It's A Mens World (Book)

"Isang sulyap sa mundo ng alaala (Isa lang ha!)"

"Manghihinayang ka, tapos maiinis ka sa buhay tapos maiiyak ka tapos magagalit ka. Tapos mare-realize mo, wala ka palang magagawa. Hanggang ganyan lang ang papel mo: ang makaramdam ng ganitong emosyon sa ganitong pagkakataon," Bebang Siy, Emails, 158, It's A Mens World.

Alaala ang nagsisilbing patunay na tayo ay dumanas ng kaginhawaan at kahirapan. Ito ang saksi sa pagbabagong ating napagdaanan sa ilang taong pamamalagi natin sa mundong paikot-ikot. Walang kasawa-sawang umiikot at iniikot ang buhay ng mga taong nakatira sa kanya. Bawat alaala ay may matamis at mapait na kwento. Bawat luha at tawa ay may kaniya-kaniyang pinagmulan. Ngunit higit sa lahat ng ito, kung sino ka 'ngayon' ay nagmula sa 'noon'.

Halu-halong istorya ng buhay na bumuo sa mapa ng Maynila ang nilalaman ng It's A Mens World ni Bebang Siy. Iba't ibang istorya na may kaniya-kaniyang flavors kulay (ideya mula sa Pinyapol, 38) na siya namang papatok sa panlasang pinoy with a touch of chinese.

Magmula sa lugaw hanggang sa pagnanakaw, pangingidnap, pakikipag-date at piso, nailarawan ni Siy hindi lamang ang Maynila kun'di pati na rin ang mga binibigay ng mundo, pananaw ng mundo, paningin ng mundo, panlasa ng mundo, kahit ang third sense ng mundo at ang uncommon common sense ng mundo patungkol sa mga babae. Lalo't higit pa sa buwanang dalaw. Sa pagkakataong ito, sa wakas! Babae ang bida sa Mens World.

Hindi nakapagtataka kung ang mga kuwentong ibabahagi natin ay patungkol sa kagandahan ng buhay. Kay dali nga namang i-kuwento na nagpunta ka sa Disneyland at nakipag-hotdog kay Mickey Mouse. Masaya nga namang alalahanin ang mga wapak na bonding niyo nina nanay at tatay. Higit sa lahat, hindi mo ba ipagmamalaki kung hahalikan ka ni Johnny Depp sa pisngi? Pero sa librong ito, hindi nagpunta ang bida sa Disneyland kun'di sa Divisoria, hindi rin si Mickey Mouse at hotdog ang kasama niya kun'di si Manong na may binubutingting sa tenga at ang malamig na pinyapol. Ang wapak na bonding niya sa kaniyang mga magulang ay ang pangingidnap sa kanya ng tatay niya na tila nakikipaglaro ng pingpong sa nanay niya---sila ang bola. Lalo't higit hindi si Johnny Depp ang humalik sa kanya. Naisip ko tuloy kung may mens ba siya noong sinusulat niya ito. Siguro oo, dinatnan siya ng regla ng buhay.

Lahat tayo may mens. May maruming dugo. May maruming alaala na kailangang mailabas dahil hindi na natin ito kailangan. Ang mens ng buhay ay parang pagpapatuli ng lalaki, pwedeng isahang beses lang. Pwede rin namang buwan-buwan. Taon-taon. Unti-unti. Ang mahalaga ay mailabas ito.

Ang mga bagay na ito ay mga alaalang hindi na makakatulong sa kung ano tayo ngayon. Para silang mga dugong minsan nating ginamit para mabuhay, pero dahil marumi na ito, kailangan ng ilabas para mapalitan ng bago. Ng mas bago at sariwang ikaw.

Para magkaroon ng mens, maraming bagay ang dapat isaalang-alang. Gaya ni Colay, dapat bibo ka, malakas kumain, at mahilig sa softdrinks. Pero ang pinaka-importante sa lahat, dapat handa na ang iyong katawan. Handa na ang puso't kaluluwa mo na humarap sa mens. Hindi lang ang panahon kun'di ang sariling kahandaan mo rin ang magdidikta ng mens mo.

Gusto mo ba magka-mens? Ako, gustong gusto ko. Hindi ko nga lang alam kung kailan, irregular kasi ako e.

Maaaring maging iritable tayo bago pa man harapin ang mens, 'wag mag-alala, PMS lang 'yan. Pre-menstrual syndrome, HINDI pre-marital sex. Ang kailangan lang natin gawin ay tiisin ito. Ganun talaga, parte 'yan ng paglalabas mo ng lahat ng marumi mong dugo.

Bago lumabas ang dugo, marami pa itong pinagdadaanan. Tulad ng mens ng buhay, marami kang dapat malampasan bago mo masabing kaya mo na talagang bitawan ang mga mapapait na alaala. Kung ano man 'yung pagdadaanan na 'yun, hindi ko alam. Hindi kasi ako mahilig sa science, basta ang alam ko, may dugo (ang iyong alaala), masakit sa puson (oo, masakit ang pagdadaanan mo, pero kailangan mong masaktan para malaman mong kailangan mo na itong bitawan, minsan kasi may pagka-t**** din tayo e. Kailangan pang masaktan bago matauhan.), at kailangan ng napkin (kung sino man siya na tutulong para saluhin ka habang pinagdadaanan mo ang malakas na agos ng pagsubok).

At dahil dito, iniisip ko tuloy. Sa dalawampung istorya na mayroon sa libro, gaano kaya kadaming dugo ang nailabas ng may-akda? Sa lahat ng ito, tibay at lakas ng loob ang kailangan. Para siyang si Captain Barbell(a). At ang tibay din ng napkin niya.

"Mas naintindihan ko ang sarili ko. Mas naintindihan ko ang nangyari. Biktima ako. Hindi ko kasalanan ang nangyari sa akin. Hindi ko ginusto ang nangyari sa akin. Wala akong ginawang masama. Hindi ako marumi, ibulong man ng sanlaksang daluyong ng malamig na hangin. Pero kahit nalaman ko ang lahat ng ito ay hindi pa rin natanggal ang imbisibol na pabigat sa puso ko," Bebang Siy, Sa Ganitong Paraan Namatay Si Kuya Dims, 111, It's A Mens World.

Minsan, hindi sapat na maintindihan mo lang ang mga bagay para masabing tapos na ito. Minsan, kailangan din natin ng closure. Minsan din, ang closure ay hindi lamang natatagpuan sa sarili.

For the "First Week-sary" special of my blog, I chose this book as the review because it is one of the books that inspires me, not just as a writer, but also as a person. Looking at the brave work that Ms. Bebang did in revealing the mysteries of her life, and looking at how she turned out to be now, little by little, it pinches my heart, reminding me of how beautiful the future will always be.

Past never defines our entirety, not even our future. Not only the book but the author herself has inspire my life, and surely others' too. No one could reach immortality unless one has able to mark into other's life, and able to prove it with their remarkable work-of-art. With this, Ms. Bebang Siy is one of the goddesses who's punished to be a human in order to share their powers to mankind.

One thing I desire the most now is to make a Wedding Review of this candid author. How I wish... Still, best wishes in the future, soon-to-be Mrs. Verzo. hihi. :)

Cicada Summer (Book)

"A Soundless Cicada"

The loudest noise is silence. It shouts louder than a scream, it dreams bigger than a nightmare, and it pleads more than a beggar. The sound of silence is the most mysterious sound of all, because among all the sounds, it is the soundless that resounds. Andrea Beaty's Cicada Summer connects the drive path from lies and secrets to acceptance and friendship that will make noise and put into an end the silent summer.

Warm breeze signals the summer, but in Olena, Illinois, the troubling sounds of the Cicadas signaled the start of summer. The people in Olena hated the Cicadas for its troubling sound, specially Ricky Fitzgerald who says that the Cicadas attacked his grandma's tall, round, and cave-like hairdo.

Two summers have already passed, aside from the sticky heat and cicadas, there's one more thing that has not change---Lily's silence. It was after a tragic incident that she vowed to herself, never will she use the words that she has kept, that could have saved Pete. Not until Tinny's sneaky attitude came to disturb Olena and Lily's entire being. As she steal not only the candies but also the attention that Lily appreciates deep within, Lily became too serious in protecting Fern, Nancy Drew books, and her secret in the cottonwood tree.

Opposite to a Cicada's noise to attract mate during summer, Lily's silence attracts Tinny's curiosity that led to a brawl of eye contacts and threats through lollipops between the two. Lily's view about invisibility has been one of the point of transition in the story, making the reader watch out on until when can Lily keep her eyes away from others and her voice from telling the truth of the past?

Each of us has always that 'Lily' imprisoned inside. The silent us who keeps all the burdens inside because we're too afraid that an old, rotten past will come to life and haunt your brain, again. Time doesn't heal, acceptance do. We can never move forward if our head is tilt backward. The shackles of the past tighten as time consumes another day. It is only through acceptance that we finally let go of it.

And just as what Tinny does, though sneaky, her curiosity released the secrets that have been kept for a long time. In comparison, we also have this certain incident that will help us to let go of everything and anything that we keep on holding back. If not an incident, one person will always make it possible for us to once again, believe in the future.

Lily said, "I think trouble finds it way without any help at all". Yes, it does. But only us could find the way out of the Cicada's troubling sound and hear the music behind its buzz. It's only a matter of perspective.

Naermyth (Book)

"Never were they myth"

Filipinos, being a uniquely-formed race, has various cultures that hones the Filipino generation of today. Despite the modernization that the fast generation perceives in order to catch up with the fast-growing globalization, one can never forget that once in their childhood days, together with the palo and the sermon, is a story that will bring every Filipino child under his blanket, holding their rosary, and praying that it won't eat their liver---a story of lore and folktales. A myth that lived through the imaginations of Karen Francisco's Naermyth, for her, what if?

The prophecy about end of the world has come. But this time, it does not work with natural disasters or second coming, but about a myth that came to life. What the people thought was just a "human-made story" has turned out to be "human-hunters". All men were hunted down up to the last one standing, with only two options: be eaten or be tortured.

A coalition born to save the remaining mankind was formed, the Shepherds, vowed to save the human race, inspite of little hope. Aegis (her shepherd name, must be careful on dropping names, might be victimized by the Rumpelstiltskin Anomaly; but her real name is Athena Abigail Dizon) is one of the best shepherds, having been trained by the late shepherd, Greg Benevidez. But as she continues her hatred to the aswang race, and as the journey gets more complicated with the revelations and visions she had when Dorian came to her life, and as River played a more important role in saving her, little by little, things are taught to her, on what monstrosity really is as she turns her back from every 'human' thing she has.

In a world where we live in uncertainties, how would we know that what we thought was not, was. Naermyth is a fantasy story set in the Philippines, giving life and details to different folktales that are heard during the Filipino's childhood days. In this book, Dwende and Nuno sa punso are kings of the streets, Aswang and Manananggal are the mistresses of the sky, Undin and Sirena are the princesses of waters, and Diwatas and Kapres divide the mountains---a world where shadows would mean death and captivity. Prayers and bawangs are no longer effective, even the "Tabi, tabi po" chant is not accepted, salted blades are used to kill these monsters.

Monsters? This was the whole idea of the book. When does a monster become a monster? In life, we got to label what a monstrous thing really is. Would it settle into the standards of the world, or would it reside into the standards of the heart?

Sometimes, things are meant to look bad, because they are like angels in disguise. All aswang creatures may come and torture our entire being, but there would always be an angel, maybe not that of a sort, but a Wing Wight that would fly us away from all the killers and torturers. Together with this is a salted blade, in which in real life we may refer as courage, to face all these 'real' monsters away.

The challenge of this, is how we are going to identify a monster from a wing wight, if both seem to look harmful? To whom should we throw our salted blades, what if we had the wrong choice? This is where we have to define then what a monster could be in our own terms and conditions.

We've got a millions of monsters in the whole world, but we get to choose which one is our Wing Wight. "Monstrosity was the same way, a notion we all knew but could never peg," Aegis, Naermyth.