Was it Romantic or Purely Platonic?

A review [more of a reflection] of the stage play entitled Ismail and Isabel presented by the Philippine Educational Theater Association shown at PETA Theater Center on August 30, 2009, 3:00 pm.

It was almost 9:30 pm at Acacia Lane. There were drops of rain subtly falling from the sky. It was dark but bravely dim. “Ominous weather,” I told myself. Whenever a public utility vehicle stopped, a lot of people would try to push other passengers to get a seat for themselves. Luckily, I was spared of the body wrestling and my butt was given barely half a seat. I was trying to comfortably settle on my prize when a child, barely 12 years old, entered the vehicle. He slowly walked down the narrow isle distributing envelopes with a short letter: “Koya, pangkain lang po.” The letters were barely readable – I could easily imagine how the boy tried his best to scribble down the note. I told myself, “Here’s another Ismail and Isabel, another victim – perhaps not of a war in Mindanao – but of another greater and more complicated battle against poverty, crises, and social injustice.”

I asked the boy what his name was. And in an almost inaudible voice, he said, “Toto po.” I looked at the people around me and noticed that no one really got bothered to even look at Toto. “Poor boy,” my mind whispered to myself. “His heart will be as empty of sympathy as his envelopes of pennies.” I could blame no one. Everyone looked so tired and weary that, at that moment, the sole individual concern was to go home safely to lay his or her back – and be dead until the next morning.

“Toto?” I repeated. The boy simply nodded.

Instead of putting some coins in his envelope, I gave him the crackers I had in my bag. Not far from where he rode with us, he collected all the empty envelopes and get off the jeepney as fast as he could. In a second or two, he was gone – out of sight, but not from mind. Not of my thought about Toto, or of Ismail and Isabel. Words began to find their paths to weave questions in my head: Was he also from Dilangawen? Does he also dream of adventures? Does he also try to fill his wanting stomach with folktales? Or has he readily stopped dreaming and hoping that someday he could make his own great and triumphant story to tell? “How would he,” I reflectively said, “if his immediate concern is how to live today so that he could at least see the flickering light of someday.” I made sense I know.

The narrative of Ismail and Isabel, or of Toto’s story, is not a new thing for Filipinos. The conflict in Mindanao has become an endless story about grieving parents, abused children, and dying civilians. Many, if not all, have become like my co-passengers at the jeepney – numb and oblivious of all that is happening in the South. Why? Because the war has readily become like a social norm in the Philippines. Filipinos have become adapted to it. Or simply put – in an artistic language – the war in Mindanao has become a piece of story devoid of aesthetic elements – of creativity, primarily.

Ismail and Isabel may not be a new tale of struggle, but its presentation was fresh and dynamic. I might not have seen the adeptness in the actors’ stage performances, but I have felt their awareness of what they were presenting. They were not really professionals yet, but their intentions to ingrain in our hearts the strong message of the alms seekers transcended the boundaries of professionalism. I also could not help but admire Rody Vera on his idea that – amidst our worries that the victims of war may lose access to basic needs such as shelter, food, and clothing – the bigger concern are not really those but that these children may lose their “power to dream, to imagine, and to hope.”

“It was not a bad idea that our longing for material needs could be substituted by the abundance of our imaginations’ produce,” the implied said of the play. But I said, “What if the minds could no longer work to produce and weave consumable literature? Besides, will the seed of written art sprout in a hungry mind which is no different from a barren soil?”

I must say the performers were cool. They were just great – terribly great. For their age, they definitely deserve applause and approval. Despite their squeaking voices and not so identifiable voices, I must say they have the talents to reflect emotions. The choreography was also one thing worthy of our respect. No doubt Carlon Matobato is a pro. Sometimes though, I couldn’t make sense on why they needed to do summersaults and break dancing. It made a show within a show. Were those really needed?

And the last, issue into which all my reviews will boil into: The relationship between Ismail and Isabel that the narrative would want to tell. Was it romantic or purely platonic? Was it the opposite sex kind of love or the brotherly-sisterly love? In some acts, the play would almost always like to suggest that the two characters would end up together as lovers. But when the audience was about to be convinced, Isabel would suddenly call Ismael as “Kuya,” instantly dismissing the tingling feeling from the viewers. What was really that? Did the play really want to say that amidst crime, violence, and war, there would always be a hope, a romantic love that would bloom?

Where’s Miss Maribel Legarda? Can you rewind the show and further explain the issue for us?



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This essay was submitted to Dr. Del Fierro as a requirement for her class in Foundations of Language.

About a Guy by Trixie

There are just no other pair of eyes you'd die to see gazing at you...such sweet conversations crowding your mind over and over again…thoughts of you together lingering on your memory…warm hands over yours, red lips blowing your cheeks, loving arms around your waist, hugging you tight. What was the feeling? Heaven, certainly. Then there are those times when life seems so easy, everything’s light, nothing could go wrong and everything is perfectly fine. Moments that you’d wish the day would never end and you will be grateful if you’re stuck on that time forever. Remembering the laughter, reminiscing the smiles, about the minutes you’d just sit for a while looking at each other’s eyes as if you already understood what those gazes means. When during your agony, he’s the one shoulder you’d cry on, one who lend you hid ears if you have problem, one that carries your burdens and loads. He who greatly appreciate your jokes. He whose sense of humor makes your stomach hurt and your eyes teary of laughter. During those rainy days he would accompany you home, not letting even a single drop of rain fall unto your shoulders, giving you his jacket even if he’s freezing cold. Those funny faces he can make and cute grins he does when you’re not on the mood makes you realize that you shouldn’t be too serious because there’s still tomorrow and by with him the better would be the best.

Remember how he touched you are upon seeing his beaming face on your doorstep. He cares to pass by just to say I Love You and look if you’re okay. Your heart wanted to leap the day he whispered in your ear, “You’re that one single girl I spend my life with.” But you’re too speechless to reply, “you’re that one single guy I’d love and cherish for eternity.”


But those things are just memories now, taken way back yesterday, before the day he decided to settle on his own. Your smiles are put to an end and all your hopes came crashing down like the sand castle devoured by the raging waves. All that was around you once colorful but now were all turned to black and the sweet humming song on your ears is now a lyric without a tune. Your heart is filled with emptiness; your face is traces with pain. You’re laughing but you’re unhappy, you ca touch but you can’t feel, you are breathing but your not alive. You find it hard waking up every morning because it is the day you have to face him again…wearing your scripted smiles and rehearsed words telling him you’re okay now, you can stand on your own. You dreaded the thought of seeing him happy, hearing him laugh like nothing happened while you are in that corner sitting in despair, easing the pain. Each time you witness his presence there goes that desperate longing to have him close to you again, feel his warm breath again. You wanted to hug him all over again… but reality bites he’s not yours now, and he’s with someone else now. You would die to see them together, wishing you were there beside him. You wanted to scream, but there is nothing you can do. Just look him with her. ;’c


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"Me, as a person , I must say I’m true to my self. I really don’t imitate styles of others and became a copycat in many ways. Being the real me is the real deal and that’s what I’m keeping everyday. I love myself." -- Trixie

"My Wonderful Days" by Bia

The school of Basey National High School is my dear alma mater,where I started to enjoy mylife, with my funny classmates.In my first year high school days, sometimes we are not so serious in our study, we always hang-out everywhere and do everything we want to do, bonding everywhere, we shared those comedy stories, jokes rather than to study our lessons. Mostly everyone of us was not intended to read books. I thought if how's my condition when it comes a fourth year student? because during our T.L.E subject, I saw those fourth year students make a delicious cake as their project and I'm insecured to them in those activity that they made.I know that the time will come that i will experience that kind of activity they had made.

When I reached my second year, third and fourth year, I tried to stand on my own, for my family have no time for me in attending whatever school activity, so I my own did it for me. Like when the enrollment comes, I myself tried to talk to a person who is attended in that particular arrangement of my papers to comply my needs and when my school days comes whatever the school administration calls for parents to attend meetings. I myself pretended that my parents is on my side but in truth my purpose is just to listen for what must my parents will contribute on what will be the result of a particular school assembly for Parents and Teachers together for school organization.Now and then, I've experience a lot, with my schoolmates, classmates, teachers and more teachers loves me during my high school life, sometimes one of my teacher wants me to live in their house, but more I love my grandma, I can't leave her whatever happen.

To my every subject, I wished to have a good grades in every grading periods that I liked to see in my report cards, but in what way i can get a good grades? Then, I realized that I can't reached those grades I had dreamed if i did not study hard and try to become intended in this hobby. Through my faith and hardwork I overcome it. Then I started to shared my knowledge to my classmates and I started to become serious and responsible student. Especially in my fourth year high school for we are still graduating , we must aware in evrything for what is happening. Currently, maybe we are in critical situation for choosing the careerfor our future. Even there are times that we're in a difficulty in life living, we had been enjoyed our days while we're being solved the problems.

I still remember my happiest moments that we had been together with my classmates when my classmate invited us to their fiesta. We walked together to their far place where they had been celebrate their fiestas. We're so much excited & enjoyed on that occassion, there's a lot of people are happy, there is a closeness of friends, relatives, and togetherness for the whole barangay. Then, we enjoyed eating delicious different kinds of foods, then go to different beautiful places, chuch, gymnasium, where we saw different games, carnabals, the beautiful beaches, I heard and saw the wonderful sound of sea waves on sea shores. Suddenly, when the graduation came, most of us didn't like to far apart each other, 'coz we missed each others in those days that we'd been together during our laughters and fears the emotions that we had. Some of my classmates saying "Hope it will back to the future".

Thus, most of us are not ready to enter college life. High school is different to college life., it is facing a challenges and careern and excitement, sometimes fear. But in high school full of enjoyment and laughters. Then, I relaized that there is no way to progress in dicontinous studying. And now, i accept that improvement is needed. No matter how difficult it is to face challenges in this profession. Therefore, now and then following my destiny and my wonderful days of life wiht my faith and love to God.

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BIA is a first year college student in Rizal Technological University and was enrolled in College of Nursing. She is a trying hard person to all things that she would like to do. She had a blue eye. She is a simple girl but beautiful, brave and humble. She likes a person who are thruth not fake. She like a color pink that symbolize joy. Her hobby is writing and reading English Novels and Bible.

Barbie Doll by Vicious Andy

When I was young, I used to believe in pixies and fairy tales. Everyday was a play day; paper dolls, tea parties, dressing up, cartoons, Disney princesses: Jasmin, Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the like. But, there’s this person who caught most of my attention, and I call her Fiona.

Fiona and I met during my fifth birthday because my cool mom introduced her to me. Ever since then, she became my best chum or should I say I tried to become her alter ego. I brought her everywhere I went; we’re together from the time I sleep until I woke up. Besides, we share everything; I bathe, and dress her up, and I even impart to her all my thoughts and deepest secrets. She just looked at me, smiled, and speechless. Every day seems to be a routine, same face, and same expression. But behind her silence is an incomparable beauty: from her smooth blonde hair with bangs, tantalizing eyes with perfectly combined pink and purple eye shadow, rosy cheeks, kissable lips, fair skin, and sexy body complete with fashionable outfits, fabulous earrings, bracelets, rings, high hills, and other accessories. For me, she’s truly a goddess, superstar in her own way. I’m dying to be like Fiona, and I even tried to surpass her.

One time, when I was alone in our house, I went inside my mom’s room, raided her closet; put on make ups; wear dangling earrings, pearl and gold necklaces, bangles, watches, cocktail dresses, sleeveless, spaghetti straps, halter, which are already long gowns and dresses to me; high heels, and other accessories. In front of the mirror, the room transformed into a stage, and the spot light was focused on me. Pose here, there, and everywhere; I’m now the catwalk princess. At an early age, I’m already trying hard to be a lady, and Fiona has been proud of me as she looks at me with her usual expression, smiling yet speechless.

One day, I stepped out of the box where I kept myself for a long time. I realized that pixies never exist, fairytales seldom happened, and I can never be a Barbie enclosed in my own fancy world. I’m sick and tired of talking to lifeless creature: no heart, brain, and soul. Looks can be deceiving as what they say, but how can I envy such thing when I can utilize my senses: I have eyes that can see; nose that can smell; mouth that can talk; arms that can move freely; and, legs that can walk. I’m alive and free! No one can control me. Despite everything, Fiona still lingers in me, her speechlessness and smile that hides her true feelings, which defines what material she’s made of—plastic!

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Vivacious Andy - I'm an optimistic person, a girl whose life is more than just happy; I like to do a lot of things that I’m interested in like dancing, fashion, party and art. I also tend to do a lot of things that I don’t do much so that I will learn more about them. Furthermore, I’m a loving daughter, sister, and a friend who's always there to listen, the one who has loads of laugh, always fooling around when nothing to do and do random things. I'm just a simple person who likes to have a cool life.

A journey to Surpass by Mis uni

Plants,animals ang human beings, these are the creation of god that mostly struggling in order for them to survive in daily quest of life. In a one snap of almighty’s hand life can be change and even you want to repel the fate of life, it’ just not working anymore. I defined life as the opportunity given to us by god to see the outer and innermost beauty of one of the creation of him, the Earth. And all of happening in us is properly planned by him.

Reminiscing my childhood days, when I’m not mature enough to know what is right to wrong. Questions are confusing my mind about life and easy challenges that I had encountered. And I can’t find the answers yet. In my childhood, playing dolls and houses is what I used to do. There’s no dull moments and tearful supplication. All I remember is the enjoyable things I do when I was a kid. But as I grow old, awakening the truth of life makes me wonder. What is our purpose in life? Why do people have difficult time planning-out their lives? Why there are some undergoing miserable life experiencing the grayest shade of life. Those are questions boggling my mind. As I look-out in our environment, I realized people in this world undergoing different aspects of life.

Some of them feel life as punishment and everything they do can never be good. It’s like they’re walking in a path where criticisms, insecurity, dumbness and loneliness lies, incapable them to succeed in daily task of life. They lost their direction and go as far as using drugs and committing suicide. But there are people who positively take life as a challenge. Sacrificing everything for their aim toward success. They believe that everything has a cause. People in all their busy lives are forgetting to enjoy their accomplishment in life. The reality is that in order to achieve balance in life, we must work at it.

Life and earth are related to each other. Our environment serve as mirror for us people need to observe what is happening around us. We don’t need to be affected by them but to change for the good to save our mother Earth and obtain our morality as a human, being a human and also a Pilipino, what l’m looking forward to my journey in life is to seek for my future and to change for a better me. To be happy, contented on what God’s plan for me. And to be the best that I can be so that my parents will be proud at me.


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Miss Uni-she's a silent type of person.Interested of playing games in facebook and chatting with her friends.God-fearing and lovable daughter.

CANCER! It kills! by Siopau

For me cancer is a scary word. Almost everyone knows someone who got very sick or died because of cancer. Most of the time, older people are the target of this disease. Not many kids can get cancer, but when they do, very often it can be treated and cured in the short period of time. Cancer cause about 13% of all human deaths. It really scares me a lot. Sometimes, you’ll never know you have a cancer. Cancer is the most traitor disease people will ever had. Even though you feel good and you are healthy, you may get this kind of illness.

Actually, cancer is a disease where in the growth of cells are uncontrolled. There are
many kind of cancer. Like colon, brain, lung, and also cervical cancer. This disease is very hard to cure. You have to go through many treatments before you become safe from cancer. It is really hard for a person to have a cancer because it's not really easy to cure. Even you can have this disease. I have known many people who have a disease like this. And whenever I see them, I feel what they feels. Eventhough I want to help them, but then, I really can't.

One of the causes of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. This kind of act can destroy our lungs. And the most affected are those people who are not smoking. Even they don't smoke, they can have this disease. Drinking too much can be also a cause of cancer. And this only means that we have to be aware in anything we do in our daily life. This unhealthy habits can be the cause of our death. And Im afraid of this.

Having medical check ups can detect if a person has a cancer. We really have to be aware in this kind of illness. Now a days, theres a lot of people died because of cancer. But because of technologies that people had been made, doctors can now diagnose and treat cancer. One is the chemotherapy, wherein a person go through many procedures. They use a catheter that is attached to a bag to hold the medicine like pills. I know this because I have a relative who is going through this treatment until know. I know how it feels to have this kind of illness. People have to take a risk for them to survive. We really have to avoid cigarette smoking, drinking too much and the unhealthy habits to prevent cancer.

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SIOPAU is simple and optimist. She loves reading. And she is also supportive to her friends. She makes someone smile whenever it has a problem. She really loves her family and friends.

Bessie by golly wow by queenzheska

A bestfriend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you, someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else. Bessie friend, are the one's who wipe the tears and hold your hand while everyone else just stands around asking what happened? Bessie friend, are hard to find harder to leave and impossible to forget. They can tell you things you don't want to tell to yourself, the one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.


They are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they're always there. Life's journey is easier when you hear a friends footsteps beside you.Bessie friend, is the kind of person who you can walk up to with the biggest smile on your face and they still ask "what's wrong?" They are the person who sees the pain in your eyes when the rest of the world believes the smile on your face. They are my true friends when two friends can walk in opposite directions and yet remain side by side.


Reasons why we need bessie friends. One, you can't ride a seesaw by yourself. Two,you need a screaming buddy while watching scary movies. Three, playing patintero or tumbang preso not as much fun with your dog. Four, you need someone to gush and discuss what your crush meant when he said "hi" and waved. Five, how else will you use up your stationery and sticker collection if not to write long letters to friends? Six, you get to drag someone when you're too shy to do something on your own. Seven, you've got a sure partner for all school projects and events. Ironically true right? funny isn't it? Sometimes i wonder what my life would be like without them, then i thank god i only have to wonder.


My bessie friends, they understand when i say forget it. They wait forever when i say just a minute. Stand by my side when i say leave me alone. They just listen for how many hours when i'm crying on the phone. Yeah, we laugh too hard, act too immature but i wouldn't have it any other way. It's those times we go so crazy, people think were high. The times we make each other laugh until we cry. All those inside jokes and annoying activities that we shared, those are all reasons were call us BESSIE FRIENDS.


Being a good bessie friend, is not always about stopping each other from making mistakes but its always about being there after the mistakes. Bessie friend know how stupid you are and still choose to be seen with you in public. Friendship is what gets you through the bad times and help you enjoy the good times.


I love my crazy, idiotic, annoying, funny, amazing, clothes stealing, secret keeping, honest, loyal and retarded bessie friends. We will be friends as long as stars twinkle in the sky as long as angels are there up high 'till oceans run dry 'till the day i die..

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queenzheska is a good girl but most of the time kinda retarded,she's music lover so if you are interested and if you want to be one of her bessie friends come on! Let's rock and roll!

Three Japanese Movies

For so long now, I've been trying to write so many things about my current adventures. Sadly, the sun always sets down even before I could begin painting my thoughts in words. No one could really stop the earth from its rotation and the sun will always have to sleep to regain its strength; fortunately, this ball of fire will certainly rise up again the next day to mark a new beginning for sentence and paragraph weaving.

I want to learn writing with great passion. So, every time I write article, essay, or poem, I would like to feel that I am writing a masterpiece worth cherishing for a lifetime. It is as if they are gems that will require constant polishing, a treasure of great semantic arrangements. But more than my written works’ linguistic characteristics, I prefer to read them over and over again because of the lessons deeply imbued in each of their letters, which serve as strands of a literary fabric intricately woven into a clothing that will give me warmth and strength in case I encounter rain – or hurricane – in the future.

For now, I particularly want to write about the movies I have watched from the recently concluded 2009 Japanese Film Festival. It was held last July at the Shangri-La Hotel – free admission.

I have seen almost all the eight featured films except Always-Sunset on Third Street and Tony Takitani. Three of these eight films emerged to be my most favorite -- Memories of Tomorrow (Yukihiko, 2006), Kamome Dinner (Naoko, 2006), and Mind Game (Yuasa, 2004). The other films, such as the Memories of Matsuko, The Milkwoman, and Turn Over-An Angel Is Coming on a Bicycle, are almost as good as the three, but not equally memorable for me.

Memories of tomorrow is a story on how short life is – a passing mist that will appear in a moment and will disappear even faster. Life is as weak as the spider’s web that in a gentle touch will suddenly collapse. However, knowing this universal truth is different from feeling it. And feeling it unnecessarily mean it is strongly being reinforced in my heart. But because of Memories’ medium and message, I have not only understood the fragility of life – I have also felt it with a strong reinforcement. I realized that no matter how successful a man is in this mundane world, he will perish like nothing – a pitiful creature.

Although life is delicate, there is no reason to be pessimistic. It might be short, but there is a way to make it happy and contented, which is the main message of Kamome Dinner. The story, plot, development, cinematography, and screenplay all boil down to a simple yet strong message – a message that can be summed up through the line of one the characters: “Why are the Finish happy and relaxed?” The other character replied: “Maybe because of their forests?” Perhaps, some may wonder why such mediocre line deeply caught my attention. Well, it is because, like the character, I am looking for something that could make me happy. And while watching the film, I have come to a realization that all I have to do to be relaxed. Finding happiness is settling with what is right – remove from my heart anger, envy, jealousy, and sadness. I have to eliminate the feeling that I have been a victim of grave injustice – because I have not been and will never be. Always having the feeling that I have been gravely punished makes me feel so heavy that I can no longer breathe at times. It is as if I want to cry all day. So, I shall pray. Settle with the basic of life. Drink coffee in my seat. Do my job well. Study hard. Teach with love and concern. And at the end of the day, pray again for prayer is the first and last step.

Kamome simply says the becoming happy is easy. Our dreams need not to be grand. Our dreams could be as simple as wanting to feed people with good food and seeing them smile in every bite. But with a simple dream, we could find great happiness and immense contentment.

Last, but certainly not the least – Mind Game. Mind Game is an animation about a group of people trapped in a big fish. I could tell you the whole story and bore you or tell you the lesson which you could use as you travel in this world. Life is full of great challenges. We might be trapped in a situation where escape may be seemingly impossible. But that is not true. No matter how impossible it may be, there will always be opportunities to win over it. All we need is determination and will. No matter how we perceived our situation to be hopelessly miserable, there will always be chances for us to escape from it and enjoy freedom and happiness.

So, I guess that would be enough. Three stories I would want to get back in the future. I hope to always remember their lessons.