Haiku and Other Arcane Pieces

 Haiku
by blanca datuin

Easter
Spring sprang here
like the leap of a bunny
whiting life beginnings.

Vesper


Do you hear silence?
S-h-h-h,The lizards are praying
unmoved by the blare.

Death of three Filipinos in China

Philip See ‎@Blanca may i suggest you review the facts, these are not firs timers. and besides how can they be victim when they took the trip to China not as OFW but as courier? enlighten us then if my facts are wrong (based on their travel documents, not the first timedid they travel to china on a no contract with any company or employer, source withheld) Hindi ba katakataka wala silang trabaho or contrata at pupunta sila sa China?"
9 hours ago ·

The above is a reaction to my comment on the three convicted Filipino drug dealers' execution today in China. This event has generated countless reactions, and on Facebook Solita Monsod, columnist and former NEDA Director, started it with her comment "I was deeply saddened by the news about the execution of 3 OFWs in China today. Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort their family tomorrow." My own comment that was reacted upon by Philip is below:

• Blanca Datuin Too sad indeed, and not one in the Philippines can help. I grieve with the families."
  Is  Philip suggesting I should deny myself sadness? Whether the convicted drug dealers are guilty or not is not the point of contention in my comment, myself, admittedly, not privy to all the facts. It's the sadness over their death and the country's helplessness to have the death sentence commuted to at least life sentence, the Philippines, from where they come, being a country that no longer practices capital punishment. I feel sad, yes. To paraphrase John Donne, each man's death diminishes us who are part of mankind. To die without being given a chance at conversion is merciless and those  who condemn and give up on alleged "sinners" may cast stones if they can say without batting an eye that they are perfect. As the poet expresses, "Do not  ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." 
  The good news is that, as gleaned from the countless comments on this thread, the Filipinos care---about the concomitant issues of death sentence, drug trafficking, poverty, indifference of the rich and powerful, corruption of some authorities that could have prevented drug trafficking. The comments may clash in opinions, some posts may express anger and some may be funny, but people 
  have taken time to express. Though one wonders, how will all that help the poor and those going down the pit of crime? 

Forwarded by a friend

Sharing a good laugh. ---

Price of gas in France

A thief in  Paris  planned to steal some Paintings from the Louvre.

After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.

However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, 'Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.'

'I had no Monet

To buy Degas

To make the Van Gogh.'

See if you have De Gaulle to send this on to someone else.

I sent it to you because I figured I had nothing  Toulouse …

An Excerpt from "The Nature of Man," by Blanca Datuin

---

More than two decades ago, I wrote a 30-page class paper on "The Nature of Man" for my psychology class in a college in Los Angeles. My instructor was one who sounded like either agnostic or atheist, judging from the opinions he dished out from time to time. Since he graded my paper  "A," he must have understood well the logic of the analysis I presented and hopefully, accepted the conclusions. I would have wanted to disseminate my analysis as part of a book collection of essays, but time seems to be running out. So, let me just do the next best thing and share with you some excerpts from the last chapter of my paper since pertinent to a discussion we, in an egroup on cyberspace,  had on the nature of man. So much has been written about this topic from time immemorial, but to my knowledge, the Creation has never been explained the way it has been analyzed in this paper. 

Interpretation of the Biblical Narration

an excerpt from “The Nature of Man” by

Blanca Datuin, (c) 1990

The story of creation in the Bible tells of God saying, after creating the earth and the firmament and kinds of living things, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."  In the second story of the creation, again, man's beginning is told but it focuses on another aspect of his being: "...the Lord formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being."  .........

There are two things in the biblical narration that this researcher observes to be very significant in explaining human nature. First is the medium out of which God made man. The second is God's breathing into his nostrils to give him life and thus, making man "in our image."  "And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul." (Genesis, 2, 7)

Slime or clay is that fine-grained earth that, mixed with the right amount of water, can be formed into any shape the sculptor or potter wishes. It is dull, without luster, until polished to a gloss. It is soft enough for shaping purposes but hard as a rock once it is kilned to a degree. Unlike rock, however, the finished product, because made of clay, remains fragile. It can break into pieces if not handled properly. The same qualities are manifested in a human being: from being newly-born up to a certain young age, he is pliant and can be shaped into the desired form, before he gets hardened in the furnace of life   He is earthy and corruptible in his basic instincts; dull of mind until honed to perfection in a process of education and re-education and as an ever-evolving person. He is also fragile and vulnerable until his coping mechanism is strengthened in a nurturing environment.

Whether taken literally or figuratively, man's body having been formed out of clay, will always infer the above-mentioned qualities of human nature.  Clay is the perfect medium for an artist to whom God, in His act of creation, is likened. Clay is also that solid matter that explains the materiality of the human body. In the Christian way of thinking, however, the body is like a temple of God as it is where the soul resides. It should thus be treated with respect: it should not be abused, defiled or tainted the way a drug-dependent, for instance, or a sex maniac abuses his own as well as those of others.

The second significant point in the biblical narration is the statement about God's having blown into man's nostrils the breath of life. This is the infusion of a part of God's perfection, a part of His own nature as a spiritual being: the breath of life that animates. This is the principle of life--the soul that is capable of rising to heights of splendor an All-Good God is said to have wanted man to rise to . His potentialities abound beyond imagination even as his efforts to sift the good from the bad is fraught with much faltering, trepidation and pain.

God's breath is the external force, the efficient cause described by St. Thomas in his Summa Theologica discussed earlier in this paper. Even if taken merely as a metaphor, the act would still symbolize the privileged position of man among all His other creations. For man alone is the one breathed into by God; thus, he alone has had that kind of personal contact with God, which explains what most theologians describe as an intimate relationship between God and man.  It is an act of perfect love from God that no rational person can deny. For how can one's giving of himself to another be anything else? In infusing man a part of His own perfection, God made him in His own likeness: endowed with spirit like Himself and a creator himself in many ways: a giver of life in the regenerative process of life, a poet, an artist, a lover, an engineer, an author, and in various other ways.

As can be deduced from the Story of Creation alone, man is of dual nature. Whether to be taken literally or metaphorically (as has been debated constantly between believers and non-believers), the implication remains the same, that man is made of matter and form—matter, which the body is made of, and form--the soul, which, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, has for its end the natural longing to be united back to its Creator.  Thus, man has the bodily nature whose laws and needs must be obeyed if the body is to be healthy and not deteriorate to the utter failure of its vital functions: it must be fed, it must be nourished properly, cared for and not abused, etc. Then there is the spiritual nature whose laws must also be obeyed if the soul will fulfill its function of directing its will to its proper end of being united to its Creator: nourish it with all the possible ways at man’s disposal; let it grow to the height it is meant for by its Creator. The union of body and soul implies their interacting together in a symbiotic way.

It is not within the realm of this paper to elaborate on those possible ways the Creator gave for man to use, but suffice it to say that He gave man a very potent tool he can use in directing his way to the right route towards his end. That tool is free will, the power to choose whether to harness or squander all the Creator’s  gifts to mankind. Man has the power to choose whether to rise to the sublime and above the level of the brute, above the appetitive and sentient level of life or to go down and crawl like the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

The power to reason, a principle of activity basic to man’s nature, is a dynamic term connoting certain laws of nature which are within his reasonable intellect to observe, apprehend, analyze and act upon accordingly. Fully developed, this power urges him to seek truth and justice and pushes him to realms of grandeur and beauty. An impairment of this rationality, of course, or a refusal to exercise it in the accomplishment of a life harmonious to both his bodily and spiritual nature is an imperfection that may be traced to some physical defects (brain damage, for instance), cognitive flaws or societal ills,  topics  not within the realm of this discussion. Rationality, in the final analysis, is man’s greatest asset, his redeeming instrument  in what is, more often than not, a tumultuous life journey.

- alma viajero

Reply to a Friend's Cry for Help

Three years ago, at the height of the LAUSD payroll debacle, when salary payments for thousands of teachers got all screwed up, one member of my former egroup wrote with this title of Cry for Help. Since I didn't get to read the first part of the thread, I thought she was asking for help (in the form of donations or loans)  in behalf of a friend in financial crisis as her house was supposed to be repossessed due to some kind of fraud their loan agent committed against her family. (It turned out she was actually the one asking for help in behalf of her own self.) That email exchange had gone on for some weeks and though I was not in a position to help financially, I thought I would offer my two-cents worth suggestions. So, I wrote:

 Dear Friend,

Our internet and phone cable have been down for some weeks and I have now gain access to the internet only by using my visiting son’s computer.  As I read your Cry for Help, I commiserate deeply.  A few questions come to mind, though. Do you know this teacher personally? If she’s a teacher, can’t she get a loan from the Teachers’ Loan Association?  She can get SSI assistance, though she might not qualify because teachers have salaries higher than entry level employees. Doesn’t she have relatives who could help her? What’s the work of the husband? Does she have other children who can already be of help? And the musician daughter of hers who was "forced to stop her usic lessons," can’t she try for scholarship if she’s talented as the mother says?  This teenage turning into drugs might not have been caused solely by the threat of their losing their house; there might be something deeper than that.  

I ask those questions because asking donations from others may take a toll on her self-esteem as an educated person and as a teacher) assumed to be capable of coping with this kind of eventuality or unforeseen circumstance.  (I have a daughter having as much financial, marital and health problems but refuses to accept money from her family though the abundant moral support she welcomes.) Many others are either in the same boat as your friend, or even worst.  I am in the latter category: I have not been receiving my monthly salary as a teacher because of this LAUSD payroll debacle you must have read about or heard on TV. The origin of my problem is worst—it’s not even because of the new messed-up payroll system; it was caused by my former school location’s incompetence which they wouldn’t even take responsibility for. I’m at my wit’s end trying to fight the principal, assistant principal and timekeeper to accept accountability in reversing their errors (which they refuse to do, perhaps for fear their incompetence will be exposed). In the meantime that I’m seeking a higher-up authority to direct the changes, I’m suffering financially and morally. My bill (especially mortgage) payments are delayed and naturally, that means compounded interest payment, overdrafts, etc., and you can just imagine the moral damage these have on me: I am a widow shouldering all these financial obligations.  I have heard of even worst scenarios from other affected teachers: mortgage foreclosure, repossessed cars, stopped schooling of children in college, you name it.

Fighting for justice and eking a living at the same time can sap your energy, especially if you're a small fry. You have to give priority time to your present work. The principal belongs to the powers-that-be (and was even promoted despite anomalies he had allegedly committed in the past in another school). I go on teaching, just because it is my commitment to serve. Though sometimes one can waver in faith, one must keep on praying to maintain sanity in this chaotic world.. I turn to my faith for better or for worse, and remind myself that my faith in God is all that matters in the long run.  Someone once put this so nicely into words: “We must realize that it is in order to stimulate and sustain this faith that God allows the soul to be buffeted and swept away by the raging torrent of so much distress, so many troubles, so much embarrassment and weakness, and so many setbacks. For it is essential to have faith to find God behind all this.”  You might want to share this quote with your friend.

The unbelievers may have their own say again against turning our trials into trials of faith and rising against all vicissitudes in life, or about why God is allowing all this to happen. Let them. Let’s stop putting blame in God for the blunders and injustice of people. For in the long run, we, who fight for justice, will overcome, maybe not here but in the life after. I hope your friend will be inspired by the words above.
-alma viajero

Voices from Our Lady of Fatima

There are voices that cannot be ignored. When one is called to serve, one may waver. But if the voices are insistent, one has to heed. When one gets the invitation from the Curia coordinator in late January with only one slot left in a series of scheduled visits to scattered areas; one's tiny voice inside says, "grab it!" The email that comes in says, "There are others trying to get this day (February 10), so confirm asap if your parish wants It." The "It" is the statue of the National Pilgrim Virgin Lady of Fatima that has been gifted to America by the Bishop of Fatima in Portugal, blessed by Pope Paul VI  and crowned by  Cardinal Boyle in the National Basilica in Washington, D.C.

Why all this fuss, you might ask. For those who are not aware about Our Lady of Fatima, especially among the younger generation, she is no other than our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary who, in 1917, appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal with three secret messages which now have already been revealed by the last of the three, Sister Lucia, who passed away on February 14, 2005 at the age of 97. The World Apostolate of Fatima is sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church to propagate the Fatima Message to obtain world peace. Though this is the main objective of the named National Pilgrim Virgin traveling around America, the statue also serves to remind us of the world's need to rise against the present chaos by incessantly praying the rosary.

It  has been reported by some forty people that the Statue had shed tears while these people were praying for intercession in front of the image. Other witnesses report of healing and conversions.No wonder then that parishes vie to be honored this amazing Visit. But as in all organizations, coursing an invitation through a humble servant of God who has no authority to say "yes" or "no" entails channels to go through. One hastens to call the Legion president once, twice and then thrice with no answer and no return call either. One calls the vice-president once, twice as well and also no answer except the machine.

Finally, one reaches the Legion vice-president; one asks her to get the approval for the visit from whoever in the parish is left to man it in the meantime that the pastor is on leave. She comes back with the report that the deacon she finds in the parish office who is believed to have the authority to  approve said it can't be done that hurriedly. That sounded delay. The deacon is to tell one later that the Legion representative couldn't answer a lot of questions on the Visit. No matter. One senses, even before getting the feedback from Sister vice-president, that there might not be someone left in the parish to expedite approval. So, one takes a bold step  to email directly the pastor on leave though fearful he might be sick and unable to answer. It is a risk one takes, but one trusts in  the Voice that says, "Work on this, let the Holy Mother use  you for spreading Her love and message to the world." It's a risk-- a fear of being looked upon as assuming a role that should be that of the Legion President. But one cannot hold back the time: the clock is ticking. In one day, the chance to have the National Pilgrim Visit might be gone and in the meantime, our souls languish in hunger for Her love and protection. How can one let go of this precious opportunity practically at our door knocking? And the Voice is insistent: "You're a servant of God; no need to wait for those who are titled."

Then comes the pastor's (Father Alexander Lewis') answer through email, "So long as the group is legitimate and approved by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and have a  document saying so, I have no problem.Please contact Rosie Hernandez or Martha at the rectory by phone and email both so that you can organize the date/location with Martha.... you will have to take care of the publicity getting, to the bulletin person, etc." How he must love Mother Mary to have acted so fast! How trustful he must be that the one he's assigning and the whole parish community can organize everything even if it's practically in the nick of time.


One's planning, organizing and communication skills, long dormant from ancient days, are once more put to use. Moreover, one's love for Mother Mary is put to test. It is a marathon of sorts. One stays up till midnight  to email confirmation of the date to Bro. Victor Yap of the Curia and to the Regional Coordinator from whom one needs to get documents attesting to the legitimacy of the World Apostolate movement  to present to  our pastor and whoever might ask.  One works frenziedly through the following two weeks to compose the news release and announcement for all the Masses, to email all parish leaders to have them mobilize their members: the Hispanic community, the Filipino community, the Vietnamese community, the senior citizens, the charismatic group, the youth group, the Our Lady of Peace school--Mother Mary being the Mother of All Mankind and not just of the Legionaries." One maps out the program. One coordinates and discusses distribution of tasks and responsibilities to one's Legion sisters and brother who all embrace such participation with enthusiasm, with love for our Mother Mary, and with excitement 
. 
A few snags, but nothing to worry about: where to house the official custodian bringing and guarding the precious Statue and the three ladies assisting him--Sisters Josie, Helen and Letty; last minute details---the songs, the rites, the ushers. And the lector/reader, forgotten in all the commotion, so that one has to do it, unrehearsed, as other Legion members are to assume likewise some other roles in the rites. Bro. Victor of the Curia, sending out the flier to all other parishes. Maribel Fechtner coming to the rescue (thanks to Sister Mary Foronda of St. Bridget Church) in providing the housing for the four WAF personnel. Such miraculous responses to one's plea for Mother Mary to intervene.

A sodality of Marian children coming together: the Regina Pacem Presaedium of Our Lady of Peace, Rosie, dear pastoral associate, singing Ave Maria a capella; Deacon Rey (who stayed with the devotees through the end of the day), Martha, dear secretary; Tim, ever loyal pianist; Ms. Jasso, school principal; Thanh Tran, Anthony Nguyen, Bro.Celso and his chivalrous knights of the Holy Name of Jesus; Olga Castillo of the Legion de Maria and the many others in our diverse community. All are gems in our church! But most of all, Father Alexander--(A more caring pastor one has not seen in a long time!).  In one's heart of hearts, one says THANK YOU, though you may probably never get to read this!


Finally,  the World Pilgrim Lady of Fatima comes to a people waiting for Mother Mary's blessing, for Her grace, for Her powerful intercession in their petitions, both  for the world and for their own private supplication. Hail the Mother of God!  May She always be with us to light our way and guard us as a nation and as a people looking to Her as our Holy Mother.  May the world heed her pleas for incessant prayers for a world hungry for peace!

-Blanca Datuin aka Alma Viajero


 Mother Mary's Message reminds us of our own responsibility for our salvation and for world peace:

"The action of God, the Lord of history, and the co-responsibility of man in the drama of his creative freedom, are the two pillars upon which human history is built. 

Our Lady, who appeared at Fatima, recalls these forgotten values. She reminds us that man's future is in God, and that we are active and responsible partners in creating that future."

Tarcisio Bertone, SDB
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

WHAT MY FILIPINO HERITAGE MEANS TO ME

Growing old in a country one had not known as a child can be fraught with a lot of ambivalence.  If one is still active upon migration to a strange land, there is the excitement of adventure; but there are also the challenges of surviving and adjusting in an environment that may be totally different from the milieu one had been accustomed to.  One may get a good job, grow on it, accumulate assets, and succeed beyond what he/she had dreamed of. Or, one might get lost in the maze of kaleidoscopic hustles and bustles of life and end up in the gutter. For those who succeed in blending into the mainstream, there is the likelihood of becoming so complaisant that they risk losing the soul--that principle of being that defines the very essence of our humanness. Loneliness may set in.  And this can turn into depression that can gnaw at one like a rodent slowly and painfully eating up the very core of one’s being. Unless one believes firmly in something  he/she can fall back on--something that can wake one up into a realization of his/her true identity that he/she can take pride in, gain confidence  from, and be energized by, in order to rise and be whole again.

To me, this thing I need to fall back on every time I falter in my decision-making, every time I stumble into error, and every time I slip into stupor is also the very thing that pricks me into an awakening, that forces me to rise again, urges me to face my indecision head-on, and to follow the path set forth by my forefathers: a path, thorny it may have been, but embedded in bravery, generosity, pride, beauty and continued growth. This is my Filipino heritage that encompasses my Catholic upbringing and spiritual growth: what I constantly remind myself of as defining my true self no matter where I am; no matter what kind of environment I am submerged in; no matter what other kind of culture and language I may be immersed in; and, no matter who I must face in the great battles encountered daily in this foreign land.  I am, after all, the product of my cultural heritage: its history, its values, its traditions, its customs, its music and dances, its literature, its myths, its rituals, and its ideals.

Thus family bonding is to me adhering to our traditional family gatherings in observance of our noche buena and domingo de pascua.  These help me to re-live the faith of my childhood as strengthened by the tradition of the yearly La Naval de Manila, the  cenaculo and the via crucis during the semana santa.  The rites and festivals--sources of every town’s history--each has a story to tell. The rites of the canao, of the tadtarin, the Moriones, the ati-atihan, the turumba, and the fandango before Santa Clara—these are, to me, dances of life.  The Santacruzan (ah, such vision of vestal beauties!), the misa de gallo for Christmas and the salubong for Easter—these are my people’s most profound traditions of faith. There seems to be no end, in fact, to the breadth of the Filipino culture that speaks of the colorful lives of my people.

From their first encounter with the colonizers on March 16, 1521, my forefathers had already established their character as peace-loving people who, in their inherent sense of hospitality, welcomed visitors in their land with warmth and generosity.  Giving out the best--as demonstrated by their gifting their guests with gold and huge porcelain jars filled with rice grain--speaks of unselfishness and magnanimity practiced only by the civilized. This, to me, is a defining character, a legacy practiced to this day by a true Filipino: that of being human and humane.

But the generosity of our ancestors, if and when taken advantage of, can turn into the ferocity of a lion. Witness the anger of Lapu-lapu who, with his band of warriors, slew the conquistadores headed by Magellan. This is a reminder to me that to fight the exploitative and the greedy is a consequence of being victimized. We are not aggressors, but we know how to assert ourselves as our Filipino heroes Lapulapu, Rizal, Mabini, Bonifacio, and so many others, had shown. Though we cherish peace and are inherently patient, we know how to fight back, because the love for justice runs in our blood.

No matter what other culture I may have been exposed to, it is my Filipino heritage that commands my daily behavior: the po and opo will always be music to my ears; the elderly will always be regarded with reverence, and parents taken care of in their old age. In the tradition of constancy and modesty, a spouse is part of oneself to love and be loyal to, the body a temple of God to be respected and not abused, and life as a whole to be cherished, enriched and refined to one’s best potential.

In sharing what my Filipino heritage means to me, is it too much to hope that others of the same roots as mine—and that include my children and the succeeding generation—cherish it as well?  In the tradition of our ancestors who emerged into a Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Claro Recto, Nick Joaquin, Wilfrido Nolledo,  and many others, may they all evolve into the human beings they are destined to become--the best of what they can be: unique, beautiful, integrated into an ever growing whole as they embraced their dynamic Filipino heritage.  So, to them, I say: unfold like the butterfly and soar to heights of splendor, but be distinctly Filipino!

Distinctly Filipino, yet first and foremost a human being. For when you come down to it, the qualities of being a Filipino are the very qualities that define us all as human beings: After all, my Filipino heritage is my birthright to my integrated self, cultured to the best of what I can possibly be as a human being, polished by the complex of shared beliefs and patterns of learned behavior governed by honor and dignity. To be Filipino is first to be human, to be endowed with the qualities of being human.
Is it any wonder thus when some Filipino grandparents  in shock upon seeing and listening to their tattooed third generation youngsters in plunging necklines, G-string panties, and other outrageous outfit, and their teenage boys in baggy pants, and uttering irreverent phrases, or behaving atrociously, would ask, "Are you Filipino?"

-blanca datuin (c)2009, aka alma viajero