Some resolutions for the new year include giving up soda (I did pretty good today - mostly water lang), being more understanding of my boyfriend, practicing patience, going to the gym (finally), sing/play (guitar and piano) music more, and write. I started with the writing sorta, by going thru old floppy disks (some nearly 5 years old, ack) of stuff I've written. One funny thing I found was a pseudo-skit that me and my friend Bing performed at Barrio Fiesta (annual Filipino cultural program at my college). It was called "Balikbayan + Box". Please don't hold it against me. As I recall, I took bits and pieces from other stuff I'd already written and put it together for the performance. Here's a little bit of it:
"Balikbayan + Box"
Dark Stage
Two Characters: Lina, the balikbayan (L) and Balikbayan box (Bb)
Lina is sitting on the floor with a clipboard and pen, checking a "Balikbayan" box for its contents and correspondingly checks off items on a list. Lina sighs in exasperation. Bb appears from the box.
Bb: Don't forget the cornicks. Your dad is looking forward to munching on those and its all he asked you to bring back for him.
L: How could I forget that? That's one of the first pasalubongs that I bought to bring back! That's not the problem. Look at this list of bilin! I gotta get songhits for Ate Beng, a stack of Pinoy CDs for Ninang Cora, buko pie and batik clothes for Tita Liza, and yema, pastillas and instant pinakbet for Tita Ene! I haven't even started on mom's list yet
Bb: Geez, I thought the hardest part was bringing pasalubong over here!!
L: You know, I always think that I'm bringing you here to leave you here, but there's always so much more I want to bring back.
Bb: Tell me what it's like out there. All I do is sit around the house until it's time to go back. What's so great about the Philippines?
L: After a while, you get used to the ants in the sugar, and the beads of sweat on parts of your body where you wouldn't expct to perspire.
Bb: Uggh! I'm so glad I don't have to worry about sweating! But what's so great about that?
L: After a while, you look forward to the crowing of roosters in the morning.
Bb: Ahhh, yes, I hear them too you know!!
L: You stop yelling at the dogs on the street that block your car, realizing that they can't hear you cursing the many way.
Bb: You learn to commute by jeepney and bus, you're no longer afraid to travel alone from the probinsya to Manila.
L: How would you know?
Bb: Are kidding? I hear the tsismis when you're not around!
It goes on for a while, and then here's the end:
L: It's weird how determined I am to come back here as often as I do. Mom and Dad couldn't wait to get to America, it seems...
B: U-huh, I hear your Titas and Titos wondering that when you're not around. They don't understand why you like it here so much.
L: You know, I really don't know either. I mean I guess I know, but its something I wouldn't be able to express in words. Its a feeling I get when the airplane touches down here. Such a good feeling.
Bb: I can also sense your feeling when the airplane touches down in New York!
L: Ows? And what's that?
Bb: A very sad feeling. Like you're not ready to be back home yet. Yet, you feel that way everytime. Aren't you used to it yet?
Bb: Why do you keep coming back here? Don't you want to go home already?
L: For me, home is the point of departure and the point of return. I read that in a book once. It's the place you long to go back to. I guess home could be where you were born, but it's also where you grow up. I really feel like I grew up here!
Bb: But you've spent most of your life in the States! Hell, you were born there?! Can you imagine how your parents feel, or how your Titas feel? Why is it when we have settled somewhere, we want to still go home?
L: One day we will stay for good.
Bb: Where? Here or there?
L: Good question...
Well, I always meant to develop that...geeez, maybe one of my resolutions should be to actually finish something.
And on that note, I'm off to bed.
