Poem - "Navigating Space"

I made this poem “Moulded by Diversity” as a response to the spoken word performance of Grace Taylor “Navigating Space”. 

Moulded by Diversity

When I was young,

They thought I was Chinese,

As I grew older,

They thought I was Cambodian,

I doubted myself, my origin.

In my search,

I fall deeper and deeper,

It was so calm and quiet,

I realised and understood,

I, myself consist of others.

A range of cultures,

Cultures, adapted from others.

I, myself must

understand the past, the beginning

because that past is my present.

I know, who I am,

I know, where I am from

I am a Filipino

I am a mixture

Not unique, moulded by diversity

once, I was certain then uncertain

now, I know, I am a mixture

This is where I’ll start,

This is where I belong,

This is who I am.

I am moulded by diversity

delighted and contented

Standing firm speaking aloud

For everyone to hear

“I am a Filipino, I am mixed”

short story - "The Turtle and the Shark"

This is a short story as a creative response to the short animated film "The Turtle and the Shark" by Ryan Woodyard. The short animated film reminds me of a lifestyle or more like a tradition in Philippines. A tradition mostly Eastern country follows. A family tradition where the firstborn child is considered the responsible, reliable, and strongest out of the siblings.

Daniel was the eldest of five siblings. His parents work as a servant in a wealthy family in the Philippines. Evelyn, Daniel's mother, works 6 days a week as a nanny of the Governor’s children and Allan, Daniel's father, works as a private driver of the Governor in their area. His parents were hardworking people but the money earned could barely give them food in the table.

Daniel as an eldest is responsible to look after his younger siblings everyday due to his parents working late mostly every day. When he was 12, he felt the pressure of being the eldest and the obligation he must do. He once thought that his parents, especially her mother cared more on the other children than her own. This causes him to be reserved in front of his parents. The pressure eases up due to his younger siblings being obedient. He started to be less reserved.

At the age of 15, he dreamed to be a successful doctor someday. And when he turned 17, he asked his parents if he could pursue his dream as a doctor. His parents were delighted about his dream; however, they do not have the money for the tuition fee. Even if he gets a scholarship, it is still not enough for his daily transportation, and daily necessities. He felt disappointed and lost. He do not know what to do next. His father talked to him and tried to convince him to understand their current situation. His father also told him to wait for a couple of years. Allan, Daniel's father, suggested if Daniel was willing to work while waiting for his parents to have enough money to support him. He still felt disappointed but realized that his parents also have his younger siblings to feed and support. He thought there was nothing he could do but agree to his father.

He started finding a job but no one will accept him because he is still not on the legal age for work. For a year, he stayed home and took care for his siblings, learned to cook, and be a father and a mother figure to his siblings. Undeniably, he matured and more responsible. When he turned 18, he decided to try to look for work again. Six months passed by, he found a job he could do. Tomorrow will be a new beginning for him. He has been working in his current job for almost 2 years. Both His parents and Daniel still has not enough money to support him.

At the age of 20, Daniel was in his room, waking up early in the morning opening the curtain. It was a Monday morning. The sun has not yet risen. His two male younger siblings were still sleeping in the room on their small beds. Being careful not to wake them, he leaves the bedroom quietly to prepare himself for work. Before leaving the room, he picked up his overalls draping his brother's study desk. He was disturbed by it he feels that his overalls should not be near his brothers’ desk. It unnerves him, but he brushes it off and leaves the room. While preparing his lunch, he was deep in thoughts thinking if there will come a day that his dream will come true or will it stay as a dream.

It made me realize that we may have different traditions, and culture, but this proves that we are similar in a way, our belief on putting the need of the whole family first before own needs.

Triditional Folk lore

A response to the turtle and the shark a Samoan legend.

This is a Karen’s Legend about why the elephants are so smart.

There was a village in the jungle of the land of Karen where the people live peacefully and happily with each other. Their life consist of planting rice, harvesting rice, catching fish and so on. Everyday the villagers would go down to the river to catch fishes for food. They would weave baskets made out of flax to hold the the fishes and fruit or vegetable that they manage to find on the way to the river and back. Someday day the villagers would have success in catching fishes and someday they won’t.

But inside a village there lived a woman who would go the river after the villagers left to do her own fishing. She would go down to the river after everyone left and she would fish. Before fishing she would sing a song.

Ta anaw si su, Ta anaw law se.

After singing that line her nose would become long and she would splash water and fish using her trunk. Using this trick she would get a basket full of fishes everyday. After fishing she would sing a song

Ta anaw si su, Ta anaw gey taw

With this song her trunk would shorten and return back to normal. She would do this everyday and she would come back to the village with a full basket.

One day the villagers notice that every time she went to fish she would come back with basket full of fishes.They talk among themselves.

“How did she catch so many fishes”

“Yea, even we don’t catch fishes everyday like her”

“ So what should we do?” One villager asked

“We should follow her and see what her tricks are”

With that decision made the next day they villagers follow the women without her noticing it and as usual she would sing the song

Ta anaw si su, Ta anaw law se   and her nose will elongated and them after fishing she would sing, Ta anaw si su, Ta anaw gey taw and her nose would shorten and return back to normal.

The villagers saw her tricks and decided among them self that they should do something about this. So the next day they follow her down to the river and after she finished singing the song that would turn her nose into a trunk they jump out of hiding and cut off her trunk.

The women was so shocked she ran off into the jungle to hide away from them. Because her nose was cut off she couldn't turn it back to normal and and she was embarrassed to go back to the village with her nose hanging down.  So she stay in the jungle and as she stay in the jungle her feet got wider and insect bites her ears so it got so swollen and they never return back to normal. Her foots turn into elephant feet, her ears became big like an elephant ears and her trunk turn into an elephant trunk. So she herself turn into an elephant. Therefore because the elephant were once a human that why they are so intelligent.

Migration, a strange but funny thing.

A monologue response to Prem Banfal's "I remember, I remember."

Migration, strange but funny thing. It weighs a lot on those who have experienced the idea of having to leave their beloved country behind, but weighs less on those who have found a better, almost easy-going life. Sometimes you have to leave you comfort zone just to see the bigger picture and when you do, you are left with no choice but to get yourself up from the once comfortable couch, stand straight and walk down the aisle of new and strange challenges. Some are fortunate enough to be able to overcome these obstacles. “Those are the lucky ones”, I used to tell my mother. But she would always tell me that we’re all lucky and that those people just know how to strive to better their situations. I didn’t understand what she meant by it.

To this day, the memories of our last days in the Philippines are still fresh to my mind. That summer was, by far, the most joyous summer of my life.  We spent that hot summer season going for many long drives with friends and relatives, eating sweet mangoes under the Accacia tree every weekend and swimming near the Tay Tay Falls.

Other times when we are at home and the sun blazed down from an almost cloudless sky, my sister, my cousins and I would grab an old mattress from our basement and place it on our house terrace, sit on it and just enjoy the peaceful view of rolling hills and green meadows. We would sit there for hours and play traditional Filipino games, or sing our favourite songs at the time. 

After playing games, we would all lie on our stomachs and put our feet up against the wall; sometimes, I would see small groups of heat waves trickling their way along the manicured lawns below us. Our long-time maid would treat us little orange-flavoured iced candies when she sees that we are behaving. In the afternoons, I would pay my grandfather a visit next door and he would tell me stories and teach me Spanish and how to make little marionettes using only your fingers. I saw life in pink.

Sadly, though, we had too much fun that we didn’t realize that was our last summer in the Philippines. I remember crying because of the idea of leaving my house behind. I didn’t want to leave my beloved country, my friends, my relatives, my old mattress and my grandfather. Saying good bye to everyone was the hardest part but time turned the page to a new chapter in our lives and it was time for us to go. So, we flew to the land of the long white clouds, without ever thinking about the things that may come into our way.

And so began another chapter in my life, which consisted of few ups and downs. Indeed, moving to New Zealand was one crazy roller coaster ride. I was faced with difficult challenges; attending the local intermediate school and trying to interact with my fellow classmates, for me, was such a fearful thing. One day, I remember crying and almost giving up. I wanted to go home and be with my friends. That was the day when I saw that life was no longer in pink. 

But as the days turned into years and with the help of my family and new friends, I managed to overcome those fears. The greatest thing about living in New Zealand was being able to speak English quite fluently and meeting new friends and people who shaped me into the person I am today. However, the memories I have in the Philippines are still with me and they are the ones I will forever cherish. One day, I realized that I’ve already grown, experienced both good and bad things and learned a lot about myself. That was also the day when I finally understood my mother’s response. Life was, once again, in pink.

A response to The Turtle and the Shark

This legend has been told many times before in various ways. However, it originated from the indigenous people of the Philippines.

The Legend of Mayon Volcano.

                Mount Mayon is an active volcano located in Albay, Bicol, south eastern of the Luzon Island.

                Once upon a time, there lived a gorgeous maiden called Daragang Magayon (beautiful lady), who was the only daughter of Datu Makusog (strong king), the chief of the Rawis tribe. Magayon was renowned for her charms and beauty that suitors from far-off villages would come pay her a visit just to get a glimpse of her elegance.  One day, her father decided that Magayon is in the right age to marry. However, to win Magayon’s heart, suitors or admirers must offer her expensive gifts. Thus, all Magayon’s admirers started to offer her gifts. But none prevailed into winning her heart. One of her admirers is the arrogant and pompous hunter Pagtuga (gift giver).

                When Panginorin (the heavens), a poor, young chief of the Karilaga tribe, learned about this news, he decided to come to the village of Rawis. When Panginorin saw Magayon, he was instantly infatuated by her beauty.

                “I am a poor chief who comes from the village of Karilaga. As of now, I don’t have anything to offer you but my affection and kindness,” said Panginorin.

Magayon, who was stirred by his sudden fondness, fell in love with him too. Panginorin asked Magayon to marry him.

                When the wedding was just days away, Pagtuga heard about this news. Enraged and jealous, he tried to threaten Magayon.

                “Leave that man alone and marry me instead. Or else I will kill your father,” Pagtuga declared.

Since Magayon loves her father dearly, she was left with no choice but to obey Pagtuga’s commands. However, before Magayon could even make a final decision, Panginorin came to learn of this and he fought Pagtuga. As a result, a war broke out between the two villages.

When Panginorin was able to defeat Pagtuga, a happy Magayon ran to Panginorin’s side to hug him. Unfortunately, just as she reached her husband-to-be, Panginorin and Magayon were both struck by a fishing spear.

Sadness and hopelessness engulfed the whole village. Devastated, Datu Makusog decided to place Panginorin and Magayon in a grave and bury the two lovers next to each other; he knew how much they loved each other.

Weeks after their death, villagers noticed that the land where Magayon and Panginorin were buried was starting to grow up high in the sky, forming what is now known as Mount Mayon. 

To this day, villagers believe that Magayon now lives in the mountain and Panginorin in the clouds. It is believed that when the peak of the mountain touches the sky, the two lovers are kissing. Sometimes, the volcano grumbles and people believe that the grumbling is for people to remember the two lovers' tragic death.