Macarthur on Drug Addiction

“I came through and I shall return” were the noted words of Gen. Douglas Macarthur that were among the very few things which were retained in the memories of people like me who has selective amnesia especially towards History 101.

Filipino Author Bob Ong made a notable return with his 6^th book, Macarthur. First printed in April 2007, I found it in the local bookstore only a few weeks ago and immediately bought a copy. I’ve never even heard about Ong’s latest book before neither did I anticipate it because if I recall it right, he wrote in Stainless Longanisa, his 5^th book, something similar to having fulfilled his purpose in enlightening the Filipino people about our socio-political situation and even discontinued his website bobongpinoy which derives from his name (or is it the other way around?) but when concatenated translates to “stupid Filipino”. Thus, I construed that Longanisa will be his last work.

Since I’d read a Bob Ong, I’ve always admired his writing style. Foremost, he’s able to tackle significant social issues in an amusing manner. He employs humor from daily life scenes to disguise his criticisms of something or someone as a light but lasting blow hence make readers ponder again on his stories and nod in agreement to his point. Second, Ong’s books are always full of surprises and intriguing not only the text itself, but also its titles and cover designs. His first book, ABNKKBSNPLAKo?!?, derived from the old native alphabet which when read syllabically imply the statement “Aha! I can read now?!?” is written on a chalkboard as cover art while Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang Mga Pilipino? (Why do Filipinos read books upside-down?) has its cover literally upside-down. On the other hand, Stainless Longanisa features different pens on its front when longanisa is a kind of local sausage. Macarthur’s front gives us a silhouette of what seems to be a top view of a toilet.

While ABNKKBSNPLAko?!? tackled issues with our education system, Bakit Baliktad Magbasa on the common forms of our negligence as Filipino citizens, and Alamat ng Gubat (Legend of the Jungle) on greed of power especially in politics, Macarthur gives us the vivid picture of the lives of youth hooked on illegal drugs. More than a stereotype story of chase, police corruption, and effects of drugging, this book is a story of struggle for self-worth, dreams, friendship, family and reformation. Ong’s talking in native tongue reaches to more readers and assures that his message is clearly conveyed to his intended audience. His casual but tactful style creates the impression that he’s just chatting over a cup of coffee and even invited us to the different homes of the characters in the slums and to their pot sessions. Macarthur compares its characters to its slang meaning: stools that cannot be flushed at once hence the lives of these youth are but a waste. More inspiringly however is its implication that some of them are given a chance to return to a loving family abundant of concern and acceptance.

Macarthur is a triumphant return of an epic author too interesting to be flushed down the toilet.

Illiterate in Literature

In six years that I’m in college, I first flunked an exam recently; as in F-L-U-N-K-E-D. Considering that I begged my instructor to let me take the test 2 weeks past than scheduled so I would have time to review because there were a lot of things that needs equal attention, I still failed in Panitikang Filipino (Philippine Literature).

The midterm covered 3 chapters: the pre-revolution against the Spanish colonizers, the American, and the Japanese periods. I focused reviewing on the descriptions of settings thinking that the test shall ask what forms of literature were prominent in a specific time say for instance, poems and plays during the Japanese era although English was restricted. Part 1 of the exam is matching the authors with their pen names and I broke no sweat for the few who just spelled their surnames backwards but the rest are so tough that should they be living and using their aliases today, most would not be able to identify them still despite the absence of threat to sue them for libel and the like. Part two listed the titles of the works which are not so famous to a common citizen and its authors must be provided. Listing at random the names provided in column B of the preceding part is tantamount to suicide; I did it nonetheless. Last is identification where of course we had to provide what’s being asked such as “The Japanese who supervised the publication of Liwayway” and “The first Filipino woman debater who’s eloquent with Spanish”.

I went over the questions blankly until I felt like I would be fossilized as time went by. When I had answered about 12 questions, I was told by my instructor that I already got 8 correctly. After scribbling 10 more answers, she said nothing’s changed. Waahhh! In times like this, 8 is not a lucky number at all. Worse, since this course is my special class because I can’t attend its actual schedule, scores for quizzes and other classroom activities rely in this exam. Fail this, and I fail all.

I’ll bet that if these questions were asked in a game show, nobody shall win the million-worth grand prize in its entire season. Or maybe, eight will.

Say What?!?

Out of boredom from being confined at home for several days due to cold, I went to watch the pre-pageant of a personality contest which is among the features of the Subic Freeport Christmas bazaar. Laughter is indeed the best medicine and I had a dose of it during the casual Q&A portion where some of the candidates’ answers are almost lethal.

Note: To be more interesting and to reach to more readers, some of these were translated to English while some were quoted quite exactly how the candidates attempted to express it.

Q: What 3 words best describe you?
A: I-Am-God-Fearing
[Granting that God-fearing counts as one word but aren’t there any words other than “I” and “Am” that describe you better?]

Q: What is your best asset?
A: I show you all my best so whatever you see is my best, it’s you who could tell what is my best asset… [ Uh, forgive the idiot judges for not realizing what your best asset is] … but for me, my best asset are my eyebrows. Thank you [There you go!]

Q: If in case you’ll not win this contest, what do you think is the reason?
A: If I will not win, maybe because I can’t do my best. Thank you
[Yeah right. It’s YOUR best yet you can’t – as in CANNOT – still do it yourself? Poor fella]

Q: What (remarkable) qualities do you possess?
A: I always give my best…
[Similar answer with the candidate’s who was asked why he should win the contest]

Q: What is FSC? (Freeport Service Corporation)
A (quickly): For me, FSC means “Future, Secured, and Cared for”. Future because what we want to achieve in the future, we have to do it now as we know, whatever we do in the present is connected to the future. Thank you
[Uh, did I just miss the part asking “In your own words”? Maybe there could have been a follow-up question to this should you just have given the original meaning. Anyway, your brain’s processing speed is impressive. But what happened to the “secured” and “cared for”? The present is connected to the future but your justification isn’t well connected to the question]

Q: After this contest, what other competitions do you plan to join?
A: After this, I plan to continue my studies at school. Before I graduate, I have to finish my studies. Maybe I’ll do part-time modeling. But before that, I have to go back to school…
[PROBLEM: What n^th order is he going to continue his studies? TRIVIA: Schooling is a contest if you vie to receive an academic award]

Q: If you may speak to the President, the Pope, or to your favorite celebrity, who would you talk to and what will you say?
A: I will talk to the Pope because as Pope *pause* he can do *pause* Christianism *pause*
(Somebody from the audience yells, “Just speak in Tagalog!”)
(Candidate becomes irritated)
As you wish!
(Candidate continues in Tagalog pointlessly and with more pauses)
[Why not ask the Pope to pray for your salvation from embarrassment?]

Q: What is your best quality and why?
A: I am intelligent because I had finished my studies and that proves my intelligence.
[Kill the worthless honor students who claim to be the only intelligent ones!]

Oh well, see you in the finals night!

Gifts

Dad caught the cold virus early evening of the 24^th so we’re not able to go to our grandma’s place this year. My sister and a cousin invited me instead to go strolling around the Christmas Bazaar and after which, I treated them to McDonald’s despite the crowd of at least 8 people lined in each lane and despite that they announced running out of spaghetti noodles and chicken 15 minutes apart.

On our jeepney ride bound home few minutes before 11:00, I saw this sight which made my heart glad and reminded me the joy of the season. Sitting beside my sister on the opposite side of the jeep was a lady who looks to be in her late 20’s. She’s wearing a pale orange blouse and skirt of similar shade which I recognized to be a uniform of servers in a local food store. Since the jeep was packed, she’s only partly seated. With one hand, she’s clutching a plastic bag with four gifts the size of pouch bags and while the jeep weaved through the traffic, she tried her best to hold a gift steady while she wrote on its tag. Once done, she’d quickly return the package in the bag and bring out another and do the same until all were done. I smiled discreetly.

Yes, it was not as moving as those stories of charity to the poor and seriously ill people but for me, it’s the most apparent picture of thoughtfulness and giving I saw this holiday. I cannot tell if the woman is a mother (she doesn’t look like one) or for whom were her presents but that doesn’t matter. The presents were wrapped in cheap paper without glossy bows and the contents may not be expensive as well. Yet, in my mind, I admire this woman’s effort to grab these things for her loved ones despite being exhausted from a day’s work. I’m thinking how she might have felt when for hours at work, she’s served food to unknown customers while desiring to be home and prepare Christmas dinner for her own family. In this holiday when people doing office jobs are on vacation or at least had the privilege to go on leave with pay, there she was taking orders and setting tables. Maybe during the short times when she’s not handing out the menu and waiting for orders, she’s thinking what gift would her loved ones like. I can imagine how eager she was to punch her card out and rush before the stores where she got the gifts from close and have them wrapped. And in the packed and dimly-lighted jeep, she lovingly wrote the names of its recipients.

I just wish for this woman that in her whole day at work someone left a generous tip or at least none was rude to her. I wish that whoever received those gifts had liked it much and would take good care of those. And lastly, may this woman be blessed more than what she gives to other people.

Unknown to her, she’s also given me a gift and that is by inspiring me that there’s always joy in sharing what you have and more importantly sharing yourself to others.

“Christmas is a special time to give special people your gift. Whether it’s the gift wrapped in colorful paper, a message or a hug, Christmas allows us to reach them and let them know we care.” Anonymous

Retro Party

Our company relived the 70’s disco craze for this year’s Christmas Party. I didn’t know that such would be the theme neither would there be a theme (the previous years’ simply, Christmas) although it so happened that last year our department party was themed 80’s.

The previous week, I had decided to skip the event since it coincided with exams in school. However, a memorandum declaring a shortened working time on the big day came in a couple of days before the party hence my office pals convinced me to take the exam earlier than scheduled. Fortunately, my prof agreed.

The party was held in the long hall of the Exhibit and Convention Center which was used as the banquet during the Ad Congress. The program took off with energizing numbers by a guest band which played the era’s hits with an enthralling rendition of “Stand by Me” first in the playlist. Watching how it stirred the crowd groove- ecstatic in the early part of the program, I must say that the music of the 70’s isn’t as old school as I thought it was. I myself was bobbing my head along with the beat in no time!

Every department had to prepare its own meal but still each office was given a whole lechon (Philippines’ traditional roasted pig) as a compliment from the management. A feast indeed! Various prizes were raffled at intervals ranging from bags, cash, cell phones, and appliances such as DVD players, microwave oven, 21” TV, etc. There are plenty of prizes that the raffle wasn’t done even if most of the crowd had left late in the night. The small items (although not small in cost/worth) were just tossed to the crowd.

The highlights of the program include the dance competition among the different business units with 25K pesos at stake, and there’s this surprise digital presentation where the bobbing heads of our CEO, one of his deputies and a manager were placed on animated bodies dancing to the beats of “I Will Survive” and “Rock This Party” . We laughed hard and cheered on for the bosses who participated in the dance competitions as well.

Employees of different sizes and ages who dressed for the occasion are also noteworthy. I enjoyed looking on intensely colored bold prints, geometric patterns, and plaids, and of course wide headbands on the ladies and bushy afros of the men. My outfit (shirt and hat were bought just that morning) was likewise a scene-stealer which earned raves although it’s more pop than 70’s. Well, unconventional is my style. Besides, what do I know about the 70’s? My parents are not even acquainted with each other yet during those times.

From the Convention Center, we proceeded to my boss’ place where a bountiful dinner was set. Certainly, it’s a season of merry-making!