My Malabon

So many people have been asking me, "Aren't you tired of floods?" Truthfully, I am. But Malabon has a certain charm. And it's my home. The only home I've ever known. You can say it is also my comfort zone. I lived here all my life and my support system is here. I can't imagine living any other place even if there are occasions when flood waters would enter our house. Call me masochist but I find flood-traversing as an indulgent adventure.

I don't think any people can really describe a flood unless that person lives in Malabon. And really, I don't think many people have a fond childhood memory of bathing, swimming and catching tilapia (and torture them later) in a long stretch of flooded streets. I am so used to floods. I think it upped my survival instincts some notches.

But I would want a flood-free Malabon. I dream of that too. I hope that there would be rainy seasons without any flood. I hope that calendars with a record of high tides and low tides wouldn't have any impact on the lives of the people of Malabon. I hope that our leaders would work double time to find the solution to our perennial problem. And that the people of Malabon would do their share in ending their misery (e.g. not to throw garbage anywhere, or not to make the river their own comfort room).

I'm not putting a period on my sentence. Who knows, I might leave Malabon someday. But while I still live here, I'll just savor the experience. Below is one of my past times while riding a pedicab on Malabon's flooded streets... taking pictures with my cellphone.

PAPER CLIPS INVASION

We were given an opportunity to make a short film. Our VP's way of tapping on our creativity. Well, I did what I could with a box of paper clips. This is my very first crack with stop motion animation. I hope you'll enjoy watching this. I was armed with a still camera and tripod from a friend, a single light source from an officemate, and a box of paper clips from Best Buy. A friend helped out in producing this. Concept, direction and edit (Adobe Premiere) courtesy of moi.

Superwomom's Notes:
Song snippets courtesy of the following artists
Yellow by Coldplay
Sunlight by Kevin Lettau
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
Umbrella by Lilla Syster
Drive by Incubus
Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows
ABS-CBN Theme by Fred Ferraz

Happy Birthday, Tatay!

For my Father's birthday, Ramir and I decided to give him 2 tickets for Apo Hiking Society's Concert "APO of the Philippines". But being a mushy letter writer that I am, I wouldn't let his birthday pass without giving him a card. Below is what I've written verbatim in his commercialized Hallmark greeting card.

Dearest Tatay,

Thank you for your wisdom. I wouldn’t have known a lot of things if not for the stories and lessons you’ve shared.

I’m proud of what you have become and I’m grateful for the fact that I can share a lot of things with you and I can consult anything under the sun with you.

I hope that like you, I’ll be able to advance my career without stepping on anyone. May I also be wise and logical in a lot of ways. And lastly, may I affect the lives of my children the way you affected yours. I love you Tatay. I guess, loving you would be my greatest gift. May Rainie be inspired with my life the way I am inspired by yours. Happy Birthday.

Love always,
Rok

SUPERWOMOM'S NOTES:

Rok is a pet name. Tickets to APO OF THE PHILIPPINES are now available on Ticketnet. Call 911-5555 or visit www.ticketnet.com.ph or www.apohikingsociety.org

APO OF THE PHILIPPINES is slated on September 20, 2008 (Saturday) at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Better Philippines

Election year is near. And honestly, my hopes are pinned on the fact that in 2010, we would be electing a new President. It’s my dream that the Filipino people would be wiser and more logical to elect the right leaders. I dream that come 2010, it would be the start of a better Philippines…
A Philippines where Filipinos would opt to be homebound because they can see a brighter future here.
where children have equal access to education.
where government officials put their electorates’ priorities on top of their own.
where Filipinos are proud of what they have become as a nation.

I saw a youtube video about Times of India’s India vs. India. This was a campaign launched by India’s most widely circulated national daily – Times of India. I was so envious because they were able to launch a massive campaign that aims unite the whole of India. This appeared on the front page of Times of India last January 1, 2007. I hope that in 2010, we’ll start to realize that it’s our time to fly. Below is the full transcript of the essay and the Youtube link.

INDIA V/S INDIA

There are two Indias in this country.
One India is straining at the leash, eager to spring forth
and live up to all the adjectives that the world has been showering recently upon us.
The other India is the leash.

One India says, give me a chance and I'll prove myself.
The other India says, prove yourself first and maybe then you'll have a chance.

One India lives in the optimism of our hearts.
The other India lurks in the skepticism of our minds.

One India wants.
The other India hopes.

One India leads.
The other India follows.

But conversions are on the rise.
With each passing day more and more prople from the other India
have been coming over to this side.

And quietly, while the world is not looking,
a pulsating, dynamic, new India is emerging.
An India whose faith in success is far greater that its fear of failure.

An India that no longer boycotts foreign-made goods
but buys out the companies that make them instead.

History, they say, is a bad motorist.
It rarely every signals its intentions when it is taking a turn.
This is that rarely-ever moment.
History is turning a page.
For more than a century, our nation has sprung,
stumbled, run, fallen, rolled over, got up, dusted herself and cantered,
sometimes lurched on.

But today, as we begin our 60th year as a free nation,
the ride has brought us to the edge of time's great precipice.
And one India - a tiny little voice at the back of the head-
is looking down at the bottom of the ravine and hesitating.
The other India is looking up at the sky and saying, it's time to fly.

YOUTUBE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgHyjMgPi2Q

For Country

Somebody knew how I love citing quotes in my blog. He saw this in a park bench in Greenbelt, Makati. The quote was from Washington Sycip - a Chinese-Filipino who founded the Asian Institute of Management and the accounting firm Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and Company.

"Our country can be criticized for so many things, but in the end, we must give back what we can."

- W. Sycip

YOUR MISSION IN LIFE

I attended the First Friday Mass today and the priest gave this sermon about finding your purpose or mission in life. Fr. Tito Caluag said, "Find out the one thing that you enjoy doing which provides you the greatest happiness, then intersect that with a hunger in the world, then you have found your mission in life."

That makes sense. For me it's educating children. It gives me great happiness to be able to teach and reach out to them - whether it be through storytelling or selling books or teaching them through play. And the hunger in world, meaning, that void that I need to fill is definitely on education. I hope that day would come when Filipino children would be granted equal access to good education. And I would try my best to contribute, to use my God-given talent to create and educate.

SUPERWOMOM'S TOP 5 - West Side Story

Hold my hand, and we're halfway there

Hold my hand, and I'll take you there

Someday...

Somehow...

West Side Story is the tragic story of lovers Tony and Maria who were caught in the middle of warring gangs - the all-white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Tony is a gang member from the Jets while Maria is the sister of the Shark's main man. Theirs was a modern day Romeo and Juliet set in New York's Manhattan. Featuring Christian Baustista as Tony and Joanna Ampil as Maria, The West Side Story opened yesterday (September 4) with a formal gala premiere at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas. This specific show was for the benefit of Bayanijuan (an ABS-CBN initiative to help the country's poorest of the poor).

SUPERWOMOM'S TOP 5

Reasons why you should watch West Side Story

1. Joanna Ampil

She's a wonderful Maria with a crystal clear voice and and an impeccable stage presence. A veteran of theater productions, Joanna makes the audience comfortable with her effortlessness on stage. As many critics would say, if Lea Salonga is to Broadway, Joanna Ampil is to West End. I could not agree more. Her voice rings with emotions. She exceeded my expectations and she'll make you proud to be Filipino.

2. Anita

I was amazed as to how she sang and danced with great ease. She's so perfect as Bernardo's girl. I most specially loved her on the song and dance rendition of "America." She was also stellar on the part where she bravely went into the Jet's lair to deliver a message to Tony but was dismissed brusquely by the gang members.

3. Songs

Familiar and poignant. Immortal hymns by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim like "Somewhere," "Tonight," "One Hand, One Heart," and "America." It kept playing over and over in my head. LSS (Last Song Syndrome) to the highest order.

4. Choreographies

I love the fact that the stage looks so full when they dance, whether these are fight scenes or lively interpretations of boys-girls, Jets-Sharks banters. I specifically enjoy the fight choreographies. They're fluid, balanced and engaging.

5. Bernardo (Sharks) and Riff (Jets)

As arch rivals, they both have the spunk and attitude of a street gang leader. They also have the versatility to belt a song or do a well-choreographed dance routine of a street fight. I think their characters tremendously contributed to the intensity of the musical.

On Christian Baustista as Tony: He's probably not the best choice for the lead. He and Tony doesn't fit to a T. For one, he doesn't look like a street gang member. He doesn't even act like one. I think he needs to be comfortable with his role so that he can command the stage more. There were several scenes where he has to do solos and the stage just consumes him. You can also sense his nervousness from a hundred yards away. Although he has a good voice, you can hear it quiver especially when hitting the high notes. The guy has potentials, but this isn't his best yet.

SUPERWOMOM'S NOTES:

West Side Story runs at Meralco Theater on Sept. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, Oct. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12, 2008. For tickets, call Ticketworld at 891-9999 or STAGES at 818-1111 loc. 225. Ticketworld is online at http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

WEST SIDE STORY QUOTABLE QUOTE:

"When love comes so strong, there is no right or wrong, your love is your life."

- Anita and Maria

Artist on Impulse

I never considered myself to be an artist. NEVER. But something in me these past few days made me think of that. I never really tried being an artist. I couldn't draw nor paint decently. When I mean decently, I mean according to society's perception of what is an art piece. But I have colors in my head. Colors that I knew I would want to see on canvas. It was probably serendipity that I needed to go to National Bookstore to buy some props for a work-related video shoot. Then, on impulse, I decided that I wanted to try some painting. I bought an acid free sketch book, a set of oil pastels, brushes and water color pencils. I think it was one of my boldest moves to conquer the fear of scrutiny, of rejection, of ridicule. I wanted the colors in my head to be translated on paper no matter what other people would say. So here they are. A pigment of my artistic self. Five "art pieces" done in a day (with three made just before the break of dawn while my husband and daughter are asleep).

SUPERWOMOM'S NOTES:
I remember in the movie Cutting Edge, Kate Mosley (played by Moira Kelly) told Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) these lines, "Nobody tells me what I can and can't do." That's feisty. But I think that's the right attitude in every endeavor. No one has the license to size you up. The possibilities are limitless. Everything is entirely dependent on one's self.

P.S. Thanks to my daughter who always prod me to join her in her painting sessions. I think she inspired me to think that I too have a little artist in me.