Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Lupang Hinirang

Hi there! It’s midweek. So, Pacquiao is it again. No question about it, he can certainly put things to a halt, politics notwithstanding. Now, as to the May polls, I mean his running for Congress, let’s see.

Talking about uniting the Filipinos. It’s indeed a hard job to unite a people scattered in an archipelago of 7,107 islands (is the number really higher if it’s low tide?) where each area has its own version of cooking the adobo, the pansit and yes, even the pinakbet. Certainly one way to “unite” the flock would be for pacman to have a fight on a regular basis.

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I’ve said it in this column before and I’m saying it again, I never liked boxing. It’s such a pity to see those people earn money through such a bloody sport. But come to think of it, it’s a better option than that of some officials who earn blood money. Oops! Me and my mouth.

Let me refer to today’s title. What is this with the boxing ring that always makes the singers render the national anthem as if it’s a pop recording or a birit session? Last Sunday, somebody did it again! Señor Palma (my apologies, I can’t recall his first name, I mean the composer of our national anthem) must have turned in his grave - again - considering the way Geneva Cruz sang the Lupang Hinirang. And let us not forget the other singers before her who belted out the National Anthem during the other Pacquiao bouts and that of the other Filipino boxers. And what’s with the terno? Ok, the announcer was in a tux. And yes, there was once this singer who went onstage, err, the boxing ring resplendent in a terno to sing the national anthem. She loved the song so much she that missed a line or two. That’s on top of the pop (mis) interpretation of the national anthem.

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This was supposed to be part of my column last April 4, a few days after April Fools’ day. Anyway, nothing big about it. For jesters and those who are into fun, April Fools’ Day is just that, a day, April 1 to be exact. Well, it’s a different thing for some politicians in our midst, everyday is April Fools’ Day. Oops, ang pikon laging talo.

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Talking about politics. During the Holy Week, I had a short chika with a friend of mine who happens to be a priest. It’s odd, we ended not with a topic on how to make the week holier, but on how politics and vacationing in one’s hometown can be connected. Here are the types of bakasyonistas according to my friend:
  • The students who are in town every semestral break. In the case of some who study in Cebu, they are in town when the allowance runs out, or it’s the school’s intrams or there is much laundry to do.
  • The Balikbayan, on the average, it’s every two years, some at end of contract (normally two years), others, especially seamen, when their vessel happen to anchor in a nearby port;
  • and the other balikbayans who counted decades before comng home kay nagtirok pa, pero pag-abot 'Pinas parang sino (this line is from me).
Anyway, what do you call those who are home every three years? Not exactly 3 years, they do come home months before election, pang getting-to-know-you moments kumbaga. Yun lang!

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Some election recollection (It’s my mom’s recollection actually). There was a time when our overburdened and underpaid teachers got the flak for the election results. You know, the losing candidates saying that they did not know how to count. I suppose our new breed of teachers are way, way different and better from some teachers of old. So what’s with the recollection? Forget about carabao or broken english (which sadly is a case in some of them) there was a time - election time - during the counting of votes, that a teacher simply counted or said the wrong or different name. When my mom or was it her companion tried to react, that teacher simply said: “siya man, baga an others”, or something to that effect. Of course I’m talking about an election many years ago. That teacher has since retired and is now with her creator.

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Let me give you the second part of Kids in the church that I left you with last Friday:After the christening of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong.Finally, the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!"
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Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent."The Flight to Egypt ," was his reply .Pointing at each figure, Ms. Terri said, "That must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. But who's the fourth person?""Oh, that's Pontius - the pilot!"
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The Sunday School Teacher asks, "Now, Johnny, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?""No sir," little Johnny replies, I don't have to. My mom is a good cook.
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This is the best one.A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story.From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?""Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago.""Oh," she paused, "grandpa, did God make me too?""Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"

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Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!

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