Chronicles of the Daily Grind

Posted by brodiz at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Our first reflection paper in Filipino Philosophy...

Eksena sa Dyip
- isang pagninilay -

Ang kathang ito ay di lang paglalahad ng mga karanasan ko sa dyip. Hindi lang ito pamumuna at pagpipintas sa mga kagila-gilalas na mga pangyayari at mga obserbasyon. Ito ay isang tahasang pagbabalak na pagnilayan ang mga umuusbong na kultura, kaugalian at kaasalan ng pinoy sa pamamagitan ng pagsusuri sa mga napupuna sa mga eksena sa dyip.

Magandang sumakay sa dyip sa may harapan sa tabi ng drayber. Naaaliw ako sa mga nakasulat sa ‘windshield.’ Sadyang hindi nawawala sa bawat dyip ang isang ‘sticker’ na may imahe ng Sacred Heart of Jesus at may nakasulat na “God Bless Our Trip.” Hindi ko alam kung talagang relihiyoso talaga ang mga mamang drayber o sadyang takot lang madisgrasya na gaya ng ginagawa natin, naaalala lang ang Diyos kapag nakikita na ang kalawit ni kamatayan.

Mapapansin din ang iba pang senyales na pagkamaka-Diyos ng mga drayber o may-ari ng mga dyip. Nariyan din ang mga katagang, “In God We Trust,” “Be my guide, O Lord,” “Why you ‘worry’ if you can pray.” Kahit sa ganitong kaliit na paraan, napamamalas pa rin ang pagkamaka-Diyos ng isang Pilipino.

Tunay na seryoso sa pagkayod ang mga drayber. Talagang gusto nilang kumita at magkapera. Talagang pati sa mga ‘stickers’ at senyales nakikita ang mga ito: “Barya lang po sa Umaga,” “Katas ng Saudi,” “God knows Hudas not pay,” “Kunin mo ang buong katawan ko, wag lang ang kita ko,” “Ang hanap ko ay pira at hindi karira,” “Kalimutan na ang lahat, Huwag lang po ang bayad.” Minsan nakapanlalambot na sadya nga bang naghihirap na ang mga Pilipino nang mabasa ko sa dyip ang: “Ang taong nagigipit, sa bading kumakapit.”

Sa kabila ng pagkamaka-Diyos at kasikapan ng ating mga drayber, hindi nawawala ang paboritong ‘hobby’ ng mga pinoy drayber na mapapansin sa mga ito: “Virgin ka ng malasing, buntis ka ng magising,” “Kapag libog ang umiral, sira ang pag-aaral,” at isang drowing na babaeng buntis na may nakalagay na: “Mahal, masdan mo ang ginawa mo?” At ano ang ‘hobby’ na ito? Ang magpatawa.

Minsan naisip kong magturo ng ‘English Grammar’ kahit hindi ako ‘English Major.’ Kahindi-hindik na kasi mabasa ang mga ‘announcements’ ng isang drayber ng dyip sa pasahero. Parang ako ang nahihiya para sa mag nakababasa ng mga ito. Minsan natutukso na akong tanggalin ang mga patalastas na iyon. Sino ba naman di mababagabag sa mga ganitong nakasulat: “Full string to stop driver” at ang “before pay, tell where get the on before get the off.” Wala pa diyan ang “Don’t close to me, close to God.”

Sa pagkainip ko sa traffic, nililibang ko na lang ang sarili ko sa mga ‘stickers’ at ‘signs’ na ito. Ito pa lang, ang dami nang gustong sabihin sa kung sino at ano ba ang pinoy.

Wala pa diyan ang mga samut-sari kong karanasan sa loob ng dyip. Sadyang ang mga tao talaga, walang pakialam dahil ba sa hindi kakilala ang mga tao. Nariyan ang marinig mo ang mala-telenobelang kuwento ng katabi na para bang kung mag-usap ang dalawang magkaibigan ay sila lang ang tao sa dyip. Minsan nga gusto ko na ngang sumabat sa kwentuhan nila lalo na kapag nakaka-relate ako. Pero kapag inaantok na ko, para bang gusto kong dukutin ang mga lalamunan nila.

Nariyan pa ang isang lalaking ang kapal talaga ng mukha para humawak pa sa sabitan ng dyip gayong hindi naman gumagamit ng ‘deodorant,’ habang pinaamoy sa mga katabi ang halimuyak ng kanyang kili-kili.

May mga pasahero naman na ang hirap turuan kung paano umupo. May mga pasahero kung umupo ay para bang pang-dalawang tao ang binayaran. May mga babaeng kung umupo naman ay nakalihis, walang pakialam kung ang katabi niya ay kalahating pwet na lang ang naluluklok. Meron din mga lalaking kung maka-upo ay halos mangingimi kang tumingin sa kanya dahil sa laki ng pagkakabukaka.

Sa dyip ko naranasan ang pakiramdam ng mga isda sa lata ng sardinas. Na kailangang ipagsiksikan ang siyam kahit na sa hanay mo ay may dalawang dambuhalang nakasakay.

Si mamang drayber kung minsan bingi. Limang beses ka nang pumara, hindi pa rin humihinto. Kailangan pa ng isang malakas na ‘choir’ na sisigaw ng “para” at saka pa lang niya maririnig na may gusto nang bumaba. Pero nakaka-‘touched’ kapag lahat ng pasahero sumasabay sa iyo sa pag-para. Hindi mo talaga alam kung ‘concerned’ sila sa iyo o baka naman gusto lang nilang bumaba ka na dahil nasisikipan na sila.

Sa dyip nagiging ‘flexible’ ang mga pinoy. Natututo sila na mag-adjust sa kapwa. Natututo sila na umunawa ng iba. Hindi natin namamalayan na sa loob ng dyip may karanasang paghuhubog din palang nangyayari. Marami na akong narinig at nabasang mga nakakatuwa, nakakinis at nakakaaliw na kuwento pang-jeepney. At sa mga kuwentong ito, sa mga karanasang ito, bagamat iba-iba, nagkakaroon ng pag-uugnay sa ating lahat bilang mga Pilipino. Kaya nga kapag umalis sa bansa ang isang pinoy, ang mga karanasan at kuwento sa jeepney ay isa sa mga hindi maaaring makalimutan.

Sa dyip sari-sari ang mga karanasan. Sari-sari ang mga katatawanan. Sari-sari ang mga pagpapakilala sa kung sino ba ang Pilipino at kung paano mag-isip at umasal ang Pilipino.

Posted by brodiz at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lord,
Grant me the strength to bear.
Grant me the grace to accept the things I could not control, the tasks imposed on me.
Grant me the heart to live my life with serentiy and peace, without grudges.
Grant me the eyes to see beyond I perceive.
... yet, even without these...
Let me feel that your'e just right here... with me.
Amen.

Posted by brodiz at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

I found him at the Manpower Training Department while teaching at the Audio Visual Room. I held my class for awhile, chased and picked him up. It was the same cat I saw at the Pavilion when we passed by there while praying the rosary.

We named him “Garfield.” It was not me who suggested the name. It was one of the brothers. I just forgot who. It’s a nice name, though, considering he;s one of my favorite cartoon characters.

I like cats... and this one is funny!

Posted by brodiz at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Davis' Garfield is one of my favorite comic strip characters. I have invited him to be the commentator of my blog. You'll be seeing him around giving humorous, sarcastic, witty, puzzling and even inspiring comments on "this daily life."

I really love this cat.

Posted by brodiz at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

This Sunday's Gospel brings an enriching message to all of us. Jesus presents to us his greatest commandment of LOVE.

It is easy for us to love persons whom we like, who are good to us, who show care and concern But to love those people whom we don't care about, we don't really know, we hate, it seems a tremendous burden.

Jesus asks us to simple love -- to love one another, to love everyone. That for me is difficult. That is, if I consider love in my own terms.

The Gospel challenges us to love. The least expression of this is simply respect and acceptance.

I have received a text message before which goes thus,

"Friendship isn't based on how many secrets you share, isn't how well you get along nor how much you like each other, isn't how people see you together. But it appreciates the differences, the gaps, the hindrances, the trials, and still, a friend looks at you, straight from the heart, without hatred, without judgement, without envy, without criticisms, only pure acceptance and respect."

In the same way, we could say the same thing with love. To love the person simply means to respect and to accept him. This may be the minimum. Yet, unless this happens, love won't grow. It is unthinkable to say that you love a prson without respecting him or accepting even the littlest defect he or she has.

This love does not only apply to our friends, our families, those who are close to us. This applies to all.

Our rector in his goodnight last night, talked about this same thing, "We don't choose whom to love. We rather choose to love."

And so the when the lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" He seemed to ask, "Who do I choose to love?"

The challenge is simply to love... just like the Good Samaritan... just like Jesus.

It's not that simple. I know. That is why it's a challenge.

Posted by brodiz at 6:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

In a land ruled by a kind king, a dispute between two neighbors arose.

One night, a man, in his uncontrollable greed, stole his neighbor's cow, slaughtered it that night and sold all flesh, meat and parts to the market the early morning. That afternoon after spending all the money from the sales proceeds of the stolen cow, he suddenly felt a disturbing guilt for what he had done. He felt so deeply sorry. However, he could not go directly to his neighbor to ask pardon, mercy and forgiveness in fear of his neighbor's rage and possible curses. To liberate himself from his guilt, he went forth and submitted himself before the king, told the whole story, and asked for pardon and forgiveness for what he has done. He vowed before the king for this thing never to happen again. The king was deeply touched by the man's confession. He pitied him and asked an assurance of conversion. He embraced the man and let him go.

Hours later, his neighbor marched before the court of the king demanding justice as he reported the unfortunate incident on how his neighbor crashed into his house that night, stole his prized cow and sold it to the market at his greedy neighbor's gain.

The king told the man how his neighbor came to him hours earlier confessing the very issue. He told the man how sorry he was and how he vowed for this thing not to happen again. The king told the man how he believed in his neighbor's promise of conversion and how he took pity and pardon his offenses. With the intention to settle the dispute and propose peace to the two neighbors, he then asked the miserable man whose cow was stolen to simply forgive his neighbor, to forget about the unfortunate experience, and to support his neighbor's conversion.

The man fell silent.

In this simple story, if you are that man who has been asked to forgive, to forget and to support, how would you have felt and acted after talking to the king?

What advice could you give that man?

Posted by brodiz at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

We watched the film Flatliners as the formative film viewing of this month. It is a story about a group of medical students uncovering the mystery of life after death engaging the power of physical science to find the answers which philosophy and religion has failed to satisfy.

Watching this movie lets you confront these questions:

"What lies beyond death?"
"Is there life after death?"
"Are you afraid to die?"

As the story of the film unfolds, a different realization brazened out the bold medical students as they discover a very important aspect of dying in the form of the question:

"What have you done in your lifetime?"

As these medical students confront the 'ghosts' of their past, I could not but reflect on my own. On the day I die as I would meet my Creator, I would similarly render an account of how I have spent my the life He shared with me.

At first I thought that the intention of the film is to conscienticize us on the people we have hurt in our lifetime. But then, the essence of the film is to wake us up to the quality of life we had to live; that this life we are in charge of is connected to the network of "life" around us. We cannot enjoy this life as we trample on the life of others. This life is not only meant for ourselves. While we still have it, we cherish. We start to ask forgiveness. We begin to forgive others. We start caring for one another. We begin understanding and appreciating each other. We start loving one another. We begin doing what our hearts desire. We start living this life to its fullness; so that we wont end up as what Thoureau had said, "Oh God, to have reached the point of death without ever having lived at all."

We don't need to spend much in seeking for answers on "What lies beyond?" We rather start digging for "What lies the present?"

Posted by brodiz at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

Today's Gospel leads me to reflect on the authenticity of discipleship -- to be a witness. The seventy-[two] did not really preach much. The instruction given to them is to only say this words "Peace to this house."

As a follower of Christ, I am supposed to bring peace as the Good News of God. And that is manifested through my actions, my deeds, my "doing."

What does peace entail?

Fr. Rector, in his goodnight talk last night, stressed that we don't only establish peace with God and with other people. We establish peace within ourselves. The peace we bring to others may only be authentic and fruitful if it flows within us. Our actions manifest that peace within.

One with Simeon, I sing with him: "Lord, let your servant go in peace!" I have been seeking that peace within, but I don't really try. Today the gospel challenges me to just do it.

Posted by brodiz at 4:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

I answered one of Tickle's tests as I am fascinated to know my subconscious self.
It took about an hour to answer more than 50 questions and with 11 or 12 inkblot samples. But, it's worth taking it. I am surprised at the congruence of the results with how I conceive of myself.

I am not sure of the validity of the test and its results, but I feel strongly to share the results:


Rusty, your subconscious mind is driven most by Curiosity

You are full of questions about life, people, and your own potential. You spend more time than others imagining the possibilities for your life — and you're open to things others are too afraid to consider.

You have an almost physical need to know and do more. It's only through new experiences that you feel a greater understanding of yourself and the world. You also have a rebellious streak that shows up when you feel unable to truly influence the world or circumstances around you. Your appetite for novel experiences also shows an openness others don't have, but wish they did.

Your psyche is very rich; the more you learn about it, the more you will understand who you really are.

You're a Curiosity!


Tickle's Original Inkblot Test
Brought to you by Tickle

Posted by brodiz at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments