Apropos of Nothing

    I was not able to watch ‘The Buzz’ over the weekend but I read this morning that Kris had once again made a drama of her life. 

She reportedly shed tears while discussing the harsh words uttered by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales.  The dear statesman must have thought that he was valiantly defending GMA when he attacked Cory with the now-famous words "si Kris muna ayusin niya" or something to that effect.

I must say that Kris must have been extraordinarily strong in keeping her pain at bay because not until Buzz went live (5 days after Gonzales words?) did she let the tears fall. It’s either she has developed a strength of character overnight or she really reserves her histrionics when she is on camera.

What bums me out big time is that right after Kris’ award-winning performance, no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called to apologize to Kris. Oh yes, the venerable madam is again at her apologetic best.

"I-am-sorry" calls were also rained on Kris from DENR Secretary Mike Defensor and the House Speaker’s wife, Gina de Venecia. (Thank God, the Speaker had a mind not to join his wife.) And to cap it all, the now-contrite man himself, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, retracts his statement saying that he was "taken out of context".

I can only say - Wow! Look at those contrite people! Such humility!

My hat’s off to you, Kris!! Bow, bow and applauses from all around for Kris Aquino. You are truly amazing!! You were able to humble some of the mighty powers-that-be in this country!!

The last time GMA apologized it was only after a threat of massive destabilization and days of protest marches. For you, it did not take longer than 15 minutes airtime (my estimate of a segment)

I can only wish that we - the silent, suffering taxpayers - had even an inch of your power, Kris. Maybe then, we can also get some form of apology for the fantastically depraved manner by which this government is being run.

But then, hey, who are we to hope? We ain’t got no airtime. We ain’t no prize endorser.  We ain’t no hero’s and president’s daughter. 

We’re just working blokes who have no political ties (because we do not have enough leave credits to join the political bed-jumping and rallying). Our social ties are limited to our families and friends (it’s the most socializing we can afford after the taxes are shaved-off from our income).

Ahhh … good for you, Kris. You get the apologies when you want it. For us here, what little time we have for coffee break or in between the office and home, we can only spend dreaming about what we can reply to GMA (if she asks us the question she humbly asked you last Sunday) - "If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."

That is so big of GMA.

I have sent this rave note to FOOD Magazine in appreciation of their remarkable publication. I doubt that this will see print in the fan mail section.  Anyhow, am just sharing this with you.

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Dear FOOD Magazine,

Last year, I made a simple request to my husband for my birthday present.  I asked for a year’s subscription to FOOD Magazine.  Knowing that he will eventually be the beneficiary of the magazine, he happily complied.  My birthday is again around the corner and the subscription will soon be up for renewal. There is no doubt that I will continue with my subscription — birthday gift or not.

I particularly enjoy the simple dishes featured in ‘Two-Week Menu Guide’.  I have tried several and they were all good! The notes that come with the recipes are especially enlightening. Other than helping me prepare the dish with confidence, the notes make the experience personal. It’s like having a dear aunt sharing her cooking secrets with me! Having grown up in a family with two working parents, my mom’s truly valuable contribution to my culinary skill is that I must never be afraid to try a dish straight out of the book. I have bought and read several cookbooks but none have inspired me to actually go to the kitchen as much as FOOD Magazine.

Thank you very much, FOOD Magazine! It’s been an enjoyable year!

Sincerely,
Kraznaya Dumotan-Frialde

It was just last year that I discovered episode guides. I wanted to check the HBO shows for  the weekend when I happened on the HBO Originals link. I was so excited to read up on the episodes of Sex and the City which I missed for some reason or another. How wonderful that the these excerpts are so well-written and they really tell the reader what happens in the show. 

In no time at all, I have updated myself like any avid fan. I was able to once again discuss delightedly with my girlfriends about the naughty antics of Samantha and Carrie’s wise/naive/dumb adventures. It was after some weeks that I realised that I was actually way ahead of my friends in the lives of these Manhattan girls. Like — two seasons ahead. All the while I thought that the cable station was just showing a lot of reruns.

It was not long after the initial discovery that I figured out that a lot of official and unofficial episode guides can be had on the internet. What bliss! What fun! They sure made my lunch hours very rewarding. I can read as much as one season in one lunch hour! It was with such glee that I tracked the lives of the Gilmore Girls, Carnivale, Six Feet Under and most recently, Lost.

Considering that each season has usually at least 12 episodes, I was able to condense several months of viewing pleasure into one hour. Not bad when it comes to saving time right? But let us remember the operative phrase here — viewing pleasure. I may have made myself the resident expert (sort of) on the lives of my screen friends but I have traded-off the watching for the reading. Having known the story, I no longer look forward to actually watching the show on TV. In fact, I treat each show as a rerun and it has become just another show in my channel surfer’s trail. The excitement to view the show is gone and so  is the appreciation of the show’s other treats. So satiated I am on the storyline that I have no more appetite for the show’s other qualities — acting prowess, cinematography, soundtrack, fashion and, oh dear — the script.

I believe now that ALL episode guides are SPOILERS.

Being married to a journalist has its privileges. I heard about the wiretapped conversations two weeks before it hit the headlines. I did not know what to make of it at that time. I sensed that serious allegations were being made — but I thought that the person handing out the tapes would be in more trouble than GMA. After all, isn’t wiretapping illegal? And isn’t this just another dirty trick from the opposition? For me, accusations of cheating (or even actual cheating, at that) is all part of this country’s political game (shudders). Cheating in the elections? Well, everyone’s hands have been in THAT cookie jar. Tell me something new.

And so days passed. Headlines come and go like so many movie posters in the local cinema. Now Showing — The Death of [Cardinal] Sin. Coming Soon — The Evils of E-Vat. Now Showing — People Power III (or is it IV or V?). Coming Soon — Young Blood: Kris’ Boylet.

Obviously, I have zoned-out the current events of my country. Four years after college, I have totally lost my diligence in keeping up with the news. Unlike before when I have a portion of my meager allowance (and later meager salary) invested in newspapers, now I immediately reach for the Entertainment and Lifestyle Sections. (This is of course after checking the front pages and Metro for my husband’s stories.) I can say that my main sources of real news nowadays are 1)my husband who tries his best to engage me in some news analyzing while I try to finish my morning coffee and 2) the 10 minutes of winding down after I watch CSI. Come to think of it — I would rate better in a surprise quiz about the lives of ‘Lost’ characters than in current events.

No, I am not proud of my apathy. But there is a reason why I would rather read an inane discussion about the Jennifer-Brad-Angelina triangle. Or speculate about Pops and Martin’s probability of getting together again. Or try to unravel the allure of Kris Aquino. The reason is undeniably unenlightened by any (current or outdated) ideology. It is uninformed and deliciously inviting to the scoffs and jeers of my politically-aware friends.

The reason is — I am tired of it all.

How many Presidents are we going to topple before we realize that we just replace him or her with another dummy anyway? How many rallies are we going to join before we admit that it is not the voice of the people on the streets that brings down governments — it is the backstage maneuverings of ‘interest groups (aka civil leaders)’ who have been peddling powers like so many trump cards. How many reform agendas are we going to dream up before we see that it’s just another illusion which keeps us hoping while our officials rob us blind.

I wish, my dear friends, that I have a more positive note for you today. I was planning to jot down a witty take on the ongoing rally below my window in Ayala. I wanted to point out the ridiculousness of of their signages and how I can pick-up the contrived feel of the demonstration even if I am three floors up from the pavement. I was actually in a jolly mood when I started this article — fueled by the sugar in my now melted ice cream. Yet, even from the first word, my emotion-metre did not register any upswing. My sugar level may be crashing now and my interest in current events is ebbing again. A somnambulant, I walk the dubious paths of my country’s present. Given a choice — I’d rather walk dreaming to the future.

PS. It’s either I am not as tired as I stated above or I am finding politics more interesting than showbiz. The above article was written last Friday night. On the following Saturday afternoon, due to unplanned circumstances, I ended up in front of the TV tuned to ANC for at least 2.5 hours. I was hooked to the channel when the resigned Cabinet secretaries tried to deflect the onslaught from Malacanang. Things got even more suspenseful when GMA’s loyal secretaries held their own press conference and put in play a skillfully aggressive crisis management script. I pitied the resigned secretaries. They were bureaucrats lost in the political stage. They should have stayed where they were appointed and tried their best to serve the people without getting caught in power play (a skill, by itself, meritorious). Politics in public governance is a whole new ballgame. It’s not for babes and definitely not for those with "pure" intentions. Their intentions may have been noble (uh huh) — but their timing was off by several hours, execution was messy and their message was incoherent. There were just too many messages already going around the streets. They may have succeeded in getting the sympathy of Cory and rousing some alarm in the Makati Business Club but they failed to get the bishops’ blessings. Am sure there were gains from their dramatic exits but getting GMA to step down was not achieved. Now, they must go through the final hours of their chosen sacrifice — death to their public service. Surely, a loss for them, their own career and for us, a loss of competent men and women.

If that is superior intellect — then we are not far behind.  In fact, we may have overtaken them already — at least on the importance of vaccines before travelling to another place.

So they’re a kind of vampire, huh? I thought blood suckers come from Transylvania — not Mars.

Aha! — Spielberg is not invincible after all.

Must read the HG Wells book .. to take away the brackish aftertaste of the movie.