The Panoramas of the Bahamas (Part 2 of Cruise. Cabin & Chow)

Lessons Learned

In 1979, I attended the Australian Agricultural Trade Show at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.  

“Buslog!” 

I couldn’t place him right off, but he knew my nickname. 

“Rego,”. He shook my hand. 

“Regoberto Tenorio, where’s Tabog and Pepit?”

 “Are you now a millionaire?”

“Well. I am there,”.

 “What brought you here?”

 “I am a distributor of Agricultural Machineries from Australia. Our machines in display at the Trade Shows,”.

 “Look at you. What are your secrets?”

 “I am a distributor of Agricultural Machineries from Australia. Our machines in display at the Trade Shows,”.

 “Look at you. What are your secrets?”

 “Well, I owe my success to the three of you. You, Tabog and Pepit. Learned lessons from you guys. Used them now in business,”.  

Rego is smart in math and science. That’s the reason for his success. Not because of us.  

 “So, you owe your success to us, huh?”. 

Rego smiled.

 “You remember the Irrigation Canal. We made a raft of banana trunks to cruise around Baliwag?”

I exploded with a laugh.

Ah! That banana raft we couldn’t maneuver as the water had swelled. The stitched trunks might snap – when pass through the Tarcan’s Headgate: swirled and turned us as corpse. 

When our raft got near Tarcan, Tabog pushed Rego. He held tight onto the raft. Tabog dipped Rego’s head. His feet now propelled our raft. Tabog steered Rego’s head. Our raft reached the shore.  

“That’s maneuvering and manipulating people. That’s the skill to conduct business,”. 

“Remember the Ilang-Ilang tree?”

I wondered why climbing up tall trees could have taught Rego a lesson in business. Most trees in our barrio had the horseshoe branches because of our “climbing and jumping off”. One tree remained a virgin. That of Ilang-Ilang tree of Aling Itang.

Tabog showed off. He climbed up. When he reached the top, the tree bent 40 feet away from the ground. He swung in the air. Too dangerous to jump off. Tabog offered his bravest spider to Pepit. He joined.

 The tree bent, but not enough. So, the two negotiated with me. Pepit will give me tops. And Tabog bribed me with marbles. I climbed up. Our combined weight left a good 15 feet distance from the ground. Still, not enough. The three of us lured Rego. I offered myself as his errand boy for three days, just for him to go up. Rego climbed up.

With four of us on top, the Ilang-Ilang tree bent enough for us to jump off, Tabog proposed we jumped on three. Tabog counted: “One,”. We distrust him. At Tabog’s count of “two,” the three of us jumped off – leaving Rego counting “Threeee”, while the tree spewed him up in the air.

“So, Rego, what lesson you learned in the Ilang-Ilang tree?”

 “Timing. Don’t mess with timing,”.

 “So where are the two rascals now; Tabog and Pepit?”

 “Oh! Tabog is a Marine Biologist…”

 “The fool… and he finished school?”

 “Yeah. Got his diploma from the ‘Recto University. A bus conductor now,”.

“Hmm. Good for him,”.

“Pepit is an announcer,”.

“On radio?”

“No. At a rat carnival stands during fiesta,”

 “Good,”

 “And me. Took ten years to finish my studies, always runs out of money. Here I am, struggling.”

 I sensed him saying, “Hm. good for you, too.”. But restrained himself.

 At the Trade Show, before we parted, I invited him to join us again – fishing at the Pritil. Our juvenile hangs out.

 “No. Thank you,”

Well, Rego’s reunion with us could have been worth another Million!

the sneaker trio

The three of us; Tabog, Pepit and myself while watching the shoot of Maruja at Bustos, Bulacan in the late 60s, pledge: We need to see the movie once released in theater. 

A hitch loomed over. The Henson Theater, which would show the Maruja movie, hired Teryo Taramindo, a menacing brute whose biceps resembled that of a tamarind fruit. For sneakers like us, Teryo is a total terror. He could smash us to smithereens once he caught us sneak. 

The lure of Maruja defied our fear. We followed the novel in “komiks”. We wanted to see how truthful its movie version. The movie starred Romeo Vasquez and Susan Roces. We are their fans.  

Friday, the movie got showed at Henson. Saturday night, we sneaked in using Tabog’s scheme. The modus afforded us a free movie.

Pepit deposited Five Pesos to the ticket lady on the pretext of looking for someone inside. Tickets cost 80 cents a piece. 

Once inside, Pepit would lift the latch to the exit door at Ponce Street, where Tabog and I waited. Pepit would get his deposit, walk to the side street. It’s our turn now to lift the latch for him. 

The scheme worked for the previous guard. Not with Teryo. It’s his habit to make rounds inside the theatre. 

When we did our modus, a streak of lights poured in from the outside. 

“We’re toast!”

Teryo brought us to the rooftop room of the theater. He made us lined up. Teryo towered us of his menacing figure. 

“So, you’re the ‘lusut gang’ huh! Since when, you’re doing these?” Teryo thundered. I peed on my pants. 

“Months now, Sir,”. I said. 

Pepit pressed his feet hard against mine, muttered – stupid, why you should be honest. That doesn’t save us. 

“Sorry, Sir. Only now, Sir,”. Tabog said. 

“That’s true. Sir,”. Pepit said.

“Get your pants and underwear down,”. Teryo barked. 

… What! Would he like proof of my pee…?

I stood naked now. Pepit’s foot on top of my toe again. 

“Tang na ka,”. Pepit mumbled. Tabog and Pepit followed. 

“So, who’s the mastermind?”. Teryo asked. 

“It’s him,”. I fingered Tabog. He wanted to crush me. 

Teryo confronted Pepit, tapping his finger on his chest. “And you, what are you?”. 

“The Lieutenant, Sir…”. I said. 

“Tarantado.”. Pepit mumbled. 

Teryo turned to me, “And, who you?”.

“The fingerling, Sir.”. I said. 

“Stand still here, and don’t move till I come back,”. Teryo said, locking the room behind him.

Pepit and Tabog rattled me of their sharp tongues when Teryo left us. 

Teryo came back after 30 minutes. Paper bag in his hand. He took out a yellow cashew fruit, slapped it in my palm. 

I am about to eat when he said, “Stupid. Who told you to eat that..? You’re the fingerling. Ripe it in you ass,”. 

“But. Sir. It’s ripe already,”. 

“Rot it then,”. Teryo barked.

I cried while on top of the Cashew at the dirty floor, felt the germs nibbling my bare butt. 

Teryo took another item. Green Papaya, a good size for Tinola. He gave it to Pepit. 

“Rot this also in your ass, Lieutenant,”. Teryo said. I stopped crying. To ripe that Papaya would take longer, more if to rot it…

Pepit sat on his Papaya, his head down crying, while clasping it with his hand. 

Meanwhile, Tabog had this all-knowing smile at our fate. 

I heard Teryo called Julio.

I consoled Pepit. “Lucky you,”.  

“Why?” Pepit asked. 

“Look!”. I said. 

The one that Teryo called Julio appeared carrying on his shoulder a pig size JACKFRUIT!

A Thousand Cuts bleeds duterte

On June 15, 2020 Judge Rinalda Estacio-Montesa convicted Maria Ressa of Cyber Libel. July 30, 2020, The PBS Distribution released the Documentary “A Thousand Cuts” Written and Directed by Ramona S. Diaz.

The Documentary didn’t catch waves by then in the Philippines. The traditional media outlets paid little attention to it. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ social media, deluged by troll armies, vilified Maria Ressa and Rappler, instigated by Duterte. 

It took a week for the Malacanang to acknowledge Maria Ressa’s win of the Nobel Prize on October 8, 2021. Joe Biden of the U.S. even ahead of his congratulation. 

It appeared as a dilemma. The one they despised and damaged, now won the prestigious award coming from the Nobel Prize, one of the most world’s respected body.

The Distressed Wave

Two weeks ago, we embarked on our first Road-Trip to Toronto to visit our kids and grandkids. 

Mur googled our route. We will spend our first night at Thunder Bay. Our second night should be at Hampton Inn at Sadbury, skipping Sault Ste. Marie. That’s two hours less. And by midday the next day, we reach Toronto. 

As a passenger, I keep my wife/driver alert and amused. It’s a bonus I enjoyed the roadside’s scenic beauty; it’s lakes and rock mountains formation. 

I am puzzled. It’s funny how they named their towns and localities. A town called Serendipity amused me. I forgot what the word means. 

I asked Mur. 

She said. “It’s a movie”. 

I laughed! 

“There are two movies of that title. I mean what the word Serendipity mean?”.  

“Who cares,”. She said!

I searched it up on my cell. No signal. I realized – not all of Ontario had internet.   

Meanwhile, I got piqued again by this place called Yellow-Brick Road. That’s Elton John’s songs!

 I almost wanted to jump out of our car with this one: Wawa!       

Now we reach a point where trucks and cars are getting scarcer and scarcer. And no cell tower in sight, meaning no GPS (Global Positioning System) guide.  

Four hours of that eerie quiet place, on its bend, an arrow sign appeared: Hwy 144. 80 kms. Its entrance – an unasphalted desolated dirty track, forested on both sides. Thirty minutes passed, we didn’t see any vehicle neither coming onto us or behind us. 

Mur remembered a story she read on the internet about a couple disappeared after losing their signal and then found dead afterwards. 

Once in a while, we saw a car coming onto us. 

“I think we should come back,”. Mur said.

“Come back…? That’s another 8 hours before we get to Hampton Inn for our nightcap,”. I said.  

“Let’s make a distressed wave if ever we met a car coming onto us. If they stop, we can ask if we’re threading the right way,”.

So, we waited. 30 minutes passed. Cloud of dust approached us. We both waved at the passing car. 

It zoomed at us. Bathed us with dust. 

We stopped, just wait for another.

“How can we make a distressed wave?”.

“Maybe like a car wiper blade cruising on storm.”.

We stopped our car and waited. 

A Camper Truck coming! 

We waved our hand like a busy car wiper blade. 

The Truck passed us! But Mur looked at her side mirror. The car stopped and drove backward. 

I come down, approached the White old couple. 

“Are we on the right track?”.

“Yeah. You save two hours drive,”.

“How come street is like this?”.

“It’s not government’s. A Loggers’ road. Only Logs Truck passed here,”.  

“On our way back home, we’ll not skip Sault Ste. Marie. Nevermind if it’s two hours more. I pity our car,”. Mur said.

The Doting Father and the Humorist

For the MPHS’s IV-D Class Batch 68, Captain Francisco Valderama is a doting father. On furlough, he gathers together his flocks to a class reunion: Habit he cultivated.

During the IV-D 2015 reunion, he found my FB account. On Skype, got hold of me – the lost member of the IV-D Class. 

In 2017, Capt Valderama’s ship dislodged soybeans feeds in Iran, and told me he can come home for his January 29, 2018 birthday.  

I missed Valde’s birthday, and the IV-D rituals. I apologized.

To make up, I suggested we do it again. Valde asked Nonnie, his Lieutenant (Isagani Indon’s wife- the couple are both member of IV-D to organize). We met at the SM’s Food Court.

To my surprised the Committee of the 2019 reunion of the MPHS’s Batch 1968, (about twenty of them) came, too. I expected that only the four of us; the Indon’s couple, myself, and Mario del Poso.

Chow time at Savory. Who’s paying…? Valde volunteered to pay for 10.

An idea floats as our lunch progressed. MPHS’s alumni who lives overseas should fork 400 dollars for their contribution. 

Valde sat beside me, spotting him counting pesos mixed with US Dollar bill. Without qualms or hesitation, he handed to Nonnie the 400 US dollars – instructed Nonnie to give his contribution for the next year’s Batch ‘68 reunion.

When we get together at Valde’s residence, February 8, 2018, Nonnie showed us receipt of Valde’s 400 dollars contribution.

Only 14 of us gathered together at Taal, Pulilan – Valde’s residence; 6 women and 8 men.

It’s all fun reminiscing about the good old day. Each of us contributed hilarious insights into our naivety.

Isagani’s story had me dropped me to the floor. 

He said, because of me he forced his father to buy him an underwear!

Everyone’s eye focused on him with great anticipation. 

One time, Gani noticed that girls, their fingers half covered their eyes, giggles while snatching a furtive look at me. And it’s going on non-stop. Gani got curious. What are they snooping at?  

Glanced at what piqued the girl’s interest, he saw my balls and bird dangles as I had a loosen short without an underwear. Gani headed home. He asked his dad to buy him an underwear.  

Valde talks about the country’s ongoing political situation in the Philippines with Orbito, Eduardo Salinas, Manuel Inconcillo and Rey Santos, while the girls discussed those passed away classmates. 

Middle of August this year, I saw on FB the demise of Valderama. Right away, I contacted Arceli, Nonnie, and texted the Mapoy couple. Then I learned, Capt. Valderama, considered as the doting father of IV-D class, went home for good. Stayed in Leyte. Got into an accident and died at the hospital. 

I talked also to Nonnie, Gani’s wife. And later on, Gani joined our conversation with his brand of misdirected and incongruous humor. 

A week later, I saw a picture of Gani in FB announcing his departure. Two weeks in succession, two members of the IV-D Class lost their lives. One, the doting father of IV-D class, the other a humorist of his own brand.   

Unhappy Incidences

A novice newspaperman in Minnesota hitchhiked 1,947 miles to Key West Florida to meet Ernest Hemingway to ask a few questions about writing. Discovered he’s also obsessed with sailing, Ernest hired him as his boat night watchman before going to Cuba. Their conversation  became an essay: Monologue to the Maestro published in Esquire Magazine in 1935.

 The young lad asks: What is the best early training for a writer? 

Hemingway responded: An unhappy childhood!

That strike a nerve. It shriveled my heart as plastic in flame. I’ve had unhappy childhood incidences. Each time they surface, emotions flare up: upset, frustrated, agitated, dismayed, crushed. Experiencing these can be a gold mine for writing. That maybe what Hemingway meant: Ingredients for good writing.  

At age of 10, being the eldest, I witness how hard food came by for our subsistence. I thought of helping by selling popsicle (ice drop). 

I did errands from our neighborhood and able to save up 20 cents as seed money. I put my merchandise on a salvaged Magnolia ice cream box. I covered them with an old newspaper, freezing them longer. I got permission from my mother. Reluctant at first, but agreed. Then I went to Selegna, the ice drop factory. My 20 cents bought me four twin popsies, which I can sell for 5 cents apiece, so it doubled my money.    

Ice drop selling is a tossed up game. One cannot do an honest to goodness sale. Most buyers are street urchins adept in (Pitik) toss coin. Your sale dependent on twice guessing right when the coin landed.  

I didn’t go for it, but realized my ice drop can get melted inside the box. For that I got sucked up by a crooked system. 

 Dealing with street urchins and pitching ‘ice drop’ on top of my lungs only gained me 20 cents the whole day.  

That’s not the hardest part. 

    When my mother ignored me when I walked by at Vena’s Sari-Sari store wailing my ice drop song, my mother waits her turn to get dealt with, as she’s buying on credit. That disheartened me. She averts her eyes to something else unappreciative of my effort. I made myself closer. She swung her head. In one instant moment, seeing her eyes watery.  

I solve the puzzle of my mom’s averting watery eyes 35 years later. 

When I vacationed from my job in Saudi, and tending our grocery store at the Baliwag Public Market. I instructed my then 9-year-old son to pick up a tricycle and go home ahead of me. I got home. He’s not in yet. I found him still walking, covered four kilometers, drenched in sweat, and exhausted. I pitied him. Didn’t want to look at him. A repeat of the scene when my mother averted her eyes, had a glimpse of me selling ice drop.   

Scammed!

Three requirements to be a scammer’s victim. One must be dummy, greedy, and needy. 

Dummies are heavy favorites of the scam artist. The scammers would rather dental floss than pick their brain for them. Easy money. That’s their inspiration.  

Of the greedy, they sweat a bit. It required a bait to lure them.

The needy are dumbbells for the scammer. They are weights to thicken up their skin. Hardens up their hearts. Toughen up their soul. 

They cared less about the despair inflicted on their victims’s psyche. 

Naive of how the actual world operates, and desperate to finish college, I wanted a job. I answered a small want ad in the Manila Bulletin. 

I couldn’t forget that Tiaoqui Bldg, in Plaza Sta Cruz Manila at Avenida, my first incursions to the city’s jungle to look for a job, and being wolf down by a pack of wolves in 1970. 

15 people queued up when I reach Room 504. When it opened, 20 people rushed out, each of them holding paper.

A respectable man, wearing a Barong Tagalog, introduced himself as Mr. Astrologo. As he accosted us, it reminded me of our Office Practise room when I am taking up Secretarial Course. 

“This is our processing center,” boomed the authoritative voice of Mr. Astrologo. 

30 pairs of eyes engaged on the pomposity of his gesture ala Jimmy Swaggart, preaching. 

“Our plant in Sucat Paranaque needs clerks, factory workers, and supervisors. To process your application, we’ll give you two tests: Theoretical, that’s 30% – an exam. And Practical, you’ll sell our products outside.    

The earnestness of his approach projected he means business. 

Another staff with thick glasses distributed application papers and examination sheets. 

Mr. Astrologos’ booming voice overwhelmed the room again.

“Get your picture taken at the adjacent room, pay five pesos to attach your picture on your application.”  

The questionnaire reads…

Fred wants to paint his house. If Fred’s house with 5 rooms requires 20 gallons of paints, who killed Magellan?

Is this a trick or what!? 

I went to the photo session 15 minutes earlier than we supposed to hand in the exam. I paid the five pesos. A hooded camera perched on the tripod…No clicking sound of shutter heard. Had they shot me…? 

When I came back to my sit along with others, Mr. Astrologo explained the practical examination. Meanwhile, the man with glasses distributed a bunch of mimeographed paper. 

“That’s the Family Savings Plan Coupons. Sell those. Your buyer entitled for 40-50% discount from GoodEarth Emporium, Uniwide Sales, Shoe World, etc.. Youl’ll be getting 10% commission. As you may not come back, you must leave your Residence Certificate to locate you. Those who don’t have handy, an office on the ground floor sold birth certificate for five pesos. 

It had me thinking, Who’s going to buy this piece of crap? Though I feared they can trace me if I didn’t come back, I returned those coupons. 

“I quit. Just give me the picture taken of me. I paid for it.” 

The man with glasses escorted me to a different passage door. I met Mr. Astrologo again. 

“Why quit? You had 30%? He showed me the result of my exam. 

“It’s hard to sell a crap of paper.”

“Don’t son. You have potential.”.

That boosted my hope. 

“Visible products are what you need.”.

He left the room. Decent looking man came back with him and handed me the netted plastic bag with bottled Choco-Vim. 

“There. That’s not a piece of crap.” Astrologo said. 

I peddled those Choco-Vim. And I sold two more boxes of it. 

“Happy?”.  He said.  

I am hired as supervisor.  

So excited! I can finish college now.

Goons loitered around by Monday, at the Tiaoqui Bldg, Room 504.

No company holding office by that name. And who the hell is Mr. Astrologo?

The coldness of the hand grenade on my clenched fist breathes fire. 

Cruel… I said to myself. 

The Unusual Genius

My stacked up observations of Rico, my 3-and 8-month-old grandson, had formed an insight as I made his Vedic Astrological Chart. My collated observations plus stories his parents told us when they visit us or on our video talk on “Facetime” strengthened the overall impressions I had of Rico.    

Aquarius, Rico’s Ascendant on his First House, described him as ‘unusual’ genius.

Unusual…?

At  2 ½ years old, whenever Rico visited us, he wanted to go upstairs to our bed. 

“Let’s play money,” he said. 

I gathered the coins on top of our dresser and spread them on the bed. I told him the coin’s denomination – from 5 cents to 2 dollar coins. He examined each one. No idea what’s he’s looking for. 

I scrambled them and asked him to pick one and tell me its denomination. 

This has been one of our routine whenever we go upstairs to play. 

One day, while busy counting his coins, I grabbed one of my book and read. 

The clinking noise stopped! 

“It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.”. He said. 

“Rico… What!”. Dropped the book I am reading. 

“What are these?” He asked and showed me the 10 and 20 Peso coins that somehow mixed with the Canadian dollar coins.  

“That’s the Philippine’s Peso, Rico.”

The bomb shell Rico said is the title of the book I am reading. He’s only a 3-year-old boy. 

My son, Ferdinand, Facetime with us while watching his two kids playing. Rico focused on fixing one of his toys. 

His father says: “Rico, can you count by 7?”. 

Rico spewed out numbers counting by 7…14…21…28 up to 91, while his attention nailed on what he’s doing. 

How about by 9? 

Rico blabbers 9…18…27 etc., 

Aquarians, an Airy Sign, enhances mental stimulation: Fond of Experimentation. Intellectual and logical. 

His first Trine: Aquarius, as Rico’s Ascendant, ruled by Aries, tied up with Leo on his 5th House and Sagittarius on 9th, are Fire Signs. It signified Rico as action oriented. Never cease inventing new things. These combination falls into one of Rico’s Four Aims in Life: Dharma: which includes his nature, goals and duty. 

Two Grand Trines on Rico’s Chart supported this. Planets arrange in triangle-like form with 120 degrees aspect from each other, carries with it beneficial impact for Rico. Of course, only if Rico thread on its path. It’s his choice.  

His 2nd Trine – Capricorn which sits on Rico’s 10th House, Taurus on his 2nd, and Sun on his 6th House are Earth Signs: Rico is methodical and grounded. This portrays Rico’s Artha (Prosperity) Wealth. Profession. Tool he can use achieving his goals. 

Rico’s 5th House clustered with four Planets; Moon, Venus, Mars and Mercury. Combination of these Planets sizzles. Packs the most punch.  

As Rico’s Moon is in his 5th House, it rules his Mind; thought, desire, ambitions, pleasure, happiness. It pushes him, concentrating on education. Medical field zooms to be strong. 

With Venus on his 5th, Rico can delve into the field of Arts. Combined with Mercury, he can use his voice; written or spoken for expression. Play of words. Witty and humorous, he’s an engaging communicator. 

With Mars, the fiery planet in his 5th, reined in his intense emotion poses problem. He pours enormous resources on romance and love affairs. 

My overall impression: Rico gears towards a well-blessed life.   

The Little Fire

On March 16, 2021, a suspect, Robert Aaron, shoots six women of Asian descent at the Atlanta Spa Shootings. The killing feared to be an Anti-Asians bias.

The New York Times reported: Expert says: ‘male supremacy’ motivates the rise in hate crimes.  

Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta Mayor, said: It’s not yet categorized as a hate crime. The rise in violence against Asian Americans is unacceptable. It has to stop. Crime against any community is a crime against us all. 

This reminded me of the article I wrote: “The Little Fire”. in 1993 at the Filipino Journal.  

“All Filipinos are thieves”. A four-word racial slur uttered by a SuperValu cashier to a grandmother raised the BTU’s of an already bubbling cauldron. Likened to an arsonist’s little fire, a wisp of wind sparked conflagration. 

Heavy turn out of protester milled around the SuperValu Supermarket on May 8, 1993 at McPhilipps St. One placards brandished: “Superstore, SuperRacist”. 

A friend of mine, Ruben Bal-Oro, sensed me his Little Fire story. 

To celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary, he and his wife dined at Bonanza Steak House. Ben got beef. His wife, the eat-all-you-can Shrimp Platter. Her order tasted salty. So Ben swapped his meal. The server came. “You Filipinos order one, and a couple would eat”. 

Ben said nothing. He splayed the shrimps on the floor. 

“You did it on purpose,” charged the server.

“Oh! I am sorry. I am clumsy. 

Ruben asked his wife to order another meal. While the server cleans up, he strolled over to the Salad Bar. Holding his plate covered with enormous amount of Salad Dressings and kicked the leg of the Salad table. His plate fell off. And the Salad dressing spilled over, covering the entire Salad Bar. 

It made a scene. The Manager came over. 

“What can I do? Got tripped off. Sorry. I bungled.” 

The Manager whisked him away, asked him to leave. Otherwise, he’d call a police. 

“We’re not done yet with our meal and walk back to their table. 

His wife asked him what he’s up to. 

“We will teach them a lesson. He stood up and went to the washroom, and pulled the fire alarm. Commotion ensued.  

The Manager confronts Ruben. 

“Okay. Let’s make a deal. I’ll reimburse your money. I’ll not call the police. Just got out.”