Hay, Nanay!

"Kaning puti nga lingin, para ni sa hilanat. Kaning capsules, sa allergy. Basin mangatol ka didto. Unya, kaning isa ka capsule nga pula ug puti, para ni sa ubo. Vitamins na dayon ning uban."

(These white and circular ones are for fever and colds. These capsules, for allergy. You might get itchy in there. Take the red capsules when you have coughs. The rest are vitamins.)

My eyes were fixated on the TV while my mom was very busy explaining all those tablets and capsules to me. It was Wowowee time. "Wheel of Fortune" to be specific--that segment which makes us laugh and sob at the same time. Oh, Valerie was just ravishing. Pokwang was an Anabelle Rama that day.

"Naminaw ka nako Toy?" (Are you listening to me?) She may have noticed I wasn't paying attention at all. "Oo Ma. Kadungog ko." (Yes Ma, I heard you.) I lied.

"Isa ka dosena ni nga brief. Basin wala na pud mabilin ani. Naa pud tulo ka panyo, ug 4 ka labakara. Ayaw walaa ha? Ambot kapila na taka gipalitan ani."

Oh yes, I am very careless. I easily lose things, for reasons I am never sure of. I lost a celphone, a digital camera and a wallet which contained my ATM card and some hard cash. My mother usually says, "Kung mabilin lang na imong koan Toy, dugay ra na gitangag sa iro."

That was pretty embarassing. Hay Nanay.

What made me ponder on these things? I've been having colds lately. Headaches too. I was advised to take flu shots, but I never did. So I decided to unpack the "first aid kit" my mom prepared for me. There were several tablets of various colors and sizes. Which is which? I tried to remember what my mom told me that day. Oh, I only remembered that contestant who suddenly slipped on the floor while doing his performance. I thought it was pretty funny. Just that.

Mom is not here, so I tried to work things on my own. I checked one of the labels--Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. Medical jargon. What on earth does this mean? Hmmm...I knew where to go.

Wikipedia. Search. Enter. There.

It turned out that Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride was not the one I needed. Haha. Wrong choice. So I rummaged over the kit again. After few minutes, I found what I've been looking for.

Oh, how I miss my mother so much. I miss her piyaren a badak. I miss her pinakbet every morning, and the cups of milk she makes for me especially when she finds me in the living room wide awake at 12:30 in the morning. I miss her bang on my door every morning...and of course, her "Bo-boan taman ka ug tubig karon" (do you want me to pour you with a pail of water for you to wake up?) which serves as my alarm clock for several years already.

She is a "stage mother". She's with me when I take scholarships, attend competitions or do school work. She may not totally understand what I'm doing, or the things I'm writing; nevertheless, her mere presence boosts my morale and makes me feel better.

I love you Mamang. Thank you for the tireless efforts to give the best for me and for the rest of us in the family. May Allah bless you always. Long live Ma! This post is for you! You're the best Nanay, Omie, Mom, Mommy, Mamang, Mama, Ermatz in the world!

Lost Angeles

Madonna once sang, “Everybody wants to be in Hollywood. They wanna make it to the neighborhood.”

I have always dreamed of visiting Los Angeles, and the infamous Hollywood. Who doesn't? That's what television does—it lures you to venture your wildest dreams and imagination. Hollywood is a dream for most people—a dream that is far-fetched. It's unlikely to come true. Mine did though.

It was a very beautiful and sunny day of December 28 when Kuya Jo, an MSU alumnus based in Los Angeles picked us up in Ate Perl's home. We're headed to downtown Los Angeles and Universal Studios. A dream come true indeed.

We had toured around downtown Los Angeles before we picked up Kuya Gus and ate lunch. We passed along Los Angeles Convention Center which is situated beside Staples Center, home to the Los Angeles Lakers, and then drove across the pencil-like structure of the city hall, where Kuya Jo and Kuya Gus work. From the window, the towering palm trees, which have become a Los Angeles trademark were clearly right in front of me. Then we proceeded to the creatively designed buildings that house the world-famous signature items like Gucci, Prada, CK, Salvatore Ferregamo and GUESS.

Los Angeles. Posh. Glamor. Fame. Wealth.

These are but a few of the reasons attract thousands of people each day. Many people come to Los Angeles to try their shot towards stardom. Some visit to relax, to tour around and to have fun. A greater portion visit to work. Madonna was right. Everybody wants to be in Hollywood, even those people who visit to survive a day of pain and hunger. To survive a day. Just one day.

In the heart of Los Angeles, just few blocks away from the posh shopping centers and imposing buildings exists a group of people, who at the first glance seem oddly displaced. In other words, this group of people is not an LA material; they're not consistent to the proclaimed image of Los Angeles.

It's the hidden picture of Hollywood. The one that remains to be covered by the stage curtain. That part of the movie that is edited out. Ignored. Deleted.

Homeless people. Physiologically hungry. Emotionally torn. Physically weak. They are all over the streets of LA, wandering aimlessly, perhaps, searching for food, or a decent place to stay. Dressed in their rugged clothes, they carry a banner (or a plackard) with them that reads “I am homeless. Help me. Feed me.” They remind me of the “taong grasa” that we have in the Philippines. “We are not alone”, I thought.

Oh life, and the irony of it. I found it amusing.

Los Angeles. Home to the entertainment capital of the world. Home to the stars that we idolize and admire. Home to the people who seem to have lost their guardian angels. Lost hope. Lost dreams. Lost life. Lost Angeles.

Most of us are all updated about the stories clouding Hollywood. We know who broke up with whom, and we care whether the new hairstyle of our favorite stars suits them. We are excited to know the names of the Brangelina twins, much as we are elated about the highlights and lowlights of the stars in those reality shows. Fancy things.

However, the stories of these homeless people are untold. They are kept and overshadowed by the overwhelming popularity of the entertainment industry. The media rarely talk about them. Sometimes, they are depicted in Hollywood movies. Most of the time, they aren't. They are of no importance. After all, they won't provide the entertainment or excitement that the audience needs. By doing this, we continue to nurture the growing culture of apathy, which shouldn't be the case. Apathy often ties up with complacency, making things even worse.

Like most of the elements here on Earth, Los Angeles is two-faced. I just learned that.

In life, some of the important things are overshadowed by the fancy things around us. I am not the only person who have witnessed this condition, and writing this may not provide them homes, food, or decent and warm clothes. It may not change their condition at all. Maybe I am the thousandth person to write about them. However, if writing over and over will help this people find the shelter, food, love and protection they need, then I'm willing to write more. Theirs is a story to share.