Daisy watching
Spent the morning inside a movie house (the IFC, yet again, sheesh. Movies are cheaper during weekends. Particularly the early morning schedules), and watched the Korean film ‘Daisy’ which stars Jun Ji-Hyun and Jung Woo-Sung.
The first time I saw the trailer I felt like barfing: "A Cop, A Flower, A Killer. One Great Clash;" but, still, being the Korean movie-fan that I am, I still went ahead and waited for the movie to show and when it did, I was among the first in the freaking theatre (true story — the other movie-goers were KOREAN and they looked at me — most probably wondering if I was Korean as well. Harhar).
Anyways, I don’t want to spoil the plot for people who also like to watch Koreanfilms, or the products of "Hallyu", the Korean Hollywood. The movie was in some parts laughable. It had the usual Korean-film formula that utilizes voice-overs as a narrative tool. Apparently, it’s something of a standard. I haven’t seen a single freaking Korean film that didn’t use voice-overs. Anyways, there were a few lines in the script that nearly made me inhale my popcorn and aspirate myself to death laughing: "I wish I had met her before I made my first murder…" The subtitles were so literal!
(At least I’m hoping. Otherwise, it’s the original script that contained the stinkers.)
—
I feel like patting myself on the back today.
The April Mid issue of Hong Kong News came out, and I’m awfully happy about the way the features page turned out. The main feature is about charter change, and it’s a full-spread.
It’s nothing short of amazing to me that I’m allowed to write articles such as that in bi-monthly newspaper with a 50,000 circulation. I can rant and denounce all I want, hahaha. Only of course the rants are substantiated and backed by quotes and facts and figures from BAYAN, IBON and the press releases of the various MOs. Also, Sir Mon Ram’s pictures from the ever-reliable, ever-dependable, ultra-amazing Arkibong Bayan.
Anyways, am glad am glad am glad. There was even an OFW who called the story hotline and said that she was glad to read reports that explain what’s really going on back home.
Next main feature is on the history of Labor Day and the role of the workers movement in the ongoing campaign to remove Macapagal-Arroyo. Then on the anti-terrorism bill.
(Have I mentioned that I get to fill Hong Kong News’ news pages with pictures of anti-GMA rallies and protests? I haven’t? Well, I get to fill Hong Kong News’ news pages with pictures of anti-GMA rallies and protests.)
In the issue previous to this one, the Kultura page had a poem by Alex Remollino in it and the one posted in Sarah Birung’s blog about the state of national emergency. Bwahahaha!
Anyways. I shouldn’t be too pleased with myself. I’m still waiting for complaints to come in. Say, from the Philippine consulate or some pro-GMA members of the Filipino business community. Oh well.
Ang isasagot ko lang ay eto: what’s your version of the truth about current Philippine political realities?
——
Back at home, the Batasan Six have started a blog going. For the most part, it’s Ka Satur, Teddy and Ka Liza who have begun blogging; and when I checked the blogsite out early this afternoon -whoa! so many comments and not all of them positive.
Actually, quite a few of them were attacks. Anti-Left and anti-communist attacks, and quite personal as well.
The age-old cliche "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" IS NOT TRUE.
Wala daw personalan, yeah right.
But then again, it’s a war. It’s not like anyone is expecting to get through this war (even the propaganda war, the battles waged via ink and paper, and over the internet) unscathed.
In the end, isa lang ang masasabi ko dyan: magkita-kita na lang tayong lahat sa huli. Matira matibay, maiiwan ang may mga pinaka-matibay na paniniwala at paninidigan.
Kaso nga lang, ang mga kadebate sa internet, may mga kakamping demonyo na armado. Etong mga armadong ito — militar, mersenaryong CAFGU,etc - mga duwag, they go after propagandists and activists and mass leaders who are unarmed. Cowards and idiots and killers all, they have neither the intelligence nor the will to continue arguing through words and thus resort to underhanded, treacherous violence. Silence those who dare to speak out and write in protest against the horrors of this murdering government, this political and economic system festering in corruption and poisonous in the thousand ways it exploits and oppresses.
Madaya nga lang ang mga demonyo (kaya nga demonyo), ang tinatapatan ng pisikal at aktwal na dahas e yung mga taong ang hawak lang ay bolpen, o may kini-click-click na computer, o flag o banner.
Alam ba ng mga tumitira sa mga komunista kung ano talaga ang ibig sabihin ng salitang ‘komunismo?" Seriously, I would like to know. Kahit etymological definition. Alam kaya nila ano ang sinisimbolo ng karit at maso?
Then again, is there really a point in arguing with those who denounce communism and the Left? Mga sarado na mga utak ng mga yan (if they still have any brains left that, is).
Sheesh. They cannot see beyond any other reality but this: being under a system of government wherein the poor remain poor and the rich and power continue to kill and exploit; because this is a system they also benefit from. They attack communists such as those in the New People’s Army (NPA) and, of course, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for never letting down the call for civil war; pero they keep silent on the atrocities perpetrated every SECOND by the government and military they defend and support against the lives and welfare of millions of Filipinos.
Strictly from a writer and journalist’s point of view, paulit-ulit na lang yang pag-ungkat sa Kampanyang Ahos, etc etc. taong 1993 ko pa naririnig yan at nababasa. Hinding-hindi tatanggapin ng mga tumitira sa mga komunistang Pilipino ang ang mga paliwanag at paghingi ng kapatawaran ng CPP-NPA-NDf sa isyung ito. Dahil yun na lang ang kaya nilang ibato at ipamukha sa mga komunista, sa CPP-NPA-NDF.
Pag-umusad na ang debate kahit kaunti papunta sa kasalukuyang mga kaganapan; kung matalakay na ang mga ginagawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF sa ngayon at ang mga tindig nila sa mga isyung pambayan at pang-internasyunal, wala na, hindi na makakasabay ang mga tumitira sa mga komunista.
Silang mga tumitira sa mga komunista at sa kilusang komunista ang pinag-lumaan na at dinaanan na ng panahon. Nagsara na ang kasaysayan sa kanila (kaya nga inuulit-ulit na lang nila ng mga luma nang akusasyon) Ito ang isa pang bagay na hinding-hindi din nila aaminin.
And why continue to attack an enemy you always point out to be already on its death throes, if not already dead?
—
Rereading this entry, lumalabas na pro-communist ako.
Sa Pilipinas, pag tinawag kang komunista, may naka-umang na na baril sa ulo mo. Talaga bang mahirap unawain na sa pinaka-payak, ideyolohiya ang komunismo?
Hmm. Malamang alam na nga ito ng mga demonyo. Pilit nga nilang pinapatay ang IDEYA sa pamamagitan ng pagpatay sa mga taong may tangan nito. Hindi kasi nila kayang makipag-usap at debate, kaya hanggang armas at dahas na lang sila at YUN LANG. Oo nga.
Kanya-kanyang interes lang yan. Lahat may kinakampihan at lahat ay may isinusulong. Ibang-usapin pa kung tama o mali, makatarungan ba o kontra-sangkatauhan ang kinikilingan mong paniniwala.
(Parang engot ako ngayon. Kinakausap ko ang sarili ko )
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When the movie Daisy starts to show in the Philippines, go and watch it. It’s never going to be a cinematic classic, but hey, it’s an hour or so of pure distraction.
