Because of the Title

I am one of the many in the metro who commute five days a weeks, twice in a day. I have ridden jeeps, pedicabs, tricycles, buses, trains, calesas, and even the ferry on Pasig River, as well as taxis. There are only few vehicles in the metro I have not boarded, the kuliglig, the padyak on the PNR tracks, and the PNR train—the last one, I’ve made a number of attempts but never get to.

Savoring Every Spoonful

My meal arrived warm. And as always, it did not disappoint. It was so good that I wanted it to last for as long it could. But I was too famished to make that happen. I still savored every spoonful. It was a clean blue plate.

In the Form of a Milkshake

Although I visited Sebastian’s during the holiday season, it was noticeable there were so few restaurants and shops open at the mall, almost outnumbered by the seemingly unoccupied spaces. I did get lost because the mall is comprised of two buildings connected by floors that serve as bridges; I entered the one that did not have Sebastian’s, so I had to look for it. I did not see any concierge and the guards were always either on the side of the floor opposite me or at the far end.

The Rarer Treat

Up to the choir loft, we stopped to consider a mural of purgatory. While it still arches over the rose window, its beauty has long since dulled; from the pews of the church, there is no enticing artwork in that darkened space. There was a lone chandelier that hung from the ceiling, its appearance starkly different from the ones below. It is thought that it could be one of the original French oil lamps but could not be confirmed.

Lightning Quips

While there were other celebrities who shared their thoughts online, a number of my friends pointed to you as being one of the few worth being read. Your wit was on point and it was concise—which was so refreshing after seeing wordy tirades.

Just a Joke

Where would the truth be without proper citation? Is a quote just a toothless dog that barks until a name gives it teeth and a good bite? Is plagiarism exclusive to the serious and is not for the silly?

The Gardens of the Shadow of Death

The more graves we passed, the more we noticed the differences between what was etched on grave markers during the Spanish colonial period and the modern Filipino times. Many used Spanish words, a few French, and one each in American and Filipino—if we counted them right. A number of markers meant for children bore only their first names or nicknames.

Hearing Winners

Have you ever listened to a song and thought it was a winner? Some months ago, a friend posted “Monumento”, a creation of veteran composer Jungee Marcelo and is one of his two entries for this year’s Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs, a songwriting and music video competition. It is interpreted by two of the…

Twice a Return

Viewing the collection from Senator Loren Legarda, it looked like a frozen fashion show. All the pieces were delicate and beautiful, like butterflies of plant materials caged by headless and armless mannequins.

Your One Choice Today

ARTICLE I.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 4. Obligation to register and vote. – It shall be the obligation of every citizen qualified to vote to register and cast his vote.

Translating Humor on to Paper

But my best memories of you were during your “Tropang Trumpo” days. From the chicken and Caronia dances to the unforgettable classic “Battle of the Brainless” segment, that was a golden hour with the family laughing at you and your company’s jokes. And I would relive them come Monday morning with classmates and friends.

Nymphs and Names of the Lake

I could practically swear that I was just retyping the same search words I used in March but last week yielded better results. All thanks to the insistence of this particular thought: read the list of poems. I couldn’t deduce anything from the titles. So I thought of skimming through each one that was available online. I didn’t have to read much because I easily found them from one of the most well-known poems Francisco Balagtas penned.