Don't complain. Do something creative to help.
Sometimes waiting for a child to learn will take time, and of course, parents as the first and most important teachers need to lovingly intervene--not only to encourage effective learning, but to help their children feel good about themselves. Sometimes children are branded as "slow learners" or as "problem children". It really gets to my skin. I really believe that children are blessings and if there ever is a "problem" kid, then it is easier to believe three things: 1. There is a problematic environment; 2. There is a "problem" parent, and; 3. There is a problematic teacher. Sounds too harsh for us adults, doesn't it? I mean, I'd be disturbed if people I care about, students included, labeled me as problematic, worst if my own kid thought of me as a "problem" mom. Imagine if a young kid hears or reads that he's considered a "slow learner" or a "problem child".
We're adults, parents, teachers, uncles, aunties, and friends. It would be nice if we can wait for the kids to learn by themselves, but if we're too impatient, growling at them wouldn't do too much good. Maybe we can show them how things are "usually" done , and walk them through their own learning pace or style patiently. At least we'd have done more than complain too much, and if we're lucky, we might strike a cord, and be part of a child's blooming process.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your lifeYou were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night
[Beatles]
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Friday, October 01, 2004
Friday, May 28, 2004
The Semantics of Grabe
Filipinos watching noontime shows are familiar with the expression grabe na ‘to, referring to the unbelievable feats a contestant has to complete to win the cash prize. Taglish-speaking collegialas say grabe ever so often that it is usually said when they can’t think of anything to say. In jest, it is also spoken in an exaggerated way to make fun of these collegialas, or the controversial women associated with this term—Kris Aquino and Ruffa Gutierrez.
Though grabe can accurately respond to the hardness of its homonym graba- which actually are hard cut rocks used in construction, this superlative effectively expresses the gravity of any situation. It could be very useful in one’s very active and exciting life, and quite confusing too, as this simple five-letter word could mean anything under the sun—and everything to this nameless student.
A student prepares for school early in the chilly morning, and the water heater is broken. Graaabe! One would be squealing it as if life depended on it, to distribute the body shock as the almost ice-cold water hits the skin. Then the student drives to school and can’t help but mutter grabe as she is welcomed by the frustration traffic. As soon as she enters the room, the teacher shouts and slams the door on her. She’s late. Embarrassed, she mouths it without any sound. Grabe. She then goes to her next class and the teacher hands out the midterm exam results. She gets a perfect score and in her elation, smilingly says it. Her classmates meantime verbalize their disbelief, admiration, and even envy. GRABE! She goes home and hurriedly runs to tell the good news to her significant other and twists her ankle in the process. She screams GRAABEE!!, as the pain shoots sharply in her lower extremity. She gets to her house eventually, and learns that her other half still has a meeting to attend to. Grabe. Disappointing. Her son wakes up from his nap and hears her, runs to her as usual kisses her and says ‘Mama, you’re beautiful. I miss you!’. Grabeee! How sweet! She smiles as if she just won the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. Then they play tag and guess who runs out of breath? Grabe, she tiredly gasps. Panting like a dog, she realizes that she cannot even outrun nor out tire her terrible-two toddler, who can also be described as simply GRABE. Then the “good husband” comes home, kisses them both then whispers something naughty to the gasping mommy, who is by now gasping and giggling at the same time. Grabe! So funny! What’s that smell? GRAAAABEEEE!!! She panics when she saw the smoke in the kitchen! Yayks! The tinola has transformed into an inihaw na manok! GRABE KA! Her “sweetheart” angrily shouts at her. She then turns her heels and slams the bedroom door. He soon follows her and consoles her with a sweet Grabe ka naman, as he embraces her. He then goes to the kitchen and takes out canned sardines. Resignedly muttering, with a smile—hay grabe.
Anyway, what happens next to that student nobody knows, but this I do know. The semantics of grabe is like clay. Sure it is a general superlative, but the beauty of it lies in that anybody can take it as their own and mold it to comfortably suit what they need to express—be it the bliss of that first stick of cigarette after two weeks abstinence, or the thirst quenched by that ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, or hunger satiated by that delectable succulent steak, or the panic caused by the volume of backlogs that you have(in school and at home), or the appreciation for your recent enrolment in school after a long vacation, or the sleepless nights after a fight, or the unbelievable ecstasy when bodies and souls unite, or the breathless minutes that follow it, or the pains of the scars of the past that haunts you on cold quiet nights, or the contentment brought by a child’s embrace.
Ah grabe. It seems so easy to forget that it can also be used, more importantly, to articulate our gratitude to that super being that never tires of just being there for us—letting us live and breath, and express ourselves sensibly, even just through a single word that can tell the stories of our lives…GRABE.
Though grabe can accurately respond to the hardness of its homonym graba- which actually are hard cut rocks used in construction, this superlative effectively expresses the gravity of any situation. It could be very useful in one’s very active and exciting life, and quite confusing too, as this simple five-letter word could mean anything under the sun—and everything to this nameless student.
A student prepares for school early in the chilly morning, and the water heater is broken. Graaabe! One would be squealing it as if life depended on it, to distribute the body shock as the almost ice-cold water hits the skin. Then the student drives to school and can’t help but mutter grabe as she is welcomed by the frustration traffic. As soon as she enters the room, the teacher shouts and slams the door on her. She’s late. Embarrassed, she mouths it without any sound. Grabe. She then goes to her next class and the teacher hands out the midterm exam results. She gets a perfect score and in her elation, smilingly says it. Her classmates meantime verbalize their disbelief, admiration, and even envy. GRABE! She goes home and hurriedly runs to tell the good news to her significant other and twists her ankle in the process. She screams GRAABEE!!, as the pain shoots sharply in her lower extremity. She gets to her house eventually, and learns that her other half still has a meeting to attend to. Grabe. Disappointing. Her son wakes up from his nap and hears her, runs to her as usual kisses her and says ‘Mama, you’re beautiful. I miss you!’. Grabeee! How sweet! She smiles as if she just won the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. Then they play tag and guess who runs out of breath? Grabe, she tiredly gasps. Panting like a dog, she realizes that she cannot even outrun nor out tire her terrible-two toddler, who can also be described as simply GRABE. Then the “good husband” comes home, kisses them both then whispers something naughty to the gasping mommy, who is by now gasping and giggling at the same time. Grabe! So funny! What’s that smell? GRAAAABEEEE!!! She panics when she saw the smoke in the kitchen! Yayks! The tinola has transformed into an inihaw na manok! GRABE KA! Her “sweetheart” angrily shouts at her. She then turns her heels and slams the bedroom door. He soon follows her and consoles her with a sweet Grabe ka naman, as he embraces her. He then goes to the kitchen and takes out canned sardines. Resignedly muttering, with a smile—hay grabe.
Anyway, what happens next to that student nobody knows, but this I do know. The semantics of grabe is like clay. Sure it is a general superlative, but the beauty of it lies in that anybody can take it as their own and mold it to comfortably suit what they need to express—be it the bliss of that first stick of cigarette after two weeks abstinence, or the thirst quenched by that ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, or hunger satiated by that delectable succulent steak, or the panic caused by the volume of backlogs that you have(in school and at home), or the appreciation for your recent enrolment in school after a long vacation, or the sleepless nights after a fight, or the unbelievable ecstasy when bodies and souls unite, or the breathless minutes that follow it, or the pains of the scars of the past that haunts you on cold quiet nights, or the contentment brought by a child’s embrace.
Ah grabe. It seems so easy to forget that it can also be used, more importantly, to articulate our gratitude to that super being that never tires of just being there for us—letting us live and breath, and express ourselves sensibly, even just through a single word that can tell the stories of our lives…GRABE.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
What is Philippine Traditional Arts?
One can easily be misled into thinking that Philippine Traditional Arts refer only to those arts that are also known as “tribal arts”. And why not since the implements crafted by our indigenous groups are indeed, more often than not, considered as traditional arts?
On close scrutiny however, of the phrase itself—Philippine Traditional Arts--, we can infer that these arts, as tradition goes, are practiced by particular communities, used in their everyday life, passed on from generation to generation, and are shaped by their way of life. Based on this inference, there appears to be no discrimination then as to class, region, or tribe. All things in consideration then, this could mean that even those practiced or made by Filipinos in Manila during American colonial period can qualify.
What are these traditional art things exactly? As these reflect the way of life of a community from generation to generation, these arts also mirror the things that these communities use in their everyday living. These include implements for cooking like pots, bowls, baskets, jars. Clothing, textile art, blankets, musical instruments, architecture, wood carvings, jewelries, tatoos, metalworks are also considered traditional arts. However, traditional arts are not only limited to those which are material in nature. The dances, songs, literature, music, and rituals practiced by people living in a particular area and period are also part of the arts defined by tradition, as it is part of their way of life.
In my opinion, these traditional arts can be considered as “endangered species” already for several reasons. One most important is that the preservation of these arts are not really taken cared of by those who should—be it the government or the people themselves. What happens then is that the “ways and the why’s of making” usually sadly dies with the old makers of these arts, like the weavers of Cordillera. The younger people in search of “greener pasture” opt to go to the cities and never learn the art. Probably, it is also because their way of life is also changing (as they want it to), as their exposure to the Western world expands via tourism, television, cable, music videos, radio, etc.
However, these arts are our treasure too-- something that we can tell or hopefully still share with our children in the future. Speaking for myself, I need to understand all the part and parcels of my culture, to fully understand who I am as a Filipino. For this reason, I believe that we have to protect the Philippine Traditional Arts, because we, the world, and the children of the future, need to hear the true story not only of our cultural or political history, but of who we are as a people.
On close scrutiny however, of the phrase itself—Philippine Traditional Arts--, we can infer that these arts, as tradition goes, are practiced by particular communities, used in their everyday life, passed on from generation to generation, and are shaped by their way of life. Based on this inference, there appears to be no discrimination then as to class, region, or tribe. All things in consideration then, this could mean that even those practiced or made by Filipinos in Manila during American colonial period can qualify.
What are these traditional art things exactly? As these reflect the way of life of a community from generation to generation, these arts also mirror the things that these communities use in their everyday living. These include implements for cooking like pots, bowls, baskets, jars. Clothing, textile art, blankets, musical instruments, architecture, wood carvings, jewelries, tatoos, metalworks are also considered traditional arts. However, traditional arts are not only limited to those which are material in nature. The dances, songs, literature, music, and rituals practiced by people living in a particular area and period are also part of the arts defined by tradition, as it is part of their way of life.
In my opinion, these traditional arts can be considered as “endangered species” already for several reasons. One most important is that the preservation of these arts are not really taken cared of by those who should—be it the government or the people themselves. What happens then is that the “ways and the why’s of making” usually sadly dies with the old makers of these arts, like the weavers of Cordillera. The younger people in search of “greener pasture” opt to go to the cities and never learn the art. Probably, it is also because their way of life is also changing (as they want it to), as their exposure to the Western world expands via tourism, television, cable, music videos, radio, etc.
However, these arts are our treasure too-- something that we can tell or hopefully still share with our children in the future. Speaking for myself, I need to understand all the part and parcels of my culture, to fully understand who I am as a Filipino. For this reason, I believe that we have to protect the Philippine Traditional Arts, because we, the world, and the children of the future, need to hear the true story not only of our cultural or political history, but of who we are as a people.
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