October 30, 2009

For Antigone I

And here I go again, writing another blog entry on my desktop. Speaking of the word “desktop”, I remember Alvin, who refers to his personal computer as desktop: correct but different as what people always say – PC or just plainly computer.

August 15. We are at the last Saturday shoot of our school movie, which was a “partial fulfillment” (as coined by the boastful Jefran, haha) on our English IV, which comprises about 1.5 units of our more than 10 units in our senior year. It was a tiring day, for we started working at morning, and ended up going home late at night. Actually, it was not really late at night, but since majority of my classmates have strict parents, due to the fact that most of them are girls, they consider 7 pm as very late at night.

Our leader, Chica, asked us to have our shoot tomorrow, because we left Grand Palazzo Real with many of the scenes unfinished. Grand Palazzo Real (which was mentioned on my blog entry “In The Tropics”) was a very beautiful place, and was our shooting place for the movie. I got quickly used to its beautiful landscape, and the transportation in going there, for almost every weekend of the month of August, that includes Saturdays and Sundays, we are always going there to shoot, and at times, we also include the remaining hours before sunset after classes.

We were really out of time, and we are as rushed as an ant on a rainy season, desperately finding for food even though he knows that he is too late. Only three out of the fourteen scenes were taken, and the submission is on two days. The editing, on average, should take two days, and at the rate we shot the three scenes that we are able to shoot, we should be given five more weekends to finish them. Guess what, we are going to pass that project two days from that day.

Chica asked us to go to Salakot, the never-dying and the very legendary meeting place of our batch, at 10 am. Kervy explained, and said that he cannot miss a day on his church and that the ceremonies or mass (I don’t know how they call it on their religion) will end at 10 am. Chica listened to Kervy and moved the meeting time at 11 am sharp. Take note of the word “sharp”. (wtf?!)

The moment I went home, I slept almost instantly. (Yuck! Haha! This only explains how tired I am that day) Prior to that, we ate at Chowking with Chica bringing the giant styrofoar and I bringing the costumes in a hideous-looking laundry bag. Charlotte is also with us, and I have nothing to tell about her things.

I woke up at 7 am, and the sun was firmly on the sky already. I went fast in the front of the PC and started to open all my accounts on many social networking sites. I opened my Restaurant City, for I was in a chase to pass Claudine’s Chu-chu Restaurant. Then, my sister screamed at me. She heard the sound of Taho! (It is a Filipino food and I do not know how to describe it. All I know is that it is a very popular breakfast in the Philippines that comes in different flavors, but usually, sellers have only one – the classic white flavor.)

I ran outside and downstairs, and was disappointed to see a blank street. The TahoMan has left me, and my chances to sip through the hot cream of it are lost. I waited for about three minutes, watching as the clouds pass by and as the wind blows the leaves on the trees, changing position time after time.

I went up, losing hope, for I do not have a plan anymore to wait for the TahoMan. I sat in front of the PC, when my sister screamed again that the TahoMan is back. To my excitement, bringing the big glasses, I went down. I saw the TahoMan giving delights to the happy children less than half of my height. They are like party children asking for colorful balloons from a balloon man.

At last, the taho was served to me and I consumed it almost instantly. Argh, ten pesos today does not really get you too far. After sometime surfing the Net, I was shocked to see that the time is already nine o’ clock. Using the computer really consumes time, and a friendly tip, if you want to kill time fast and with a smile, surf the Net, as long as you are prepared to pay the hefty electric bills. If not, do the medieval style of passing time, having children, parenting, writing classic literature, and merrymaking with homemade wine on streets all day long.

I ate my heavy breakfast, for I was not able to eat my dinner the night before. I took a bath for “how many?” minutes as I left my RC running.

I chose my outfit for today, which didn’t take long because I only wear shorts and t-shirt, the typical casual wear fit for going on the other street. Haha. I left the house at 11:00 am, and I am deeply worried that may have left me for I am late. As I have said on my entry “On Board Bus Number Zero”, jeepneys in our residence are as rare as humans on the moon. While waiting, I just tried to memorize the first stanzas of my declamation piece, “Ako ang Kriminal”, for I do not want to waste time waiting for those rare resources.

After 15 minutes waiting for the jeepney, bringing the crazy laundry with me, which I separated in two more decent plastic bags minutes before, at last, my long suffering is over. A jeep is approaching. I boarded it, and the ride was smooth and fast. I sat at the front, and I was making a fantasy music video of Gravity on the jeepney.

After 10 minutes, we reached Main Gate, the starting point and endpoint of all jeepneys on the route that I am taking. Some 200 meters away is the Salakot, and I walked fast to get there. The heat of the tropical sun was baking me, and I really need to get under the shade of that giant hat.

To my dismay, no one was there. Except for a group of college students from HAU practicing a dance number, a group of children on a petty preaching session, another formation of students practicing a what I see as speech choir for the Buwan ng Wika and a woman sitting on the metal railings while texting.

So, I waited.

I waited.

I waited for a long time.

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