Quotes from WSS

I was at Dusit Hotel yesterday for the corporate video shoot of World Stage.

Seeing some of the kid's parents and actually interviewing them, was quite overwhelming. They went for hours talking about parenting, while most of their kids during interview talked about life being difficult in general.

Here are some lines from our interview which I found interesting:

***
mom: she was really mad at me for sending her to the prom last night. I told her to let it go already, before.. uhmm, ganito kasi yan. 


ANGER, is the starting point. Initially, we get angry, pag napipikon tayo,..kahit sa mga petty things. Then if you let it stay overnight, it becomes UN FORGIVENESS. Day three, it becomes BITTERNESS. Later on, it becomes BITTER JUDGEMENT, until it grows BITTER ROOTS. 


So when you come to think of it, lahat yan, sa ANGER lang nagsimula. Now, when it grows roots, it's harder to let go. Kasi you'll need to asses now, ang dami mo nang conditions just to forgive yung isang bagay na galing lang sa anger, diba? 


Now my daughter was telling me last night, "mom, I think I've grown roots." (laughter)

***
Kid 1: (on writing a book) I think I don't want to write it anymore.


Us: Why is that?


Kid 1: because I don't feel like writing anymore. 


Us: Because of?


Kid 1: because of other things. It's not me anymore. Mom wants me to write it, as if everything was that simple.


Us: but last year, you were so excited about the book.

Kid 1: Because I never knew it was gonna be that difficult. 

***
Kid 2: (on going down the zip line) I was watching 9 kids go ahead of me, and then I started crying. So when I went on the zip line, I was in a depressed mode all the way down.


Us: where do you think did the fear come from?


Kid 2: heights?


Us: What did you feel after the activity?


Kid 2: I thought it went too quickly. And if I had to do it again, I would. Because I know what the worst is like. 

***

Now I will be editing their videos in a few while.  I've had lots of reflection to do after hearing some amazing lines from these wonderful people. One day with them taught me realities in life. Good and bad ones.

World Stage is indeed a daily breakthrough. =)

The Week

I'm boarding a plane to Palawan in a few hours.

The weather there bothered me though.
Flood reaching chest level over the weekend.
But I won't let anything get in the way.
Thank you Lord for giving me this six days off.
May I find You and myself in this journey.
This is my life. =)

Sumbong

WELCOME ROTONDA. EXT. DAY. Isang bunso, hila-hila sa braso ang kuya niyang siga. 


BUNSO: pinatakbo pa ako doon o! (turo sa kabilang kalye)


KUYA: Asan na yung mokong na yun? 


BUNSO: natakot yata nung tinawag kita. Umalis kasama nung iba.


KUYA: Abangan natin dito. Babalik din yung mga yun. (umupo ang magkapatid sa gutter ng kalsada)

**

E RODRIGUEZ. KANTO NG D. TUAZON. NIGHT. Isang baklang highschool na maliit ang polo ng uniform at kaklaseng tisoy na nakasando at nakasabit ang polo sa balikat. Umiiyak si bakla.


BAKLA: huhuhuhu...


TISOY: Kailan ka pa nila ginanon?


BAKLA: Hindi ko na maalala. 


TISOY: Bakit mo pinabayaang ganunin ka nila?


BAKLA: huhuhuhu...


TISOY: (himas sa ulo ni bakla, iniiwasan ang hair clip) hayaan mo, hindi ka na nila malalapitan ngayon.

**
Minsan, takot tayong humarap sa mga problema ng mag-isa lang. Minsan, ayaw natin matalo, kaya humahanap tayo ng mas malakas, at makapangyarihan na tutulong sa atin. Kadalasan, gusto lang natin magapansin. Dahil tayong mga Pilipino, mahilig sa drama. Lahat kumakampi sa kawawa. Kapag inaapi, dapat ipagtanggol. Kaya madaming galit kay Clara dahil sa pang-aapi niya kay Mara, kasi kawawa. Araw-araw, umiiyak.

Ni minsan ba, hindi natin inisip na baka defense mechanism lang ng mga kontrabida ang pang aapi at pananakit? Naniniwala ako na evil men aren't born, they are made. Men are good in nature, kahit hindi na ituro. Pero ang kasamaan, kailangan pag-aralan. Kasi, kung mali ang execution mo, maaaring masaktan ka din sa proseso. Kung mali ang panghoholdap mo, maaari kang makulong. Kung mali ang murder mo dahil nakalimutan mo ang kutsilyo sa crime scene, death penalty.

Hindi madali maging masama. It takes a lot of courage to kill a person, or to steal from someone. Kaya huwag din natin mamaliitin ang mga masasamang tao, dahil isang mabigat na pangyayari siguro ang na-encounter nila, isang loss, isang pagsubok na hindi nila kinaya. At ito ang nagtulak sa kanila para gumawa ng masama. Sila ang tunay na kawawa. Dahil wala silang masumbungan.

Maswerte na ang mga taong may nasusumbungan. Ibig sabihin noon, may handang magtanggol para sa iyo. May concern ba. May iiyak pag nasaktan ka. Nakakagana mabuhay kapag alam mong may mga taong handang tumulong at makinig.

Kaya naman imbes na galit ang isukli mo sa masasamang tao, subukan natin silang pakinggan. I've had my share of people na punung-puno ng bitterness sa mundo. Nagsisiraan, naghihilahan pababa. Nakakapagod ang ginagawa nilang plastikan sa mundo. Pero andun ako at nakinig sa bawat kwento nila sa buhay, may broken family, may baklang ayaw umamin, may unwanted child. Nakakaawa.

Naniniwala akong kaya natin baguhin ang mundo, one bad person at a time. Defense mechanism can only do so much. =)

Katsalak!!! Thump...DubDub...DubDub...

KATSALAK!

I get goosebumps whenever I hear this sound. Metals going against each other, a click, a spring ricochets, and finally another click.

I don't get why my dad carries a gun with him all the time. Whenever we go to the supermarket, to the drugstore, and even to our barber visits, he tags it along with him. It lays beside his pillow at night. So sometimes, I hate it when my dad sleeps inside my room. Knowing that any moment, that gun could go.

Politics definitely ruined the man. He's afraid to go by himself that he now has to carry a gun around for protection. Politics stole my dad's freedom, and in return gave him grudges, hate and enemies.

I swear my dad is a changed man already, but these political animals don't end their victory in winning. They make you feel sorry for trying to beat them. This is in the barangay level. Hello President Noynoy. Have you been good?

THUMP...

My mom's disease, in my opinion is getting worse. I think it's lupus, where one leg is smaller than the other.

I was shopping with her yesterday for black slacks. She never wore anything that reveals her legs. It would always be pants, or a really long skirt. Good thing Marks and Spencers was on sale yesterday, she got what she wanted.

She never told me anything about this disease. And that worries me more. The sonograms, the xray photos are my only clues. I never wanted to ask though, and maybe that's fine with her as well. Her knowing that I don't know anything gives her the relief that I shouldn't be worrying. And with me not knowing allows me to treat her like a normal person. I guess that's how she wanted things to be. To not become a burden to each other. Now that's more like my mom.

It scares me though, everytime she gets new bruises, or a cut, or sprains her elbow whenever she falls down or slips. Eventually, her one leg will have to give up, and my mom would have a hard time walking. And I would have to take care of her by then.

DUBDUB...DUBDUB...

Now there goes my heart, worried about my future.

I'll take a week off and go to Palawan to think things over, my future, career, my life in general. I'll have the world slow things down for me a bit. Connive with the universe, talk to the sea and let the breeze embrace me.

I have to start thinking about my career. One that could support me and my mom in the future. I have to think about my life, is this the path I am willing to take, in like, forever? (gay accent, lols)

In a world where anything goes, I'd like to go for those that works for me. I have been too complacent, and I think I need to move on to the next chapter. I said goodbye to teenage dreams two years ago, now I have to start thinking about the future, my future.

The first public appearance of my graduation picture. Have mercy.