Melo's Christmas Wishlist

Dear Santa and the Reindeer,

Happy end-of-October!

The cold morning breeze is here which makes me sneeze a couple of times upon waking up. October is about to end. Mom is already preparing for things to bring to the cemetery. December is oh-so-near!

And yes, my most dreaded month because I get depressed times ten to the infinite power whenever December's near. Birthday blues and commercialized holidays again. Since two weeks' vacation is part of the package and I am naturally an overly sentimental and romantic being, I tend to spend time listening to rock ballads.

And yes, I seem to have perfected the art of emoing. As I have told a friend, it is an art for me, but more so a hobby.

Tonight I enumerate the things I want for Christmas. Yes I do complain about the holidays being commercialized but give this kid a break. All she wants are:

1. An external hard disk preferably Buffalo.

2. An MP4 player though I will be extremely happy with an MP3 player... preferably at least 2GB.

3. A new Asus gamer's laptop because I plan to go back to being a gamer as soon as I finish my academic requirements

4. WACOM Bamboo to practice creating digital art

5. Books on digital art and animation. Or books in general. (Though really, I should start reading my fiction books which have suddenly numbered to over 200!)

And yes, I do have the above-mentioned stuffs on my wishlist. Then again, there are even more precious things I'd like like:

1. More time to do the things I want like sleeping, drawing, reading, writing, and watching movies

2. parents' permission to join future excavations and explore the world

3. the perfect job: something that will allow me to earn without sacrificing my hobbies and of course, my career as an archaeologist.

4. real peace, though I know this is next to impossible

5. last and the most important: the COURAGE to do the things I have to do, and the STRENGTH to continue doing what I'm supposed to do.

So there, I guess the second group of wishes are more important. :)

Love lots,

Miracle

Bleak

I was supposed to graduate this semester, but my INCs hindered me from getting that much-needed diploma in just one and a half year.

Along the way, I realized that I love many things, and archaeology is just one of them. Surfing the net on depressing nights with the purpose of gaining a muse, I stumbled into digital art. On days when I itch to watch anime, having felt deprived due to heavy academic workload, I accidentally put in  さらい屋五葉 and was simply astounded with the play of light and shadows. Then there was "Kung Fu Panda 2" which touched me greatly, aside from making me laugh out really loud. I realized I want to be an animator. Well, it's not the first time that I wanted to be one. Even before, I considered that career choice.

Flashback to when I was a third year undergraduate student. I met a really cool prof who love anime. That was a first for me, so I was so happy. Once I was busy leafing through Spanish books on history in the library, she saw me and said she liked nerds/ geeks. And I instantly love her for that. I remember her treating me to a glass of iced tea at a cafe just beside Vargas Museum. She offered to treat me to lunch but I graciously declined the offer. At that time, we just talked, just the two of us, mainly about anime, orgs, yaoi, techie stuff, etc. At that time, I became aware of the fact that although I am good at logic (and got very high grades in programming in high school) I don't know anything at all about the latest software. Heck I am currently struggling with photoshop and trying to finish digitizing the permatraces with the hope that I don't incur another INC--- which might cause a major heartbreak since I was able to submit my paper last week.

Just now, I remember her. She was ever so kind to all of her students. She assured me that I'd do fine in class, when I was really on the verge of frustration due to my inability to contribute anything for the class play. We worked together for the video to be used as background for the play. It was supposed to be my task but knowing my being a noble savage ignorant of video editing and such, she helped me a lot. Before the semester ended I was able to learn how to edit videos though, thanks to a classmate who showed me how simple it actually is. The skill I learned proved to be useful when, working for a bags and clothing company as a marketing consultant, videos needed to be edited and there was a shortage of staff and I took the opportunity to practice video-editing.

Right now I am learning photoshop. Yes, the youth of today learn on their own. But I'm different. I need to learn the basics first from someone. Once I get the basics, I can advance on my own. There are few moments in my life where I learn a skill on my own. I am more inclined to the abstract, to ideas and concepts, than I am to practical know-how.

A few months back, our director and I had a talk. He wanted to know if I would pursue a master's degree. I said I can't at present, but that I'd consider after getting my diploma. I told him that I'm having financial problems, which is for the most part, the crippling factor. Second, I wanted to do the things I've always wanted: writing, drawing, composing. These are my main avenues for expression. I chase after beauty, I chase after images and texts that evoke powerful emotions. I've seen so much, read so much. For a change, I want to be seen, to be read.

I also miss Math a lot. If ever, I have a particular topic I'd like to research on which I won't disclose here. I want to delve into more abstractions, I want to experience again that ecstatic state after having solved a problem through sheer logic. 

But the future is bleak as usual. Dark clouds of uncertainty produce horrifying shadows which seem to haunt me even in sleep. But the people I met who once inspired me a great deal, they continue to do so at present as I go on a stroll down memory lane. I know what I want to do. The problem as usual is money. For the meantime, I shall live within my means and take one simple step at a time. Next week I'm buying a sketchpad and a set of coloring pencils. But then again, there are deficiencies to take care of first.

Gadhafi's Death

News recently focused on the death of Moamar Gadhafi in the hands of bloodthirsty rebels in Libya where the first ruled for 42 years.

I watched the videos documenting his death and how he was treated like an animal by his murderers. I cannot help but pity the man who used to be a ruler but who died so much less. I thought to myself, were the Filipinos like this, the politicians who have wronged the country would surely be in hiding now. But we Filipinos are a soft-hearted people who put to jail the rich and the powerful not in ordinary prisonhouses, but in guarded houses where they still enjoy luxuries. And the judiciary process? Very very slow that we tend to forget the evils wrought to us by the corrupt politicians.

I worry about the fate of Libya. I worry about the fate of NATO-aided states in attaining "freedom". The United States of America is not to be trusted. It portrays itself as a superhero, the liberator, the defender of democracy, but in reality, it is just an egocentric hypocrite which interferes in global affairs if only for its self interests.

Surely, in every nation, there are dissidents, there are those who oppose the government. I do not believe that the dictators Gadhafi, and others were 100% evil. For sure, they were also responsible for the economic growth of their states. But because rebels and other entities out to seek political power exist, foreign intrusion was easy. The US, under the pretext of installing democracy, backed the rebels. But the only thing the US is after is of course, the resources--- OIL in particular.

I worry about the fate of Libya. I worry about the fate of the states "liberated" by the US. The US is not to be trusted. Its history is full of deceit and betrayal especially in its relations with other countries.

Whose Fault Is It?: The Case of Yueyue

Just now, I read about news articles related to Yueyue of Foshan, Guangdong, a two year old girl who was run over twice. As she lay dying on the road, nobody came to her rescue, not even the passers-by. The CCTV camera has shown evidence of the indifference shown by those who pretended not to see the girl. Later on, a garbage collector saw the girl and with her cries, alerted the mother who then took the child to the hospital.

Before anything else, I join many others in expressing indignation at the indifference and lack of sympathy of the passersby who did nothing for the girl. I wonder how people could be so heartless, even with an innocent child.

And I wonder what the mother was doing at that time. News articles say that the mother and Yueyue went shopping and that the latter wandered off. How come the mother didn't even look for her two year old girl? I do not mean to judge but in China where boys are preferred over girls, I can't help thinking that the mother's lack of vigilance resulted in this tragedy.

Against Corporate Greed

I am reposting a news article I read last night in the papers regarding mass rallies all over the world against corporate greed. Lately I have been thinking of writing about it. The article came out at an opportune moment. This will be the beginning of a series of global rallies against increasing greed and against neoimperialism. This is the start of the mob's cry for reforms and for upholding the dignity of every human being.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/77345/rallies-vs-corporate-greed-sweep-world

Rallies vs corporate greed sweep world

Widening rich-poor gap stokes protests

Agence France-Presse, Associated Press 1:31 am | Monday, October 17th, 2011 
Buoyed by the Occupy Wall Street encampment in New York City, protests swept across Asia, the Americas and Europe on Saturday, with hundreds and in some cases tens of thousands expressing discontent at corporate greed and rising unemployment.

In Rome, small groups of restive young people turned a largely peaceful protest into a riot, setting fire to at least one building and a police van and clashing with police officers, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. The police estimated that dozens of protesters had been injured, along with 26 security officials; 12 people were arrested.

At least 88 people were arrested in New York, including 24 accused of trespassing in a Greenwich Village branch of Citibank and 45 during a raucous rally of thousands of people in and around Times Square.
More than 1,000 people filled Washington Square Park at night, but almost all of them left after dozens of police officers with batons and helmets streamed through the arch and warned that they would be enforcing a midnight curfew. Fourteen were arrested for remaining in the park.

Other than Rome’s, the demonstrations across Europe were largely peaceful, with thousands of people marching past ancient monuments and gathering in front of capitalist symbols like the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

Similar scenes unfolded across cities on several continents, including in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles, where several thousand people marched to City Hall as passing drivers honked their support.

But just as the rallies in New York have represented a variety of messages—signs have been held in opposition to US President Barack Obama yards away from signs in support of him—so did Saturday’s protests contain a grab bag of sentiments, opposing nuclear power, political corruption and the privatization of water.

Widening gap

Yet despite the difference in language, landscape and scale, the protests were united in frustration with the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

GREEK TRAGEDY Greek activists, inspired by the Spanish Indignants, cover their ears, mouths or eyes in Athens’ Syntagma Square in front of the Greek parliament. AFP

“I have no problem with capitalism,” Herbert Haberl, 51, said in Berlin. “But I find the way the financial system is functioning deeply unethical. We shouldn’t bail out the banks. We should bail out the people.”
In New York, where the occupation of Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan was moving into its second month, a large crowd marched north early on Saturday afternoon to Washington Square Park, where it was joined by several hundred college students who decried, among other things, student debt and unemployment.

“Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” protesters chanted from within police barricades.

In late afternoon, the crowds marched up Avenue of the Americas toward a heavily barricaded Times Square, beseeching onlookers to join in with cries of “You are the 99 percent.” For the protesters, marching on Times Square held almost as much significance as did protesting against Wall Street.

“Times Square represents business as usual—buy, buy, buy in this economic climate, watch the latest show,” said Elias Holtz, 29, a Web designer who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn. “But the crisis is everywhere.”

Time for people to rise

Two dozen people were arrested at a Citibank branch on LaGuardia Place on trespassing charges. Citibank, in a statement, said the protesters “were very disruptive and refused to leave after being repeatedly asked, causing our staff to call 911.”

In Washington, several hundred people marched through downtown, beginning in the early morning, passing by several banks. Escorted by the police, the marchers also demonstrated in front of the White House and the treasury department before moving on to a rally on National Mall, where they were joined by representatives of unions and other supporters.

The protests were inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States and the Indignants in Spain, targeting 951 cities in more than 80 countries around the globe.

It was the biggest show of power yet by a movement born on May 15 when a rally in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square sparked a worldwide campaign focused on anger over unemployment and opposition to the financial elite.

This weekend, the global protest effort came as finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 industrialized nations meet in Paris to discuss economic issues, including ways to tackle Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.

“I think it is very moving that the movement that was born here has extended throughout the world. It was about time for people to rise up,” 24-year-old Carmen Martin said as she marched toward Puerta del Sol.

Only the beginning

In Rome, which saw the worst violence of the day, the march quickly degenerated into running street battles between groups of hooded protesters and riot police who fired tear gas and water jets into the crowd.

“Today is only the beginning. We hope to move forward with a global movement. There are many of us and we want the same things,” said Andrea Muraro, 24, an engineering student from Padua.

“Only One Solution: Revolution!” read a placard. One group carried a cardboard coffin with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s name on it.

Berlusconi later condemned the “incredible level of violence” at the march, which took place amid a security lockdown.

The Vatican condemned an attack by protesters on the 18th century church of Santi Marcellino and Pietro near St. John Lateran Square, where much of Saturday’s violence occurred.

“When I came down, I saw the entrance door had been smashed in,” the church’s parish priest, Fr. Giuseppe Ciucci, was quoted by Italian media as saying.

“The Virgin Mary’s statue which was at the entrance had been taken away and I saw it had been thrown into the street and smashed,” he said.

Tens of thousands of protesters assembled in Madrid on Saturday evening, when chants mingled with live music, including a rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” lending the downtown area an upbeat feel on an unusually balmy fall afternoon.

‘Culmination of dream’

VIOLENT TURN Protesters attack a police vehicle during a demonstration in Rome. Others set fire to a government office. AFP

Brief clashes were reported in London, where the police were out in force with dozens of riot vans, canine units and hundreds of officers.

But the gathering, attended by people of all ages, was largely peaceful, with a picnic atmosphere and people streaming in and out of a nearby Starbucks.

WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, made an appearance when a crowd assembled in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral. To loud cheers, Assange called the protest movement “the culmination of a dream.”

Around 250 protesters set up camp outside St. Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of London on Sunday, promising to occupy the site indefinitely to show their anger at bankers and politicians over the global economic crisis.
In the Portuguese capital, where some 50,000 rallied, Mathieu Rego, 25, said: “We are victims of financial speculation and this austerity program is going to ruin us. We have to change this rotten system.”

The European Union also became a target for anger as the eurozone debt crisis continues, with some 9,000 protesters marching to its headquarters in Brussels and rallying outside the European Central Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt.

Unfolding revolution

More than 10,000 Canadians blew bubbles, strummed guitars and chanted anticorporate slogans at peaceful protests in cities across the country.

VENDETTA MASKS Inspired by the film “V for Vendetta,” protesters wear masks in Barcelona, Spain. AFP

“I believe a revolution is happening,” said 30-year-old Annabell Chapa, who brought her year-old son Jaydn along in a stroller to Toronto’s Saint James Park.

In Mexico, Peru and Chile, thousands marched to protest what they slammed as an unfair financial system and stagnant unemployment.

As the day began, around 500 people gathered in the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district to vent their anger. About 100 demonstrators in Tokyo also voiced fury at the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Another 600 demonstrators in Sydney set up camp outside Australia’s central bank, where the plight of refugees and Aboriginal Australians was added to the financial concerns.

With reports from New York Times News Service and Reuters

Excavating the National Archives and Thinking of Librarians

I'm back to doing archival research following the end of the archaeological impact assessment at Intramuros in which I volunteered, seeing it as an opportunity to practice my excavation skills. (I do admit that I suck at troweling and I have yet to master the art of walling.) Also, it's my way of training myself in recording which is of course the most important thing we do as archaeologists.

That experience in urban archaeology deserves an article on its own. Right now, the focus is archival research.

I used to dream of being a researcher, locked up in a library browsing old brittle documents with a magnifier, going to different libraries, checking out their collections, consolidating the data gathered and writing a report. I guess being a bibliophile and an avid reader inspired me a lot. Besides, I do think that people who read are hot. (I can just imagine Nico Robin of One Piece, and the girls of Read or Die, and also, the yokai in Bungaku Shoujo right now and I miss watching anime... SIGH!) But along the way, I developed into an adventure-seeker and now I am training to be an archaeologist, though I am happy to have been assigned to go to the National Archives where I feel most at home surrounded by books and yellowed papers. (Never mind the dust, my lungs seem to have adapted well since I have been visiting The Stacks at the Main Library since I was an undergraduate student.)

People may have negative opinions of libraries. Librarians tend to be strict, grumpy, and unfriendly. I do have my share of moments when librarians would reprimand me for misbehaving and for attempting to enter restricted areas. But these people, the librarians, they are the guardians of books and books I regard as friends, and this view of mine has never changed since I was young, thus my utmost respect toward librarians. Besides, viewing them in a negative way is unfair because most librarians I have met are warm and friendly. There are of course friendly ones who smile at me, probably because I frequent libraries and I already look familiar to them. But the one thing I love most about librarians is their willingness to help whenever I am in need of references when doing research, making access to information easier.

I remember a particular librarian in the Main Library who often smiles at me when she sees me. She's also the first ever librarian to have attempted to befriend me. When I'm busy and haven't visited the library for a long time, chances are, she'll ask me where I've been. There's one ugly day in my undergraduate years when a series of unfortunate events befell me but she asking me about my day made me feel better. That simple gesture certainly made my day.

(Come to think of it, I miss the Main Library...)

So anyway, today I went to the National Archives and saw the wonderful people there again. We researchers provide each other with information regarding our respective research. For instance, one does research on local history, I do research on both economic history and local history, one has an interest in cemeteries, etc. Interacting with fellow researchers is fun; you get to learn new things. Besides, joking around and having someone to talk to while doing research makes the work more bearable and enjoyable since archival research is no easy task and needs lots of patience.

But excavating the archives has been a good training ground for me.Not only do I get to use my knowledge of Spanish, I also get introduced to the usage of Spanish. Not only do I transcribe and translate documents, I also keep track of differences in orthography, semantics, and syntax. This makes me appreciate the dynamism of the Spanish language better.

I guess I'll be having another INC this semester. But what the hell, I am enjoying the learning process. There's just so much to learn in places other than the university. To hell with academic rules! It's time that students draft their own learning curriculum. I happen to prefer DOING AND THINKING rather than just thinking inside the classroom.

(Yes, dear readers, I do know that I write horribly, always typing as I think without bothering to check if my thoughts are coherent or not. Reflects my chaotic mind... But I have a pretty good excuse: I am also currently TRYING to finish a major paper as I write this....)

A Message 2

"If you're honest, dedicated, and committed, no one can pull you down."

Perfect timing as usual. These days, I'm thinking of how bleak and uncertain the future is. Lately, my relatives have joined the fray in discouraging me to pursue archaeology saying that it's worthless, a waste of time and money, and that I'm better off marrying a rich man and/or pursuing a lucrative career in law. Well, I do plan to go to law school, but for the meantime, I mean to enjoy life and pursue what has been of interest to me since my childhood days. Adults, they really do not understand anything and they think that they know everything. Sad. They don't even know what archaeology is and they do not bother to find out what we archaeologists do. Sadder still because they want me to pursue a common ordinary life. Who would be happy with just earning money and not living life the way you want it lived?

And then there are issues concerning people who keep on looking at other people's achievements and trying to pull them down. I have recently read an article in the Chinese newspapers regarding envy and its good and bad sides. The article says that the bad side of envy is that a person does whatever it takes to pull an achiever down. That "downer" is a complete loser, instead of focusing on his own improvement, he attempts to destroy other people's lives without realizing that it is his life he is destroying. And then there's the good side which propels and motivates one to do his best and to continue improving.

I do not agree with the article. Instead of envy, perhaps the author should have written "admiration". On the other hand, looking back, I really was envious of other people, especially those who are really intelligent and smart, not just academically but also in practical aspects. They became a sort of model for me to strive hard and to put my best foot forward. But I'm all over that phase now. At present, I admire a lot of people, and they are not just intellectually gifted, but also visionaries and have a big heart for people. I think the latter's what make me admire them more.

I wonder if the above quote is true. Sometimes it also takes a strong heart and strong convictions to resist the negative vibes of people. For now I guess I'll just have to focus on my studies and to remain committed to what I am doing. Perhaps, someday, people will see the significance of my work. Perhaps not. Either way, at least  followed my heart. Whatever decisions I make now will greatly affect the future. But what the hell, the present is more important.

Maningning Miclat Awards at GT Toyota UP-Diliman

Bingyang parangal ang mga nagwagi sa Maningning Trilingual Poetry Competition noong Setyembre 29, 2011 sa GT-Toyota UP Asian Center Auditorium. Ang maikling programang ito ay sinamahan ng isang concert kung saan nagtanghal ang sikat na pianistang si Mary Anne Espina, ang soprano na si Banaue Miclat-Janssen, at ang tenor na si Lemuel de la Cruz. Kabilang sa mga panauhin ang mga bigating tao sa larangan ng literatura na sina Bienvenido Lumbrera, F. Sionil Jose, at si Geminio Abad.

Unang binasa ang nagwaging tula sa wikang Tsina na pinamagatang "詩人的眼淚" o "Poet's Tears".Sa wikang Ingles, ang naagwaging tula ay "What Passes for Answers". Ang tulang may pamagat na "Agua" naman ang nanalo sa kategoyang Filipino.

Ang mga kinanta ay mga kantang Tsino na "One Moment" at ang sikat na kantang "月亮代表我的心" o "The Moon Represents My Heart" na sinundan ng "Nessum Dorma". Sa wikang Ingles naman ay "Someone to Watch over Me", "As If We Never Said Goodbye", at "Stranger in Paradise", habang sa wikang Filipino, kinanta nila ang "Mutya ng Pasig", "Kundiman ng Lahi", at "Kataka-taka".


***********************************************************************************


Isa ito sa mga nais kong daluhan nang mabasa ko ang tungkol dito sa PDI noong nakaraang buwan. Ngunit nang makita kong may bayad ang ticket (P500) ay nagbago ang isip ko. Sa kabutihang palad ay may ticket ang kamag-aral ko at ako'y inanyayahan niyang pumunta kasama siya sa event na ito. Ang malas nga lang, hindi ako nakapagdala ng camera dahil hindi ko inaasahan na makakadalo pala ako. (Kung kaya't walang pic sa entry na ito.)

Dalawa ang layunin ko sa pagdalo, ang marinig muli ang pagtugtog ni Mary Anne Espina ng piano, at ikalawa'y madagdagan ang kaalaman tungkol kay Maningning Miclat. Napadpad ako dati sa websayt ng Miclat Foundation at nalaman ko ang tungkol sa pagiging mahusay na artist ni Maningning. Bukod pa rito, nagagandahan ako sa kanya. Tulad nga ng sabi ni Julie Lluch na isang skulptor, si Maningning ay may "beautiful face—that perfectly formed Asian face, her long hair… She’s lithe, slim, graceful, Pinay na Pinay, yet very Asian."

May kwento si Edna Manlapaz, propesor sa Ateneo, tungkol sa pagsumite ni Maningning ng mga obra niya sa aklatang exclusibong para sa mga obra ng mga kababaihan. Ayon kay Manlapaz, sobrang mahiyain daw si Maningning, pero grabe ang kanyang pagsumite ng mga obra kung kaya't nang sumakabilang-buhay na si Maningning ay mayroon silang naitagong madaming obra literaria na nagpapatunay ng galing at husay ni Maningning sa pagsusulat.

Sayang lang talaga at inagaw ang buhay niya sa murang edad na 28.