Ibong Maya

Ang malamig na ihip ng hangin sa tahimik na kahapunan ay tila humehele sa akin.

Ang mga pagod kong mga mata ay nais pumikit habang

ang naririnig ko lamang ay ang mga huni ng mga ibong Maya.

Mabuti pa sila, dumadapo kung saan-saan, walang permanenteng tahanan, ngunit masaya.

Nais kong tumalon, nais kong humalakhak, ngunit parang di ko magawa.

Wari'y may pumipigil sa akin na lakarin ang mga daanan, tahakin ang mga agos ng tubig, akyatin ang mga bulubundukin.

Nais kong maging katulad ng mga Maya, maliit at simple, ngunit malaya.

Minsan, sa pagpikit ng aking mga mata, doon ko nasisilayan ang kalayaan.

Nakararating ako sa mga paroroonan na di ko inakalang matagpuan.

Minsan, doon mo nasisilayan ang nais mong makamit.

At pagmulat ng aking mga mata, ako'y nanalangin at ngumiti, magiging tulad ako ng Maya.

Evening Movie Date with The King's Speech

          One evening, my cousins and I watched The King's Speech at our sala when everyone was through with their teleseryes, especially our grandparents. We watched it in our laptop in which we attached the speakers in, turned off the lights, and voila, we had a mini theater in the middle of the quiet night.

          At first, the three of us were a little bored because there were a lot of plain conversations that tackle about royal hierarchies and the problem of one of the King's sons (played by Colin Firth) who had a speech defect. How could he be King if he had this dilemma? However, I realized that this disability was the main flavor that made the plot exciting to follow.

          I was not surprised why Colin Firth grabbed the best actor award because he was totally awesome and genius in portraying his role. The way he stammered such as not being able to said the words he longed to speak seemed natural. Sometimes, the conversations were just so long and extended that the impatient would get bore, adding to it that music was not at times incorporated in the background. I personally think the point why they did this was to focus on the meaningful script the characters were blabbing and highlight the impoverished words of the main actor. Nonetheless, as the scenes followed through, interesting acts were presented that something magical awakened my spirit on what would happen next. 

           No doubt, the costumes were really beautifully crafted and the vintage setting would transport you to Hitler's time. It's funny to notice the great contrast of their technology from the modern ones that we now enjoy. The props were so factual it's as if their era was just yesterday. Even though it's an old setting, the film gave off a vibe of freshness to me.

           The scenes were simple but the shots had a distinctly unique style that provided emphasis to the emotions communicated by the actors. As you listen to their voices and observe their actions, you would ponder on the issues addressed on the film such as power, leadership, and the country's battle for justice. For King George VI (Colin Firth), It had always been tough to be able for his voice to be heard because of his speech problem. To overcome this, he had to hire a personal speech therapist that would be on his side every time he speaks out his speech. The roller coaster ride relationship between the King and his therapist made the story a magnificent masterpiece that is a sure inspiration to everyone.

          Yes, I guess this film deserves the best picture award. Not only am I amazed with the cinematography and the story's creative flow, I am truly affected with the message it gave- that a disability or anything that we thought we lack is not an excuse for us not to reach our goals and dreams in life. Maybe my cousins and I should frequent this evening movie viewing since it was fun after all.

Mang Inasal for my Hungry Gut

         Sometimes, I'm wondering what's inside my stomach. After I eat something that would fill my hungry tummy, I would again be anxiously looking for food for the next hour or two. At times, I'm wondering if I have diabetes or something because I know there are three things evident on this disease: Polyuria (persistent urination), Polydipsia (excessive thirst), and the last one which could be my great dilemma, Polyphagia or insatiable appetite for food.
          Well, If I'm hungry, I'd really go out of my way to look for something to munch even if it's the last bread in the tupperware, or the cold spaghetti in the refrigerator. But I will not dwell on my eating dilemma for now. I'll speak about how to really satisfy my appetite whenever I'm in the city strolling and in the middle of nowhere, my stomach begins to rumble as if my intestines would like to stick out of my belly and independently grab a food on their own.
          A restaurant in Iloilo that would surely make my intestines calm down is definitely Mang Inasal. It is famous for its "unlimited rice" offer so you sure to feed yourself in the most satisfying way that you can. Its chicken barbecue comes in really large cut such as the Pecho and Paa part in which you can dip it in soy sauce with Calamansi. With the rice, I used to put some chicken oil in it so it becomes a Java rice (caution to hypertensive people though, too much oil and "asim" is bad for your health).

80 pesos, unlimited rice. Hmmm, yummy!!! Super busog!!!

          Whenever my barkada or family go out in the city of Iloilo, one of the really top choices of restaurants that we want to dine in is Mang Inasal. A hundred pesos is worth it for your craving and hungry tummy. My cousin even consumes 3-4 rice. That is why I hate myself because I can only manage until the second rice. And then, after I finish eating, I would then become hungry about 2-3 hours later so I'll search for some food kiosks that would alleviate my crazy gut.
          Ilonggos are proud of Mang Inasal because it has already many branches all around the Philippines and Pinoys love it. I guess the reason for its success is because "inasal" has become a culture in the nation's food tradition. I remember eating my first Mang Inasal Chicken at Robinson's Iloilo with my highschool friends. I'm really not sure if this is the first branch to open but what I'm truly certain is that, it was born here in the city of love.

Who wants an extra rice?

           Aside from the uniforms of the employees, I really love the Filipino vibe when you dine in Mang Inasal because you can see a lot of Pinoys from all walks of life come together and deliciously munch on their inasal with their bare hands. Simply, Hahanap-hanapin mo. I guess, my stomach's calling me to feed him again....grrrr.