Revelation in Humor: A Review of “Red Wine for Teddy”

Nonfiction by | January 31, 2010

Aaron Jalalon’s play “Red Wine for Teddy” is an excellent work of literature because of its demonstration of refreshing humour, its ability to ironically reveal Philippine realities and its nature as a work that is uniquely Filipino. It is both entertaining and profound, a helpful tool in bringing the masses back into the path of intellectualism they have for a long time strayed from.

The play, which consists of just one scene, is about four meat vendors: the eponymous Teodor, Lydia, her daughter Ji-ji and Ardong. It is revealed in the four’s dialogue that Gary, an American who was a patron of Teodor, had been found murdered in a dump site. The four express the possibility that theft was the motive for the murder, and, in a light hearted sequence of dialogue, they fondly lament his death.

The play’s strongest aspect is its humour. It seems superficial, but on closer reading, it reveals the attitudes of its characters.

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Tricked by the Trade

Nonfiction by | January 24, 2010

Unlike others who preferred creating nonsensical doodles, I fancied writing my thoughts on paper using my left hand, but due to my awesome talent to do continuous cartwheels, I broke it when I was six.

I was excited to show off; my arms were extended as if reaching for a tree branch, and my feet were giddy to come off the ground. My friends were aghast as I did one cartwheel after another. When I was about to finish my third, a female with huge hips and bouncy ass passed by and unconsciously bumped me, so I fell. I never felt anything until my friend who had been awed at first was horror-stricken, and he shouted, “Hala Sergei! Ang kamay mo!”

I looked at it, and saw that my left arm had formed an “L” shape.

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Papa's Singing

Poetry by | January 24, 2010

My wrists throb
From your grip
Because you want me to listen
To your singing
“What’s with that singing Pa?”
I ask
But you sing
Words that I don’t know
My wrists ache
From your grip
“Why does your voice have to tremble?”
I ask
And you sing
Words that I don’t know
My wrists ache
From your grip,

But I don’t mind.

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Editor's Note on "Jonathan"

Editor's Note by | January 17, 2010

In the June 28, 2009 issue, a short story titled “Jonathan” by Jeff Javier was published in DAGMAY by editor Vanessa Doctor. Then on Dec. 13, 2009, I also published a slightly different version of “Jonathan” but credited to Laverne de la Cruz. I asked the two authors for clarification but only Mr. Javier replied.

It is now clear to me that

(1) the story “Jonathan” is authored by Mr. Javier;

(2) the June 9 version is the second version while the Dec. 13 version was the first draft, as explained by Mr. Javier;

(3) the story is a “spinoff” from “Christine” by Lilledeshan Bose (which begins, “Everybody has a girlfriend named Christine. Kris, Christy, Tin-Tin/ Ina Christina, Tina, Kat, Trina.”) which is the second part of her “Break-Up Stories”;

(4) Mr. Javier had sent me almost a year ago the first version together with a poem written “after Laverne de la Cruz”; and

(5) somehow in my previous shuffling of pieces while doing editorial work for DAGMAY, the byline of Ms. de la Cruz got appended to that “Jonathan” version in my file that I inadvertently published in December last year as a work by Laverne de la Cruz.

No wonder she has not replied to my email—there was no need to reply. The error was wholly mine and it was unintended and not meant to malign the reputations of Mr. Javier and Ms. de la Cruz. My apologies therefore to Jeff and Laverne for the mistake. Ricardo de Ungria

Paper

Nonfiction by | January 17, 2010

As I reflect on my life, I have come to appreciate how paper has shaped my personal life. My parents were bound by a legal paper called a marriage certificate. This marked the start of my life in this world. My birth certificate strengthened the legitimacy of my citizenship after my birth. We know how important this paper is. We need it in all our legal transactions.

When I was still young, I remember how my mother would drive away my sadness by making origami birds. She would give me paper birds of different designs and colors. And how I enjoyed playing with paper planes! Another source of my pleasure was expressing my feelings through drawings on my notebooks. I drew anime and cartoon characters. My self-esteem would increase when my classmates expressed their appreciation of my drawings. I also felt delight in looking at different pictures in books, magazines, and comics even without understanding the written texts. Later, I started to find joy in reading beautiful stories and informational selections from any reference papers. Then, I found recreation in writing my own papers that serve as my ultimate self-expression.

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This is How you Find the One

Poetry by | January 17, 2010

So one day you stop worrying about
whether your thighs look like two separate entities
under a short skirt,
you decide to bite the damned day to a drunken end
and drive off to where everybody else is-some gala or opening
or show, whatever, of things
you cannot take anymore of. You swing into the place,
like a broken gate banging against a wall,
scan the crowd, cluck a tongue against your cheek ‘cause
everyone’s sitting in even numbers or standing around
talking about
that thing you all talked about just last night.
You find yourself in a unisex room
where you fluff out your hair around bare shoulders ‘cause
you forgot to pretend to care about
the growth under your arms. You put on an eyebrow as you listen in
to cubicle doors slamming shut, and the water running-
to drown the secret sounds of ladies rooms.
Outside, your friends sip on free colored drinks and you are tired
just looking at them, and you sit with a stranger, look at a point
on the wall behind his head,
and ask for a cigarette right before
you forget to ask his name.

—-
Zola Gonzalez-Macarambon is a poet and visual artist based in Cagayan de Oro.