hola, patria

"Luzon" (2008), pastel sa papel, 9" by 12"

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Salamat sa Philippine Children's Choir from Mandaluyong sa kantang "Dasal" ("Prayer").

webcam postcard

il magnifico

The single desire of his heart rose out of love and sorrow: to do something about Lorenzo, a theme that would express the totality of talent, courage, width and depth of knowledge; the human understanding of this man who had undertaken to lead the world into an intellectual and artistic revolution. 

An answer was slow in coming: answers always were. Yet it was only by sticking doggedly to the task that he could arrive at a conception that would swing open the doors of his creative force. His thoughts kept returning to the fact that Lorenzo had often spoken of Hercules, suggesting that the Greek legend did not mean that his twelve labors were to be taken literally: the capture of the Erymanthian boar, the defeating of the Nemean lion, the cleaning of the Augean stables by running a river through. These feats perhaps were meant as symbols for all the varied and near-impossible tasks with which each generation was faced.

Was not Lorenzo the incarnation of Hercules? Had he not gone forth on twelve labors against ignorance, prejudice, bigotry, narrowness, intolerance? Surely he had set a Herculean pattern in founding universities, academies, art and manuscript collections, printing presses, in encouraging artists, scholars, poets, philosophers, and scientists to reinterpret the world in vigorous modern terms, and to extend our reach to all the fruits of the human intellect and spirit.

Lorenzo had said, "Hercules was half man and half god, sprung from Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. He is the everlasting symbol that all of us are half man and half god. If we use that which is half god in us, we can perform the twelve labors every day of our lives."

-Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961)

master class

Perhaps the best assessment of former UK PM Tony Blair's talk in Sofitel this afternoon came from business magnate Robina Gokongwei: "Very good... and very cute." Other heavyweights in the conference were former House Speaker Joe de V., motivational speaker (and former AIESEC International president) Anthony Pangilinan, and former Department of Tourism minister Jose Antonio Gonzalez.

I was motivated to attend the conference, despite the steep fees charged by the organizers (the former PM reportedly bills up to $250,000 a talk) because of the novelty of the event (a joint project of a university, a communications firm, and private companies). Also, an ex of mine confessed that she had a crush on Tony Blair (this was long before the Iraq War, though). 

Former CJ Panganiban was the first speaker. The title of his speech was "Leadership during Challenging Times." Some of the useful stuff I picked up from his lecture were: a new remedy from the International Criminal Court for gross violation of human rights, the warrant of arrest for a sitting Head of State; how the statement of mission and vision can be applied even in government; and the dual and sometimes conflicting roles of the CJ, as primus inter pares and as the judiciary's CEO. His concluding message was that the best leadership is one by example, as exemplified by a certain businessman and Jesus Christ during the washing of the apostles' feet. 

I think it would be better if, in his subsequent engagements, he tries speaking without a Powerpoint slideshow and going easy on the mnemonic devices- he's a charismatic person anyway and his speeches would have better transitions and a more natural flow. I also wish, as this afternoon's "front act," he gave a more positive, uplifting message- as Carlos Celdran noted, he spent far too much time dwelling on the well-known problems of the current administration (corruption, poor human rights record) and far too little on solutions. Even if he is now a private citizen, I still see the former CJ as a leader whose role, in his own words, is to inspire and motivate people. 

Cecilio K. Pedro, Lamoiyan CEO, was the next speaker and the title of his speech was "How a Filipino Company Negotiates the Global Recession." Since the organizers were behind schedule, and Blair was already on his way to the hotel's tent from Malacanang, he had to cut his speech short. I felt shortchanged, since Ernst and Young gave this businessman the Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of 2004 Award and could have shared a lot more valuable lessons as a business leader- this was important since he was the only speaker from the private sector. Some of his most applauded lines: "the Filipino is world-class" and "let's stop blaming government (for our problems)."

Finally, Tony Blair walked into the tent and seemed to charge the air around him with electricity- the very embodiment of charisma (it could have also been due to the pounding music accompanying his entrance). The conferment of a medal by DLSU was 15 minutes long- 12 minutes too long, I thought- and I couldn't understand why officials gave him a school jacket, at least until I saw today's headline here- rival school Ateneo had also given him a jacket earlier in the morning (read Ivan Henares's report on the Ateneo lecture here).

I don't recall the title of Blair's talk since he didn't use Powerpoint (the conference topic, though, was "The Leader as a Principled Negotiator") but so skilled an orator was he that the audience strained to hear his every word throughout the 30-minute speech (Barack Obama is considered by many as the West's greatest living orator, but he reputedly relies too much on the teleprompter- Blair hardly looked at his printed notes yesterday and seemed to talk directly to the audience). Leadership as a conference topic sounds like fluff- it's not rocket science- but I felt in the end the fees were worth it- despite the economic slowdown- because Blair talked about lessons one can't learn from books: wisdom borne from his own experiences.

He got my attention when he started his talk by alluding to "the movie"- of course, a lot of us knew he was referring to "The Queen" in which he was portrayed by Michael Sheen, though he didn't seem sure if it had been shown here (or maybe it was typical British understatement). He continued, I'll tell you what really happened. When England elects a new PM, he doesn't become one until the "kissing of hands ceremony" with the Queen. He had no sleep the night before and on May 2 (1997), in a chamber off the throne room, he was briefed by a tall English gentleman. "Now Mr. Blair," this courtier said, "you've heard about the kissing of hands ceremony. Well, you don't exactly kiss the Queen's hands- you merely brush your lips against them." What? Blair was baffled by this piece of advice on court etiquette. Then, when he was approaching the Queen, he tripped on the carpet "so instead of kissing or brushing my lips, I fell upon her hands!" She must have thought he was a fervent PM. (Laughter.)

Blair and the audience were now one. (Second funny anecdote.) In 10 Downing St., the official residence of UK's PM, there's a tradition that on the PM's first day in office, the staff lines up along the straight corridor leading from the entrance to the Cabinet Room. On Blair's first day as PM, the staff did line up but- since the old party had been in the house for 18 years- a number of them were crying. He deadpanned, "By the time I reached the end of the line, I felt guilty!" (The audience laughed even harder.)

Having simultaneously established his credibility as a speaker and broken the ice, Blair then announced the topic of his speech: the lessons he learned as a head of government and also on the Northern Ireland peace process. What follows are my notes from the body of his speech.

Lessons as a PM:

• If you want to understand the world, analyze it as it is; to change the world, you must first understand it. It's an interconnected and interdependent world- lack of confidence in one country spreads to others. There's globalization- the world moves fast- as a consequence, our era is one of low predictability- economics and politics are hard to predict. Power is shifting to the East- there's a need to understand China, India and countries like the Philippines- the consequences of this shift are hard to comprehend in the West- Europe was once a power, followed by America- in the 21st century, there will be more than one superpower and "as that world changes, so must we."
• In a fast changing world, countries, companies and people have to be prepared for change. For a lot of people, change is the toughest thing to do. (I thought of poll automation at this point- thankfully we Filipinos are techno-savvy and embrace innovation.)
• To make that change, leaders have to make decisions with courage. Blair mentioned some of the difficult decisions he faced: the war after 9/11; environment; poverty in Africa.
• What is forgivable is to fail; what is not forgivable is not to try. 

Segue now to the issue of peace and peace negotiation and "one or two" of his experiences in Northern Ireland (perhaps it was the speaker's stiff upper lip, but I got the sense at this point that he would share the rest if and when he becomes a consultant to the peace process- of course I've said that we should also consider getting the former Finnish PM, another peace expert, as a consultant- I don't know if the Pope would be acceptable to our Muslim sisters and brothers):

• Focus on what's happening continually. Solve or manage problems.
• Agree to principles, but understand that there'll be compromises (a lot of which would be controversial). It's important to have a plan: basic principles; a clear framework for proceeding in the peace process (in stages); milestones/ achievements sought).
• Know that there are going to be attempts to destabilize what you agree on. The worst terrorist incident happened in Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement. What's important was that the negotiators continued with even greater determination in the process.
• You can have peace if both sides want it; usually, you can find a context for finding peace- you must continue and not give up. 

Last point: While the economy matters, eliminating poverty is part of our mission, in the end our lives are not just concerned with the material, they're also concerned about values, the type of societies we want. And this is where faith matters. Blair then used the life of Rizal, before whose memorial he laid a wreath last Sunday and who fought "for the right of people to live as equal members in human society," to illustrate this last point.

Final joke: as a PM, Mr. Blair wasn't allowed to have a cellphone. So on his first day as a private citizen, he gets a cellphone and tries to text a friend: "Hi. Hello. How are you?" He forgets to put his name though, so the reply he receives is: "Sorry but hu r u?" "And I couldn't help but think," he deadpanned again, "it's only been 24 hours." (Laughing, the audience gave him a standing ovation.)

There was a question-and-answer segment with the audience moderated by broadcast journalist Che-che Lazaro. Here are some of the issues that were discussed:

• On whether his support on the War on Terror was a mistake: no- it was a difficult decision, though (damn-if-you-do, damn-if-you-don't (not his exact words))
• On whether President Obama's ascendancy and decision to withdraw from Iraq proves that the War on Terror was a mistake: in part because of the work that's been done, the US is now able to withdraw. Ultimately, there's a battle about and within Islam: the modernizing elements against the extremists and reactionaries. (He made the same point in Ateneo, which drew an interesting comment from a blogger here. I think the line should be taken in the context of his entire speech.)
• On the strengths of the Philippines: our Christianity and religions; geographical location in the East, where power is shifting; record of equality of women (loud applause). All countries, even the UK, have problems (ex. alliance with US, difficulties in integrating with EU). Nations partly derive their power from alliances- shared purposes and interests/ values. The Philippines is also top 12 in population (Blair was going to point out how this could be an advantage, but Lazaro doesn't let him finish and says it's one of our problems.)
• On his greatest legacy as a PM: Rather not say, other people write history. He's proud of Northern Ireland though.
• On the key to getting a country back on track: focus on the top priorities- people want better living standards, economic prosperity.
• On birth control, now that he has converted to Catholicism (his wife and children have been practicing Catholics and he had been attending masses with them before his conversion)- no comment, too hot to handle and he's a trained diplomat. (Sharp exchange with Lazaro due to a patronizing comment deftly defused with humor.) Check his political record- "that's my personal stand."
• On when a leader should step down: don't leave for the sake of leaving, leave when you realize you can't do what you set out to do.
• On his vision for his youngest son, a millennium baby (I wrote this final question for my seatmate Gleo): a world in which he would be comfortable with his faith and that would allow him to feel a respect for and connection to people of different faiths, where they would be in harmony with each other. For the basic tenet of every faith is love.

End of conference.

woman

Imagine my surprise when, on my way to the dojo, I saw a billboard of Camilla adorned with a tiara and the announcement that she had won Mrs. Philippines-Universe!

 

Camilla was a sorority batchmate of someone I dated in college. It was a memorable initiation into the way of UP's Greeks, since I had to endure frequent teasing from an entire group of "sisters," a kind of courtship-by-coercion. 

I felt close to Camilla since she reminded me of B.C., my first crush in ISM, and she had also studied in UPIS. Also, she had a strong presence- "malakas ang dating"- which sometimes caused people to misunderstand her, yet she always smiled and never let unpleasant remarks rain on her parade, which I found both practical and heroic.

Anyway, one time, while we were having a friendly lunch in the old Thai restaurant of International Center (I heard that "Mommy Thai" has returned from Bangkok and now serves her delicious tom yum soup in Ortigas), she told me a fascinating tale. She said that her mom's family comes from the enchanted Island of Panay and that the women in her family have fey blood running through their veins. Some of them have chosen to develop their powers by living in the wilds as wise women, maligned by the ignorant, never to be seen again- most of the others though have chosen to cast their spells in everyday life.

Well, we know where Camilla has chosen to exercise her druidic powers: in Blue Gardens. And pretty soon, she'll be weaving her magic in Bulgaria for the international beauty contest.

Here is Camilla practicing a dance number with her fellow Singing Ambassadors, looking as fresh and simple as she did when she was still a single co-ed. Congratulations Mrs. Camilla Kim-Galvez (click on her interview clip here)! And Happy Women's Month everyone!

Babae Ako (Urduja OST) - Regine Velasquez

Thanks to Regine Velasquez for "Babae Ako."

saglit

I forgot to check my email and didn't read a message from Mahoto: he was visiting Manila before moving from Rotterdam to Shanghai. Nonetheless, we accidentally bumped into each other in The Block- I was with the poet from Hong Kong, he was with a friend from Chile. I'm trying to compute the probability of its occurrence: since Manila is a megacity with 18 million people, the chances were practically nil (1: factorial of 18 million). Our meeting reminds me of a saying of the Japanese tea masters, Ichigo ichie. Every encounter is once in a lifetime. What grace to experience such moments even if- or precisely because- they are not meant to happen again.

It's a new month- time to change my computer's desktop...

You Changed My Life - Sarah Geronimo

Thanks to Sarah Geronimo for the song "You Changed My Life."

cariño brutal

If, as psychologist David Niven says, we are every age we've ever been, I think the teen years are among the best to adopt this Saturday. That's the time of life when love is most exciting- the rush of emotions is so new and the steps of the courtship dance so unfamiliar that our nerve endings become sensitive to the world around us. By the time I reach college, I am already predictable... I prevent planes from taking off in the airport to proclaim my feelings. Yawn! (This maneuver's cliché-status is confirmed soon enough in the climax of the 2003 British film Love Actually.)

Just for fun, I ask my virtual assistant (VA) to recommend five activities to do on Valentine's Day and here's the list that she emails me:

• Aroma vitality massage with a geographic vegetarian tour of Italy in Shangri-La
• Kuh Ledesma's "The Voice, The Violin" concert in Captain's Bar
• Peter Cetera's concert with a 42-piece orchestra in the Big Dome
• Joanna Ampil's "I Love" concert in Music Museum
• Lisa Macuja's "The Swan, The Fairy, and the Princess" ballet in Star Theater.

Post-teen, people tend to spend more resources to reawaken the senses and induce that blessed madness called love.

One of my favorite love poems is by a 15- or 16-year-old named Lourdes. She asks me to find a way to give it to a kid of Irish descent in our high school, which I do surreptitiously... but not before I photocopy it! (And, yes, to those who are curious: her spell does work on the boy she calls "Leprechaun Man"- for a season or a semester.)

The Irish are the best conversationalists. Like Filipinos, most are Catholic, humorous and self-deprecating. For many of my Irish friends, however, words are as playful and elusive as quicksilver- so essential to their vaunted wit (a word with no exact Filipino translation). Many Filipinos, in contrast, are open and sincere almost to a fault: when we're madly in love, we like to mean what we say. Words in these isles aren't just admired like the tip of Cupid's arrow glittering in the sun: after shooting one through the heart, we rotate the shaft again and again.

The following poem combines the Irish love of words with the Filipino brand of romance. Ladies and gentlemen, the Sappho of ISM:

To Jake: My Delightfully,
Despicably Simple-Minded Fool
by Lourdes Tagao

How did I come to like you
When you put yourself in disgrace
By presenting yourself ridiculously
And contorting your "treasured" face?
Then again your voice could never
Belong to some Romeo of old...
Squeaky, and high, and frankly,
Frequently out of control.
Your nose was not well-chiselled
By the sculptor up above,
So how could
females throw you
Meaningful looks of love?!
Your chin juts out expressly
Like an overhang of a cliff.
You, too, proffer a friend of yours
Your armpit for a whiff.
The way you dress would put
Not you, but your clothes, to shame.
So given all these absurdities,
Why do I like you just the same?
Your glasses would've looked great
Had you worn them three decades ago.
You venture to dance, but instead,
I wish I possessed tomatoes to throw.
Then again, you're vain to insanity
About your coiffure of auburn deep;
And you tend to it ever so often,
I wonder if you do so in your sleep.
You can be such a tease,
But you think you're some ladies' man!
You play such childish games-
To call you mature would be a sham!
Your laughter would scare birds
Away from their perch up in the trees.
Really, it reminds me
Of a flock of honking geese.
You try to sound intellectual,
But insolent fits you nicely.
You start out prim and proper,
Then you end up becoming unruly.
Your mind can be so perverted,
Your hand an indecent instrument-
As you draw such revolting things
As- dare I say it?- canine excrement!
But I like you... well, somewhat-
I must be out of my mind
To invest so much time and effort
In such a demented, degenerate find!
But for all your simple-minded
Mannerisms I see in school-
I think I like you for some reason,
My delightful, despicable fool.

Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko - Rico J. Puno