filipino soldier indeed helped the masses rose against a dictator but it was also helping themselves on the pot of gold that was reachable through the hearts of my beloved Filipino people.
Intellectually the Filipino soldier is smart and soft hearted a typical attitude of a Filipino man but can easily torn by hate and gold. He served under Bonifacio and Aguinaldo, fought the American forces, joined the guerilla during the rising sun invasion, froze in Korea and tried to built bridges in Vietnam.
A PMA class that turned out to be a subversive in attitude planned to take over the Hut along Pasig River, they tried but failed. they continue to bombard the hearts of the Filipinos but failed because they took the wrong turn in Manila but tried to succeed again and again, but still they failed.

November 03, 2004

Four more years with Bush

America is still divided.
The goals of the Bush administraton are still in questions. Americans are still
divided. Allies are still in doubt with the foreign policies of the U.S. government towards Afghanistan, Iraq and the war in terror.
The war in Iraq is still bleeding with foreign blood. The world is still divided, the Arabs think that Americans hate islam and it's people. Americans think that We are hated by the world.
George W. Bush is still the man sitted on the throne of the White House according to the majority of conservatives who voted for him. I never understand why you and me are divided because we invaded a country that was not really a threat to us and to the world.
Indeed, Saddam Hussein was the Butcher of Baghdad. I know that name since I was only 15 years old living in the Philippines. I am sick and tired of hearing his name. I was for the war with the twist of guilt on the side.
I was for the war, Because I wanted the Kurds to be freed from the evil of Saddam. free from his crucifix, free from his sword but never wished that more are being butchered by us. I wish I can reached out and a hold a kid with no hands.

Sky View

A Bird's Eye View of Boston by J. Klein

November 02, 2004

Makoy

Ferdinand E. Marcos

Terror

Carlos the Jackal

America and The Philippines Torn by Terror

Carlos the Jackal,the man who started it all.
He was born in Venezuela, under the more sane name of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, but history will remember him as Carlos the Jackal. He was the first superterrorist, back in the days when terrorism was still far enough from U.S. soil for Americans to consider it glamorous.
On the other side of the world, The Philippines have been fighting terrorism during the days of the Marcos regime. The former dictator and his cronies created the Terror in Manila like the boxing matched of Ali and Frazier.
The former thief was consider the best in terror. The so called "Salvage System" was one of his political system. They snatched political enemies during their rapid eye movement then spreading their blood on rice.
The Mendiola bridge was just a small innocent bridge during those times. The Filipino Muslims were really the victims of terror. War was just an ordinary life and Jeromentado was part of islam. Arab fighters invaded us to teach the messages of an extremist ideology hiding inside an innocent book.
The 21s century was a new beginning for terrorism. Two towers fell from the sky creating a poisonous smoke in the land of milk and honey. A cow boy decided to create more terror on the land of sand with burning oil and blood.
Understanding the mind of a terror, is that blood is thicker than water.
That the fundamentals are mixed with extreme hatred to other humans.

October 28, 2004

The Bacolod Experience

Ka daku sa edu!!!!
(Ilongo for What a big dog)
Bacolod is very notorious for Communism and Poverty.
Bishop Fortich was accused of being a communist by the government.
Imelda Marcos declared the whole island was starving to death.
This was an era when the Philippines was infamous for being poor. When Westerners think that all Filipinos lives on trees.
I never saw so much sugar cane in my life and poverty at the side.
Where rich and poor goes to different churches just to hear to good words of the lord. I never saw so many people so divided because they worship a pot of gold.
The New People's Army was active on this region. they have the cause to deliver the message of the hammer and the sicle. But the political messages of the catholic church are more powerful from the barrel of a gun. So many people scraping pearls on the rode side and chewing the sweetness of a rotten cane.
The pearl of the orient is bleeding and it hurst like brand new shoes.

The Boston Red Sox - 2004 World Series Champions


The Boston Red Sox in 1918 w/ Babe Ruth

It was a Lunar Eclipse when the Boston Red Sox won The 2004 World Series.
86 years of frustrations is finally over

October 25, 2004

The Red Wheel Barrow

The Red Wheel Barrow
So much depends upon
A red wheel barrow
Glazed with rain water
Beside the white chickens
An answer to Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven
"Only this, and nothing more"

October 21, 2004

United States



The Sugbu (Cebu City)

Lapu-Lapu was a brave Moro chieftain of Mactan. Too bad Ferdinand Magellan forgot to bring the Santo Nino with him when he landed on the island in 1521.
The "Little Jesus" should have able to save Magellan's life.

After a boring life in Davao City my mom finally got a great respectable job in the recording industry. "J.E.M." hired her to be the regional manager for that company base in Cebu City. J.E.M recording was one of the companies who changed the structure of the recording industry in the Philippines. Famous singers and bands started with that company, like The A.P.O. hiking society, Hajji Alejandro, V.S.T @ company, Freddie Aguilar and more. I felt I had a claim to fame during those years in Cebu City. Life was good and famous. I enrolled in a very good Catholic school in Mango Avenue - The Colegio De la Immaculada Conception (C.I.C school sounds familiar). It is the island version of the University belt in Manila. It was a good 7 years of my life in The Sugbu were I learned to swim, harvest clams and socialize with very rich people. Cebu City was a small America in the Visayas were rich kids speak Cebuano with an accent of spanish. Majorities of Cebuanos are very religious even though they kill themselves after a religious mass. Perhaps a tradition that they learned from The Conquistadors were to invade other land for the name of religion
I love The Sugbu

October 14, 2004

Davao City

My life adventure started in Davao, A City south of Manila. I was just going with the flow with dirty politics and just started to realized what is life in the Philippines. I was enrolled in a good Catholic School where Nuns were the teacher that you can ever imagine.
Having a Nun for a kindergarten teacher was just like a blessing from hell. They humiliated every one in my class. ICC(Immaculate Conception College) was the name of the school in Davao. The school pledged allegiance to the Virgin Mary - Catholic Ideology.
This was the decade the Philippines declared war to it's people. The Moro of Mindanao was again invaded. And again September was the common month for this to happen.
Naglastog (Ilocano for arrogant) si Ferdinand Marcos!
Gusto ko nang Hot Pandesal ( I like eating Dinner Rolls) was the No.1 hit song for that era.
I guess the Filipinos were getting poorer and the only way that the Marcos regime can feed the poor was to promote the modern staple food for the Filipino people "The Hot Pandesal". I am a Filipino and I ate a lot of pandesal in circa 1972.

October 11, 2004

Filipino Attitude

What is Filipino Attitude?
A Filipino who wears and show off American products but are really made in China.
Speaking english in slang, wear winter boots, knitted cap and leather jacket in the
hot climate of The Philippines. Lived and worked in United States for a year then returned to the Philippines and forgot to speak Filipino.
Colonial mentality that was introduced during the 50 year rule of Americans in the Philippines. We are the only country in Asia that really into Americanization.
If the Filipinos has the chance to vote to make the Philippines the 51st State of United States of America. The majority of F.L.I.P.S will vote for statehood. No doubt about that my fellow Filipinos,
The foreigners hijacked the Filipino society. The Filipinos doesn't know that the Americans colonized the P.I. for the purpose of marketing.
Not to make Filipinos A Canu (American)!!!!
Majority of us think that living in The U.S.A is better than living in The Philippines. I think and act like any other Filipinos. I remember when one of my Chinese-American friend asked me. Why do Filipinos living in America compete with fellow Filipinos instead of helping them?
I was flabbergasted to answer Ernie. Because I really don't know how to answer his question. I was embarrassed because it is True and obvious that We love the Philippines but do we compete with each other instead of reaching a hand when a Filipino stumble and fall.

9/11

I was born on Sept 11th.
The former dictator of the Philippines was born on 9/11.
The Israeli Olympic Team were murdered in September.
There were many negative things happened in September.
I always think that the month of September is curse.
I wish I was never born on Sept 11th.
I will always think about those 3,000 people who died on my birthday that day of infamy.
I will always think how the world changed on Sept 11th.
America and The Philippines are now two different world torn by terror.
I am a Filipino born on 9/11

October 04, 2004

Villa Verde, Pangasinan

The house is green with pointed edges.

Generations of Castillos,Estradas and Gregorios lived in this green house in the land of foreign people where different dialects clash like wild fires and other cultures are marinated.

I am indeed happy to see this Villa Verde blossom to a new gumamella in the land where cultures are divided. I
saw a lot of changes in this green house. An Acre lot divided then sold with memories lost.

I miss my green house.

Screw the Status Quo - Katie Torres

The year is 2004.

I am already a citizen of The United States of America.
I have been craving to vote in the land of opportunities.
Perhaps the guilt and frustrations that I saw in Manila still
haunts me. I marched in Edsa in 1986 to support an incoming
legitimate government that will change the structure of The Philippines.
18 years later the Philippine economy is still corrupt and poor.
I always dream that the Filipino people will again rise up and see
the true meaning of freedom. It's been a bumpy road to economic recovery.
old politicians still rules the country. Coup plotters became Senators.
Nepotism is still the favorite promotions for politicians.
I am a Filipino living in Boston.
Thank God

September 24, 2004

Filipino in Boston

The Boston Red Sox is awesome with a twist of frustrations and The New England Patriots is of course the most aggressive football team in the U.S. I love eating the clam chowder and the Boston cream pie. Taking the "T" is the most exciting thing to do. I have been here for almost 11 years. Saw a lot of changes in this city. girfriends I dated just disappeared like thin air and hopping from one temp job to another.

I didn't grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but I feel I was born in Snotty City.

I immigrated to have a greener pasture. The city of Boston is like London with it's narrow roads and fast drivers and to mention "The Big Dig"!!! A $15 billion project of the State Government but now it's leaking water in the tunnel an investment went down the drain. I love America and it's culture probably because I grew up, American in the 7,000 islands of the Philippines. Speak english when I was only 2 yr old and ate a lot of burgers and fries but was bless not to get fat. But mostly all Filipinos are already Americanize.

I always dreamed about America, and I knew when I was a kid that I will have the opportunity to live in the land of milk and honey . I am having a wonderful life and a good career, but still my American Dream is unreachable and it's a long cold winter in New England.





Brigham Circle