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

Brigham Circle