Category Archive for: conversations

komentaryo

dear Harvey Keh

This is in response to Mr. Harvey Keh, who asked “Why blame President Noynoy Aquino?” An essay which begins by praising the Million People March of August 26 for having “a good turnout” and disses “several groups that are planning to hold another protest rally this coming September 11.”

Mr. Keh says he received “some messages” about this rally, which he is obviously critical of, especially since according to him “many of those who went to Luneta now have second thoughts of going since there are now rumors circulating that the planned rally in EDSA may suddenly be turned into an Anti-President Noynoy Aquino rally.”

Were Mr. Keh at the EDSA Tayo Facebook pages, he would find that there are about five individuals who are organizers of the event instead of “several groups,” just as there is no plan to “form a human chain.” He would also find that it has since revised its call (from protesting the rampant graft and corruption in the use of the pork barrel) to the abolition of all pork barrel, including PNoy’s, which is not unlike the call of the August 26 Million People March. (more…)

komentaryo

one post-#ScrapPork rally reflection

this is by my Tito Butch, who was at the #ScrapPork rally yesterday at 7:00AM, precisely because his peg was the three past Nazareno festivals and he was afraid the Quirino Grandstand would get that filled and unwieldy. there was of course nothing to fear. and here his reflection on yesterday’s rally, the first of many #ScrapPork rallies, if my wish that it be done every month is actually granted by the every-citizen.   (more…)

radikalchick.lit

on Lola Nena*

IV.

At eight years old, my task was to read to my Lola, then blinded by cataract and cancer. Articles from the two newspapers and the monthly Newsweek Magazine that Lolo subscribed to were already chosen early in the morning, long before I was due back from school at noon. Lolo, having read some of these articles by the time I arrive for my task, would doze off as I read to Lola. Meanwhile, Lola would be attentive to my mistakes in pronunciation and enunciation, and try to explain what it was that made reading certain words difficult, in between reacting to the opinions of the day’s columnists. (more…)

kultura

the 2013 kick-off

thank yous are in order, and while Angela and i always difficult to go all me! me! me! or I! I! I! on our blogs, almost two months into 2013, it would seem wrong to not fall back on that i, if only so i can talk to a you and articulate gratefulness.

the year kicked off with being offered a regular Opinion column over at The Manila Times. i had hoped i could get away with putting a logo instead of my face on it, but no dice. so every Thursday, my literal paper trail continues. let’s see how long i can keep it up — or how long The Times can handle me. hehe. (more…)

radikalchick.lit

on Of Love and Other Lemons, v.1*

Making Lemonade

There is a romance that we like to imagine about writing, and especially the writing of a book. And while my rebellious self would like to tell you that this was not the case for Of Love and Other Lemons, that would be a lie. Certainly it came from a personal history of love and loss and sadness, complete with the high – if not OA – drama of buckets of tears. But the writing of this book didn’t happen while I was going through all those things.

Instead the writing happened when I was at the point of reckoning with the cards life had dealt me (naks high drama), and particularly when I was away from Manila. Distance allowed me to think of freedom, where Manila – the Philippines – felt oppressive, too small that I couldn’t even stretch. (more…)