Ano nga ba ang Ligaya?

 art by Jericho Javier

Totoy at Gina

  

Totoy at Gina

a poem by curioshittii

Si Gina ay may pangarap;

Maging tanyag na doktor, kaniyang inaasam.

 

Magiting na nag-aaral,

Lumalaban para sa pangarap.

 

Masayang naglalakbay

Patungo sa mithiing inaasam.

 

Lingid sa kaniyang kaalaman

Na ang daan patungo, ay haharangan

 

Babarikadahan ng asul na tela; hihilahin palabas,

Hahawakan at hahalayin.

 

Nang siya’y manglaban,

Hambalos, dura, at tawa, kaniyang nadinig

 

Putok ng ari’t pulbura,

Bumungad sa gitna ng kaniyang mga mata.

 

Asul nga ba ang tela ng uniporme,

O dugong nagngangalit

 

Ng mamamayang nakahandusay;

Nanlalamig at nagngangalit?

 

Sa kabilang dako,

Si Totoy ay may pangarap.

 

Makitang masaya ang bawat isa

Sa mga kapamilya’y kaniyang hinahangad.

 

Bilang salubong sa bagong taon

Paputok, nais niyang ipakawala

 

Lingid sa kaniyang kaalaman,

Siya ang puputukan.

 

Pulburang pumagitna sa kaniyang mga mata,

Imbis na sa langit, siya’y pumalangit.

 

Sa kaniyang mga mata,

Ang huling nabingwit ng sinag ng araw,

 

Ay ang asul na unipormeng

Kumikinang sa liwanag

 

Astang diyos sa tindig,

Sing sikat ng araw

 

Ngunit, asul nga ba ang kulay,

At hindi pula?

 

"Liryo" (Book Review)

 

"Liryo"

a book review by curioshittii

    Liryo, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Magtira Paolo, is set in the midst of Duterte’s drug war. Following the story of Marcy and her husband, Celso, both are “promdis,” or from the province, whom sought to chase what Americans would call, “The Dream,” but was unexpectedly met with unfortunate circumstances— their impoverished status did not at all change, in fact, it seems to have worsened. Marcy, working long hours a day at a factory, earns meager amounts of money, and her husband Celso, has turned to drugs in order to earn ample amounts of cash to sustain their lives. 

    In fear for Celso’s lives, Marcy immediately berated Celso’s deeds, claiming that he no longer had any remaining principles and that he might end up like the people being reported dead due to the gruesome drug war. In response to her, Celso pointed out the fact that Marcy herself used drugs in order to stay longer hours and be able to work more. It stirred a fight, but it was resolved nonetheless, with the two of them promising that they will continue to chase after their dreams of succeeding in life, and of course, with sex.

    A day after their quarrel, on Marcy’s way back home from the market, she was appalled to see police officers near their home. In fear that her husband has been killed just like the others, she quickly rushed back home, and was met with a fully alive husband, reassuring her that they only came in order to tell him to stop dealing with drugs and undergoing rehabilitation.

    This victory, however, is not celebrated for eternity. A few days later, after celebrating her best friend’s birthday, on her way back home, a crowd was gathered at their neighborhood, and Celso’s body was splattered all over the concrete floor.

    The arrival of this novel at my doorstep could not have been more perfect. With once again another case of extrajudicial killings reported around last Sunday, this novel outright emphasizes how unsafe and how normalized murder is right now on today’s political climate. The story is easily comparable with that of Randy Ribay’s Patron Saints of Nothing, the only difference would be the way it was told. Ribay’s novel is set in the eyes of a Fil-Am whose cousin was killed in the crossfire, and Magtira Paolo’s story looks into the eyes of the victim itself. It exemplifies how much suffering, injustice, and marginalization this entire administration has insinuated— it has saddened and angered the hearts of many, but most importantly, it has taken the lives of many victims of poverty. It has, instead of addressing the root problem of criminality and drug abuse, worsened the current justice system of the Philippines.

    For me, what stood out the most in Magtira Paolo’s, “Liryo,” is how powerful the ending was— to quickly summarize it, he emphasized how this entire drug war has only taken the lives of the marginalized, and that it did not bring any sort of benefit to the country.

    Overall, despite its meager length for a novel, this has to be one of the most powerful pieces about the drug war that I have read. It was short, but Magtira Paolo’s narration of the story, as well as the amount of humanity in the novel, exemplified the power behind the story. It serves as a call to not only the government, but to the entirety of the country’s constituents— it serves as a wake-up call, telling us that this government is killing us without any hesitation, and that we must stand up against it.

Angelou, Where are You?

Angelou, Where are You?

a poem by curioshittii

Angelou, Angelou,
where are you?

The cage you broke away,
threatens to lock you away.

Rocks thrown your way,
clipping your wings; making you sway

Yet like dust you rise,
fueled by oil pumps; slashing the lies.

Angelou, Angelou,
there you are!

In our hearts,
scattered in parts

From head to toe,
from heart to soul.

"Patron Saints of Nothing" (Book Review)

"Patron Saints of Nothing"

a book review by curioshittii

"Written by Randy Ribay, a Filipino-
American writer, Patron Saints of
Nothing follows the story of Jason
Reguero..."

    Written by Randy Ribay, a Filipino-American writer, Patron Saints of Nothing follows the story of Jason Reguero, an oblivious Fil-Am who lives in the States whose brother-like cousin, Jun, died in the crossfire of the drug war instigated by the Duterte administration. In pursuit of the truth of what truly happened to his beloved cousin, he travels back to the Philippines with determination in his heart, as well as a dossier of letters from Jun before his death. 

    With a number of days as his time in finding the truth of what happened to his cousin, Jason visits his family to ask and learn about what truly happened, but with caution in mind as his uncle, Maning, is a police, and as usual, he is a lapdog to the state⁠— a pawn to the administration's heinous deeds. It was a rocky ride, as the adults around him tended to refer to him as an American, which very much caused an identity crisis to stir within him, but he found ways to dig deeper into the truth as he met Mia, a journalism student. In the end, he learned about the truth, and his whole family was able to acquire closure, and he was also able to reconcile the Filipino in him. 

    I admire Ribay for informing his audience regarding the grotesqueness of today's administration⁠— it was very timely and bold, as in today's setup, speaking up is dangerous as most critics of this government are easily silenced. Ribay was able to successfully portray his themes, which I personally think are to first off, speak up for the marginalized and for what is right, second, learning the truth may hurt, but it is important as it gives closure to the people close to them, and lastly, it is to always look into the root cause of a problem, or to always be compassionate and understand people. He was able to portray this through the use of the characters around Jason, as well as the circumstances that surround him.

    Personally, I think that it's a fantastic novel, but I think that it's not for me as it felt like I was listening to the daily news. The plot isn't as new and shocking to me as this is exactly what I hear everyday in the news. Though, despite that, I highly recommend it as it is very relevant in today's setting, especially with the current fight against the police in the States, as well as the continuous disgusting acts of the Duterte administration.

The Art of Gender Play: Breaking Gender's Boundaries

The Art of Gender Play: Breaking Gender’s Boundaries

—    curioshittii

With the sudden popularity of Rupaul’s Drag Race, more and more people are getting hooked to the ‘queer’ culture of the queers, whilst embracing the idea of gender play as an art form and a social movement.

   I was one of the many people who was influenced by Drag Race's immense popularity. At first, it started out as a curious drive; what was it with this show that made it a forefront of 21st century entertainment?

Alongside the gay “yas-es,” innuendos, camp-themed runways, and outright shade towards fellow contestants and other popular figures, Rupaul’s Drag Race showcases the complexity of drag; and is a documentary of how the LGBTQIA+ community retaliates towards societal discrimination; it tells various stories of gay oppression, the influence of drag to fashion, and how predefined by society gender roles are.

Rupaul's Drag Race has showed us that there are no rules to expressing one's self— the queens who bravely auditioned and competed on the said show is making a statement by raising their middle fingers to the rules of gender by dressing up as females (or males), whilst honoring the contributions of former queens and kings who preceded them, just like Marsha P. Johnson who insinuated the Stonewall Riots. 

Growing up, I was specifically told not to wear anything that is colored pink, and that I should not play with Barbies as they are only for girls. I was told that such was an act of homosexuality, which sparked further conflict the moment I realized that I indeed had feelings of attraction towards fellow males. Homosexuality or being “queer” in general is seen by many as something unnatural, and growing up, I had no one to look up to nor confide along with. I had to pretend as if I was not effeminate at all— I felt lonely; I felt wrong and unnatural, but to see these queens perform in such a grandiose setting where they stay true to who they are, it sparked the emancipation of myself from the shackles of society’s definition of what I should and what I should not be—if society didn’t define how we should be, our personalities wouldn’t be repressed, and drag queens and the show itself has proven that no matter what you like and who you are, it is important to stay true to yourself.

WHY DO WE LOVE RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE?

         Simple, because it tackles issues that are normally stigmatized by society. In its debut season, a challenged that aimed to raise funds for Mac Cosmetic’s Viva Glam campaign that aims to help raise awareness on HIV was ensued and was won over by an HIV positive gay male who was praised for bravely admitting on national television that he was indeed a carrier of such. Another example of such is how the queens of season 9 tackled the brutal shooting towards the LGBTQIA+ community on a bar. The queens not only discuss how liberating it is to do drag and how they feel free to be themselves and do things that they normally do not do as a male or a female, but they also touch on topics that are usually unknown to the oblivious.

Drag is not only a form of female (or male) impersonation, it is the graffiti of the body; it breaks boundaries and unsettles the people's hearts through gender play. It is a mask where we are able to free ourselves from a facade designed to conform to society's provisions; it is a manifestation of our will to be true to ourselves, to show who we really are. 

"They Both Die at the End" (Book Review)

"They Both Die at the End"

a book review by curioshittii

  In a day, I have successfully finished and took in Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End— it was an easy read, it was fast-paced and it had a simple message. They Both Die at the End is set in an era where Death Cast exists, a company that calls a person the day before their End Day, or their death, to alert them that in the next 24 hours, you will inevitably face the terrifying scythe of death himself. The protagonists, Mateo Torrez, and Rufus Emeterio, were alerted by the said company about their demise. In search of a friend that will help them live out the remaining hours of their lives, the two meet using the app, Last Friend, which helps Deckers look for a friend before their demise. 

  In a world where your death is inevitable, who would have thought that friendship and love would spark in a matter of hours? Adam Silvera was able to successfully portray not only the sadness and grief associated with death, but was also able to portray the

"I have successfully finished and
took in Adam Silvera’s They
Both Die at the End— it was
an easy read, it was fast-paced

and it had a simple message."

adrenaline alongside it— it makes you want to feel alive, it makes you want to live out your best life, before you go and kick the bucket. Aside from this, he was able to successfully portray the power of friendship and love to heal and change who you are— before meeting Rufus, Mateo is very much “closeted”; in the context of sexuality, and in life in general, but Rufus, the energetic and lively person that he is, was able to put Mateo out of his element by teaching him how to have fun and how to take risks. On the other hand, Mateo was able to rub off his caring personality towards Rufus’ trauma. He was able to help him get through the trauma of having to deal with seeing your family drown to death, alongside his recent breakup with his girlfriend. 

  Silvera had a very simple message, and that is to live our lives to the fullest. It had such a simple theme in the plot, but the way Silvera unfolded the events to follow were powerful. It successfully portrayed trauma, happiness, friendship, love, loyalty, grief, and death in a mere span of 368 pages. Aside from this, he gave us the different effects of death, as well as the effects of the way we live or the way we inspire other people to live. 

  Overall, I think that this is a great read. It has given me another round of existential crisis, but the way Silvera played with this novel is marvelous. Definitely a top-tier read.