Deja Vu.

For want of anything good to see on TV, we've been watching the impeachment trial of CJ R. Corona lately. On its first day, I tuned it to cable TV 24 (GMA) wherein the guest analysts were former Dean of Law R. Pangalangan and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban.

The legal duo's analysis of the proceedings were superb; both were able to expound on the trial/process in a way a layman could relate to, even though both used English and a smattering of Tagalog in the discussion.

Yesterday's hearing was a waste of time; no witness and evidence were presented and accepted. But points were raised by the prosecution and Senator-Judges Defensor-Santiago and Peter A. Cayetano.

From what I understood about it, the prosecution wanted the Presiding Officer to be more liberal in its rulings, e.g (specifically regarding the Defense's objection that the "ill gotten wealth" charge be dismissed from the articles of impeachment). Prosecutor Tupaz pointed out that the impeachment trial is unique, it is not a criminal nor a civil trial, and the rules in these two types of cased must not apply to an impeachment proceeding.

Defensor-Santiago, despite her own catering to television, made a good point when she said that the more evidence presented and accepted, the better the trial and outcome would be, since the people would be given everything it ought to know. She even made comparison to the impeachment trial of Estrada wherein the second envelope was concealed by the senator-judges which led to prosecution walk-out and the ultimate EDSA 2 and ouster of Erap.

Defensor-Santiago said that if evidence would be suppressed, the people might think that Corona is hiding something, much like what happened in the Erap impeachment.

Cayetano, likewise, seconded the opinion of Santiago for the acceptance of more evidences.

Enrile was chided by the prosecution and asked to be more liberal in its rulings, whence the presiding officer went into a soft tirade, asking Tupaz, "would you like me to allow misleading questions, etc?" and asked his fellow senator-judges to tell him how liberal they would want him to be.

Villar came to Enrile's defense, and said he was happy with Enrile's performance as presiding officer.

I agree with the clamor to use more Tagalog in this impeachment proceedings, so that more people would understand what's going on. We expect that English would be used more, but then the prosecutors, defense and judges should exert more effort to interject the use of Tagalog.

Better yet, there should be a split-screen coverage wherein the proceeding would be translated into Tagalog in "real time," so that whatever is being said will be seen on screen in the vernacular. It would be akin to a sign language being used simultaneously during a televised mass.

If Tagalog were utilized, more Filipinos would become interested in following the impeachment trial.

Basu-basura.

Binuksan ang drawer, kay daming balat ng kendi,
May chewing gum na putol,
May butil ng mani,
May tsokolateng tunaw,
May tulo ng ballpen,
At may singaw ng luma.

Kay raming basura, kung ano ano lang naman,
Dapat itapon lahat ora-orada,
Ngunit next week lang din sangkaterba na naman,
Kahit bulsa ng pantalong nakasabit
Dumpster din ang dating.


Kay raming kahon, at mga plastic bin,
Punong puno ng kable, extension cord at USB,
Sa bodega sa dulo may mga maleta naman
Punong puno ng polo shirt, kurbata at mga mittens.

Basura itapon na bakit iniipon pa?
Ang marami dito alaala lang ng kahapon,
Dinadala at binobodega
Pinipilit isalba,
Daan kasi ng lumipas nagdala sa ngayon na.

Oo, mahilig mag ipon ng mga lumang memorya
Pero di ba ito ang basehan ng ating ligaya?
Kahit talo o panalo dala nito ang sentro,
Ang maraming taon, ang mga nilamon ng panahon.

Kahit ang MMDA nag aanunsyo ng recycling
Iligtas daw ang kalikasan at kapaligiran,
Magandang patnubay sa damdamin at buhay
I-recycle ang nuon at matuto sa ngayon.

Basu-basura lang
Wala daw silbi,
Ugat pa ng away at matinding kalungkutan,
Pero sa tingin ko basura ng buhay nabulok man at umamoy
Naging sanga ng buhay,
Naging pamantayan.

Temp Job.

I remember my very first job in New York: a temp at a city government agency which tracked down abuses within families, and placed abused kids in foster homes.

I was there for about three months.

On my first week, I was already looking for a permanent job. So what I did was during my lunch break, I'd go to employment agencies and register, or I'd call employers using the phone in the hallway.

I got lucky on my third month. An employment agency told me a big law firm had an opening. I applied and got the job and stayed there for four years before I moved to Canada.

My years in Manhattan were happy. Although I didn't have family there except for a cousin and in laws of my sister, I never really got bored nor lonely.

Yes, New York city never sleeps, and it offers a vast array of pleasures - from its huge public library to museums, theatres, department stores, parks, restaurants, and the many different colors of its populace.

One time I hailed a cab to get me to Park Avenue for a doctor's appointment and the driver was a Pinoy. Another time, I bought donuts at Mr. Donut's and was offered free timbits by a Pinoy. (Note: timbits were day old small donuts so they were being unloaded from the counter).

I used to enjoy my lunches on the streets. There were food carts that offered various cuisines - Chinese, Greek, and the famous New York hot dogs. Or I'd go to this take out counter/salad bar where your food will be weighed. Another favorite was a pizza parlor.

After my food purchase, I'd just sit in a corner or a step or simply walk while eating. Or I'd walk to Macy's to make a quick purchase and run back for the afternoon shift.

When I had overtime which was quite often, the office provided free dinner and a free ride. It was not just a ride, but a limo ride.

Working a temp job made my move to New Jersey from Ohio easy. The temp job provided quick money while I was looking for regular, permanent work.

A temp job can be likened to a temporary personal relationship, or an un-committed liaison. It satisfies a need.

Shifting to a permanent job again is akin to a relationship. If you go for a permanent relationship, then commitment is expected of you.

When you get tired of a permanent job, or you get burned out, you could take the easy way out and resign. But in personal relationships, before you jump ship, you have to weigh in the pros and cons.

In the Philippines where there is no divorce , it becomes doubly hard to opt out of marriages. But even without legal separation, there are many couples who choose to live apart permanently and take on new relationships.

Many families now rely on two breadwinners. And with the new found financial independence, many wives, instead of holding on to marriages, become easy proponents of separation.

Whatever the reasons for spousal discords, many couples nowadays find themselves veering more and more away from the traditional Filipino marriage, the one we knew from our parents, the one we thought to be "till death do us part."

Being apart from each other for so long, which is the case for many married overseas Filipino workers, is one of the many reasons for separation. It's common to hear the phrase, " we outgrew each other, we no longer share the same interests, we've grown apart in likes, in tastes, in outlook.

It could be easier to hold on to a temporary relationship; there are no expectations in the first place.

Sometimes I miss my temp job.

ET, phone home.

Sis from Seattle makes it a point to call immediately whenever she and hubby arrive at whatever destination they're headed to. Calls are made to relatives they've just left behind.

I remember an instance when I visited my sister in Ohio, and when I left and reached Toronto, I immediately went to sleep, being tired from the 6 - 7 hours' long drive. Then the phone rang, and sis was both mad and worried that I didn't bother to call her to advise her that I reached home safely.

Keeping people you love in the dark as to your condition and whereabouts is the most cruel and insensitive thing to do.

Another sis told me that there was this time when her family flew to Puerto Galera, and left behind my mother at home with the maid because she'd rather watch TV than suffer from motion sickness. So my sister, her kids and hubby enjoyed their vacation and forgot or didn't bother to call home. Mother worried to death, and began calling her other children and grandchildren. My sister's excuse - the cellphones didn't have enough battery charge, so they didn't phone home, and after all they knew themselves that they were okay.

Since that time that my elder sister castigated me back in Toronto, I have made it a habit to call anytime I fly away from home or leave a sibling's house I'd just visited. It made perfect sense - this security and familial set up.

We grown ups and most especially kids today, despite the preponderance of crimes around us, sometimes forget this basic rule of sanity. That is, to phone home and let family know where we are, where we're headed to, what our condition is.

To the person being worried about, s/he may not care about phoning home, either because s/he doesn't realize the commotion s/he's caused, or s/he doesn't understand the fuss since s/he's safe where s/he is after all. S/he could even blurt out, " I don't get it."

Family members could sometimes be indifferent and uncaring without even knowing it. Or sometimes, simply acting out of passion and carelessness, without intending to cause undue stress and vexation.

ET, the well-beloved extraterrestrial phoned home when he got left by his party and co-aliens. He worried enough that his loved ones and friends were worried and looking for him.

ET acted, after all, like human. Sharing the basic human instinct of concern and love for the loved ones.

But sometimes we, real humans, dwell to much on our emotions, or forget others' emotions.

Human beings do it all the time. That's human error.

I did.

The Shadow of Sherlock Holmes.

There's a new cinematic installment of the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson partnership titled " A Game of Shadows," which is showing in Manila theatres these days.

Sherlock Holmes is a consulting detective of highest reasoning, able to draw big conclusions from the smallest of observations, and Dr. Watson is his autobiographer and constant companion.

Few days ago, some of Sherlock Holmes' shadow rubbed on me as I embarked on an important case: the missing soul mate.

It was four days of careful observation, information gathering, analysis, conclusions and decisive action. Luckily for all us, all efforts brought forth a happy ending.

Missing case - solved.

Bonus: kinship and friendship, true colors.

The wise men.

When my mother was alive, she'd hang the family Christmas tree and light the Christmas lights on the day the "simbang gabi," started. Then, she'd bring them down on January 6th, the feast of the Three Kings, or the Wise Men, as we knew it then.









Last New Year's Day, our clan had the traditional New Year's Day celebration at the old house in Fairview; this time, mother was not around to spearhead the traditional family exchange gift or "kris kringle."


But the family grew even larger; there was a new kid on the block - Abeng and Rhoda's Amiel Matheo, and of course, the two year -olds Tyrus and Bojoe, courtesy of nephew Allan and Kristin, and bro Jomel, respectively.









Then there were the rest of the children - the three cute grandnieces Christa, Christle, Juliana, grandnephew Tayshawn, nephew Beniah, and the older ones, Jyro, Sidney and Adam.

Nanay was not around anymore, and last January 1st, 2012 was the first time we celebrated New Year in her home turf without her.

There was no Christmas lantern, nor Christmas tree, nor Christmas light to remind us of her traditional Holiday season. But we were all there, or at least the five of us, her children, who are residents of Manila still.



Ate, from Seattle, made it a point to call in the middle of the celebration to greet us.








Mommy Lydia was there and represented the old, guiding spirit to reminds us - the second, third and fourth generations - of the importance of family, blood, ties, and kinship.