Relishing the Likes: Part 1

There are some things that I dare not say, but I really do appreciate such. The small subtleties are the things that make me want you more. Such small seemingly unnoticeable things about you make me smile and blush. Who am I kidding? Yes, it makes me crazy about you. 

1. That sexy smile. Your smile, yes it’s a killer! How sexy can it get? That kind of smile makes me smile and melt. From a serious pout to a very charming grin to a delightful beam of pearly whites, such is unparalleled. Now I want to know, how many people did you kill with those beams of perfect insanity? Don’t get me wrong; kill me more with your smile!

2. The frolicksome hair. The wave that hangs shyly from your head is such a welcoming sight, friendly and playful but with an adorable twist. Surely, it’s an asset. When I caress your hair, the soft waves bounces off my hand like a splendid cuddle of some sort. Of course, you’ll give me a-what-the-fuck-are-you-doing stare. The frolicking hair combined with the what-the-fuck-are-you-doing stare is surely a winner in all aspects.

3. Those beaming eyes that speak. The stare that I want to stare back at is an insatiable vision. I probe those eyes with perfect leisure for I can read words that are unsaid (a sweeping statement, I know). From quick blinks to conscious stares, whether slow or fast, perfectly captures the spur of the moment. Simply put, your eyes are inviting.

4. The hands that fit mine. Touching your hand is a very sensual sensation. When you curl it into a fist, it shows me that you’re gently tough. When you grasp your spoon and fork, I picture a child-like cheerful encounter with a smile from end to end. When you tenderly grip my hands with speed that’s calmly harsh, it makes me feel secure and wanted (the two things which I need and want more than anything).  It’s safe to say that your hands have magic, the magic touch!

5. The huggable waist with the oh-so-subtle love handles that started the “guddling.” I can embrace it perfectly, squeeze is with eagerness, and leave you not breathing. I wonder how you made it so perfect.  The perfection makes me want to lock my arms around, clasp my hands, and clinch and never let go! Can you blame me for being a bit of a sadist with a fine waist and delicate love handles like yours?

6.  That sensational scent. You’re like a drug because I got hooked with your scent. Ok, this is a bit crazy.  I can’t resist savoring the whiff that overflows from you. What kind of drug are you? Crack? Heroine? Cocaine? LSD? Definitely, your scent is an "upper" in more ways than one. I can’t seem to get enough of. Oh please, don’t take it away from me. I need my dose of you. Say crack again.

7. The perfectly contoured nose. No offense, did you get a nose job? Were you a Greek statue before? That nose is perfectly formed, from the base to the tip. It’s a perfect symmetry which sums every adorable and sexy part your face. That nose is made for nose-kissing, nose-cuddling, and everything in between. Say yes?

8. That provocative lips. Need I say more? Need I explain? Need I put further details? Well, I think so. With those impeccable lips that state words that can conquer anything, it is best used for kissing. To borrow Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, “the kiss […] is the most exquisite moment of her whole life.” And such is an experience not far from mine.

9. Your skin that brushes against mine. The not-so-deliberate (or is it?) brushing of our skin sends chill down my spine and put more than enough butterflies in my tummy to make my legs weak. Don’t get me wrong, I love every minute of it! When we walk, we bump unintentionally or pretend it’s unintentional. Regardless of the intent, it’s all about the warmth of your skin rubbing against mine.

10. That awesomely playful voice. When you ask, “How are you,” or “how’s your day?” it makes my day complete. Sometimes, I don’t even like to answer back immediately just to take pleasure in the very nippy moment between the question and the answer. I like to prolong it, to relish the voice that brought the question.

These are the ten things that I like about you. This is just the first part. There’s more to come.

The Celebration of the Body and Bodily Pleasures

Kinukumutan Ka ng Aking Titig
Ruth Elynia Mabanglo

Kinukumutan ka ng aking titig -
Isang siyudad ng pag-ibig:
Dilim na binabagtas ng mga hipo,
Liwanag na kaakibat ng mga pangako.
Nililiyo ako ng mga haplos,
Binubura ng mga alaala.
Ay, tila ugat akong nabubunot,
Umaangat,
Lumilipad,
Mga mata’y nag-uulap.

Nilalakbay ko ang katawan mo,
Buwan akong umiikot
Sa iyong sinukob,
Nilulukob kita hanggang panaginip,
Nilalagok ang iyong tinig,
Natitigmak ako hanggang buto,
Humahagod sa ligamgam ng iyong hininga,
Humihimlay sa iyong mga halik
Hanggang alaala’y mapaknit
At sa pusod ko’y sumanib.

Mahal, ako’y napapapikit

Jane's Puppy: A Poetic Encounter with an English Learner

This is one of my student's poem. Though it may not be perfect, it still has some entertainment value in it. Enjoy! Since she's a Korean, she hear's the dog's bark as "Wal-Wal" and not "bark bark" nor "aw-aw" as we hear it. Generally, its a bit childish but it shows her genuine affection for her companion - her puppy. Never mind if she doesn't follow the correct English syntax, it is still with aesthetic quality for a child who has not spoken English for quite a period. Let the barking begin! Or in her auditory practice, let the "walling" begin!

My Puppy

by Jane

My puppy always bark
Wal wal~
My puppy always waiting for me
Wal wal~
My puppy always want snack
Wal wal~
My puppy always want to hug
Wal wal~
My puppy always pee poo
Wal wal~
My puppy always shake his tail
Wal wal~
My puppy always very cute so
I am always cuddle my puppy
I love my puppy forever.

Life is too short for bad things.

A great scholar told me, "life is too short for bad things." And yes, these simple words are of great importance. Its simplicity makes it a structure of greater implications. The word "things" does not only signify things that can be held in one's hand, but it can be generalized to bigger and more abstract endeavors. Perhaps, I will create a list on the things that may not make life worthwhile.

Life is too short...

1. to read critics of a lesser value. Would you compare the words of Soledad Reyes and Gemino Abad to Michel Foucault and W. Said? You do the math and put their works and words side-by-side.

2. for bad coffee. Coffee should be a perfect blend between the sweet and the bitter, the hot and the cold, and you and me. Now, would you consume coffee that makes you barf and makes you regret consuming it?

3. for being a specialist. Being a specialist will make your life miserable. Why not try to become a generalist and expose yourself to the "things" that you really want the most.

4. for bad company. Hating is easy, but getting the right people to be with is not without difficulty.

5. to be bitter. As I've said, bitterness is the religion of the insecure.

6. for unhappy thoughts. If you don't understand this, you have an IQ of less than 50.

7. to not take a chance. Example, tell the person that you like him or her. Life is not worth living with regrets. By not doing so, you will be haunted by the "I should have done that" cliche.

8. to deal with people who are stupid and wanting political correctness. I never cared for political correctness. Our main responsibility should be professional and practical correctness. If you want to spark change, resign from your job and join an NGO. If not, then stop whining about wanting to spark a change.

9. to not do things for the love of it. Simply put, do anything and everything for the love of it. Always say, I want to do this for the love of it.


These are just some of the things that I've seen in retrospect. The list will grow in the days to come.

Rub Your Language Against Mine

Language is a skin: I rub my language against the other. It is as if I had words instead of fingers, or fingers at the tip of my words. My language trembles with desire. The emotion derives from a double contact: on the one hand, a whole activity of discourse discreetly, indirectly focuses upon a single signified, which is "I desire you," and releases, nourishes, ramifies it to the point of explosion (language experiences orgasm upon touching itself); on the other hand, I enwrap the other in my words, I caress, brush against, talk up this contact, I extend myself to make the commentary to which I submit the relation endure.

(taken from Roland Barthes' A Lover's Discourse: Fragments)

___________________________________________________


Rub your language on me, and make me feel your words.

Barthes as an Educator Educating other Educators on how to Educate

According to Roland Barthes, there are three major phases in the life of a professor.

First, teaching what "I" know. "I" referring to the professor.

Second, teaching what "I" don't know, pertaining to research.

Third, the process of unlearning what was been learned. Though this phase contains little knowledge; it, however, presents much flavor in one's life.

(Taken from A Barthes Reader, 1982)


Unfortunately, most of the professors I've met have not reached the third and most important phase.

____________________________________________________

For those who do not know who Barthes is and think that the name is a brand of a detergent, here's a bit of an introduction. Roland Barthes is a French theories, critic, philosopher and, semiotician. If you still don't get the big picture, google him.

Departures: The Gift of Last Memories

The smell of death lingers with the movie Departures, which was directed directed by Yojiro Takita. However, the smell of death need not be a stench to be scorned. Preparing a body for the final departure is something as beautiful as life can be. Though death and life may be seen as a terribly vicious cycle, the thin line between the two shows the beauty of every breath. Being in such a profession is not an easy task owing to the emotional stress that one receives and this is exactly what Daigo Kobayashi had come to terms with being a professional embalmer.

One thing notable about this film is its ability to draw attention to something that is not normally noticed by most. The art of embalming and craft of sending a love one to the other side of life is usually overlooked. The process entails a different set of dynamics for the film. Embalming is not simply making the person look beautiful for an audience to simply appreciate but for the person who passed away, it is a farewell endeavor with a whole lot of affection in it. It encompasses the physical and the spiritual. Likewise, the film puts this system into perspective.

In the film, Taigo Kobayashi has dreams like no other would conjure. A great musician, specifically a cello was his immediate concern. He was part of an orchestra, but such an endeavor was not successful. After a performance, he was terminated from the job due to the fact that the company was not faring well. Starting from that point almost everything about this life fell apart.

Procuring a high-class cello for a huge sum was not entirely a good idea. He went into debt and decided to go back to the town, to which he was born. His wife, Mika Kobayashi is a woman of strong tenacity. She approached everything with a smile even when Taigo Kobayashi went into debt and decided to move to his hometown. By and large, Mika is indeed a very good example of a very supportive wife. However, there is a part in the film wherein she got fed up with Taigo’s unwillingness to share the truth about what he is doing. She found out for himself that the new career path of Taigo was not usual and he wanted him to find a usual job. However, Taigo sticked to his instincts and defended his job since he was not doing anything wrong, but doing a service to humanity. Initially, Mika left but came back for Taigo. Another interesting twist in the movie is Mika’s pregnancy, which affirms the cycle of life and death.

Taigo Kobayashi’s life is full of unwanted ironies and such. As a child, he was part of a family that was broken. However, Taigo was very resilient and strong and did not allow that to break his spirit. His father taught him to play the cello; he had a strong affinity with music after that. In one part of the movie, the break-up of his parents took a serious toll on him but he never showed it to his mother. During the earlier part of his life, he went to the bathhouse alone and he cried like he never cried before even to the point that his shoulders were trembling. Nevertheless, not at one point in his life he showed his mother that he is crying owing to the break-up.

Looking at the plot of the movie; sad to say, it is quite predictable and expected. Though it offered something new in terms of the cultural value, the entertainment significance of it not substantial. The plotting of the movie is quite conventional and does not offer something new to the plate. Some of the twists are dull, looking beyond the plot; the movie touches hearts because of the melodramatic factor it possesses. From time to time, the scenes are quite touching due to the blend of Taigo’s love for music and his affection for the process of sending people to the other side.

The cinematography is one of the strongest features of the film; it is very lush and rich. Indeed the movie brought in some images of the countryside with almost perfect quintessence. As for the musical scoring, it was chosen very well that elevated the message that the film wanted to deliver. These two aspects of the movie are quite strong. These two compensated for plot's lack of spark.

Overall, this movie can be placed under the “so-so” category. It is would not really blow the socks of one’s feet. However, it still contains a certain cultural value that makes one think twice. The film showed death in a very unconventional manner. By unconventional, it is highly stunning and beautiful. Appreciating the value of the person is made stronger with death. With all thing said and done, the film carries the Academy Award for the being the best foreign language film.