Posy of Poinsettias

The petals of the Christmas flowers are falling at a fast rate. But when they were at their reddest, they silently compelled me to paint them. And paint I did late last year and the year before. A number of works in acrylic had been given away as presents. I still have a stash, and my painting teacher Norman Chow and partner Rolly Fernandez selected the ones fit for a solo exhibition, mainly still lifes, at the Cafe by the Ruins. I also did a series on cats. Hence, the title "Cats in My Fruit Salad."

So here's a sneak peak. Show opens on March 16 at 5:30 p.m. and runs for a month. Puwede bang bumati? Thank you, Fifi Perez and Jenny Carino, for your help. Photo by ELMER KRISTIAN DAUIGOY

Here We Are Again

“Baguio Pay Laeng” is the title of the Baguio Aquarelle Society’s second exhibition opening on Feb. 8, this Sunday, at 4 p.m. at the Roman Ozaeta Wing of the Baguio Country. Club. It should be subtitled “The Passion of Baboo” because if it weren’t for Baboo Mondonedo’s leadership and love for the watercolor medium, we the members would be content in taking up the brush only when the spirit moves us.

But as Toottee Chanco-Pacis said, “I work best under pressure.” So that was how we found ourselves Wednesday afternoon with teacher Norman Chow supervising us—working on our paintings under pain of deadline but managing to enjoy ourselves.

I finished three watercolors that day and had them rushed for framing the next. Let’s see how our viewers take to our new set of odes to Baguio.

Here's "Toottee's Anthuriums," a still life I made based on one of thousands of objects in my friend's house. Photo by ELMER KRISTIAN DAUIGOY

Why She’s Magic Meryl

Watching her spontaneous whoop and heartfelt speech after she was announced the winner of the best actress award from the Screen Actors Guild last Monday, I couldn’t help looking back to the very first time I saw her—on the small screen, a television mini-series called “Holocaust” where she played a noble German named Inga.

There is something about how the face of Meryl Streep that is so well put together despite her pointy nose. I became her instant fan, buying any magazine that had her on its cover (Time, People, Ms.). I followed her through Julia, Kramer vs. Kramer, French Lieutenant’s Woman, which I saw twice in one afternoon that stretched to late evening (coming out of the theater, I ran into art critic Leo Benesa; we rode the same homeward-bound bus and he expounded on Streep’s acting and her mastery of accents), Out of Africa, Sophie’s Choice, Postcards from the Edge down the line until I saw her paired with the great Vanessa Redgrave in another made-for-TV movie “Evening.”

“Evening” is special, I suppose, for those two actors—their own flesh-and-blood daughters appeared with them, Meryl’s Mamie playing her younger self, Vanessa’s Natasha Richardson as her dutiful daughter.

In the late 1980s, I was interviewing Filipino actor Gigi Duenas (now Gigi de Beaupre). A photographer was assigned to take her picture. She brought out a copy of Life magazine, flipped it to a page showing Ms. Streep. Gigi said, “That’s me.”

Yes, we all wish we have a bit of Meryl’s gifts.

Galo and His God

The end of curator Marian Pastor Roces’s presentation of the proposed Baguio City Museum was greeted with applause and a shout of “Bravo!” from a number of city residents. Everyone seemed gung-ho about seeing this museum rise from the existing ruins of the monastery on Dominican Hill.

Everyone, except Councilor Galo Weygan who insisted that the city council only agreed to allow 1,000 square meters to this infrastructure. In his hands was his own counter-proposal for an ecological, cultural and prayer center on the same site. He claims that his center came to him in a vision sent by God.

Fortunately, former Councilor Edilberto Tenefrancia was present to put Weygan in his place. “Tene,” as he is popularly called, pointed out that Weygan’s resistance against the museum is just one man’s position. And as for his vision from God, how come the other members of the council were not privy to that?

In addition to that, Tene said Weygan faces a conflict of interest—he is an elected public official and yet he is the pastor-preacher-leader of a Christian sect. Tene reminded him that the Constitution stipulates a clear separation between church and state, and Weygan is violating this by favoring his religious group.

At one point, I butted in, reminding the councilor that the museum should be non-sectarian, not favoring any religion but respecting all faiths. Roces showed in her presentation that the one-and-a-half hectares set aside for the geological garden would be conducive to meditation, contemplation and prayerful strolls.

There’s another reason Weygan shouldn’t be in the business of developing Dominican Hill. His job and those of the other councilors is to legislate, pass ordinances or review those that do not benefit the city and its people.

He reminds me of a friend’s observation of people in their senior years who have not learned wisdom, still cling to power and remain shameless about being beholden to their patrons. Walang kinatandaan.

A pundit said, upon seeing Weygan’s proposed building, “Doesn’t it look like a Korean hotel?” Photo of Weygan's proposed center by ELMER KRISTIAN DAUIGOY

Yao

“Palayain si Yao!” went journalist Gene Taduran’s New Year greeting. When last he stayed wih us, Gene told me I should convince Yao’s master to get him a bigger cage.

Yao may not have gone to obedience school, but he follows a routine. The minute he hears the first flush of the toilet in the morning, he starts barking. It is his way of alerting his master that it’s playtime.

Here they’re shown delighting in each other’s company.

Gone to the Dogs

Although I was originally a cat person (I had a cat named Omar after the Egyptian actor Omar Sharif), I’ve grown accustomed to the dogs in my two households—Bruno and Bogart in Pasig, Yao Ming in Baguio.

Yao is a mixed breed--has Japanese spitz blood but grew too big for a typical spitz’s size. He lived indoors with us as a puppy, but he now spends most of his time in a cage. I never liked the idea of his being locked up, but tell that to his master.

Bogart is a freaky mini pinscher. He has only one ball so he cannot reproduce. Bruno, on the other hand, has balls so big we can expect his line to continue.

I once asked Bruno’s owner, my sister Gigi, what trick her pet knows. She claimed her pug was the fastest eater in his category. So one mealtime, I counted slowly while he lapped up his food. It took him 20 seconds exactly to clean up his dog dish.

Someone's Review of "Ang Himas ni Ricardo"

I found this review of an old short story I wrote in the 1990s. I don't know the true identity of the reviewer, Nanaybunso, but I thanked her for it and asked permission to reprint it in this space. Now to find a copy of my story.

ANG RETORIKA NG BABAENG MANUNULAT: ISANG PAGHUHUBAD

Bilang pagpoposisyon ng personang babae sa panitikang Filipino, napili ko ang isang maikling kuwentong nailathala sa Mirror Weekly at sa Aklat Likhaan ng mga Maiikling Kuwento 1999, isa itong halimbawa ng malinaw na paglalatag ng feministang paninindigan.

Ang kuwento na “Ang himas ni Ricardo” ni Babeth Lolarga ay isang akdang walang bahid ng pagpapanggap. Senswal ang bawat pangungusap sa unang bahagi ng kuwento. Explisitong nailarawan ang bawat eksena ng pagniniig. Bawat detalye ay maaring makapagpabuhay ng libido ng bawat mambabasa nito. Ngunit sa likod ng senswalidad ng akda, nilalayon nitong ibangon ang kamalayang feminismo.

Sa simula ng kuwento, inilahad ng pangunahing tauhan na si Lara Sumulong ang kanyang relasyon kay Ricardo. Nakilala niya si Ricardo matapos niyang iwan ang kanyang nambubugbog na asawa na si Joey. Nabigyang diin sa kuwentong ito ang usapin ng sexual politics sa pagitan ng babae at lalaki. Ang katawan ng babae ay hindi isang bagay na parausan lamang ng mga lalaki. Naipakita ang kaibahan ng paggamit sa katawan ng babae bilang parausan at ang pagkakaroon ng kapangyarihan ng babae sa lalaki gamit ang kanyang katawan. Sa kanyang dating asawa ganito ang eksena:

• “Si Joey ay magpupumilit na magseks pa rin kami. Galit siya tuwing tumatanggi ako. Naniniwala siyang obligasyon ko ang sundin ang gusto niya…”

Samantalang kabaligtaran naman ito ng kanyang karanasan kay Ricardo:

• “Damdam kong masidhing naglalaban sa kalooban niya ang pagtratong paggalang sa akin at ang umaapoy na pagnanasa. Hindi naman ako ang tipo ng babae na kinikilig kapag mamamasdan ang hirap na dinadaanan ng lalaki; ang kinakatuwaan ko ay ang aking sariling kapangyarihan sa epektong kaya kong buhayin sa kanya.”

Sa huling bahagi ng kuwento, ganito ang palitan nila ng salita ni Ricardo:

• “Tinanong ko siya minsang nagpapahinga kami kung kagalakan ko lang ba ang ibig niyang madama. Ibinalik niya ang tanong sa akin, “At bakit naman hindi? Di ba reklamo niyong kababaihan na panay ang kagustuhan naming ang nasusunod? Magandang pagmasdan ang mukha mo habang ganado tayong nagse-sex. Alam kong napapaligaya kita.”

Dito naipakita ang pagiging sensitibo ng lalaki sa pangangailangan ng babae. Hindi lamang sex ang sentral na tuon dito ng akda. Mahalagang elemento nito ang pagkakaroon ng pag-asa ni Lara matapos ang isang bigong relasyon sapagkat nagpapakita ito ng kanyang katatagan bilang babae.

Ang paggamit ng pangalang Lara Sumulong – sumulong na sa kanyang pinakapayak na depinisyon ay nagsasabi ng progreso - ay maituturing na isang mapagpalayang deklarasyon nang pagsulong/pagtaguyod ng kamalayang feminismo. Iwinawaksi ng persona ang kumbensyunal na pagtingin sa pagpapamilya. Ipinagpapasalamat ni Lara na wala silang nabuong anak ni Joey, dahil kung mayroon, maaring nanatili siya sa kanilang relasyon sa isang maling konsepto na kailangan kalakihan ng bata ang isang buong pamilya. Ang pagkatao ni Lara ay matatag at hindi basta-basta nalulusaw ang paninindigan. (“Kailangan sumulong ka babae, ang palaging paalala ko sa aking sarili.”)

Sa malalimang pagsipat ng kuwento, si Lara ay isang representasyon ng makabagong babaeng naigpawan ang agresyon/pandarahas ng kanyang asawa. Pinutol ni Lara ang patriyarkal na relasyong namagitan sa kanila ng kanyang dating asawa nang iniwan niya ito isang gabing himbing ito sa ispirito ng serbesa. (“Isang gabi nang nakatulog na naman si Joey sa harap ng telebisyon at nakakunsumo ng katumbas ng isang galong serbesa, pumuslit ako, dala-dala ko ang ilang mga damit na pampalit.”)
Ito’y isang matapang na hakbang at malinaw na manipestasyon ng paglaban ni Lara sa karahasan sa kababaihan.

Naipakita sa kuwento ang pagwaksi sa istiryutipo ng babae bilang sunud-sunuran sa lahat ng gustuhin ng lalaki, na ang babae’y hindi mananatiling anino lamang ng lalaki. May implikasyong moral ang “Ang himas ni Ricardo” ngunit hindi didaktiko ang tono nito. Sa aking palagay, nakatulong ang ganitong istilo upang lalong maging epektibo ang pagkukuwento.

Sa huli, masasabi natin na kasabay ng paglaya ng kamalayan ni Lara ay ang paglaya ng babaeng manunulat na si Babeth Lolarga sa kanyang retorikal na paglalahad ng isang senswal na sitwasyon na may sensibilidad. Isa itong patunay na nailuwal ng panitikan noong dekada ’90 ang isang akdang may kabuluhan at feministang paninidigan.

IPINASKIL NI NANAYBUNSO SA 1:14 AM
MGA ETIKETA: FEMINISMO, PANITIKAN

0 (MGA) PUNA:

Breakfast at Jerry’s

Arriving an hour early for breakfast with the Araos family, I find myself being driven to Amorsolo country right within the campus of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Jerry parked his Mercedes Benz Gelande Wagen on the parking lot of Hardin ng Rosas, the building housing faculty and their families. He brought out and set up his spotter’s scope, a Leica Televid, an equipment so powerful it can bring into close view on full-moon nights the spot where the space capsule of the first man on the moon landed.

Although he has made his name as a sculptor and furniture-maker, Jerry has been a bird-watcher since the mid-sixties. Even without his eyeglasses on, he could see where a bird was resting among the rice fields. He’d summon me to peer into the scope, and there I saw my first yellow and cinnamon bitterns and moor hen (ulok in Filipino). The last had a bright red crest on its head. The scope enabled me to see blades of glass in macro size.

The campus is where over a hundred bird species fly over, roost or take a breather on the way to somewhere else. American and European bird-watchers who visit the Philippines go to the American cemetery at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City and shell out $20 each to catch sight of a little more than 20 kinds of birds. One reason there are less birds there is the caretakers of the cemetery religiously trim the bushes whereas at the UP campus, like I said, there's a wild farm out there.

Back at his home, his wife Melen and daughter Liwa laid out a breakfast fit for a datu. We had sinaing na tulingan cooked in an earthen pot (Batangas style), ginataang puso ng saging, tomato omelette, puto from Calasiao, Pangasinan, whole wheat bread and Jerry’s own strawberry jam made from Baguio berries, butter and coconut sugar, fresh coconut juice and brewed coffee.

I was sorry to leave them because they had a sumptuous Sunday lunch being readied, but I had a date with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

A typical family meal at the Araos house looks like this with Jerry at the head of the table. Photo from LIWA ARAOS’S FACEBOOK