08.09.07
2007 August 1- 15
"Not a Day Without a Line"
Starting on June 25, 2007 The Daily Pliny
will be an attempt to discipline my writing
habits the Older Pliny way.
As you may have surmised, the title is
a nutty variant of The Daily Planet.
Until I reach another inevitable writing fermata,
I shall do my best to update this post everyday.
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August 1, 2007
My August Haiku
Welcome August one
I can see July is done
Reign new thirty-one
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August 2, 2007
Misha on Bartok
I ran through Bartok.
He composed "messy" music?
My little bro asked.
What?! I love Bartok!
What if I play it slower?
Would that un-mess it?
But it’s not the speed
He said, Bartok sounds messy.
I was quite appalled.
He has yet to learn.
But I like the way he is.
He sure speaks his mind.
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August 3, 2007
He played a glass harp
Did naturals, flats, and sharps.
What a lovely art.
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August 7, 2007
Pineapples & Books, and a Few Nasty Pounds
The
long drive from Cagayan de Oro City still rocks me gently. I easily
get nauseous but I thank God for enlightening that person who brought
forth Bonamine, because even though my equilibrium was jiggled, the
food I ate behaved and remained in my tummy. Credit also goes to
Haidee, Lester, and the rest of the family for exquisite and enjoyable
company. Enjoyable is in fact an understatement considering that
laughter was more constant compared to the road reflectors and
milestones.
CDO has changed so much. We lived there for a
couple of years during my childhood. I have pleasant memories of CDO…
whether or not I was simply too young and naïve to see the city’s
impurities. The tree-lined beach in the subdivision we used to live in
is now nothing but a bare grey strip covered in indecent haze. The
kalesas have been replaced by smoke belching jeepneys and the “city of
golden friendship” has suddenly become quite hostile. The messy
electrical wires seemed to choke my view. They have better hotels and
malls now, but I felt wistful just looking at how one of my hometowns
had turned out… I don’t want to see Dipolog this way in the future.
Bukidnon
on the other hand, was a whiff of pure air. You couldn’t help but
praise God for nature. Pineapple plantations as far as Forrest Gump
could run through, acacia trees that whispered serenity, and zephyrs
that said “breathe me, breathe me.” It was indeed a drastic contrast
to Ozamis’ corrupted atmosphere, Iligan’s industrial pollution, and
CDO’s metropolitan filth. By the way, Bukidnon has the most enormous
and gratifying steaks I have ever seen or consumed.
CDO however
has a certain favorable feature – book stores! Ah, you’ll be amazed!
In one crammy book sale, I found a number of authors and works from my
wish list.
After two days in CDO, we’re back in Dipolog with a load of pineapples and books, and a few extra pounds in my butt.
It’s
unbelievable how dust - and pounds, accumulate within three days! It’s
alright though, I’m going to use cleaning to burn out these nasty
pounds.
I’m back and I still love Dipolog more… there’s no place like home.
*Hums “Over the Rainbow”
and “What a Wonderful World”*
For more photos of the trip Click Here.
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August 8, 2007
About Rach
What is it about Rachmaninov’s music?
It is metaphysical…
it has a soul of its own…
…and once you hear it,
it is intravenously instilled
in your being for eternity…
It takes you to unknown heights…
…but makes you wallow
in pangs of sorrowful depths…
It suspends you in the air, and forsakes you
in sweet
abandon into a vast space…
Did Rachmaninov pierce himself with a quill and write music
with the blood he drew?
Did he furiously bang on the bells of Moscow until they were reduced to iron notes
on an empty sheet? Were the whole notes originally drops of tears? Did he extract his manic-depressive brain cells and
magically skewer them in musical staves?
Or did he simply fall in love?
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August 9, 2007
Sevenly Beings
Beryl entitled this Answering Dustine,
a scheme of revealing seven personal verities concerning your being and
passing it on to seven people. Evidently, she got this from Dustine…
and I obviously got it from Beryl and will now begin to answer her.
I call these my Sevenly Beings.
I. It is my goal to center everything I do
in love. Unfortunately I stagger most of the time, but it’s comforting
enough to know that someone up there is willing to help me.
II. Music has conquered me.
III. I
used to be negative towards philosophy… only to discover later on that
the people who were meant to influence me greatly are philosophers
themselves, and they have taught me so much and drastically changed the
way I thought.
Oh, wait… actually, they made me begin to think.
IV. I
marvel at the arts – literary arts, visual arts, and performing arts… I
used to wish about being able to experience and learn all the fields of
art, but since that is quite impossible, I can only try incorporating
various fields of art with a paint brush and a pen.
V. I know the people I love by their
scent. I myself am surprised and astonished with that fact. Even at
night when I dream of the same people, my olfactory senses are present.
VI. Coffee is in my blood… or rather, I have blood in my coffee. =P
I
believe “loving” coffee is superficial unless one undergoes the
grinding, pressing, and witnesses the thick hissing liquid from those
exquisite beans.
VII. I
am enchanted with the heavens and every miracle that occurs in it
everyday…. The sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, stars, thunder,
lightning, rain, black holes, the movement of the planets, meteors,
comets, solar flares that are manifested in polar lights – that’s why I
hope to see the aurora borealis and australis with my own eyes.
…and that’s my seven. Did you know that my favorite number happens to be seven?
(oooops, that makes eight facts now)
Abiding to the rule, it’s my turn to forward this to seven people;
Sergei Rachmaninov,
Johann Sebastian Bach,
Orhan Pamuk,
John Fowles,
Rembrandt van Rijn… hehe… kidding.
Okay, listen up you seven…
Franz, take a break from those Brunei
chick-students of yours. Here’s a chance for you to do some
ink-shedding. Miss your writings. Although I know more than seven facts
about you already, it would be fun to hear them in your own words.
Reji, take a pause from the hotness. I’d like to hear your own seven. =)
Tonet, ever sweet Tonet, this is not the board exams. You can do this in a flash. =)
Vinz, a reminder of childhood “describe yourself” portions in my autograph. =)
Mae, I think am gonna see Josh’s name along your seven. =P
Haidee, just so you’ll have a break from work – and baby-sitting Lester. =P
Marivic, coz you always have something interesting to say. =)
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August 10, 2007
The Hardest Thing
Yes, fellow piano teachers… the most difficult obstacle you will ever
come across piano teaching is not ADHD, autism, nor mental retardation,
or any kind of physical disability. It’s when a kid can’t distinguish
the right hand
from the left. Trust me… I
encountered that dilemma today. Haha =)
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August 11, 2007
Barista Blues Haiku
I, the barista
Who will fuse coffee for me?
Aha! Nobody.
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August 12, 2007
Sense and Sensitivity
“How can people be so
insensitive?”
That’s the first question I asked myself this morning… and I
burdened myself with that weary load of a thought as I made my way through the
day.
“Don’t they know how
much it torments me?”
I asked myself as I pulverized the coffee beans and prepared
espresso. Papa and Mama were smiling at the breakfast table (no,
they’re not who I’m referring to as insensitive), and I went on with my
straight face. The rich coffee that normally puts me in a jovial mood
didn’t seem to work this time.
Misha showed me his caterpillars after breakfast and I was
amazed with these creatures. I regarded
on how they’d miraculously morph into free graceful beauties from monstrous earth-crawling
beginnings. Humans are actually given
the chance to experience such metamorphosis, too… I had more thoughts concerning this kind of rebirth
and transfiguration, but then another thought took over, “How can people be so insensitive?”
“Don’t worry, be happy,” sang Bobby McFerrin as Dandi turned
up the speakers.
“Maybe I can do just
that if some people would just cease to be so insensitive,” I muttered.
The sun shone brightly. It’s Sunday! Sunday means preparing
special meals with Mama and that usually causes me to be rather excited. There in the kitchen bustled my UberMama and
I through the whiffs of delicious aromas… and as a kitchen time custom, she
asked me about my friends. Then a tear
dropped – not because of the onions, but because of – yes,
you guessed it – “insensitive people.”
All of a sudden, a heaven-sent realization struck me. Who was being insensitive here?
From the moment I woke up I had been gifted with the sunshine, my
family, nature, coffee, the power to think, a mother who cared so much, a home,
food, music, and there I was in the middle of all these…an insensitive,
ungrateful idiot. God forgive me.
How can I be so
insensitive?
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August 13, 2007
Miss Potter
Beatrix Potter once proclaimed that she would never
marry! She had her art, what more did
she need?
Sounds incredibly familiar, huh? Yes… She reminds me so much of myself.
…but of course, that was before her publisher came into her life and taught her how to dance…
Miss Potter is a very
charming movie that also has its tragedies and conflicts. I personally would place it alongside Little Women. Despite its piddling historical
inaccuracies, I would still rate the movie highly. American actress Renee Zellweger nailed a British
character once again – and very well indeed. A sweet smile matched with intelligent strength inside, her role was of a
woman who could not be easily wavered, and Ewan McGregor added just the right
formula to this biopic.
This film is also proof that a movie can be successfully
romantic even without bedroom scenes. It’s a film for every woman, and every family.
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August 14, 2007
Reality Bits
Tagline: The dread of him who came later
and her reply that startled both of them.
Note: The following conversation occurred in real life and
might not be suitable for those who cannot handle forthright honesty. No animals were harmed in the making – but
humans were.
“I’m afraid I can never replace him.”
“You’re right, you can’t. No one can ever really nullify another’s
role in my life, for each person is distinct and peculiar… the same way no
one can ever take your place.”
“I fear that he will always be better than I.”
“Yes,
perhaps and perhaps not … but we have to accept and admit that there will
always be someone better than you or I, and that these same people we should
not treat as rivals but as beings that we may learn from.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to love him forever.”
A shocked
silence, and then a whisper,
“I’m afraid
so, too…”
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August 15, 2007
In a touchy mood
I’ve got my monthly period
You better be good
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