Nana
MINUS 20 degrees celsius. Punyeta, ang lamig! I look outside my study window and it's a sunny morning. But it's a bad, bad day to be walking outside. Temperature's down and it is blustery as hell. I've turned off the radiator as I'm going to be in school the whole day. But I'm wearing two sweaters and a bomber hat indoors. Some of our windows have started to frost over. There go my plans to shoot some pictures outdoors. I don't have gloves that are slender enough as well as warm enough for taking pictures. Even if I did, I'd probably be shivering.
***
February in the Philippines, hmmmm. Not too warm and not too wet either. I'm not homesick, but I wish I were home.
***
Did my taxes yesterday with other Filipino students. It was in a tax workshop facilitated by the International Student Adviser's Office. I don't know JR, Christian and Cat very well. They don't go to the International Club meetings (and with good reason, I now know). But it was nice to just sit with them and hear their chatter.
Lately I've been in touch with a former high school teacher, one of my favorites. Mr. Dennis Dungo was our Religion teacher in our junior and senior years. He was also at one point moderator or co-moderator of the Glee Club in which I was a hyper-active member. I would hang out with him and another friend, Dang, in front of the faculty office on easy afternoons or when we were waiting for rehearsals to start. Wala lang. We just stood around being silly, being kids, and being gross. I had heard and recorded a barbershop quartet song called "Frozen Embryos" and sang it to the two. It was hilarious. Soon Dang and I started calling ourselves "The Frozen E's". I was Mutah (eye crud), Dang was Kibal (er, skin crud) and Mr. Dungo was Nana, (yellow puss). Really gross stuff. But for some reason, we rebelled in the silliness and the grossness and the overall nonsense of it. We were a secret society. He was Santa Claus and we were his elves. HFA probably did not pay Mr. Dungo much in salary, but he was single and had no mouths to feed. So once in a while, he indulged Dang and I with hamburger and Coke treats at Orchids Canteen across the street. I actually don't remember eating the treats. I remember being in the canteen, but apparently I partook of the loot as heartily as Dang did.
Mr. Dungo talked to my dad when he threatened to take me out of the Glee Glub (too many late night rehearsals). He also lent me his Canon AE1 Program camera for around four months. I brought it to school everyday until I persuaded my dad to get me my own. Until now, I'm quite amazed that he trusted me with the camera and lent it to me for that long. At that time of my life, my medium was watercolor, oil pastels and some mixed media using banana leaves and rapia. But having a camera to play with for four months diverted my artsy affections. How serendipiouts that Mr. Dungo suddenly joined our yahoogroup at I time when I'm reunited with photography once more.
***
February in the Philippines, hmmmm. Not too warm and not too wet either. I'm not homesick, but I wish I were home.
***
Did my taxes yesterday with other Filipino students. It was in a tax workshop facilitated by the International Student Adviser's Office. I don't know JR, Christian and Cat very well. They don't go to the International Club meetings (and with good reason, I now know). But it was nice to just sit with them and hear their chatter.
Lately I've been in touch with a former high school teacher, one of my favorites. Mr. Dennis Dungo was our Religion teacher in our junior and senior years. He was also at one point moderator or co-moderator of the Glee Club in which I was a hyper-active member. I would hang out with him and another friend, Dang, in front of the faculty office on easy afternoons or when we were waiting for rehearsals to start. Wala lang. We just stood around being silly, being kids, and being gross. I had heard and recorded a barbershop quartet song called "Frozen Embryos" and sang it to the two. It was hilarious. Soon Dang and I started calling ourselves "The Frozen E's". I was Mutah (eye crud), Dang was Kibal (er, skin crud) and Mr. Dungo was Nana, (yellow puss). Really gross stuff. But for some reason, we rebelled in the silliness and the grossness and the overall nonsense of it. We were a secret society. He was Santa Claus and we were his elves. HFA probably did not pay Mr. Dungo much in salary, but he was single and had no mouths to feed. So once in a while, he indulged Dang and I with hamburger and Coke treats at Orchids Canteen across the street. I actually don't remember eating the treats. I remember being in the canteen, but apparently I partook of the loot as heartily as Dang did.
Mr. Dungo talked to my dad when he threatened to take me out of the Glee Glub (too many late night rehearsals). He also lent me his Canon AE1 Program camera for around four months. I brought it to school everyday until I persuaded my dad to get me my own. Until now, I'm quite amazed that he trusted me with the camera and lent it to me for that long. At that time of my life, my medium was watercolor, oil pastels and some mixed media using banana leaves and rapia. But having a camera to play with for four months diverted my artsy affections. How serendipiouts that Mr. Dungo suddenly joined our yahoogroup at I time when I'm reunited with photography once more.
posted by Natasha Vizcarra at 8:45 AM
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