"Yet, there's a place where no Truthsayer can see. We are repelled by it, terrorized. It is said a man will come one day... He will look where we cannot..."
Sorry for the delayed post. Been busy with GenBuKen affairs during the Sportsfest.
WISH #5: GET ON WITH IT FOR MY CREATIVE WRITING
I'll still continue to write poetry and essays. However...
At the urging of these two literary giants' inspiration...
...I have been brainstorming concepts for this possible series of books I plan to write later on. I don't have any exact story lines for the plot yet, but so far I've been doing some research during my spare time. Momentarily called "Project Imhil", it will be in the high fantasy genre but with a lot more allusions to Philippine Mythology and Filipino History. I gotta polish my story-writing first...
WISH #4: CHANGE PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND USHER IN A RESURGENCE OF FILIPINO CULTURE.
Oh sure, wishful thinking of perhaps playing God and changing a few, but crucial, events in our history can be great. (Like: (1) unleashing an earthquake on the participants of the 1898 Treaty of Paris so that the Philippines wouldn't be sold to those damned Yankee colonizers, (2) letting Bonifacio win the revolt against the Spaniards, (3) sinkng the ships of those pesky Spanish expeditions)
But then, that would make us wear loincloths (bahag),
fend off headhunters from other tribes,
and practice animistic rituals compulsorily TO THIS DAY.
I guess the only thing I (and we) can change is the future. I just wish that we should show more respect and acknowledgement for indigenous culture, though. Our intricate ethnic arts and crafts can equal (or be even greater than) foreign ones.
And our REAL OPM is this awesome.
WISH #3: GENUINE AGRARIAN REFORM AND NATIONALIZED INDUSTRIALIZATION FOR THE COUNTRY I LIVE IN.
Because landlessness, unemployment and poverty are still gaping realities brought about by three things: unequal distribution of wealth, elitist/transnational/foreign agenda, and inherent systemic corruption.
My family from my father's side are small farmers and own a few hectares of land for rice. Though they are fortunate to have their own land to till, government support is not that substantial. Same thing with other small farmers. (Kag mas kaluluoy gid ang mga waay duta.)
Same thing with the working class in the cities. Anhon mo man ang imo degree sa Engineering, Education kag Medtech kon ang tupa mo man lang, CALL CENTER?! Kag ka-afford man ayhan mag-call center ang mga kargador kag factory worker? Swerte man lang tuod ang makagwa sa Pilipinas, galing kay gaka-brenda[maged] kita tungod sang bren- este, brain drain.:P
Ang hirap ng marami ay sagana ng ilan
Ang nagpapakain, walang laman ang tiyan
Ang nagpapanday ng gusali at lansangan,
maputik ang daan tungo sa dampang tahanan...♫
WISH #2: CHANGE THE SYSTEM
Many decades have passed. Many leaders have come and gone. Still the same social and economic problems. There are some who claim that the foremost solution is to change the individual first, but how can we change the individual, especially other individuals, if the current socioeconomic/political system is preconditioned many of us to get fooled and succumb to their whims?
There are those who claim to bring change if ever they win during the election period. And so they try to come out clean and play nice to everyone who is a potential voter. However, when they are put to power, they tend to succumb to power playing to the point that they are influenced by those already in power who maintain the same old order of things. They are no longer the squeaky clean and nice leaders we thought they were during the campaign period. Thus, things stay the same. Crime, war, corruption, poverty, injustice, suffering, apathy... Same old, same old.
Indeed, changing the individual is also a crucial step to social change, but more important is to change the system. Individuals are imperfect, free and fickle. Try to change each one and there would be a great likelihood that he or she would just ignore you or even deride you. But try to change a system, and people will be more likely to be conditioned to do what is good and proper for themselves and for the system itself.
Of course there are legal and extralegal means. Revolution right away? Not yet, as they tend to get bloody when won, and bloodier when lost. We must first start simple. We can first play by their rules but if they keep playing dirty against us, we have the right and power to drive them away and start playing by our own rules. And it's a game that cannot be played and won overnight. Years, decades or even centuries may pass before we can find that perfect opportunity to win the game. We should take our time, because if we rashly rush, the chance for success might be disrupted.
Change the individual? Ako ang simula bull$#!+? Oh, puh-lease... Society is a collective effort. No particular person and small group should be the focus or center of social attention. Society does not rely on the ego of merely one person or a few people in order to survive. Otherwise, that person or group might become a potential dictatorship while the rest would become cannon-fodder for the wars or sacrificial lambs being herded to the slaughter. The only way for the individual to change is to have the system change the individual.
Thus, the individual must not just change himself or herself. He or she must also change other people in order to change himself or herself. They must change each other. We must change each other. After all, society is not just me OR you OR him OR her OR them OR us. Society is us altogether. We altogether are society. And by changing the system into a better one, we can become better individuals who are part of a better society.
And if the repressive and malevolent continue being makulit with their whims and hidden agendas, well...
Mene, mene, tekel, uprashin...♪
ANG KATULAD MO'Y BABAGSAK DIN! ♫
* * * * *
Daw medyo bug-at gid aw?
Well, good luck, godspeed, God bless! BWAS NAAAAAA! XD
WISH #7: LIVE A MONASTIC LIFE (IF #8 DOESN'T COME TRUE)
If I end up being a bachelor for life, I want to be a monk.
No, not that kind of monk.
(It'd be cool, though. HIII-YAH!)
This kind of monk.
I was raised in a Catholic home. My father is an ex-seminarian. My cousin is an ex-seminarian (and currently a Catholic apologist). My late grandma is very religious. I was baptized by the late Bishop Fortich. We have a lot of family friends who are clergy people. Most of all, my elementary yearbook entry states that I wanted to be a priest. And I predict that I won't be having any girlfriend later on.
And if I do find a life partner and get married later on and have a family, when I retire, I will still ask for my family's permission and become a monk. (Especially kon settled naman yah ang mga bata ko kag na-fulfill naman ang akon life goal, 40-50 years from now)
A simple life of Ora et Labora would be a suitable way to spend my twilight years. Prayer and good honest work would make my geriatric years more meaningful. By this time, I've probably accomplished everything I wanted to do (and I could use some spiritual inner peace for my old age later on).
And it would be a good way to atone and repent for my wrong deeds in my younger years.
* * * * *
Six more wishes! Five days to go! Good luck, godspeed, God bless!
WISH #8: FIND MY MATE* WHEN THE PROPER TIME COMES.
* - Daw sapat lang bah.
Yes, I admit it. Even if I'm that eccentric and [more often] introverted, I am a human being. No man is an island. Social interactions, obladi, obladah... socializing, yadda, yadda, yadda. I also get attracted to the opposite sex. AND YES, PEOPLE WITH CEREBRAL PALSY (like me) HAVE FEELINGS TOO.
And what kind of lady do I want be with? Apparently, she is not Jinri Park. (Hehe! Indi man gid 'ko amo 'na ka-ambisyoso.)
The type of girl that I want to be my life partner would be someone who:
- has good attitudes, social graces, and personal ethics (or morals)
- knows how to be assertive without being too domineering
- knows how to be accommodating without being too submissive
- knows how to be smart and wise without being too highfalutin
- has a healthy sense of humor and an open mind
- can appear (and be) beautiful without trying so hard
- isn't too materialistic and capricious
BOTTOM LINE: I just want to be with A SIMPLE LADY.
If Divine Providence allows it, I wish I could have a girlfriend perhaps six years from now (after I finish graduate school and, perhaps, my PhD). The reason why "six years from now" is that I still have plans for life, like getting a career, and fulfill my life goal of writing and publishing some books. And besides, it's not just practical for my part to date and court and other mushy, lovey-dovey stuff. (Gahd, that makes me sick.)
And lovey-dovey stuff costs money, time, effort, and stress.
It does not mean that I have totally ignored the emotional aspect of my life, though. I too want to meet the girl of my dreams, tell her how much I would do for her good, and hope to gain her acknowledgement, if not her approval. But, since I do not have a career (and a stable, secure life) of my own yet, I can only look and dream of her (whoever she is). After all, I'd rather not waste my time and resources (and hers, as well) over such mushy "romantic" nonsense. We now live in a world where socioeconomic stability is important, and no lady would want to end up with an already physically-challenged guy who is unaccomplished and underprivileged.
Anyway, to the girl of my dreams (kon sin-o ka man), I can wait for you. However, the question is, "Will you wait for me?"
In the meantime, I'll just live a cold and not-to-solitary life while working for a stable and bright future. -_-
Oh, and happy Thursday. I don't believe in that sugar-coated, consumerist crap they call Valentines.
WISH #9: BECOME AN IRON CHEF. (OR HAVE A PHILIPPINE EDITION OF IRON CHEF).
WHOSE CUISINE WILL REIGN SUPREME?
When someone asks what the oldest profession is (it's not what you think it is, you naughty-minded blokes), cooking is way older. (Besides, daw waay pa man prostitution sang hunters and gatherers pa lang ang mga tawo?)
I've been watching cooking shows since I was four and I used to play "luto-luto" as a kid. I even remember playing with my older brother and pretend that we have a halo-halo stall (it was actually a box for keeping my toys). Of course, our make-believe halo-halo is actually a cup filled with Duplo blocks (they look like Legos, but only bigger and less likely to choke a toddler).
But, it was this cooking competition show from Japan (and imported by Food Network) that totally converted me into a foodie. The theatrics and dramatic production are awesome, but what drew me to the show most of all is the elevation of cooking from everyday drudgery to high art. And the culinary arts became a spectator sport. Because of this show (and its incarnations in other countries), a new perspective shone upon chefs, that the craft they practice is not just work, but an art and science requiring great creativity and knowledge. Chefs and cooks should be revered and treated with esteem.
And so, I too learned to cook, as a hobby like writing or drawing. Now, it's just instant noodles, eggs, hot dogs, de lata, and tig-ang that I'm good at. I've graduated from those. I can make soup, bake, stir-fry, deep-fry, and more. It's a pity that at the time when my interest in Iron Chef grew, the show already ended its original run way long ago (back in 1998 or 1999). But I never stopped learning to cook and love food, because food cannot be erased from human identity and culture. (And I did not, do not, and will not hesitate to learn to cook despite my cerebral palsy.)
If there are some things I learned from Iron Chef, I learned about the importance of perseverance, that one should not give up when there are people (especially challengers) who are attempting to pull him or her down (like every Iron Chef's predicament). I learned of rising back up when toppled down, because Iron Chefs do not always win. I learned also of the importance of learning and passion in whatever pursuit, because Iron Chefs respect tradition while looking for progress.
And I also learned the importance of making do with what you have.
Can you improvise a dessert kon amu 'ni theme ingredient mo?
Sure, there is Iron Chef America, Iron Chef UK, Iron Chef Thailand, Iron Chef Vietnam, but nothing can ever compare to the original.
\
Ti, san-o pa yah magka-Iron Chef Philippines?
Filipino cuisine is just as diverse, you know.
And they recently "renovated" the Japanese version.
It's a pity that they replaced "Allez Cuisine" with "Good Gastronomy"!
Their original announcer and that quick-talking floor reporter too. ("Fukui-san?")
And, NO MORE BELL PEPPER CHOMPING!!! WHY?!!!
Earth calling to Philippine TV execs! IF YOU WANT TO RAKE IN RATINGS, BUY THE FRANCHISE OF THIS SHOW FROM FUJI TV! AND DON'T SCREW IT UP! (Tani, GMA7 lang. Kapuso ko daan. Hehe!)
And make sure you get this guy as Chairman!
* * * * *
Oh well. 7 more days to go before 21. Good luck, godspeed, God bless!
Kind of like this... But more of a Catholic approach (since I'm Catholic myself).
Ang ma-summon ko yah abi, si St. George the Dragon-Slayer (that would be cool) or St. Francis of Assisi (and give me beastmaster powers... ooh.) or kon medyo high level na gid...
Archangel Michael
Aaand because the Spirit World not only houses good spirits,
Somebody out there is bound to raise hell.
Literally.
So, I might need reinforcements from these guys...
Who you gonna call?
* * * * *
Good luck, godspeed, God bless us all, I guess. A dozen wishes remain.
My Dream Travel Itinerary (and proposed activities):
* Asia
- Japan (watch a sumo match, go ninja-spotting and eat real ramen from a ramen stand)
- Mongolia (go horseback riding with the descendants of Genghis Khan and try to traverse the Silk Road)
- Vietnam (try Vietnamese cuisine and see the battlefields of the Vietnam War)
- Israel (go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with falafel in hand)
- Turkey (see the Hagia Sophia with baklava in hand and watch an Ottoman military band)
- China (feast on Chinese cuisine after seeing the Great Wall and witnessing some Shaolin monks practicing)
* Europe
- Scotland (get me some bagpipes and a kilt, go to the Highlands, and dress up as a Pictish warrior)
- Ireland (drink ale and listen to jigs in Irish pubs, visit places that became prominent during the Troubles)
- France (buy myself a big block of cheese after visiting Paris's Eiffel Tower and Provence's lavender fields)
- Italy (visit a Roman Colosseum, get gorged on pizza and pasta, and get the Pope's blessing in the Vatican)
- Scandinavia (VIKING SPOTTING! after feasting on a smorgasbord)
- Spain (go on a pilgrimage by foot to Santiago del Compostella before going to a tapas bar in Barcelona)
- Germany (feast on sausages and lagers during Oktoberfest, watch a Rammstein concert)
* Americas
- Cuba (hang out on the beaches and meet and greet Fidel)
- Peru (climb Macchu Picchu and ride a llama)
- Chile (watch a Nueva Cancion concert after seeing the Easter Island statues)
- U.S. (eat in diners and delis, visit Disneyland or Hollywood, watch a Civil War reenactment)
- Mexico (explore Aztec ruins after a meal of tamales, nachos and burritos, harvest vanilla beans)
* Africa
- Morocco (shop at a souk, go camel-riding and explore the Sahara)
- South Africa (meet and greet Nelson Mandela)
- Ethiopia (visit the Battlefield of Adwa, Coptic churches and old imperial castles)
- Tanzania (visit Olduvai Gorge, go on a safari, and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro)
* Oceania
- Australia (learn the didgeridoo from the Aborigines and pet koalas)
- New Zealand (learn the Maori haka dance, pick kiwifruit, and visit the scenery from Lord of the Rings)
- Polynesia (island-hop, fish with locals, scuba-dive)
* * * * *
I should start saving for this, I guess. 13 more wishes. Good luck, godspeed, God bless!
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