Old friends (reprising an old title for a blog post)

Mariano Garchitorena calls our group Good People of Hiraya after the gallery on United Nations Ave., Ermita, where we used to converge and connect in the 1990s. Missing in this post-Christmas reunion was ceramicist Shoko Mafune, now based in Australia. Miss you like crazy, Shoko!

That Sunday we came from different parts of Mega Manila--Karen Ocampo Flores and her children Aya Justiniani and Adoy from Las Pinas City, Noel Soler Cuizon from Manila, myself from Antipolo and Garch from Makati.

We chose Rockwell Power Plant Mall as assembly point. From there we decided whether we'd walk towards Poblacion, Makati, in search of Thai food at a place called Crying (?) or Crouching (?) Tiger. Or not. Garch, a mountaineer, would have found the walk easy peasy lemon squeezy. But there were Noel, whose leg was all achey and who was using an umbrella to prop himself up, and myself, certified PWD with osteoarthritis of both knees and with a cane to keep my balance.

Posing at our table, me holding up the rear and a bottle of brown Sheaffer Skrip found at a Noteworthy sale. Clockwise: Garch, Adoy, Noel, Aya and Karen

The mall was Garch's territory since he lives and works nearby. He decided for us--let's go to The Grid. The fried chicken and mashed potatoes came highly recommended--I had that as I was in no mood anymore to decide on what I was gonna eat. Noel had chicken, too, but with French fries, not mashed potatoes. Adoy's Mexican fare looked tantalizing but too late to change my mind.

Studying the cholesterol content, Nuks?

Yes, you dipped the boneless chicken in gravy, the mashed potatoes in more gravy. Bliss!

Mid-meal who should stride in but scriptwriter-director-actor-"almost tocaya" Bibeth Orteza and friends? There was time for a brief "Hi" and "Hello" before she told me of her schedule of appearance in all the performances of the play "Silent Sky" where, according to the Repertory Philippines press release, she will play "the brilliant and exacting astronomer Annie Cannon." (The play runs from Feb. 1 to 10 at the Carlos Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.)

I learned a new word--"smocket"--for smoking pockets which the mall had outside for the ones who couldn't break the habit (I won't disclose who among the good people still indulged in an after-meal stick).

Selfie by Garch as we rested our feet before walking to our dessert destination

Group-fie with me photobombing Garch and Karen

We followed the leader Garch to Wildflour for apres-dinner coffee and tea, plus slices of coconut pie, carrot cake and chocolate cake. I was so full from dinner (no leftovers is my new motto) that I could only partake a portion of the sweets. Not that I was watching my diabetes. When I'm with friends, I hang loose.

And hang loose we did until it was time to kiss and hug one another good night and to pray for a very good year that would bring us together again.

Joey Cob’s Challenge: ‘Satisfied Ka Ba?’

He insisted on calling me “Mama Beth” from first eyeball until I told him “Mama Bear” sounded better. Since then, our brief exchange of SMS and email has been more relaxed, comfortable enough for me to say “Wait lang” when he persists with a question or request.

Today, while going through my computer folder labeled “Pending” to stand for unfinished work, I saw this exchange Joey Cobcobo and I had right before the May 10 elections when I hurriedly made a side trip to SM Megamall Art Center to check out the group show called "Signos," a Slash/Art project. Noel Cuizon and Karen Ocampo Flores, the persons behind Slash/Art, had conceptualized this exhibit (before the former was taken ill; he is on the road to recovery). It was a politically charged show like anything that would spring from the combined energies of Noel and Karen. They can rally the visual arts community to comment on the national situation.

These days, however, I am hovering in "neitherland" (neither here nor there; not all there). I fight lapses of memory, drawing up endless to-do lists, the done list never quite catching up with what remains to still be accomplished. I saw this Q&A, a quiet admonition that reminds me of what remains, well, undone “that gives a bit of heartache at the setting of the sun,” to quote an old poem from childhood.

Let Joey speak. This old bear needs to check on the heated porridge. His youth enables him to draw up his own to-do list, to explore non-traditional materials and to match his activities with this rare quality called faith. Old mama bear feels refreshed just reviewing his answers.

Why do you work with what seems to be frail material (piña)? Have you given up on canvas on board?

I like paper, pulp and the raw materials of piña which we have here. We’re known as piña country. I want my prints to be look like three-dimensional forms, with no limitations at all. A Japanese master paper-maker studied the combination of piña, saba and koxo (mulberry). The result is one of the strongest types of paper. This was tested here and abroad. Handmade paper with piña is acid-free paper, it’s organic, no chemicals are added. When I paste/glue, I use kunyaku powder from Kunyaku’ plant. So what with canvas or wood? Saan ba sila galing? Minsan mas masaya ung mahirap at makitid na daan kesa sa lahat na komportable pero kelangan mo lang i-explore, pag-aralan. Maybe it’s just a matter of how you frame it, or where you place it? Or even, do you love it?

Kung ano man maging resulta ng eleksyon, may saysay ba ito sa iyong buhay at sa buhay ng karaniwang Pinoy?

Lahat ng pinagpaguran natin ay magkakaroon lamang ng saysay kung ito’y maiintindihan at maipauunawa natin sa lahat ng antas ng tao. Boto ng mayaman ay parehas lang ang bigat kumpara sa boto ng mahirap. Pila ko, pila mo rin. Bilog ko, bilog mo rin. Huwag lang sanang bilugin ang taong walang alam.
Sumabay pa tong reunion ng high school batch ko. Sama ako dyan pero magtratrabaho ako. Survey on Top 10 promises of the politicians so after merienda at pikturan, umupo ako sa gitna ng malaking batong mesa. We joked around hanggang sa ipasok ko ang tunay na agenda. Magbigay naman kayo ng mga pangako ng mga politiko na napanood, narinig at nakita ninyo sa inyong lugar. Madaming naglabasan pero pumili ako ng 10 pangako ng mga politiko. Kahit ano puwede mauna:
1. Babayaran ko ang utang ng Pilipinas.
2. OpO = Oposisyon ako
3. Libreng computer at Internet sa bawat pamilya
4. Di ako sinungaling, i-lie detector test niyo pa ako.
5. Kasangga mo ang langit.
6. Tapusin ang kahirapan.
7. Gusto ko happy ka.
8. Hindi ako magnanakaw.
9. College graduate sa bawat isang pamilya
10. Libreng pabahay
After that discussion, haay salamat, uwian na, but they pushed me to lead them in prayer, especially for a schoolmate who died. Okay, fine. It was a solid prayer, the first time I felt the strong impact of the God Spirit. I can’t explain the real joy and peace in my heart that still remains. Lahat napagod sa botohan, lahat may napala, tumatak man sa isipan ng Pinoy o hindi ang aking ginawa, ito ay ingay pa din. Wala akong pinagsisihan, wala akong pinanghinayangan sa aking mga ginawa. Ang tanong ko lang sa kapwa Pinoy: SATISFIED KA BA?

Photo shows Joey Cobcobo and his contribution to "Signos"