I AM ALWAYS A CONTEST LOSER, WAAAH! But...

For the past months, I have participated in a lot of contests both in the literary field and in the filmmaking field. Sadly, I have failed to become finalist in all of them, except one.

This is the great risk of writing and filmmaking -- you invest so much time, creativity, and even money (because you ship stuff to Manila, you buy DVD-Rs, print scripts and application forms, etc.) only to fail to become a finalist in the end.

Here are the contests I joined in:

Cinemalaya 2009 Short Film Category. My Asst. Director and I submitted two entries, Ing Bangkeru and Balangingi. We were torn between believing we can make it and conceding to the other filmmakers who have the money to produce technically good short films. But then in the end, we failed to penetrate the top 10.


Cinema One Originals 2009 Scriptwriting Contest. Unlike in the Cinemalaya Full-Length Category, where you have to submit only a synopsis of your film, in Cinema One, you have to submit a full-blown script -- which is what I did! I wrote a dramatic 80-page script about a male newbie in the Philippine literary scene and how the US financial crisis is indirectly affecting him. The title is Tagak at Tau (Egrets and People).

After my submission, I reviewed the finalists of the past year (finalists are given P1M to produce their scripts into films) and discovered that Cinema One is looking for out-of-the-box scripts, unlike Cinemalaya where their focus is realism and humanism. Cinema One welcomes experimental, science fiction, fantasy, and even horror. These are the genres I so love doing! Alas, I discovered that fact too late. And so, I lost again.

Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Alright, let me get this straight. I didn't join this year because I already conceded right even before I could start writing my entry to the short story category. I have joined for the past two years already -- first in the full-length Filipino stage play category, second in the English essay category -- and I lost, lost, lost! This year, I tried reading the entries of past winners, because the new Palanca website has made them available. The reading experience brings back memories of high school where you are required to read literary works which you barely understand, full of vocabulary words. I had no idea how my "dumbed down" works could fit in their roster. I decided not to join.

1st Philippine Digital Awards. This contest is very memorable to me because it's the first time I won an actual award/trophy. My entry was my Balangingi short film, which was classified under the ETC Short Film contest. The awarding was held at the World Trade Center in Manila, and it was the first time I delivered an acceptance speech on stage in front of the audience, composed of people I don't know and famous people like Gary V.


Ateneo Video Open 10. We joined in three categories: Short Narrative, Documentary, and Music Video. For short narrative, we submitted Ing Bangkeru and Balangingi. None of them made it to the top 5. For documentary, we submitted Sexmoan Adventures. It made it to the top 5! But when all the documentaries where screened at ADMU, Diego and I already conceded to Ang Pasko Ni Intoy. For music video, we submitted the music video of Oras by Mernuts and Alang Anggang Sugat by 5 Against The Wall. We can't figure out why none of those two became finalist, because honestly, the chosen finalists were blah. But hey, that's life. We got nothing in the end. At least our documentary was the funniest during the screening.

Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards 2008. Lost in the Youth Category to a doctor who sortof like trained young people or something. Lost in the Culture and the Arts Category to a visual artist. Had I been entered in the Mass Media category, I would have also lost to internationally acclaimed filmmaker Brillante Mendoza. Oh well, another case for a 21-year old trying to compete in the contest of adults -- even in the Youth category.

Here are some more contests I joined, the results of which are still to be determined:

1st Flash Fiction Script Writing Contest by ACPI. ACPI stands for Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. Yes! They (along with UNESCO) launched this contest that sought for scripts good for a 5-minute animation! Being a fan of anime and cartoons, I told myself I should join no matter what. I have been dreaming for the past few days of having a break in the young Pinoy animation (original content) industry by joining this contest and hoping to win! Not as an animator though; as a writer, because that's what the Pinoy animation industry needs.

I kinda like to think I have an advantage here. You see, scriptwriting for animation is a whole new discipline. It's not just any script. It's a very visual script. Try researching on it and you will understand. Are the literary giants to be feared here? Only if they are into animation and animation scriptwriting. Because no matter how good they are in writing, if they can't transform their works into an animations cript, it won't suffice. On the other side, we have the animators, or the animation students. They have long been exposed to this kind of skill, but the question now is--are they also good in creative writing?

Forgive me for sounding mayabang. I'd just like to think happy thoughts to save me from insanity in case I, again, lose in this contest. Anyway, I submitted Ang Mga Tagapangalaga Ng Bundok Arayat. I have often dreamed of making a comic book out of them, but since I can't draw much except for a couple of poses, I brushed off the idea. But I revived them for this contest.


The Farthest Shore: Fantasy From The Philippines. This is a literary contest seeking for Philippine secondary world-short stories (in English). What's a secondary world? Think Middle Earth of LOTR. Or the world in the Nick toon Avatar. Or the Mario World. Or, heck, even the Ibong Adarna world. In short, they were looking for stories written by Filipinos set in worlds that do not really exist, worlds only created by the writers. I wrote mine while I was having a vacation in the US. Title is The Destiny Twines of Makaru, set in a continent called Quemardican, in the country of Kasulipan. Fusion of local Kapampangan folklore and advanced psychic technology.

On the other hand, even though I often lose in contests, there is this thing I find weird. I may always be a contest loser, but how come I often get invited to screen my works? For instance, just last Friday, I was invited to deliver a talk on indie filmmaking at the Red Horze Muziklaban Rock Challenge, which now also embraces Indie Filmmaking, Tattooing, and Extreme Sports.

I had my own Indie Film booth at the kickoff party where I was able to screen all of my works to those interested to see. Shorts, docus, music videos, PSAs, and even the first episode of Kalam, I all screened! And then, when it was time for me to give a lecture, I also had two music videos shown (Alang Anggang Sugat and Kaplas) on the big screen on stage.

I'd like to think people were "amazed." After the event, I was even approached by this adult man named Bobby who so loved my work, he said he won't leave the party unless I give him a copy of my works.

Speaking of film, I also became the sole Pampanga participant in the Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival last February. Ing Bangkeru was screened at the CCP Dream Theater to represent Kapampangan indie cinema.

The music video of Oras by Mernuts which I directed has been accepted in the Tong Hits segment of MTV Pilipinas, making it the first ever Kapampangan music video to penetrate MTV. Two of my projects have been featured in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho separately. First was RocKapampangan, in their feature on the regional-language rock scene in the provinces. Second was Kalam, in their feature on regional-language TV dramas and films.

Ing Bangkeru has also served as front-act film to Brillante Mendoza's internationall acclaimed films (Manoro, Kaleldo, and Foster Child) when they were screened at the Holy Angel Auditorium. Around two thousand pairs of eyes were watching, and it sent shivers down my spine when they applauded after watching Ing Bangkeru (after watching the arrogant student get mentally owned by the lowly boatman).

In the field of literature, I was also chosen by UP Pampanga to represent Kapampangan literary writing (Junior Category) in the 1st Taboan Philippine International Writers Festival held at Quezon City.


In the field of cultural work, I have been invited to speak in various lectures. Language-related. Film-related. Culture-related. In both Pampanga and Quezon City. I've often been interviewed for the theses of different people. Even postgrad theses.

This is what I find weird.

I often lose in contests.

But I often get invited in these non-competition stuff.

I should be proud, I know, but I don't know... Maybe I yearn to win in a competition because it will give me a sense of hard-earned victory, defeating all others who joined... which is more valuable than just being "chosen".

Oh well, Regine Velasquez will always be my constant reminder. How she lost in more than 50 contests, and now, look at her! She's lovers with Ogie! And, oh yeah, she's a Songbird.

Omegle.com: The Thrill of Chatting with Random Strangers

By Jason Paul Laxamana
Urban Kamaru
Central Luzon Daily

There are a couple of reasons we chat with people we don’t know online. Back when I was still a Yahoo! Messenger chat addict, I went to chatrooms the name of which sparked my interest, like “Atheist VS Christian chatroom” and “Tambayan Kapampangan,” carrying the assumption that I would have the opportunity of chatting with people who shared the same interest.

Some who entered the chatroom merely lurked (an Internet term which means to be a member of a chatroom or forum, but not shouting out anything; an observer of the exchange of messages instead of a participant), while some debated with, or even flamed (an Internet term which means to debate with argumentum ad hominem) people who held beliefs different from theirs. A frequent case in many chatrooms though, regardless of their topic, is the abundance of perverts, meaning people who go online and try to pickup anyone, and probably invite him/her to some SEB (sex eyeball), or the so-called cam-to-cam (cybersex through webcam).

Now how about joining a chatroom that sets you up a session with a random stranger from anywhere in the world?

Introducing Omegle

One of my time-killers in my recent vacation in California was logging on to this website called Omegle (http://omegle.com), which my big brother introduced to me. The introductory message of the site says it all: “Omegle is a brand-new service for meeting new friends. When you use Omegle, we pick another user at random and let you have a one-on-one chat with each other. Chats are completely anonymous, although there is nothing to stop you from revealing personal details if you would like.”

I personally found the concept appealing. You know, being paired with a random person in cyberspace. Questions popped in my mind such as: What country will he/she come from? What age? What school level, course, or job? What interests? Will he/she be worth my time? Thinking of all these variables whenever Omegle paired me with a chat-mate gave me excitement, and I have chatted with a variety of people so far—from an interesting linguist from London who knew stuff about the Filipino language, to a Han Chinese university student who was forced to take up English.

I had a long chat with the linguist from London, who was not surprised with my proficiency in English, since he knew about the status of English in the Philippines, a country which, he said (and I agreed) had “stupidly big malls for a third world country.”

Sometimes, chats become very interesting in that I would chat with them until the wee hours of the morning, and we end up adding one another in some social network website like Facebook, like that Canadian French student whose ambition is to become a famous literary writer in Francais someday, the Mexican girl who is into spontaneous photography, and an independent grunge musician from Holland who hated his country’s wintry weather.

Despite the global accessibility of Omegle (even China allows it), the countries where participants usually come from are the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Holland, Brazil, and China. The only Filipinos I know who use Omegle are me, my big brother, and my cousins in the United States.

Disconnecting, Jerks, and Perverts

But not every stranger is fascinating. In fact, the chance of being paired with an interesting person is slimmer than being paired with a blah person. The good thing though is that you can disconnect with your current session, and Omegle will then pair you with a new stranger. (You can’t chat again with the previous person you’ve chatted with because contacts are not stored unlike in Yahoo! Messenger; unless serendipity is by your side and you get paired with the person among all other users online from all over the world).

Many times, the first thing you chat-mate would ask you would be your ASL (age, sex, location). A lot of times as well, if the person on the other line is a typical guy, and learns that you are also a dude, he would then disconnect without explanation. But the obvious explanation is that he is looking for someone from the opposite sex.

There are those who disconnect after learning what country you come from, or after learning about your age.

I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I usually disconnect without justification when the person on the other line answers briefly with questions. Like when I ask about how it is going with his/her country, and he/she answers with only a word, I disconnect. I yearn for more articulate people who just want to have a nice chat about anything under the sun. Some, usually high school students who are 12 to 14 years old, aren’t just very worthy of my time. Hey, I have the freedom to be a jerk, too.

Sometimes, I play pranks with people, too when I feel like it. I pretend to be someone else and make up my own fictional character description. I already have pretended to be a single mother from Japan addicted to communist ideas, an intelligent American male hustler wanting to commit suicide, and even an alien medium from India proclaiming the arrival of the aliens from a faraway galaxy.

It’s a nice exercise for fictional writers like me, hehehe.

About the Philippines

I have this habit of asking my chat-mate if he knew where the Philippines is, because I have encountered a lot who didn’t know where it is. Some didn’t even know it was a country. One stranger from Belgium thought it was one of the states of the US. One thought it was in Spain.

So what are you waiting for! Let’s add more Filipinos to the Omegle community! Log on to http://omegle.com

Send reactions to sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph

Another Kapampangan music video, comin' up!

It's just January but we in Kalalangan Kamaru are already craving to produce lots and lots of Kapampangan films! May they be short films, music videos, PSAs, documentaries, or what have you.

After the completion of Balangingi, the thing to watch out for is a music video of one of the songs in the RocKapampangan album: Kaplas by Nora Aunor Fans' Club (a band from Guagua). The song was actually used in the Cannes-participating film by Brillante Mendoza, Serbis.

It's going to be a hilarious music video which will involve various vices, dirty dancing, and other comic insanities! Check out these behind-the-scenes photos:

'Kalam' episode 2 now on the works

After what seemed like a "production standstill" due to minor obstacles, 'Kalam' is once again on the works, as the production of its sophomore episode titled Tagimpan Da Ring Makariking (Ambition of the Secondary) is now halfway done.




In the second episode, the character of Rhodskie, played by Raco Del Rosario will be introduced. He is the ex-boyfriend of Dette -- played by Reachel Mucho and also making her first appearance in the show after her foreshadowing in the first episode -- in the story and is bound to add color to the Kapampanganovela.

'Kalam' actor is Auctionista model finalist

Jayvie Dizon, AB Mass Communication student from the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) and one of Kalam's main actors, is one of the finalists in a certain modeling contest called Auctionista.



Dizon acts as Kenneth in Kalam, the mirage making (uple) sidekick of the powerful sorceress Albina.



Please support our kabalen by going to this link, registering, and voting for Jayvie:
http://events.auction.ph/index.php?module=ModelContest

Auditions for Kapampangan-speaking actors

[Note: This is not a complete list of applicants.]

Who will rise as part of history and be part of the first ever Kapampanganovela in the world?

On June 7, the first major auditions for Kalam will take place at the Academy of Performing Arts in Angeles City (in front of Villa Angela Subdivision and Carmelite Monastery) from 1 PM to 6 PM.

After the first level auditions, potential actors will be recalled for a second screening.

Looking for Kapampangan-speaking actors

Kapabaluan! Infomax 8 and Kalalangan Kamaru are looking for Kapampangan-speaking actors to star in the first ever Kapampanganovela (Kapampangan TV series) to grace Philippine television.


Makiabe na ka! If you are interested in becoming part of this milestone in Philippine broadcasting history, email your 1) biodata/resume and 2) photos (close up and full body) to kamaruproductions@yahoo.com . Deadline of submission is on the 4th of June.

For inquiries, contact Jason @ 0918 699 2459 or Grace @ 0916 390 2074. For news and updates regarding the series, keep visiting this blog.

Frequency K: Kool Maging Kapampangan!

We used to only have Arnel Panganiban's Kapampangan Ku, Pagmaragul Ku on GVAM 792 as the sole radio program based in Pampanga that features Kapampangan songs, mostly pulosas and basultos. When it comes to FM radio, Kapampangan is nowhere to be found. All we hear are English and Tagalog songs, making the Kapampangan youth more and more absorbed to these languages (hey, the songs are hip and cool; it makes the language of their lyrics cool as well then), away from their mother tongue, Kapampangan.

Well, not anymore.


I am also now DJ Jason Paul of the GVFM 99.1 Kapampangan weekly show, Frequency K (the letter K stands for, as you might have guessed, Kapampangan), along with DJ Diegs (Diego Dobles of Asthma band). In this show, we host in Kapampangan, play modern Kapampangan songs, admit Kapampangan greetings, and tell Kapampangan trivia!

Apart from that, we also guest live bands with Kapampangan remakes/compositions every episode. For our pilot airing, we guested Guagua-based band Pedro's Playground. They performed an original composition titled Dayang Kapampangan (Kapampangan Blood). The lyrics below.

We also have this segment called Lakwatseru, where we go to various schools and universities to record Kapampangan greetings and messages from random students and personalities we encounter.

Frequency K may be heard on GVFM 99.1 every Saturday, 7 PM. If you're in a band or you know a Kapampangan band interested to play live (acoustic setup only; song must be in Kapampangan) in our show, have them contact me @ 09186992459.

The objective of the show is to have the Kapampangan language penetrate the pop culture industry, in hopes of returning or increasing the ethnic pride of the culturally confused Kapampangan youth. We also want to propagate the idea to budding Kapampangan musicians that using our Amanung Sisuan in modern music is not grotesque. It's in fact hip!

As our tagline goes, uling king Frequency K, kool maging Kapampangan! (For in Frequency K, it's cool to be Kapampangan!)

Dayang Kapampangan
By Pedro'’s Playground

Atin kesabyan kekatamung Kapampangan
King pamagmalan atna katamung pangaselan
King pamaglutu, dadayuan da katamu deng tau
Sisig, tidtad, palabuk, deng pagmayabang tamu

(Things they say about us, Kapampangans
We're choosy when it comes to dressing up
We're renowned by people for our culinary skills
We take pride in sisig, tidtad, palabuk)

Aliwa tamung Kapampangan
Masyas tamu tetagan
Andyang nanung kasakitan
Misasanmetung tamu ngan

(We, Kapampangans, are distinct
We have a strong lineage
Whatever challenge we face
We're always united)

Andyang nanung problema, laging mipapanantabe
Uling king pamakiabe, balu ta' ing makatibe
Bansag da kekatamu, deng taung dayang asu
Ing e da mu balu, relihiyosu ta'ng tutu

(In every crisis, we look after one another
Because altogether we strive to be better
They brand us "with canine blood"
Little do they know, we're also spiritual)

Aliwa tamung Kapampangan
Masyas tamu tetagan
Andyang nanung kasakitan
Misasanmetung tamu ngan

(We, Kapampangans, are distinct
We have a sturdy lineage
Whatever challenge we face
We're always united)

DJ Diegs

DJ Jason Paul

Kapampangan urban fantaserye

A friend and I are dreaming of creating our own Kapampangan TV series -- an urban action fantasy type that would make modern Kapampangans proud of their ethnicity.

Here are three sample videos we made for pitching to TV executives.







We used actors from the Academy of Performing Arts in Angeles City.

Emergence of Kapampangan digital comics

I, Justin Gatus, and Ernie Saban are so far the only Kapampangan digital comic strip makers in existence, and we're not even that matenakan when it comes to drawing. We just capitalize on our willpower and see what comes out. Below are few samples.

EmoKapampangan by Jason Paul Laxamana

Ernie Saban's Komiks

Erico Dagis by Justin Gatus

Calling on other artists to make more comic strips. :)

Kapampangan Band makes parody of Voltes V theme song

The Nora Aunor Fans' Club band from Guagua does this parody of the ending song of 'Voltes V' in one of their inuman sessions. Song is called Aku 'Ni. Funny.

The Power of the Writer

I believe the measure of how godly someone can be comes with the ability to transform things into useful stuff like energy, a piece of art, a tool, food, source of income, etc.; to animate value in things which are otherwise static, boring, and useless if left alone without the tapping of humans.

From both scientific and occult perspective, energy is embedded in everything. However, if we remember our elementary science, energy comes in either potential state or kinetic state. A medium-sized rock planted still on the ground has potential energy; it has energy stored within its mass that can be turned into kinetic, if, say, one picks it up and throws it at the lousy contestant in an amateur singing contest. The potential energy of the rock, fused with the physical energy from the thrust of the arm in throwing the rock, is turned into kinetic.

Or something like that. I am no science expert. Plus, I'm too lazy to check my readings again and go down memory lane. Full of painful memories in elementary, like that time when my English teacher kept insisting to me that the word seize is pronounced saiz instead of seez and that time when our Filipino teacher banned the use of any form of Kapampangan verbal communication in her class. But you get what I mean anyway regarding energy.

With my latest re-realization regarding the god meter I was talking about, I realized yet another thing again: I have underestimated the godliness of a writer. I am in awe of this realization because it is too beautiful to not philosophize about. Consequently, it also gave me a confidence boost during these days I feel a bit low due to my almost-three-year-old frustration in acquiring my ideal body weight.

It's too beautiful that I cannot not use pamamoesya to express my latest finding. So, without further ado, pagdamutan ye ing kanakung kawatasan a makipamagat a...

Ing Upaya Ning Talasulat

Nung lalawen tamu king panimanman ning Apung Ginu
Ing upaya na ning nanu man makasalaleng tutu
King kagiwan nang taginan ing kaya makapalibut
At gawan na pang kapaki-pakinabang keti yatu
Anti mo ring keraklan karing balu tamung tanaman
Dirian dang silbi ing gabun, aslag ning aldo, at danum
Pati pangisnawang tau, nung kekatamu kamandag
Ila sisingapan dang malalam, karela e lasun

(If we put ourselves in the shoes of the Supreme Being
The power of anything truthfully depends
On its ability to wield everything that surrounds him
Make them valuable and useful in this world
Exempli gratia, most of the plants we know
They give use to earth, sunlight, and water
Even the air we exhale even if poisonous to our lungs
They inhale deeply, to them it's not venom)

King Gerona na mu pin ketang lalawigan ning Tarlac
Ating pipanganan karin, Isdaan ing kayang lagyu
Pánakitan da ing mua ring tau, karela mamayad
Para mamasibas platu kabang mánagkas taksiapu
Sukat mung ring kabalenan pati aliwalas diren
Dang pakinabang; espasyu mu ing karelang puhunan
Kukua lang abli karing bisang manyabit patalastas
‘Nya ring negosyanti pati espasyu pisasamsaman

(There in Gerona in the province of Tarlac
There's a restaurant that goes by the name Isdaan
They earn money from the angst of people who pay
To throw plates at a wall while cursing "taksiapu"
Let's not forget the cities that make use of space
Mere space is their capital in this industry
They earn from people who wish to put up billboards
Explains why even businessmen fight over space)

Dapot pangaratang naman karing tau keti sulip
Nung atin ku man yausan bukud iya pin ing talasulat
Pauli ning kayang upayang masakit apantayan
Nung pagisipan me ping malalam tutung makagulat
O ninu pa ta karing sablang mabibiye kening yatu
Makikagiwan dian pakinabang ing keganagana
Puhunan mu kabud kabiasnan king metung a amanu
Mapagumasid a pusu’t isip, papil ampong tinta

(But when it comes to humans here on earth
If there's someone most distinct, it'd be the writer
For his power seemingly unmatched by anyone
If you'd think about it seriously, you'd be in for a surprise
O who among the human beings in this world
Has the ability to give value and use to everything
All it takes is skill in a certain language
An observant heart and mind, paper and ink)

Ing metung a talasulat ding anggang árapan king biye
Mayumu man o mapait, mabanglu man o mabuluk
Mabakanti ya mu oras makalalang neng salese
Nung magaling ya pa, ay, agyu na kang awitan buntuk
Daptanan me mang karawakan, laraman meng maragul
Sapituan me mang masikan, ita ngan adian nang silbi
Ing anggang kapalpakan na manibat pa ‘nyang kebaitan
Ganakan na mung misan, makapanyulat na yang tambing

(Out of all that the writer encounters in his life
May they be sweet or bitter, fragrant or rancid
He can produce an artwork in his vacant time
And if he's really good, he can even enslave your head
Do him harm, tell him a great lie
Slap him hard, all of these he can turn useful
All of his failures beginning from his birth
Once he decides to reminisce, he can already write)

Nung bisyu na’ing miminum, pati ing pamipangunyuran
Ukuman ne man ning meto ketawan bilang salbahi
E bali; pangauli na, pantunanan na mung santing
Ing daraptan na at saka na ipoesya king papil
Kuentu ning kaluguran, saingsing ning kayang kasaman
Ing balita king radyu, pati katak nang Kris Aquino
Tipunan ngan king memorya’t idapuk king kamalayan
Lalangan na king MS Word pota nang misan a aldo

(Even if drinking is his vice, along with philandering
Even if society labels him an infernal person
No big deal; when he comes home, he'll find beauty
In the things he does and transmute them into poetry
The tale of a friend, the complaint of an enemy
The news on radio, including Kris Aquino's blabber
All of these he'll gather and store in his mind
Then make use of them using MS Word one day)

At potang ing realidad makasawa’t alang kule
Gamitan ing waga, mapaglalang a isip paganan
Migut inspirasyun pati king pantasyang agyang dirit
E mu isip-isipan malyari keti kapilan man
Akit mu pati ing ala agyu nang saksakanan biye
At makapatalakad ya pa ping yatu nang sarili
Karing nobela kontroladu na la ngan ding gaganap
Kalinangan a pinupul na ‘bat king kayang paligid

(When the time when reality's boring and colorless comes
Use one's imagination, ignite one's creative mind
Draw inspiration even from fantasy which not one bit
Cannot happen in real life, no siree
You see, he can even give life to nothingness
He can even erect his own world
In novels he controls the lives of every character
Sensibilities he harvested from his environment)

E ya mu king mílabas malyaring manyaklung istorya
At ali ya rin king ngeni mu malyaring magumasid
Ding posibling maganap king bukas apakinabangnan
Nostradamus, Herbert Wells ding ditak a malyaring ‘sambit
Ing kesikan na pang upaya ning metung a susulat
Obra na makikagiwan yang mabiye kabang panaun
Ambuski pa mete ne ing mengudta atiu pa mu rin
Anting bining daragul ding kalalangan nang dinaun

(Not only from the past can he extract a story
And it is not only the contemporary he can observe
Even the possibilities in the future he can wield
Nostradamus, Herbert wells, to name a few
What makes the writer much more powerful
His work has the ability to live through time
Even if the author is dead, still it lives
His art like a seed that grows as time passes by)

At ngening panaun nung nu ing pamiyuyugnayan da
Ring marakal a sosyedad sisikan uli ning IT
Gawa ning talasulat aparala ne Amerika
Asable ne Internet anti ring dakal a MP3
At dening anggang kukudta ning metung a talasulat
Makikagiwan lang magpagalo isip da ring tau
Nung pati kiliti ring sablang mámasâ kayang balu
Agyu nong bayuan biye gamit ing masanting a amanu

(And in this period when the communication
between several communities is enhanced through IT
A writer can send his work to America
He can upload through the Internet like many MP3s
And all the works of an author
Have the potential to influence the minds of the people
If he knows even the approach in attracting readers
He can change their lives using beautiful words)

Ini ing upaya ning metung a biasang talasulat
Upayang masákit sukdan, upayang e ra tanggapan
Kalam a malyaring e balu ‘buski ning makitagle
Upayang king yatung ini e makaying papansinan
Ing kawatasan ku pung ini ing kayang pakinabang
Gisingan la kaladua ring kapara kung talasulat
Ipabalu ku karela ing tatalanan dang sikan
Gamitan da sang masalese para makapamulat

(This is the power of a skillful writer
Power that is hard to measure, power they won't accept
A blessing that might not be known even to the owner
Power that in this world is often neglected
This poem I wrote, this is its use
Wake up the souls of my fellow writers
Make known to them the potential they hold
May they use their power well to wake up more people)

A Valentine's Day Post

Bayu Melasak
neng Jason Paul Laxamana

Ing tagimpan ku kanita, maging ikata.

Asna kang ka-cute. Asna kang kaganaka. Asna kang kasikan lub mangabit matuling a lipstick potang lulub ka UP. Atin pánga-punk ing kekang fashion sense. E na mákapakirut kasi bokalista na ka ning metung a bánda. Oneng kalupa na pin ning amanuan mu king Friendster, trip mu mu ing makanitang imalan; e ka maniwalang ita ing pipamantayan ning pamaging rakista. Tsk. Inya naman crush da ka e.

Inyang king ku pang UP Pampanga, atin tamung reporting king Com 2 kanita. Asna kung katamad panigaralan ing report ta inyang aldo bayu ing pamag-report. Kayi bigla kang mig-text. Pápasaup ka king aldong tutuki para king kekang report uling e ka mipaindatun isip uli ning pate yu ning tau mu.

Inya menigaral ku.

King aldong katuki nita, sinulud ke ing bayu kung asul a baru. Kalub ku library, sabi mu cute ya ing imalan ku. E ku na mu asabi, cute ka mu naman kanita.

Corny ku, ne?

Metung naman a bengi king Quezon City, Third Exam ku king tutuking aldo kanita king PolSci 14 inya pákakalat la ngan ding readings at lecture ku king lamesa king sála ning boarding house, kawalu ning bengi. Pákasadya na ing kape king lele kasi pilmi kung maging na ku na naman Master Showman king benging ita (“Walang tulugan!”). Kayi mig-text na ka’ kabud. Syempre mekibat na ku man. Kaibat, migbabad ta na king pamag-text! Makatula la ring kekatang sasabian king balang metung. Dakal ku abalu tungkul king biye mu – king masikan mung ilig king pamanigtig, king protesta nang ibpa mu king ilig mu, at aliwa pa. Pati itang lihim a kasulatan a kinudta ku kanita tungkul keka, apisabian ta mu rin. Ing masanting keta, cool ka mu tungkul keta.

“E ku na mu asabi kekang apaninapan ku mu rin ing mitáu kata kasi pota mag-freak out ka,” ngaku pa.

“Ali naman. Astig pin e.”

Inya naman e ku rugu mekapanigaral manggang 11 nin bengi. Ambuski manga 20 minutu kata mung “mísabi,” metung a oras kaibat na nita, dikal na mu mamaglundag ku king ligayang dela ning simpling pamipangamanung ita. Sigi na pin – wa, memaglundag ku talaga.

Corny, ne?

Sembreak inyang mílabas a banua, tatali ke pa ing buak ku king gulut. Mig-get together tamung mikakaluguran UP Pampanga king Fontana, overnight. Aku, ika, ing tau mu, at aliwa pang kaluguran. Wa, ati yu ing tau mu. Iya ing menakit ketang lihim a kasulatan kinudta ku dikil keka, dikil kekata. Syempre e ku mipaindatun. Kayi uling mamulang ku, e da ka mo pinansin mabilug a bengi. Inyang minuna kung abalitan a kinalat ya itang sulat kung ita, medyu mig-panic ku. Oneng keluatan, ayisip ku, bakit ku tumakit karing sarili kung amanu? Tutu la ngan deta.

Atin oras a ikata mung adua king sála: aku, mánalbe kung Starstruck Season 2 at pánenayan ke ing pamaglage nang Chris Martin bang págsisti, kabang ika, atin ka yatang babasan o mánalbe ka. Pakisabian da ka sana, oneng praning ku king tau mu.

Pulus tamung alang agawa inyang linalam pa ing bengi, inya naman memialung tamung Spin-the-Bottle. Red Horse Bottle. Truth or truth, alang consequence. Apiyikit-ikit ku nang makulkul ya ing personal kung biye (a masalese kung sasalikut karing tau), pero salamat king Red Horse, sinikan-sikan ing lub ta. Mumunang inum ku pala ita king ganap kung biye.

Mumuna da mu rin ikit ding tau ing metung kung dakeng e da sukat isipan atin ku.

Inyang tinuldu ya kaku ing boti, ala lang akutang kanakung juicy. Boring ya kasing lálon ing biye ku kasi ala kung kukuentu karing tau. Dakal karela, pulus lang alang balu. Inya mig-volunteer kang ika na mu ing mangutang. A, balu ku na ing ikutang mu, ngaku king isip ku.

“O’t asulat mu ita?”

“Kasi ita ing pánamdaman ku kanita,” mabilis pa king alas singku kung pekibat kabang e man makalawe keka. Págumasdan ke mu itang boti ning Red Horse a bagya-bagya ko nang abuburi. Lasa ampong epektu. Alang arti keng pekibatan ing kutang mu agyang kasiping me ing tau mu.

Makatula la lupa ring inosenti tang kaluguran. Clueless la. Sabi ning kasiping ku, “Kapabaluan, i Jason pu atin yang sinulat tungkul king kayang inspirasyun e kena na Internet.”

“Ninu ing inspirasyun?” ngara namang menusisa.

“Patye mitutuk yang pasibayu ing boti kanaku, karin ku makibat,” ngaku. Kayi biglang, “Aku,” sabi mu. Whew. Sumap ika na ing migbuyangyang. E ku kapad ing manibat kaku, kasi ati yu king lele mu ing tau mu.

Kasaya na ning benging ita, ambuski pa e ku makaying migsalita. Mákarine mu pin; ambuski pa e ku melasing kabang miminum tamu, melasing ku yata katudtud. Kuentu mu, atin kung sasabian tungkul king Online Enlistment kabang matudtud ku. Tsk. Sana ing sinabi ku na mu ing solid a pánamdaman ku keka anti mong “unconscious confession.”

Ka-corny ku talaga!

Kabangun ku, ala na ka, kasi keilanganan mung muling maranun. Mig-text na ku mu keka at menyawad sorry kasi e da ka makaying átuan. Minasala ku keka nung bakit, at aintindian mu naman. Aku naman mine ku High School Reunion mi; katuki ne kasi ning outing tamu at king Fontana ya mu rin. Sabi ku keka king text, mabuburat na ku king reunion mi kasi e ko no man kabásang makayi ring keraklan karing kaklasi ku dati. Kayi sabi mu, “Sigi, aku ing maging GENIE mu at pasayan da ka! Hehe.”

Atin kung sabian... corny ka’ naman pala! Hahaha. Inya naman buri da ka.

Aka-chat ke YM ing kayabe kung linipat kening UP Diliman. Pámuysitan na ku tungkul ketang abalu na tungkul king pamalsinta ku kekta. Kitang na, o’t e ra ka kanu paglolon? Lupa na ku man kanung ating pang-asa agyang pakananu. Pakibat ku, maturak-turak ya yata king sasabian na! Atin kang tau e.

“Tuod,” ngana. “Matagal na silang wala.”

Ay, maibug kung ma-stroke kanita. Kasi nung balu ku mu na ali na pala ikayu... pota pa sa sinabi ku kekang daretsu ing atiu kilub ning pusu ku inyang benging mig-Fontana tamu. Inya naman ibat king aldong ita, pengaku ku king sarili kung misan a aldo, ipagtapat ku keka.

Misan a aldo pa pin, kasake ku king metung a bus pataglus Cubao Ibabaw, atuklasan kung makabuklat ya zipper ing bag ku. Mawawala ya ing cellphone ku, mápilan a class card, at ing dinalan kung pesus. Balu mu ing minuna kung pekiyisip?

Syet! Detang message mung sesesen ku, páka-store la ngan king inbox ning cellphone ku!”

Wa, ring kekang text, makatuknang la mu king inbox ku. E naman keganagana, oneng dakal. Manga 20. Pengadi kung sana ing menako king kakung cellphone manakbag ya king overpass king Philcoa at malaparis yang taxi (ambuski pa lupang imposibli kasi bagya la mu kikimut ding saken keta uli ning traffic). Mímasmas na ku man kaibat. Uling ing tutu, maka-store la pa naman king pusu ku ring anggang mensahi mu.

Tanaydanang corny!

Kayi inyang misan pa pala, inyang minuli ku Pampanga ibat Diliman para manalbe Mr. and Ms. UP Pageant, kayakit mu kaku, pinulandit ka kaku. “Jasooooon!” at kinaul king kakung takde. Balu mu nung makananu kasagradu ing pitung segundung eksenang ita?! Na?! Ali mu, kasi inosenti ka, inya mas cute ka.

Asna kang ka-cute king mala-Avril Lavigne mung getup king benging ita. “As usual,” ngaku sa king isip ku, oneng e na ka man pulus Avril mágmalan, ali? Atin panaun a girly kang mágmalan, kumpletu pati makuyad a palda, buak Sailor Moon, at matas a medyas. Basta cute ka agyang Bananas In Pajamas ka pa gáyak.

Kayari ning pageant, minta ya ing barkada king Total bang tumambay. Ala mu, kuentu kuentu, bagyang inum, at aliwa pa. Asna kang ka-cute kanita: gatas ing pinili mung inuman. Sabi mu e mu na buri ing beer kasi pota bumungko ka pusun. At saka para na mu rin tumas ka agyang bagya, kasi ngamu pin king Tagalug, “Sadyang maliit lang talaga ako.”

“Lumakad tamu,” kumbira mung bigla.

Inta ali wari ing ipakibat ku? Oyta, linakad katang ditak, bala mu sira buntuk a ala naman puntalan. Balu mu namang e ku masalitang tau at mayilig kung mányalikut pilubluban. Dapot balu mu? Bayu te likuan ing lamesa da ring kaluguran ta, ginulut ku pa mu at tiniman karing kabarkada ta. Balu mu na; kasi lumakad katang ikata mung adua e.

Corny.

Linabas ing panaun, sinikan nang sinikan ing kalampag ning pusu ku para keka. Masákit, kasi king kang Pampanga at yaku, king Diliman. Ing gewa ku na mu, gewa ku ing keganagana bang sálese ku kumpyansa at sumanting ku personalidad. Pemilit kung maging masikan lub para keka. Migtagumpe na ku man kasi agpang karing kakilala ku, sabi ra bala mu kanu ating menaliwa kanaku. Dinagdag ku kanu “dating” ngara. Dati kasi e ku bitasang bubulad o nanu. Bala mu antisocial kung mákabitki biye.

Pengaku ku, Kaleldo 2005, paglolon da na ka, kabalik ku ibat king pamagbisita mi king ibpa kung caregiver king Amerika.

Oneng o ba’t makanita?

Manong Manong

What happens when you can't decide whether you're endorsing yourself to Kapampangans or Tagalogs?


Haha. No offense to Mr. Norman Manabat, but for a Kapampangan like me, the poster is funny (manong in Kapampangan means ugly, awkward, grotesque). Well at least I'll recall you from now on.

"Big Girls Don't Cry" in Kapampangan

Here is another collaboration with the Mernuts girls Jhaye and Chao. Translated for them Fergie's 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' so here is 'E Na Ku Kikiyak.'

Mernuts is part of the RocKapampangan album which is coming out anytime soon.



E Na Ku Kikiyak
Performed by Mernuts
Kapampanganized by Jason Paul Laxamana

La Da Da Da
O't ababau da ka pa mu rin keni
Pasulapo na ka siguru pauli
Dian nang tuknangan bilang kalasag ku, bingut
Kailangan magdili-dili
Banayad at tayimik pa

Balu mu sa, balu mu sa
E ra ka pamansalanan
Atiu kaku, kakung dili
Kailangan ta nang itulid ini
Kabang makawale ka kanakung anting anak
A likuan da dapat na kung sumulung
Matua na ku at dapat mung
E na ku kikiyak
Kikiyak, kikiyak, kikiyak

King dalan kung ini dapat aku mu
Masaneng alang tataid anggang dagul ku, dagul
Ding kuentung diwata e la laging masaya kayarian
'Stung e pa meko, lulam ing dasnan

Balu mu sa, balu mu sa
E ra ka pamansalanan
Atiu kaku, kakung dili
Kailangan ta nang itulid ini
Kabang makawale ka kanakung anting anak
A likuan da dapat na kung sumulung
Matua na ku at dapat mung
E na ku kikiyak

'La mu 'nyang malati ka king iskuela
Mamialung katang alang paynawa
Pamikalugud tang anggang banua, sinta
'T'e me talnan gamat ku nung lub mu
Ita rin kasi'ng lub ku
Maging tau't kakialung, sitsitan sikretu
Sayang mu't oras nang muli
Lon ing aldo lulbug ne
Kailangan magdili-dili
Banayad at tayimik pa

Balu mu sa, balu mu sa
E ra ka pamansalanan
Atiu kaku, kakung dili
Kailangan ta nang itulid ini
Kabang makawale ka kanakung anting anak
A likuan da dapat na kung sumulung
Matua na ku at dapat mung
E na ku kikiyak
E na kikiyak, kikiyak

La Da Da Da

Kapampangan Shirt Family???

Hehe. Actually, the following pictures come from a friend who goes by the name Samuel Venzon. He ordered Kapampangan several shirts from me for a couple of relatives, and now allow me to feature those fabulous photos strutting them, hahaha. Click to enlarge.

Pampanga thru Google Earth

Have you taken time to check out how Pampanga looks like in a satellite's point of view? The images one will see on Google Earth are not really real-time, but I'd like to show you some of the screen captures I took.

Mount Pinatubo

Sacobia

Balibago (see Saver's Mall)

Angeles City (see Nepo Mall and Holy Rosary Church)

Villa Angela Subdivision

An overview of Pampanga; lots of farmlands and plasdan (fishponds)

Pampanga Bay, Manila Bay, and nearby regions (Bataan, Manila)

Pampanga Bay; check out the lahar that needs to be desilted

Abacan Bridge

Angeles City

Angeles City (see Carmelite Monastery and Sto. Domingo Mart)

Nayong Pilipino / Expo Filipino

Fontana villas