Saturday, February 26, 2005

jars of play-doh

kainis. gusto ko pa namang manood ng jars of clay but no, i think i shouldn't spend my negative savings on it (my salary has been devoured by my car's amortization before i even get it from the atm). besides, the one person i want to watch it with just texted me today and told me she's been delinquent with rehearsals for an upcoming concert (not Hangad's -- though if you're interested WATCH HANGAD'S ALBUM LAUNCH 7PM FEB27 at GESU hehehe plugging na naman), so she begged off na rin. P's not too interested I think because he said no already prior to checking his schedule...haaaay nako!

di bale na nga. i don't know all their songs by heart anyway so i just might look like a ditz trying to follow the lyrics if ever that they'd ask the audience to sing...*sigh*

and i guess i've outgrown alternative christian music for quite some time now -- perhaps due to the fact that i've outgrown my own church band. bumabalik na ata ako sa crossover jazz roots ko ah...other than that, it's francis brew's playlist that's keeping me preoccupied. hmm...may blog kaya siya? sometimes i think about going to another gig and approach him again and this time have the guts to EXCHANGE NUMBERS. ibang klase kasi talagang lahat ng patugtugin niya gusto ko, tapos nakakatawa pa siya!!! magsama sila nina jessica zafra at sting sa fantasy barkada ko...

teka nga i'd better sleep. got a LOOOONG day ahead of me. tech rehearsal na before concert!!!!!

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Daddy

this is actually a spiel for an upcoming concert (insert shameless plug here). better have it published as my sister and I will be doing a shorter version live.

******

Si Daddy, pag nagsalita ‘yan, akala mo laging galit sa mundo kasi ang lakas ng boses. His harsh words, to the unaccustomed ear, may seem hurtful but we, his family, have come to accept them as mere expressions of fleeting bursts of emotion that don’t mean harm. Every morning he calls my name, or Joy’s, three times in different tones (insert sample here) that sometimes elicit an irritated “Po?!?!? Bakit po?!?!” or even an impolite “Ano?!?!?” from the daughter who has been roused from deep sleep. Our household help get a daily scolding from him with every mistake or forgotten task that makes one shudder at the thought of ever committing the same mistake again. Like a corps commander, he makes a roll call every mealtime and will not stop until you abandon whatever it is you may be doing so we could all eat together. At sa gabi, bago matulog, ang ka-OC-han sa bahay, talagang walang magnanakaw na pwedeng pumasok sa dami ng beses niyang i-che-check kung naikandado na lahat ng pintuan at sufficient na ang ilaw. You may as well say that every member (pati inanimate object) of the house is up and about primarily because of Daddy, which is a good thing because we get to see that everything and everyone are in order, are accounted for and meet his standards. Kaso minsan talaga may pagkakataon na gusto na lang naming tahimik sa bahay for once.

A few years back, Ate Celia invited Daddy to spend Christmas with her and her family in Boston. With a little reluctance on our part, he left in December of that year for the US to take a 3-week vacation with them. And while he stayed there, our house suddenly became quiet since we all went about our tasks without anyone giving orders. Then Christmas Eve came, and it was Noche Buena time. My mom, brother, Joy and I were gathered at the table and ate quietly with nothing but a few funny one-liners or the clanging of silverware against the china here and there to break the silence. It was then that Joy suddenly remarked, “Sana nandito si Daddy. Masyadong tahimik dito, ang lungkot tuloy,” which brought tears to our eyes. Yes, we missed the racket our Dad made when he complains about the cold soup, when he would holler for an extra plate, when he proudly exclaims how good the ham is. Somehow, the deafening silence that befell us that night brought not peace but loneliness.

Dad came home a bit after New Year’s and things at home went back to their normal, albeit mildly chaotic state. To this day, he still wakes the entire household to its feet and we must admit that it still gets to our nerves sometimes, but Joy and I have come to embrace it because we wouldn’t have it any other way. We want all that noise if it means breathing zeal into our home and giving us a feeling that someone is making sure we are all alright – and is shouting it to the world! Our hearts go out to this very outspoken father of ours who tells everything as it is, and we know that his kakulitan is a testimony to his unconditional love for all of us – a love that fiercely proclaims its might and its truth.