Schindler’s List – Rediscovering a Classic
02 May 2011 Leave a Comment
I watched Schindler’s List yesterday, only for the second time. The first time I watched it with my brothers I was perhaps seven or eight years old. Back then, the only thing that my young mind was able to comprehend was how brutal the Nazis killed the Jews, and the little girl in the red jacket.
I did not even know who Oskar Schindler was and what his list was for. Yesterday, I was able to fully appreciate the movie, but I have to say I do not think I could ever grasp the logic behind everything that happened to the Jews and what the Nazis did.
I have read literature about real-life experiences in concentration camps, seen a number of movies chronicling the life and times of the Nazis, but I will never understand it. I cannot accept that such evil existed for years.
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He failed as a businessman pre and post war, went bankrupt in different ventures even though he had the skills and the charms. But I believe that Oskar Schindler served his special purpose in life—to save the more than one thousand Jews from being gassed to death and incinerated. It is just amazing to think about the course of his life. He became rich during the war when he made use of free labor from the Jews and used their money for capital, but in the end, he ended up broke because he used all his money to buy off the freedom of his workers. I think that from the moment he was born, his path in life had already been laid out in front of him. Tell me now that there is no God.
A rhetorical question–NOT
14 Dec 2008 1 Comment
in rants, Uncategorized Tags: imbestigador, prostitution, tv shows
This is a serious question; this isn’t me trying to philosophize anything. I was watching XXX earlier—no, not porn, you bitch—the ABS-CBN version of Imbestigador. And they were investigating this prostitution of foreigners. Apparently, these Europeans place an ad in Buy and Sell about their “massage service” with perks of course, all depending on the customer.
Now, the complainant is a Filipino masseur who also offers extra services to clients. I seriously don’t understand his point on why he’s complaining, and I think neither did Pinky Webb. She was interviewing one complainant and she commented on the voice-over that she was trying to find out through the complainant’s answers if he just doesn’t want competition in the business.
I didn’t pay attention throughout the episode, and I don’t know if they were able to catch one of the foreigners who placed an ad in the newspapers.
I don’t understand prostitution. I mean, at least in this particular context. I don’t get what the crime is. Most prostitutes who have been caught and shown in the television were either minors or were being held by pimps against their will or both, that’s why they were arrested and put into special custody.
In this case however, the foreigners as well as the Filipino masseurs are of legal age, and weren’t under anybody’s control. They were acting based on their own decisions. And I get that prostitution is morally wrong, and illegal. But what’s the judgment call for people who offer these additional services just because they want to? I mean technically, they aren’t stepping on anyone else’s business, nor are they doing anything illegal. They’re just having sex—with people who also want to have sex with them. So, what’s the crime?
GEM Literary Awards
25 Jun 2007 5 Comments
Nakatsamba sa Genoveva Edroza-Matute Literary Awards o GEM para mas maikli yung kwento ko na Alitaptap. The Torch Publications ang nagpapalaganap ng GEM, at natripan ko lang sumali last year, pero nung 1st year ko pa nasulat yung kwento. Bale nanalo ng First Prize sa category na Maikling Kwento yung Alitaptap. Bukod sa certificate, maipupublish din yung kwento sa susunod na issue ng Aklas, literary folio ng PNU, at may “salaping gantimpala” daw, pero hindi ko alam kung magkano. So yun, salamat sa mga bumati! ^__^ Kung curious kayo sa kwento ng Alitaptap o kaya nabasa nyo na pero nakalimutan, pwedeng basahin dito. Salamat ulit. 
Culture shock
07 May 2007 3 Comments
This is probably the first time that I’ve seriously felt this. I’m so overwhelmed by the idea of becoming a senior, and working afterwards. I think I’ve been overrated as an individual. I’m so not ready for what’s going to happen. I assume quite a number of people will try to encourage me, but as I’ve said–overrated. I don’t show it, but I’m scared as hell. More
bigkasin nyo nga! …
18 Nov 2004 3 Comments
bigkasin nyo nga!
1. notbuk at akLat
2. Librong pangkatagalugan
aLin ang tama ha? sbhn nyo nga sa pamamagitan…
18 Nov 2004 1 Comment
aLin ang tama ha? sbhn nyo nga sa pamamagitan ng comments! (uuyy sabay nang-uto! hehe!) game!
1. nakakapagbagababag?
2. nakakapagpabagabag?
3. nakakapagabagagag?
Pilipinas! buLoL ka na ba?! (tenen tenten tenten tenten tenenen tenen! 100000x)
Basted…
10 Nov 2004 Leave a Comment
Basted na naman ako. Limang libong beses na yata akong nanligaw kay Jocelyn, pero hindi niya talaga maatim na sagutin ako ng “Oo.” Puro “hindi…”, “ayoko”, “hindi pwede..”, “I don’t deserve you..”, “ayoko nga..”, “hindi talag pwede..”, at ang nakakadurog pusong: “bakit ba ang kulit mo?” ang gasgas na sa pandinig ko.
Hindi ko alam kung wala akong appeal o napapangitan lang talaga siya sa akin.
“Ako panget?! Punyemas! Kung ako panget, anong itsura ng gwapo?!” Ito ang pampalubag look ko sa sarili ko tuwing nababasted niya ako. Kasunod ng litanya kong ito, ang hagikgikan ng barkada na lulunod sa mga susunod pang hinaing ng puso ko kay Jocelyn.
“Pare, bakit nga ba ayaw mo siyang tigilan?”
“Manahimik ka ‘dre, hindi mo nararamdaman ang nararamdaman ko, palibhasa limampu ang mga syota mo!”
“Pare naman, sa kapal ng mukha mong iyan, nakakaramdam ka pa?!” sabay bubunghalit na naman sila ng tawa.
Balang araw, naisip ko habang unti-unting nilulunod ng alak ang pagkatao ko, darating din ang panahong mamumulat ka sa wagas kong pag-ibig Jocelyn. Jocelyn..oh mahal kong Jocelyn…iniirog kita…
“Tsong, gising!” sabay tampal sa pisngi ko. Akalain mong nakatulog pa ako sa lakas ng tawanan ng mga damuho kong barkada na sasamahan ka lang ‘pag nakarinig ng salitang “inuman”.
Ano ba kasing ayaw niya sakin? Uso naman ang mukhang adik ngayon diba? Anong masama kung payat ako, kung mas mahaba pa kaysa sa buhok niya ang buhok ko? Hindi naman ako mukhang nangangain ng tao, at hindi mabaho ang hininga ko!
Ang hindi ko lang talaga matanggap ay ang katotohanang wala naman siyang boyfriend na umaaligid sa kanya, hindi strict ang mga kuya, at lalong hindi strict ang best friend niyang parang nilamutak ang mukha. Ang mga ito ang lalong nagpapasama sa loob ko, at noong unang pagkakataon na binasted niya ako, nangako akong hindi ko siya titigilan hangga’t hindi ko siya napapasagot.
Shocked yata ako noon noh, biruin mo, siya ang kauna-unahang bumasted sa akin nang hindi pa ako nakakapagtanong!
“Jocelyn, pwede…”
“Ayoko. Babay.”
Wow pare, hebi!
Pumunta ulit ako sa bahay niya. Unang beses kong dumalaw nang katatapos pa lang ipagtabuyan. Usually kasi, after one week pa ulit ako nagpapakita.
Nakatago ako sa poste sa may gate nila, dahil nakita ko siyang may kausap na isa pang chikas sa may pintuan. Nag-ready na ako, gusto ko talaga siyang gulatin kaya bigla akong tumalon sa harap ng gate at isisigaw ko na sana ang: “Jocelyn, suprays!” ngunit ang nasabi ko ay ang kagila-gilalas na, “huwaaatt?!?!” sabay tago ulit sa poste.
Namamalik-mata yata ako! Sumilip ulit ako sa dalawang chikas sa may pintuan.
Naghahalikan sila! As in torrid pare!
“Jocelyn, ikaw ay isang Joselito?!” gulat kong tanong sa kanya nang lumabas na ulit ako sa pinagtataguan ko.
“Ngayon alam mo na kung bakit ayaw ko. Nagmamahalan kami ni Cherry.”
“Eh bakit hindi ka naman mukhang T-bird?! ‘Yang seksi mong iyan!?”
“Eh kasi ikaw pa lang ang nakakaalam! Kasasagot pa lang sa akin ni Cherry ngayon. Wag ka sanang maingay, please?”
“Jocelyn, good-bye! Hmph!”
Punyetanginangsiyet. Kaya pala. Sabagay, dalawa lang ang ibig sabihin non. Hindi ako panget, at lalong hindi totoong wala akong appeal! Hehe.
Balang araw Jocelyn, makakahanap din ako ng chikas na mas maganda sa Cherry mo.
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