Alumni Homecoming

Susog ki David Ray

Abaana! Ano man daw ta nakabali ako

sa grupo kan mga polongóng iniho—

mayo nang giniribo ngonyan na banggi

kundi mag-irinuman tapos magharambugan—

túgbo digdi, túgbo duman, garo man daa

ngonyan lang naman nagkanuruparan.

Mayo na nin ibang pig-iristoryahan

kundi an saindang nagkágirinibuhan

na aráram kan gabos na man, mga lugar

na nagkádurumanan, mga chicks nindang

nagkátsaransingan—mga nagkágirinibuhan

nindang inda kun anong kamanungdánan.

Igwang nagharáli sa lugar mi pagkatápos

kaidto; tapos ngonyan pagkauruli, huna mo

sainda kun sáirisay na man daang Polano.

Pagkatápos kang tînuhon, mákua man daá

nin serbesa sa lamesa tapos dai ka kakauláyon—

garo dai kamo nagkáibahan nin pirang taon.

Yaon sana sa táid mo, mayong girong.

Ukon kauláyon ka na, masabi siya: dai ka

man giráray palán nag-iinom. Nin huli ta

kaáabot niya pa man saná, dai niya áram

na nakapirá ka na antes mag-sinárom.

Iyo ka man ngaya giráray: dai man nag-iinom,

mayo pa nin agom.  An ibang mga beer belly-hon

huna mo kun sáirisay na iriigwáhon, mga parainom!

Dai man daw an mga empatsádo nindang tulak

an iyong pinag-iimon kan saindang mga agom?

Yaon si Sulpicio, si Crisanto dangan si Claveron.

Padarakuláan nin tulak, pagarabátan nin buy-on.

Ngonyan, garo pa lugod sinda binabayadan

ubuson an pirang kahon kan serbesang dinunaran

kan mga kaklase pang nakabase sa Taiwan.

Kaya na sana man gayod an iba samo

amay nagkagaradán, nagkángaranáan

sa rarâráan sa kada taon na urulian.

Siring sa dati, mayong sistema ining tiripon  

apwera sa limang kahang baseyong

pwede na naman iarapon.

Mauli na akong amay—babayaaan ko

sindang agit-agitan naman magtiripon

sa bagong sumsuman na inorderan pa

sa luwas kan eskwelahan—inasal na hito

sagkod an pinaluto pang dinuguan.

Maagi an mga aldaw siring kan dati,

ma-check ako nin FB sa sakong Galaxy 3;

sa status message sa Group mi, dai ko

mangalas kun igwa na naman R.I.P. 

Man vs. nature vs. man

So far this year, the only authentic (and definitely hardly fabricated) newsmaker is the Typhoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan)  sent—not by God but perhaps by the gods of our own making—to make us think twice about our greed.

Bako gayod maninigô na basulon kan tawo sa Diyos an mga nangyayaring ini sa iya nga palibot. Sa hapot na tâno ta siring na sana kaini an sunod-sunod na kalamidad na nag-aarabot sa kinaban ngonyan, dai man gayod tamang silingon na an gabos na sakunang ini kapadusahan hali sa Diyos kawasa daing-data na man nanggad an tawo.

House at the side of the street in a Capiz town

Kun uugkuron, haloy-haloy nang panahon maráot an tawo. Poon pa kadto maráot na man nanggad an kostumbre kan tawo—orog na sa pakikiiba niya sa iya nga kapwa. Dangan yaon pa man giraray an pagtúo niya sa Ginoo—an takot niya sa Kagurangnan—na minapagamiaw saiyang siya nabuhay digdi sa ibabaw nin daga—bako sana bilang pisikal na hawak kundi bilang kalag na kaipuhan balukaton para sa kaomawan kan Poon-Diyos.

Alagad, tibaad mas orog na igwang kahulugan kun lantawon niya kun ano an sinasabi kan siyensya sa mga nangyayaring ini ngonyan na mga tiempo.

Daing labot an Kagurangnan sa nangyayaring mga kalamidad saiya ngonyan. An pisikal na kinaban kan tawo asin an kamugtakan kaini ngonyan—dangan kun pâno ini naging siring sa sini nga kahimtangan—tibaad iyo an simbag sa mga pangyayaring ini ngonyan na saiya pa man nganing kinakangalasan.

Pirming tama kun sabihon na an tawo man sana an may kagibohan kan saiyang sadiring kapahamakan. Siya man sana an mágadan kan saiyang sadiri. An gabos niyang ginigibo sa saiyang palibot—kan tawo sa pangkalahatan—iyo an máraot kan ining kinaban na bako man ngani siya an kaggibo.

Sa kahaloy-haloyi kan panahon, mayong pakundangan na inabuso kan tawo an mga kadagaan—mga kapatagan asin mga kadlagan—dangan an tubig sagkod mga kadagatan. Mayo siyang dai pigraot asin pigratak sa kinaban na ini. Mayo nanggad siyang pinatawad.

Kaya ngonyan padikit-dikit, paamat-amat, pasunod-sunod na siyang nagbabayad kan saiyang utang sa Inang Kalikasan. Alagad, kabalo bala siya na kaipuhan niya nang magbayad? An dipisil digdi ta tibaad mayo pa man nanggad siyang pagkaaram.

Pirang pildang na sana kan kalibutan an dai niya nahuhubaan? Tibaad mayo nang gayo. Gabos na kabinian kan kadlagan saiya nang winakasan. An gayon kan gabos niyang kadawagan saiya nang pighawanan, linaogan dangan sinamsam.

Sa istorya sang sini nga kalibutan, mayo na gayod mas maorog pang klase nin panglulugos an satuyang magigimâtan.

Sinurublian sa Hiligaynon

sa iya nga, saiyang

husto(ng), tama(ng)

silingon, sabihon, sabihin

lantawon, hilingon

kahimtangan, kamugtakan

paamat-amat, padikit-dikit

kabaló, aram

bala, baga

sang, kan

sini nga, ining

kalibutan, kinaban

A street in a Capiz town after Super Typhoon Yolanda

Photos by Eduardo Navarra and Cora Navarra

My Leader, the Hero; or A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

One time in the 1980s, a helicopter flew over our small barangay. I went out to join other kids in the neighborhood. The sight was glorious—we saw things falling down from the sky. Perhaps it was the first time such kind of aircraft flew over our neighborhood. 

We the kids were so amazed. We ran around like crazy picking them up as more of them flew down from the chopper. We thought they were money bills. 

They were flyers and pocket calendars belonging to a candidate whom I now only remember as Ballecer. He was running against another candidate named Bubby Dacer (the PR man) for assemblyman in the third district of our province. 

Bubby Dacer’s posters, along with those of his opponents, were plastered everywhere in our barangay, especially on the wide walls of the koprasan of the Bercasios, a warehouse near the marketplace we called Triangle where we bought our goods from rice to fish to plastic balloons to halo-halo. 

The faces of these politicians would be hard for me to forget. Time and again, I would see their faces on those posters pasted on the walls of the koprasan where I usually passed to run house errands. Because these posters were never defaced, it was time—months and years—that eventually wore them away. 

I also heard their jingles over DZGE and DWLV, then prominent radio stations based in Naga City. Young as I was, I also sang (along with) them.

During elections, my mother headed the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in our grade school. From the sample ballots, I saw and learned to memorize senators’ names who would later be prominent—names like Mamintal Tamano, Santanina Rasul, Ramon Mitra, Teofisto Guingona, Macapanton Abas and Leticia Ramos-Shahani, among others. 

I clipped and mounted their pictures, and also copied their faces on my notebook. Some of these materials I even placed as covers for my school stuffs. 

When Corazon Aquino became president, I copied her image from a poster which was distributed to all the classrooms. For this, I used Cray-pas for a portrait of her which I drew on one of the back pages of my notebook. It was a smiling woman wearing big eyeglasses. 

I emphasized the wrinkles from her nose to the mouth when she smiled. I used orange for her face and black for her hair and yellow for the dress. I was amazed at my creation. I used so much pastel on the portrait of the new president perhaps because it was my first time to use such kind of art material. I rather saw that portrait as that of my mother.

Back then our classrooms had high ceilings—the old Marcos type, I later learned. The Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed on our front wall facing the class—and was flanked by two posters that read—“Knowledge is power” and “Read today, lead tomorrow.” 

The picture of the new president was mounted on one of the corners of the Grade 6 classroom. She was placed along with Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, in such a way that we looked up to them. 

In high school, we were also told to memorize the names of government officials—from our local officials to the cabinet secretaries of then ministries (during Ferdinand Marcos’s regime) and now departments (in Cory Aquino’s new government).

Through time, I got lost in the long list of names of senators and politicians and cabinet officials whose names were changed more often—because they were either sacked or revamped or simply resigned. I came to know more about them, or rather, about them more.

From the news, I later learned of their projects and their programs. Then I was also told of their corrupt practices—of the problems they were now giving to the public. I would also learn the words graft, corruption. Bribery. And plunder. Through the years, I have lost track of who is doing which and what. Who is more credible than whom? Who is more believable? One day, I just didn’t know how to believe in what they’re saying anymore. Or what they’re doing.

One day, I just stopped believing in them. I found there are other better things to do than believe and what they’re saying. Or doing.  One time, I just started to believe that like most children’s tales, politicians and yes, their identities and their sensibilities—such as their faces mounted for everyone to see—are only for children.

A Man Apart

I like him—not necessarily because he Like!s everything I post on this media site (well, he doesn’t) but because since he has not liked everything I have posted here, therefore we don’t necessarily agree on everything—and that feels good.

I like him—not necessarily because he covered me from the bullies in high school when I first came to the Ateneo as a wide-eyed freshman; but because he rather allowed me to explore the same halls of learning myself, two years after he himself experienced its culture of privilege and excellence.

I like him—not because one time he cried foul—(he did not even scold me)—when he saw me using his Mendrez shoes in the same NatSci class we were in—but because he just kept his cool about it, and did not really mind.

I like him—not necessarily because he once told me to pursue my passion to write but because he constantly articulately shares with me the portrait of some beautiful past, some house of memory to where I constantly return—through writing.

I like him—not necessarily because he helped me find some place to stay when I finally quit working in the province to seek the busy life in the bigger city; but because he regretted it when I constantly consciously let opportunities pass me perhaps only because at that time, I thought I had thousands of them.

I like him—not necessarily because he gave me words of advice when I almost gave up the city life but because he shared silence even when he saw I was missing greater opportunities when I was about to quit.

I like him—not necessarily because he gave me money when I was broke but because he constantly reminded me that there are no rich people who cannot be in need and there are no poor people who cannot afford to give. (These words—or their sense which he must have first heard and understood in the chapel where we attended Sunday Masses—now spoke to me more than they sounded.)

I like him—not necessarily because he hosted me unfailingly in the house which he helped establish with his wife in the city but because he shared with me his blessing of children and family in an otherwise unfriendly city.

I like him—not necessarily because every Sunday he sends me a personalized text message about the priest’s homily, but because with it he reminds me of God’s unfailing love and my mortality.

I like him—not necessarily because since he has discovered running, he has encouraged practically everyone he knows to take to it seriously; but because his effort to convince them about its benefits helped everyone to have the necessary diversion from the daily grind.

I like him—not necessarily because in the past, for countless times, he shared material comfort in that one household of modest means, one almost in constant need at the time—but because his generosity and sense of always sharing what he had been given put a smile on the face of each of us in the family.

Indeed, the man I am talking about sounds familiar. And all this time, I have always admired him. Perhaps after all my heroes die and my idols fall, on my list he will sure be the last to inspire. I am privileged to have known this man. And I respect him. My dear brother, Mentz. 

Kadakul Mga Sementadong Agihan sa Ateneo de Manila

Kadakul mga sementadong agihan sa laog kan Ateneo de Manila.

Kadakuldakul igwang sasakyan na nagraralaog sa campus, alagad kadakul man an pwedeng agihan kan mga nagralalakaw na arog ko. 

Sa arog kong naglalakaw palaog sa eskwelahan na ini, igwang halaga an mga agihan na ini. Kun palaog pa sana ako dangan maduman ako sa bagong Rizal Library, pwede akong mag-agi sa Gate 3, kun saen makurbada an sementadong agihan parani sa mga edipisyo kan Ateneo, pabalyo sa University Drive, pirang lakad na sana sa tugsaran kan Rizal Library. 

Kadakuldakul puwede kong agihan sa palibot kan eskwelahan. Sa mga agihan na ini, nasususog ko an mga opisinang pwede kong dumanan; dangan an mga transaksyon sa mga opisinang kaipuhan kong tapuson. Igwang mga sementadong agihan hali sa canteen pabalyo sa Faura Hall, hali sa bagong Library paduman sa lumang Rizal Library; dangan man hali sa Registrar’s pasiring sa Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership.

Marahay-rahay an ginibo kan Ateneo administration para sa mga arog kong pedestrian. Pigrala’gan ninda nin kadakul na aagihan sa campus ta nahiling nindang kadakul na estudyanteng nagraralakaw. 

Magayon magparalakaw sana sa laog kan campus kan Ateneo de Manila. 

Marhay siring man an naisip kan administrasyon na magtanom nin mga dakul na kakahuyan sa tahaw kan maribok na Katipunan area sa Loyola Heights. An kadaklan na building digdi yaon sa tahaw kan mga dakul na kakahuyan na garo man sana kadlagan. Pag-agi mo sa garo sadit na kadlagan na ini, dai mo maririsang yaon ka sa siyudad. 

Pagkatapos kong maagihan an sadit na kadlagan na ini, maaabot ko na an mahiwas na football field, ­harani diretso paluwas sa Gate 2, kun saen pwede akong maghalat nin jeep ukon taxi paluwas sa Katipunan.

Paglakaw-lakaw ko sa mga agihan na ini, mamamate kong yaon palan ako sa sarong trangkilong lugar—sa lindong kan nagkapirang mga narra asin acacia, marurumduman ko kun saen na ako nakaabot, dangan mapag-iisip-isip ko kun saen naman ako maduman.

Dai nararayo an mga istrukturang ini sa natura kan sakong ginigibo ngonyan.

Sa laog kan library kan Ateneo, kadakul akong nagkakarabasang mga scholars sagkod writers na pwede kong susugon ta nganing magkaigwa nin direksyon an papel na sakong susuraton dangan kaipuhan tapuson sa lalong madaling panahon. 

An mga ideyang nagkakabarasa ko iyo man an magiya sako kan ano man an pwede kong ihiras o ilantad sa  sakong papel ngapit. 

Ms. Doreen Fernandez

Sa “Research in the Highways and Byways: Non Traditional Sources for Literary and Other Research” ni Doreen Fernandez, kadakul an pwedeng susugon kan scholars na arog ko kun pa’no makukua an mga impormasyon na pwedeng pag-adalan.

Susog ki Fernandez, dawa yaon na kita sa panahon nin internet, kaipuhan ta man giraray bweltahan an fieldwork na iyo an mga enot na pamaagi nin pagkalap nin impormasyon para sa satong project, literary man o bako. Kadakul-dakul an pwedeng agihan ta nganing malaog an kinaban na pag-aadalan.

Saro na digdi an pakikipag-ulay  mismo sa mga tawo, na pwedeng magtao nin yaman kan eksperyensya sa kung anong tema. Yaon man an mga sightings o idtong mga daan nang mga dokumento o materyales arog kan mga peryodiko, souvenir programs, o mga noticia kan KBL (kasag binyag libing) kan mga tawo sa sarong lugar asin iba pa. 

Susog pa ki Fernandez, orog na igwang pakinabang idtong mga daan nang mga vocabulario (dictionaries) na pwedeng makua sa sarong lumang harong. Sa ganang kanya, ini an mga pamaaging sinusog ni Fernandez kan sinundan niya an pag-adal kan native drama sa akademya.

Sarong padabang maestra sa Ateneo si Doreen Fernandez. Dawa mayo na ngani siya, an tinunton niyang agihan iyo an naggigiya sa nagkapira niyang estudyanteng ngonyan nagtuturukdo na man digdi sa Ateneo.

Siring man, sa Brains of the Nation: Pedro Paterno, T. H. Pardo De Tavera, Isabelo De Los Reyes and the Production of Modern Knowledge ni Resil Mojares, tinunton kan mahigos na Cebuano scholar na ini an mga agi-agi kan nasabi nang tolong ilustrado na kontemporanyo ni Jose Rizal kadtong turn-of-the-century Philippines.

Susog ki Mojares, sa dakilang balimbing na si Pedro Paterno asin sa siyentipikong si Trinidad Pardo de Tavera masisipat kan iskolar an mga klase nin pag-ako kan mga Pilipino sa kolonyal na mananakop na Kastila sagkod Amerikano.

Susog ki Mojares, ano an dalan na inagihan ni Paterno? Ngonyan na panahon, dai man nanggad siya bisto sa pahina kan satong kasaysayan apwera na siya an sinasabing Dakilang Balimbing sa istorya kan banwang Filipinas. 

Ipinangaki na Chinese mestizo, nag-istar si Paterno asin nag-adal sa Espanya; nakiamigo sa mga maimpluwensyang Kastila; dangan nabuhay na Espanya sa kwarta kan pyudal na palakaw kan saindang mga kadadagaan digdi sa Pilipinas.  Kan mawa'ran na nin poder an Kastila na haloy man na panahon niyang inadalan, sinerbihan dangan linangkaba, nagpakupkop tulos si Paterno sa mga impluwensya kan mga Amerikano asin ta nagin pang tagapamayo kan Malolos Congress dangan miembro kan First Philippine Assembly. 

Arog ni Rizal, halangkaw an pinag-adalan ni Paterno; alagad ta an gabos niyang napag-adalan iyo man sana an nagpugol saiyang dai maghulagpos hali sa poder kan regimeng Kastila.

Saro man na maray na linalang na luminakaw sa daga si Trinidad Pardo de Tavera. Kan siya nagin doktor pagkatapos mag-adal sa Pransya, dakul an sainyang nailagda na mga publikasyon bako lang manongod sa medicina, kundi patin sa mga aspeto historical kag kultural kan satong bansa. 

Alagad siring man kan ibang miembro kan mga landlord class kaidtong panahon, asimilasyon sana kan kultura kan mananakop an muya ni Pardo de Tavera asin bako man nanggad totoong katalingkasan kan Pilipinas. Palibhasa edukado kan Sulnupan an duwa, dai ninda malikawan an gabos na pinag-adalan na naglalangkaba sa banyaga asin an sociedad na saindang ma'wot na dai marumpag. Kan uminarabot an mga Amerikano, dai sinda nin ibang alternatibo kundi magluhod, mag-arang, magsamba sa bagong kagrogaring kan banwa.

Luwas sa pagigi nindang mga asimilador kan duwang kulturang banyaga, dinara kan duwang ilustradong ini an posibilidad na pwedeng gibohon kan siisay man na Pilipino. Pareho sinda kagsurat kan mga libro sa manlaenlaen na disiplina. Dai matatawaran an saindang tali, an pagkamaalam ninda sa lado nin historia, siyensya asin literatura.

Alagad an kadunungan man sana ninda dangan an kamawotan na makisama sa mga nasa poder an nagpugol ta nganing dai sinda bistohon sa historia kan satong banwa.

Pagtíos

pusongcheesecake.wordpress.com

Kun tinuyo mo gid nga magtios ka o mangin pobre, pwede tang sabihon na nagbabanal ka. Sabi ni Rainer Maria Rilke, sarong manugsulat na Aleman, an tawag sa sini, grosser Glanz von innen, ukon sarong dakulang kalangkabaan kan kalag. Mayo man talaga sato an muyang magtios, o mangin pobre, dawa na ngani para sato gabos iba-iba an pagiging pobre. Sa America, imol na an tawo kun mayo siyang maimbong na tubig sa gripo ukon mayo siyang kuryente sa harong. Dai ta man talaga aram an totoong balor kan kakanon, panapton, kag harong. Kun nagtitios kita, dai man gustong sabihon, dai na kita maogma. Bago man gabos na pobre bakong maogma. Mga tawo an nagpapaogma sato, bakong mga bagay. Alagad makaturutristi kun an kaimolan ta iyo an mangin kabangdanan para kita kontrolon ukon abusuhon ukon uripunon kan iba. Law-ay man na bangud sa satong kadaihan, marugado kita sa trabaho, o magadan. Mamundo kun uripunon logod kita kan satong kapwa, kun an lawas ta sagkod kalag dai na magdakula. Makangirhat gayod na kawasa mayong-mayo kita, manhabon kita sa iba o mabasag an satong pula. Pero an iba sa mga mayong-mayo talaga maoogma na, masisigla, mayo nang minama’ngay pang iba. Magayonon gayod kun mayo ni saro satong pobre. Pero kita bala magalipay? Makanuod daw kita kan sakit sa buhay? Magi daw kitang mas marhay?

Sinurublian sa Hiligaynon

gid, nanggad, talaga

nga, na

mangin, maging

manugsulat, parasurat

tawag, apod

sa sini, digdi

ukon, o

imol, pobre

panapton, gubing, bado

kag, sagkod, saka, buda

kaimolan, kapobrehan

kabangdanan, dahilan

law-ay, maraot

bangud, dahil

magalipay, maoogma

Susog sa “Poverty” na yaon sa Worldly Virtues: A Catalogue of Reflections ni Johannes Gaertner. New York: Viking Press, 1990, 97. 

Paghinólsol

Siring sa paghinayang o panganúgon, maninigo lang kag kaipuhan ta sana man nanggad maghinólsol. Kun kita nakagibo nin sala, ukon kita nakakulóg sa iba, kaipuhan lang na magpangayo kita sang dispensa, dangan magsolsol. An paghambal gayod sang “Pasensya” sana dai bastante, dai husto. Igwa nin sarong klase nin panganganugon—iyo ni itong pagbasol na igwang upod na “Kun tani,” o “kuta na” (na may yara sang lakot nga “gayod” o tibaad.” Kun binakal ko na kuta kadto si daga ni padi, ukon si Mario gayod si inagom ko, kun dai gayod ako nagloko—an arog kaining pagbasol, an siring na panganugon iyo an mágadan kan satong kalag. Maiskusar kitang lingawan an siring na kapaladan. Kun gugustuhon ta man nanggad, magigibo ta pa ni. Yaon pa an satong lawas. Kun napapagal, madiskanso sana kita. Sa pagturog, mabubulong kita. Igwa pa kitang oras.

Sinurublian sa Hiligaynon

paghinólsol, pagsolsol

kag, sagkod

maghinólsol, magsolsol

ukon, o

magpangáyo, maghagad

sang, nin

paghámbal, pagsabi

upod, kaiba

kun táni, kuta na

may yára, igwa

lakot, kaiba

nga, na

Susog sa “Regret” na yaon sa Worldly Virtues: A Catalogue of Reflections ni Johannes Gaertner. New York: Viking Press, 1990, 116.

In June of that year

In June of that year

In June of that year, you started tutoring Seth, a freshman and Zandro, a sophomore—both were newcomers in the school where you chose to teach.

Seth appeared cool and quiet, but there was much eagerness when he started talking about himself, his participation in class and school activities, and other things he does in school or at home. He was a growing young boy whose parents whom you chanced to meet desired much good for him. Composed, serene, you saw in him a promising young man who will make a name for himself.

Meanwhile, Zandro was the bubbly type, always wearing a smile, and always less serious and preferred to read ghost stories, not to mention that he was an avid online gamer himself. He wanted to be a nurse because he wanted much money—lots of it. He said he would have to work abroad so he could always provide for himself. Also, he always wanted to eat. 

Every now and then you would excuse the two boys from their classes to chat with them. To you they always sounded hopeful—in anticipation of the chats with you. You would talk to them about how to help their parents do chores in the house, study harder so they would not flunk any class or be good sons to their parents. You also talked to them about how to gain friends in school. Seth said he had new friends—all of the freshmen were his friends. The playful Zandro confessed how he would participate in the sophomores’ horseplay in between class sessions or even during classes. 

In your chats, you approached them like they were your younger brothers. At first you mentally prepared your questions for them. Later, you would just talk to them very casually. Through the days, they had become your friends, so to speak. The chats you had had with them had gone smooth and personal, like they were your younger brothers. Your words would usually end up as friendly pieces of advice for these young boys growing up. And how they sounded so real, so convincing to them. 

Every time you talked to them, you thought you saw yourself in them. You saw enthusiasm in the things they did or wanted to do. They were struggling to become themselves. Full of hope and anticipation, the boys had a lot to live and to learn. They always appeared as if they had to know a lot of things. 

Continually you had told them how to be always good, and would always ask them about how they would fare up to virtues like charity and service, honesty and truthfulness, diligence and stuff. Talking about these virtues with these boys made you aware of your own shortcomings. It made you start to ask again your own life question. It made you want to quantify your own [sense of] achievement. 

Though you’d gone that far, you had not really gotten far enough to try to live sensibly—with a definite purpose. You thought you had to have a definite purpose. Just like them, then, you seemed to long to fling your arms wide open to the world and take on what life really had in store for you.

In June of that year.

Pag-intindí

Sarong dakulaon na pabor na puwedeng itao o ipangdalók sa tawo. Gabos kita muyá kag kinahánglan et aténsyon, apwera na sana sa pirang santo (mâwot ninda an pag-intindí sang Ginóo). Kun kita binibisto, kinikilala, pinaparada, kita iniintindí nin labí-lábi. An ungâ ngani nagpaparahibi kun dai siya iniintindí. Kita gabos siring man—maski ngani an pinakamalaot na tawong inaapod nindang kriminal. Tibaad nagi siyang pusakal ta mayo saiyang nag-intindí kadtong mga oras na kinahanglan niya ‘ni. Sa Belgium, na enot na nagrumpág kan capital punishment, daí pig-iirintindí an mga príso. Nag-aabot iní sa puntong an iba saíla nagpapabirítay na sana. An pag-intindí iyo na gayod an pinakahalangkáw na klase kan pagrespeto sa tawo. Bako an grabeng pagkaungís kundi an dai saiya pagbúgno, an minalúgad sa puso kan tawo. Sa istorya kan satong kalibútan, an mámimidbídan tang mga tawo iyo idtong mga naghátag sang atensyon samga pangangaípo kag kamâwotan, sa mga sákit budâ kaogmahan, sa mga isip asin kanigóan kan ibá.

Mga Sinurublian

Malahalon, Hiligaynon, mamahalon

Nga, Hiligaynon, na

Ipangdalok, Hiligaynon, ipag-imot

Kinahanglan, Hiligaynon, kaipuhan

Et, Akeanon, nin

Sang, Hiligaynon, kan

Ginóo, Hiligaynon, Diyos

Unga, Hiligaynon, aki, pusngak

Pinakamalaot, Hiligaynon, pinakamaraot

Saila, Hiligaynon, sainda

Pagbugno, Hiligaynon, pag-tîno

Kalibutan, Hiligaynon, kinâban

Naghatag, Hiligaynon, nagtao

Biligaynon [Binikol sagkod Hiniligayon] kan “Attention.” Yaon sa Worldy Virtues: A Catalogue of Reflections ni Johannes A. Gaertner, Viking Press, 1990.

When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry

Mánggad

An mánggad o kwarta bakong grasya, bako man disgrasya. Ini segun sa kun pa’no nákua sagkod kun pa’no ginagamit. Pwede nganing sabihon na mas hapós an magin matinao, kag pirming naghihirás kaini kaysa mayo kaini. An kinaiba sana kan igwang kwarta sa mayo, iyo an gahum, o kapangyarihan. Kaya gayod an mayaman labi na sana man an pagkahambog sagkod paabaw-abaw. Alagad ngonyan, uminabót na an tiempong an kayamanan saro nang kaulangan. Ngonyan, kaipuhan kan mga mayaman bakong magasto, bakong gayong magarbo. Mas marhay saindang dai nabibisto; mas marhay ngani na dai sinda bisto. Gabos nauuri sainda. Hinaharanap sinda kan mga taga-luwas. Dinudurukot sinda kan mga bandido; tinitirira sinda kan mga terorista. Mas mayád man giraray an palakaw kan mga matuod na manggaranon kaysa sa gobiernong puwedeng imukna kan sarong ambisyosong pigado. Pag-abot kan tiempong yaon na siya sa poder, siya maha’bon kan yaman kan banwaan, malangkaba kan kapangyarihan, dangan papatioson itong mga nagpasakit saiya.

Susog sa “Wealth” hale sa Worldly Virtues: A Catalogue of Reflections ni Johannes A. Gaertner, Viking Press, 1990.

Pag-antos

Napoon ini sa baskog na pagtubod na an kada kadipisilan igwang kalutasan; oras sagkod kapas sana an kaipuhan mo ta ngani na mapangyari ini. Naaagód kan ibang tawo ano man na kagabatan, an kada kadipisilan, mantang an iba nariribongan dangan naluluki-luki kan mga bagay na nungka ninda mina’wot o inasahan na mangyari. 

Ta ngani kang maka-antos, dai kaipuhan na matali ka, basta igwa kang sentido kumon sana—asin kusog na makagurapay sa mga pangyayari o bagay-bagay na saimo minaparatay. Ta ngani kang makaantos, kaipuhan maisog ka, magian an disposisyon, manginisi, nahihiling an gayon asin oportunidad sa gabos na bagay, pirming igwang diskarteng magpangyari an mga bagay na kaipuhan gibohon. Ta ngani kang makaantos, urog na kaipuhan na maisog ka. Idtong mga tawong nagtutubód na katabang ninda an Diyos o naggigiya sainda [an ano man na dyinodiyos ninda]  mas orog na makakaantos kaysa mga tawong an pagmate ninda garo mayo nang pag-asa o naghuhuna na pinabayaan na sinda. Likayan mo an mga tawong matalaw, o matapo’ sa kasakitan—apwera na sana kun ika doktor, padi o social worker. 

Dai nanggad paglingawi—an pagturog, an pagdiskanso, an pagkamoot sa ibang tawo, an interes na mabuhay sa kalibutan sagkod an pangamuyo amo an saimong pansagang, iyo an mapahapos sa tiempo nin kadipisilan, sa panahon nin kasakitan.

Susog sa “Coping” na yaon sa Worldly Virtues: A Catalogue of Reflections ni Johannes Gaertner [1912-1996], Viking Press, 1990.

Mayon Unlimited

Certain dimensions are altered

by chance height or

deliberate distance.

On this slope at 25 hundred feet

rivers and roads,

hills and houses

Shrink. Even the sea is changed,

becomes a kitchen plate of blue—

so empty, so new.

And this proud breast-mountain

turns into a fulcrum

for the universe—

Brings us to the company of stars:

beyond its graveled

bouldered peak,

We hear the arguments of suns,

the briefs of planets,

judgments of galaxies.

We hear the relevance of men questioned:

our politics and terrors,

our many gods and treasures

into awesome absurdities reduced.

"The View from Mt. Mayon"

by Luis Cabalquinto

The Literary Apprentice 47:2, November 1974, 74.