Upon reaching the vicinity of The Medical City, I found out that the small zippered compartment of my backpack was open. Probably because I walked and crossed Ortigas Ave. using the footbridge.
The footbridge is notorious for pickpockets—hooligans who would position themselves behind unknowing pedestrians wearing backpacks. In a flick of a finger with the featherlike touch, they could unzip bags and take wallets or mobile phones. Or your lunch if it looks very scrumptious.
These are the settings I use (as of December 2019) when making a photo slideshow video—the pictures and music pretty much carry the feel-goodness of the whole presentation.
I like the Ken Burns effect of alternate zooming in and out of picture from one to the next. Give each picture some 4 seconds and when a 2-second transition is added, it will be less at around 2 seconds—just enough to let the audience fixate on a single picture.
Here is the latest video that I made for Jaycelle.
The distant bodies
Speak with coldness
Their voices shiver
and silently, they fade
I hope you’ll be all right, friend.
What do you all know about death?
Barnes
Originally published in White Sugar, 1/4 (happyobituary.multiply.com).
Okei kaya na maging bum na lang?
Kumain ng cream puff o kaya chiffon buong araw.
Maghalungkat ng mga lumang DVD at panoorin paulit-ulit.
O kaya maghardinero sa bakuran.
Tutal, kailangan nang gapusin ang bougainvilla dahil sumasayad na sa kawad ng kuryente. Marami na ring bunga ang punong mangga. Ano pa ba… Kailangan nang tagpasin ang puno ng aratilles na pumupunta sa bakuran namin – nagkakalat lang ng dahon.
I seldom dream or think of the future but you know that when I do, I see us dancing by a lullaby-like melody. We are older than we are today. It is as though we are alone in the crowd. You look into my eyes and it is the first time we fell in love with each other.
We, people living, shouldn’t be concerned about death or the afterlife.
You can not prevent death to happen. You can not expect death; it just happens.
Death, sickness, aging deal with us; not us with them. Either we face it or forget it – be involved with things or be preoccupied.
Death is now… very possible anytime. Death is not fearful – only fearful because you do not want to let go of things.
The things you fear are determinate but death is not.
Authentic existence – being is not equal to having. Expression of being – love, commitment can not be overcome by death.
Death is not the opposite of life but a compliment of it. You will value life more if you understand death.
Courage – living in spite of death.
Originally published in White Sugar, 1/4 (happyobituary.multiply.com).
Ganito kasi ‘yun. Kumayod ako ng halos limang araw na night shift para lang matapos ang Yearbook namin sa preschool. Mas malala pa sa trabaho dahil dito, walang oras-oras. Ni hindi ko na nasasara yung PC.
Nilagare ko kahapon at inakala kong matatapos ko ng alas-diyes ng gabi. Dapat kasi makauwi ako sa Cavite dahil bertdey ng nanay ko. Pero Alas-onse y media ko na natapos, kaya taranta ako sa paghahandang umalis.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero natatakot akong masagasaan ng trak habang may hawak na biskwet.
Sobrang sama ko na yata.
Hindi ako nagdadasal. Hindi ako nagsisimba.
Kapag nasagasaan ako, sana ipanganak akong muli na isang mabait na tao.
Originally published in White Sugar, 1/4 (happyobituary.multiply.com).
Matagal na nawalay si Nena sa kanyang ina. Naglayas siya noong dose anyos pa lamang siya. Doon siya lumaki kina Tiya Choleng. Makalipas ang limang taon, naririto na si Nena sa bahay na kung saan siya isinilang. Lungkot lang ang bumalot sa kanya. Tahimik at madilim ang loob ng bahay. Walang gaanong pinagbago.
Sukbit-sukbit pa ang backpack na puno ng damit, bumungad sa kanya ang inang halos hindi niya makilala. Papaalis sana si Margarita para mag-mahjong. Napamulagat na lamang siya nang makita ang anak na nakatayo sa pintuan. Tumaba si Margarita. Mistulang isang donya ang postura nito. Tadtad siya ng alahas at napansin din ni Nena na ilang libong pulgada ang nadagdag sa ina.
Pumasok sa eksena si Bantay at kinahulan si Nena. Tumulo ang luha ni Margarita habang hawak ang abaniko.
“Bakit, Ma? Bakit ka lumuluha?”
“Hindi ko kasi naturuan si Bantay na mahalin kang tunay.”
Originally published in White Sugar, 1/4 (happyobituary.multiply.com).
Alam mo ba kung gaano ko kagustong makita ka? Ganito:
1. Pupunta ako sa labas ng dorm mo isang hatinggabi. Pipinturahan ko ang buong kalsada ng pangalan mo.
2. Hihintayin kita hanggang matapos ang klase mo kahit hanggang umaga pa yan. Magdadala ako ng ispageti at siopao, kain tayo sa bench.
3. Hahanapin ko ang bahay mo sa probinsya at kukuhanan ko ng litrato kasama ang angkan mong matagal nang hindi nakikita.
Originally published in White Sugar, 1/4 (happyobituary.multiply.com).
