The Guardian
Iloilo City

OFTENTIMES DISTURBING
Write-ups from the column of Reymundo Salao
AUGUST, 2003

A LONG DAY WITH THE TRIGGER
(August 1, 2003 and August 2 & 3, 2003)

"We have already planted the seeds, we will just have to bite the bullet and roll with the punches. Hopefully, we have inspired others - that is our significant contribution to the country."
                                                                                                        - Antonio Trillanes 

            Last week, young officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, later dubbed as the "Magdalo Group", staged a mutiny, leading a number of armed troops, including tanks, to storm in Makati, with demands of reforms and the accusation/revelation that our own government has been selling weapons and ammunitions to the MILF rebels and the Abu Sayyaf bandits, and that our government's own officers of the military have been the ones responsible for the many bombings in Mindanao. The rogue soldiers demanded a resignation of Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, AFO Chief of Staff Narciso Abaya, AFP Intelligence Chief Victor Corpus, and PNP Chief Hermogenes Ebdane. They also demanded the resignation of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo. 
            Tension has been high over the past few days before the Makati Incident. As early as Friday, July 25, 2003, the AFP has been on alert, with the paranoia that a coup attempt is brewing that may coincide around the scheduled SONA of the President. But on Saturday evening, when numerous Military units began to abandon their posts, vanishing out of activity, the government already knew that indeed something big is about to happen. 
            As was reported in the SONA which was delivered last Monday, July 28, 2003, the nation has been going through a series of promising developments. There were the many projects that aimed to help the citizens of the country, including the Strong Republic National Highway, among others, there's also the lifestyle check among government employees which aims to be the watchdog of corruption, and how could the President not mention the impressive anti-drug campaign which have indeed brought numerous drug-runners down to justice. From the viewpoint of an optimistic speech which continues to desperately try winning the trust of our foreign neighbors, the country is indeed on a path of progress, no matter how slow it claims to be. 
But everybody knows that after the Al Ghozi escape, the image of the Philippine Government has, yet again, fallen down the drain, making us Filipinos look like corrupt and negligent primitives, idiotic in the ways of the civilized, easily fooled by the shimmer of gold. A great shame. 
Though the achievements reported in the SONA deserve credit, we are still sliding down and our progress is far. These achievements only lightened our burden. We are not on our way up. We are still struggling against the slow fall. 
            Here comes the Magdalo Group, who insisted that they rather not be called by any new separatist name, they proudly bear the name of the AFP in their struggle for reform. There they stood in the heart of the country's central commercial district, Makati, armed to the tooth, ready to fight for their demands. They were even tricky enough to fort themselves around Oakwood Hotel and the Intercon Hotel. There were tourists, civilians, structures, assets. Confrontation was risky. They were even tricky enough to discipline themselves from drawing fire first. Perhaps they knew that the media was watching. And in the politics of media, everybody has to look like the good guy. 
            Perhaps many have been pissed by such a move. My friend was even cursing on the txt message "Wla gid sila ga panumdum sang economiya". And to think that their operation seemed to have been ill-planned, and immature. It was a mutiny that never demanded a concrete end. Not unless they were ready to march to Malacañang and remove Arroyo from her presidential throne themselves, which they seemed to clearly not. 
            I agree that they the soldiers, of all people, should not have resorted to abusing their power just to express their demands. It is they who are now corrupted by the access to arms and soldiers, and abusing it to their purpose. But they believe that their cause is noble and is for the Filipino people. Even though they had a point, they were clumsy in their specifics. 
On one emotional interview by the ABS-CBN correspondents during the height of the event, Trillianes, the mutineer's leader expressed that they have no other means to express their demands, for they were against the government, they believed that there is no other way to be heard than to have taken up to arms. 
            On the other hand, the opposition party was furious at the fingers that hastily pointed at them. Sen. Vicente Sotto, in a GMA Network interview said that the problem with the government is that whenever some national crisis ensues, the opposition party is hurdled with accusations of a plot to destabilize the administration. He said that the administration should have an open-mind in dealing with the problems than by going on a bad generalization of issues. 
But the mutineers were citing the so-called National Recovery program of Sen. Gregorio Honasan, as their inspiration for their drive to reforms. I have once listened to Sen. Honasan's National Recovery program when he was interviewed on an ANC Show, and it was indeed impressive and promising. I was even moved by the ideals of the said program. Honasan denied any involvement with the mutiny group, the Magdalo group, likewise, denied the accusations that they were used as "tools" by Honasan. But Joey Lina was already calling for Honasan's arrest early that Sunday. Was this just another hasty and bad generalization? Just because of Honasan's history of coup leadership?
            5 pm was the deadline. Then it was moved to 7 p.m. By 7, I was waiting for gunshots to storm the speakers of my TV screen. You may call me a warmonger, but I'm not. I'm not just some TV dude trying to wait for the action to start after a daylong drama. But do you know why I was disappointed why the bullets never flew? Because one way or another, the government would surely not learn from the day's lesson. The victim here is the economy, not so much on Arroyo. It even made Arroyo look graceful adding the bloodless mutiny to her credit by having it solved at the end of the day. 
            A probe was launched investigating the conspiracies that the government's military officers, specifically, Secretary Angelo Reyes, was leaking bullets and ammos to rebels and creating chaos via bombs. But still, from the looks of it, the probe seems lame. Is the government really taking the accusations of the Magdalo group seriously? As of the moment, Reyes is still in power, still having a hand in the probe. How could this come to an end that will incriminate the guilty if the one being suspected is one who can control the investigation?
            Here comes Victor Corpus who quit his job. It's like a card game. He blinked. He made the face. Maybe he deserved it. Maybe it was best he did it. But it also tells us something. It's telling us that there is indeed a possibility that there is something nasty under the sleeves of the top-ranks. 
            So far, nothing has changed. Our nation is struggling in a slow fall. With the recent mutiny leaving a large damage on the country's economy, our burden has become heavier, our fall has accelerated. But if the Sunday incident boiled up to shocking proportions, would the government take the current probe seriously? Would Reyes still be holding office? Revolutions mean "change". Last Sunday was not a revolution. It was an attempt. 
            Are they heroes? Are the a nuisance that worsened the country? Are they the tools of some politician? Are they Criminals, who spit on what little reputation the country has left? 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRIPPIN' PARKLIFE
(August 5, 2003)

            I wanted to go home early. I miss my beloved PC. The song on my mind that afternoon was that of the classic Juan De la Cruz band. "Gusto nyang magswimming…sa balong malalim…" Diputoks bord, daw nami maglagaw-lagaw anay ah, I said to myself. I took a short stroll at Jaro Plaza on my way home. Here I go again with my askalism; my attitude of acting like an askal dog who just loves to wander the urban wonderland. I love parks and town plazas. In the pinoy setting there is always the church nearby, which, from a visual point of view, the centerpiece of a park's beauty. Since the olden days, it was almost a traditional pinoy routine that after church-goers attend mass, people, especially families and couples, spent a significant amount of time at the parks for some sorbetes, ice candy, bibingka, fishball, or cotton candy, and a cheerful stroll, or just hangout. But times have changed, pollution and westernization made the Filipinos prefer to spend time at the mall, at some fastfood resto, or maybe watch a movie instead. Surely, an afternoon inside an air-conditioned mall or sitting down while watching a flashy Jerry Bruckheimer eye-candy movie seemed to be a far more comfortable alternative to hanging out in the plaza. 
            Unfortunately, modern pinoy culture has defined strolling or hanging out at parks as baduy. I do not know where this behavior really began, but I think it's stupid. Come to think of it, it is the pretentious "trying-hard" colonial mentality that drives us to just plainly and generally rule out park-tripping as baduy. Maybe it is the fact that most of the people who generally hangout in the park are those who cannot afford the price of hanging out at malls. Shallow people often have the illusion of themselves as grander individuals, that is why they think they're aristocrats just because they proudly hang out in fancy cafes and gimik bars, while some of us obtain our jazzy joys in a calm and groovy plaza where we can catch glimpses of pigeons now and then and gaze at dollar-shaped clouds. 
            In fairness though, the reason why many people don't like parks is that many of these places have become haven of bantay-salakay criminals, crazy bums, and prostitutes. These are the places where they hang out and probably wait for the next victim to be preyed upon. 
            Then there's also the issue of cleanliness. The white cement of the many monuments, statues, and other architectural structures found in the park become blackened by time and dirt. The edges laced with mud and pebbles. The dust and mud all around. How can you expect that people will sit or hangout in these places when there is a promise of a nasty stain on your pants? The nice little gardens are now the guestrooms of the imaginary houses of the homeless cultural minorities begging for a coin. The fountains now resemble some guy's bathroom. Either that or some giant ashtray where everybody spits. Although the aesthetics of the parks may not be as important as the current relevant issues that the government should focus on, I still believe that once in a while, it wouldn't hurt to give the parks a little boost of improvement. 
            I can only think of a few plazas, which I truly love to hangout, like that of LaPaz's. The weekend welcomes the various crowds, from families to pet owners, to young couples. Park strolling is my cheap form of relaxation. Just a little leg energy, that may also serve as an exercise, a little walkman or a tune in the head that will set the mood, and a little patience and a cheerful aura to keep you up with the stroll. 
            As my brief trippy trek ended with a tricycle ride, I stopped to stare at the Jaro belfry. Looking at it, like a monolith, it stood as indeed the centerpiece of the plaza. Bakud pa gid na bord tan-awun kun may moon! 
            Cge lang pre, kay tapos ko simba sa Domingo, kun si Lord already make hugas na my sins, mabalik ta bord sa park and masulay ta sa radiation ka moon.

(What is the flavor of an orange puto on a velvet Tuesday? tripxyde@yahoo.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WISH KO LANG: TO BE A MILITARY LEADER
8-9&10-03

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STATE OF THE NATION
(August 11, 2003)

            The history of the Philippines never ceases to be colorful. Showbiz politician becomes president. When his abuses and under-the-table dealings got exposed, people made an uprising, & replaced a "promising" new leader, even though the validity of her leadership is questionable in the eyes of conventional democracy. Now after a while, there has been developments, but in her achievements, come incidents of corruption that outshines it. A prized prisoner escapes suspiciously on account of bribery. And now she (our glorious leader) & her right-hand man is accused of deceiving the people by maintaining the war on Mindanao in order to make the influx of US funds and the maximizing of military funds continuous. Not only that, to make matters worse, the present administration is alleged to have been forcibly silencing the young officers of the Magdalo faction from coming out with their whistle-blows and further revelations. And here come the cries of the opposition that the administration is having its own version of a Martial Law.
            The president only waited for time to pass from her SONA to declare that the Philippines is in a "State of Rebellion" a "legal fiction", as opposition Sen. Angara calls it. Critics claim that this State of Rebellion is this administration's version of Martial Law. Without giving it a lengthy thought, the state has already declared its intentions to arrest Honasan, the author of the National Recovery program, which was used as the idealism of the Magdalo rebels that staged the mutiny/ attack. Critics also claim that the government has been or intends to make warantless arrests upon those who are suspected to be in-league with the rebels, or those who sympathize with their anti-administration idealisms. There are reports that there are still around a thousand john does that may be linked to these "rebels"? Is this correct? Or is it a blank list, waiting to be filled by whoever the government decides as a "rebel" or a "rebel sympathizer"? 
            Why are we referring to these rebel soldiers as rebels anyway? Why are we calling them coup plotters? Some lawyers claim that the actions of the Magdalo group during the July 27 incident lacked the elements of a coup d'etat that is why it might be tricky to prosecute them under our laws. There was no "swift attack", there was no bloodshed, no hostilities, no "take-over of a government installation, television or radio communications offices". Alas, that move by the Magdalo group did not seem so pointless after all. They knew that they would end up as the goons if they were the ones to draw first blood. So they didn't lift a finger and played the government for a bluffing game. What was funny was that it was revealed in a GMA network exclusive that it was the government troops who were planning to draw the first move of hostilities by intending to bomb the complex where the Magdalo rebels are hiding when the 5 pm deadline was up. Yes, funny in a grim way. Like a chess game, the Magdalo group had no choice but to give up one thing, their freedom. But they left us something behind, the speculation of what might be the truth. And so far this game is making the government look bad as each day passes. 
            So where are the detained Magdalo soldiers now? After the crisis is over, all we hear over the radio, newspapers, and television are the media wars of opinions, speculations, and the reports of how the current state of rebellion is funded by some politicians, with an obvious spotlight upon the Estrada camp. In a moro-moro, Estrada is the perfect villain. A lardy politican who used to be a womanizer and a sort of a hedonist. Whether or not it is true, it is always easy to point Erap as the bad guy. Since the nation has already given him a mob-rule sentence anyway. 
            But when do we get to hear the side of the "Rebel"soldiers? Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos questioned what she described a "grand conspiracy of silence" in the decision of the Senate and the House of Representatives to suspend their separate hearings on the July 27 mutiny. She said the junior military officers involved in the mutiny should be allowed to testify in the hearings. "What are we so afraid of? Why can't these officers be allowed to speak up for themselves in Congress investigations?" Marcos said in a statement. "Surely the more prudent course of action would be allow these young officers to present all the evidence they have to the public at the earliest possible opportunity." She noted that as long the perception persists that these officers are being prevented from testifying, the tension and confusion this generates could pose a threat to national security. 
            Once more, the government seems to be going to the dogs. Is it? Please tell me. A president whose seat in the presidency is questioned of legality, is now declaring a state of Rebellion, a declaration of a state that is also questioned of its legality. Angelo Reyes is still up there continuing to do whatever he does, when he is still supposed to be the subject of an investigation. Al Ghozi is still nowhere to be found. And here comes the hearsay from the south that Abu Sabaya is alive. Finally, what could be so "treasonous" about coming out in the open with a revelation that could actually be a basis for reforms? Why are they judging that what the Magdalo did was "adventurism"? From how I see it, there was nothing "adventuristic" about putting your life and integrity at risk. Surely, I assume that it must be for some cause which is worth fighting for. Benigno Aquino used to say "The Filipino is worth dying for". In my opinion, the soldiers who marched to Makati on July 27, 2003 is no different from the people who marched in Edsa during the Edsa People Power Revolutions 1 and 2. 
            The Philippines is living in a complex quagmire of corruption, incompetence, and cultural identity crisis. Whether we like it or not, what the Philippines need in order to transform to a better society, is that it goes through an intense revolution that can acid wash off the corruption, that can purge the people until it forces itself to learn and practice competence, and that it be lashed by prejudice so that it can learn to rise from it, fight for it, and learn to value the pride of his Filipino identity. Until this time will come, I believe that we will only live our lifetimes with the same cycle that the Philippines have gone through since the 60s. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIVA EEEEEEDIOT BABES!
(August 18, 2003)

            Yes, I agree those pictures are indeed marvelous. Staring at the glossy pages of FHM, and the vivid pictures that can activate your memory senses to maximum efficiency. To any hot-blooded cro-magnon guy, it's like ogling at a work of Picasso. Lord knows how most men would leave adhesive stains on the pages weeks later (endless alibis of neglected glues always emerge). If 120 pesos was like chewing gum coins for me, maybe I'd be able to buy FHM magazine too. But I rarely do. And it is not only because of the price of the magazine, which I'd be better off buying an internet card and a bag of peanuts instead, but for the very reason that hot babes are dumb. I always notice that after a while, when I'm tired of seeing the same pose from the models in that magazine, and proceed to finally reading it, I find myself immensely disappointed by how pointless and imbecilic most of these vivacious ladies are. They're just not readable, and swiftly, these magazines end up, nothing more than being filed along my old high school textbooks. 
            We're not talking about FHM here, (actually, if they'd set up a date for me and one of their models, I'd be happy to ALWAYS give them a good name on my column) we are actually talking about hot babes. The issue: Are they an Idiotic breed? Time and again, beauty pageant after beauty pageant has mankind been able to have doubts of the intellectual abilities of the BABE of the species. That is why interview portions are always given the highlight, and more often than not, it is also in the interview portion when the wit-impaired deliver erroneous and embarrassing lines that make us nerds cheer in mockery (these are the kind of women who dump us, it is therefore a great day when one of their kind is put in a nasty humiliating predicament). I call them the BAMBI Chicks. Sultry chicks with less the sense. 
            Is it a scientific fact that the more glamorously gorgeous a woman is, the least her brain capacity? Just look at the contrast of Marie Curie and Pamela Anderson. Just look at Shakira, she's spicy-yummy (every Bambi chick looks great wearing her fashion too), but look at her through a cerebral X-ray…she is Moose. Her most used word is probably "DUH". Is the typical model capable of getting through level two of any Tetris/brick game? Can a gorgeous sex-machine goddess be able to understand the storyline of a Brian De Palma movie? At least, Matrix? Will they be able to survive an elementary school quiz show? 
            It's the weekend, gimik time. Try to go out tonight on some hot bar, maybe go to the coolest places where the "in" crowd hang…maybe in Vega or Bwana. Experiment. All the ladies, divided by two. All the shimmeringly beautiful and fashionably superior on one side (specimen alpha), and all the mellow pretties in humble auras on the other (specimen bravo). You will notice that the ladies of specimen alpha are the kind that have the most trivial of things on their mind: of having their hair done (as if it was an international crisis that has to be monitored tirelessly), of their precious celfones, of scoring the most sleek apparel, and of many other ways to make themselves look a hundred times more attractive than they already are. The ladies of Specimen Bravo, on the other hand, all act in their normal intellectual levels. This goes out the same for guys. The Specimen Alpha of the males, which consists mostly of jocks and tall men clad in 500 peso polo shirts, only have the dumbest things in mind: ESPN, car accessories, tennis shoes, and FHM (Ohh! There I go again! Apologies!) While the Specimen Bravo of men are, well, normal cranial levels too. 
            Sometimes, the lack of complicated systems in some lady's brain may be cute, in a very 18th century-peasant-girl-trapped-in-our-world kind of manner. I could bear to live with a Michelle Bayle, even if it means that I'd have to explain each and every episode of X-men Evolution to her for eternity. But sadly, once exposed to society, most of these babes often resort to becoming one with the "in crowd" who tirelessly flaunt their presence in gimik weekend bars. In so doing, (if they're not yet adulterated) they too acquire the negative attitudes of the crowd. They become more idiotic, as they are injected by the ideology that being beautiful, and being surrounded by an aura of fashionable coolness is the supreme virtue. If you tell them to mellow down their "gimik psyche", they will tell you "NO, I am exercising my right…. My girl power!" Yes, girl power as defined in the context of moronic "Charlie's Angels" and Beyonce Knowles. 
            Have you watched "Legally Blonde"? How accurate is that? Okay, so maybe there are women who are babes with brains. Maybe. Maybe it's the constant intake of nicotine, beer, Craig David, and cosmetic fumes, combined, that make up the complexity of the Bambi's simple-mindedness. But sometimes, I just think it's a corporate conspiracy, false tales designed to appease a culture of narcissism. 

Tonight, I light a candle for the moron Bambi babe. May they grow more brain tissues. 

(Excuse me, I'd just want to say how sexy you are, but I'm wondering whether or not you're a moron who needs a friend to help you understand science fiction movies. SLAP! tripxyde@yahoo.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUPERDUPERAYOS LANG BORD
(August 23, 2003)

            The other day, my friend and I had a 30 second argument because he thought that the idea of once again enforcing the jaywalking ordinance via the jaywalking agents was absurd and utterly pointless, while I was on the defense that there is nothing wrong with this enforcement and it was, in my opinion, something good for the citizenry of the city. 
            As much as there are reckless drivers, there are also reckless pedestrians who cross the streets as if they were on an ice-skating rink. Their little twinkle-toe skedaddle in the roads, were as if it was in sync with a Bob Marley vibe. I should know since I am a self-confessed reckless pedestrian. My little self incrimination is probably an act of putting crosshairs in my head, but what the heck. 
            The enforcement of these ordinances are important because once in a while, we need a little slap in the wrist, a little upgrade in our lifestyle in a city that is also trying to get into progress. Something that would make us one level more civilized. Some people who have ever traveled to countries like Singapore or Hongkong always get into some annoying oration of how those cities are so clean and everybody is so "civilized" and "sophisticated", but later end up mocking our own localities. It's like that commercial where the balikbayan lady rants "Walang ganito sa States!" scoffing the negative things she sees here that are absent in the States. Those kind of people are utterly annoying. How can we begin to improve our own culture, environment, and society when in the simplest of ordinances are being challenged with a rebellious childish contempt? Those agents (or whatever their proper title is called) who enforce the jaywalking ordinances in the streets, they weren't put there to insult your intelligence or challenge your pride, in fact they've been there for a torturous amount of time just to do their job, their job to enforce a law that must have good intentions. 

x-x-x

            A week ago, the city of New York got to experience a power blackout. This is not the first time this sort of thing happened to this city. If I'm not mistaken, the last time this major city (or any major city in the United States, for that matter) got to taste widespread power loss was in the 70's. Now, our Caucasian brothers and sisters get to experience what we Filipinos may consider to be "just Sunday" or just some "normal afternoon". Here in the Philippines, or perhaps on any third world country, power loss or what we locally coin as "brownouts" are as normal an occurrence as rain shower. We may have reached the 21st century, but fortunately, we have not become too technology-dependent like most of our Western and European brothers and sisters. 
            As reported on the television news, we've seen many New Yorkers have a somewhat difficult time with this little problem which they have unusually faced. Almost all the people's faces were frowning in their wretched condition. Some even found themselves stranded in places where they just decided to sleep their temporary miseries off. I could bet that most pinoys that saw that condition gave a secret grin to themselves, thinking how easy we can handle and go around such situations. Authorities feared that looting and riots might occur, it was a good thing that none of this occurred. The people of New York were able to stand united in this little inconvenience that they experienced, perhaps it was the kind of mature culture that they learned from the tragedies of the 9-11 incident that still haunts the world. We couldn't really just see this simple lesson at a first glimpse, the unity they showed wasn't really a unique one, but it was precious. It reminded me of the first people power. The thought of helping one another in a time of crisis. 
            Moving on, I could not get over this little conspiracy theory that the Blaster Virus had something to do with the New York blackout. A new computer virus has been loose and has wreaked havoc crashing computer systems and slowed down internet traffic across the globe weeks ago. The "Blaster" worm is a virus that targets Microsoft's Windows operating system. I know that the blackout was caused by a failure of three transmission lines south of Cleveland. Maybe I have just been watching too much of espionage-tech-gadgetry movies. 
            While New York has been in a state of electrical blackness, I have also been in a state of coordinated downer-situations. For one, our phone line needed repairs. I could not get myself online in the internet. I usually write my articles here in the comfort of my own PC (and in the comfort of my own insanity) and just submit it via E-mail, that's one reason why my column has had a recent slowdown. My second downer mood has been caused by the simple reason that it's August. And as most of us very well know, the months of July-August-September are the months where most of us experience being broke or down in cash. This is like the opposite of the Yuletide season. During Decembers, you would love to paint the town red and pay visits to friends, relatives, hijados and hijadas, and give them gifts. On the contrary, this is the season that you go out, paint the town gray, pay visits to friends, relatives, hijados, hijadas, rich friends, loansharks, soul-dealing demons, Ping, Mike, or some previously unknown wealthy relative, just to look for, or borrow some cash. Sometimes it's crazy when you try to analyze these pasosyal gimik-going coños who spend like 500 to a thousand pesos just on some cologne or sunglasses, while you figure out how you can turn your 40 pesos to a satisfying merienda-&-dinner-into-one. (By the way, it's 9 pesos for a thin stick of butter, 12 pesos for a small can of potted meat, and 15 pesos for a plastic pack of hamburger buns from the grocery. 4 pesos fare home. You can have softdrinks instead of the butter if you opt so. Mabuhay panyapon mo bord!) Funny because at home, my deodorant, my cologne, bathroom sanitizer, and air freshener are the same. They don't call it "toiletries" for nothing. I hope tomorrow some sexy rich girl is going to show up at my doorstep with a bag of toiletry goodies for me. This is beginning to sound pathetic. 

(if you ask me, Matutina is a far better comedian than all the hosts of MTB combined tripxyde@hotmail.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN AFTERNOON
(August 26, 2003)

            Thursday afternoon, me and my friend Valek were at the pier of the Negros Navigation to greet the arrival of our friends Eugene and Rona with a heroes' welcome. They were there for almost a month of grueling studying and reviewing of their board exams. I could see with their tiresome faces under the heat of a two o' clock sun that they weren't having a fine day. Some suplado porter was pissing them off, and just about as they were going to take a cab, they were stumped at the price presented by the taxi drivers. If they were going to take a cheaper cab outside the gates of the pier, they would have to burden themselves with the large bags and boxes which contain not only their clothes but their thick books as well. In my best comicbook superhero voice, complete with a chest out stance I told them "Worry not, dear mortals we are the LXG, here to carry your puny little bags" Rona then replied "But these bags are heavy, mun, they contain our books" And with a cartoonish gesture I replied "Do you not see these biceps, puny mortal?" seconds later, I was mumbling to Valek with a voice of a helpless little girl "Bug-at gali bord!" 
            It was finally a relief to get a cab with a cheaper price. Eugene and Rona took the boat back from Manila because in times like these when money is hard to find, its better to take the more economical option, yet they were greeted with a pain in the pocket. My friend was surprised to find out that you have to pay some cash for the porters, while the ones in Manila didn't. Their rude attitudes don't even help in making up with your money's worth. And the cabs should at least give a little break on the fare rate that they standardize inside the pier. They should keep in mind that not all who arrive here are rich tourists on a pleasure cruise. Is it even legal that they have skyrocketing high fare prices in that area? I know that it's a living; I understand that it's pretty normal to increase fare prices, but sometimes they should at least practice some human discretion by not slamming dollar prices upon simple pinoy folks. It's demoralizing how much you have to pay to get around in that pier. It is a probably a futile effort to curb the standards in airports and piers, but at least, if we try to make our qualms be heard, maybe a little change is possible. Just for the sake of human consideration. 

x-x-x

            Later that afternoon, Valek invited me to a concerto of the Univ. of San Agustin Troubadours, wherein his brother is a member of. My other friends needed time to rest and unpack their bags, so in the meantime; we went to the concerto, which was held in the Univ. of San Agustin auditorium. It gave me a chance to step into my alma mater once again. As we took our seats in the auditorium, I could recall memories of years ago when I was still a student of this school. How, whenever a program or a lecture was going on, I would silently sit back and pretend I was paying attention, when I was actually reading some comic book or sketching a violent version of Wolverine. The memories were pretty amusing. The stage of the auditorium itself gave me a great sense of nostalgia as I recall how I used to be sort of a "freelance" actor in my college days, since I never seriously associated myself with any acting organization, yet my experiences in stage acting were numerous. 
            As the USA Troubadours began their concerto, we were in allured attention. Although my usual musical taste usually goes around Nine Inch Nails, Hatebreed, Smashing Pumpkins, The Ramones, Bjork, Radiohead, and the like, I do appreciate choral music. Back when glam metal (I hate it) was uso, I was into broadway musicals like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserbles. I also delved into classics, like the music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner, and I love the music of the now popular Gregorian Chants. It amuses me that they do have a music video of their songs. It was during the birth of grunge and alternative music (especially the first time I heard Nirvana's "In Bloom") that I felt the sublime nature of rock. 
            Music appreciation must not constrict itself with image, taste, and shallow misjudgments. If you're into rock, metal, and alternative, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't love classical music just because pop culture considers it dull. In the same manner, those who love classical music should not be shallow enough to misjudge rock, metal, and punk to be just uncouth, heretic, and pointless. Come to think of it, if Beethoven were still alive today, I'm sure that he must be a heavy metal dude. He would probably be hanging out with Trent Reznor, Alec Empire, and Phil Anselmo. He'd probably have himself a large crying skull tattoo in his back. After all, music is expression. And this appeals greatly upon performers and patrons who observe the value of passion. 
            And indeed that afternoon, the music that the Troubadours delivered was quite passionate. In some songs, my skin was crawling in delight. Over the years, the USA Troubadour has indeed had that prominent name that has stood high in the field of choral music. Their name is known across seas over the years. How I wished that the concerto was held on a cool evening, and how I wished I had Michelle Bayle as a date to share the ecstatic choral music with. The Troubadours are indeed going to have a concerto again on September 11 at the CAP Auditorium. Hope to see you there! 

(Hi to Ma'am Faro and Ma'am Fresnido! Sorry if I looked suplado last Thursday, I was kind of in a hurry that time eh. These fine ladies used to be my teachers in college. HI also to my other teachers, in case I didn't see you last Thursday. Daw greeting sa FM radio ba! tripxyde@yahoo.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOVIES & POPCORNS
8-30&31-03

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------