Guerrillero Heroico

That is what the photogapher Korda called his photo of Che Guevara. That photo is the most widely reproduced historical image. You saw it on Tshirts, buttons and whatever. Now, a documentary has been made on the "Chevolution."
Here are some Che images I had in my computer and an old thing I wrote about Chevolution:

James Dean Shows You How to be Un-Jologs

• Lean on Stuff While Standing
• Get as Horizontal as Possible While Sitting
• Assume an Open Posture
• (Take up lots of space)
• Master the Confident Gaze/Fearless Stare/Scowl
• Talk Slowly
• Smile Strategically (No Sycophantic Smiling)

Jun Lozada

I expected him to be smaller, but then he was among nuns. He said he can not be compared to Chavit Singson. He asks the people to buy lotto tickets if they want to change the fate of their country, or sort of. I love the whole lotto metaphor (or should that be conceit). He is a little ashamed of receiving doleouts compared to the cabal in the government who actually earns the wages of 20 million workers in only one transaction. Outrage is what Jun was after but then from the audience I can only see admiration.

Rizal Day 3: Sisa

Did you watch The Dance of Sisa? Noh? Yes, it's a Noh play. It was taken from Amelia Lapena Bonifacio's Ang Paglalakbay ni Sisa: lsang Noh sa Laguna. Sisa, of course, is from Rizal's Noli. I wrote about this in Inquirer (Cimatu, Frank. Baguio gets a feel of the Noh, The Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle. October 16, 2005)

Rizal Day: Gerry Alanguilan

Are you following Gerry's Rizal series in Fudge Magazine? No? Better start now.

Rizal Day Part I

In Dapitan, Rizal actually has his "Code of Ethics." "Dont be a drunkard." Oh please, Rizal would not be this stupid.

How's do you find my English?

This is a page of a letter from Jose Rizal while exiled in Dapitan from 1892 to 1896. More than 110 years ago, you could count Filipinos who can speak in English and here he was, asking us if his English was fine. Then he moved on to French in the latter part of the letter. Remember the great Claro M. Recto who got Maximo Cum Laude in lawschool about forty years later did not pass the Bar because of his English comprehension.
And Rizal wrote here that he was starting to learn Bisaya. But then his English was already even better than some Filipino professionals I exchange emails with.

Not-so-Innocent Historical Lols

Chatwin and D.V.

I am re-reading Bruce Chatwin’s What Am I Doing Here when I chanced upon this funny vignette:

AT DINNER WITH DIANA VREELAND
Her glass of neat vodka sat on the white damask tablecloth. Beyond the smear of lipstick, a twist of lemon floated among the ice-cubes. We were sitting side-by-side, on a banquette.
“What are you writing about, Bruce?”
“Wales, Diana.”
The lower lip shot forward. Her painted cheeks swiveled through an angle of ninety degrees.
“Whales!” she said. “Blue whales!...Sperrm whales!...THE WHITE WHALE!”
“No…no, Diana! Wales! Welsh Wales! The country to the west of England.”
“Oh! Wales. I do know Wales. Little grey houses…covered in roses…in the rain…” 1982

A short while, I, too, thought that Bruce would have been writing about Diana, the Princess of Wales.
This is not representative but Chatwin is my guide to writing feature profiles. He is so good in bringing out the persona in a person. His “A Lament for Afganistan” is better than most of the political analyses coming out in that forsaken country and he wrote his in 1980. Must read also is his China profiles and, of course, The Songlines. Gougou de Jesus loves that book. I bought mine in a used bookshop in Seattle. “My Anatomy of Restlessness” I stole from a friend. Utz I bought in National at P50. On The Black Hill I bought in Booksale. My search for What Am I Doing Here is a weird story. I got one in Kinokuniya but someone got it before I can read it. I bought another in National. Same story. Then one day, I passed by Diplomat in SM Baguio and they have a hardbound copy selling for P25! I do not have In Patagonia but I have “Enduring Patagonia" by Gregory Crouch, “The Old Patagonian Express" by Paul Theroux and “Patagonia : Natural History, Prehistory and Ethnography at the Uttermost End of the Earth" edited by Colin McEwan, Luis Borrero and Alfredo Prieto as way of compensation. I know what you would say, it will not do.