Where's That Bowl Of Water?

All my advocacy about promoting FOSS and veering away from proprietary systems, as it turned out,  I happened to have inherited an icon of Steve Jobs' legacy not once BUT TWICE!! 

I immediately tried to liquidate the first one and found that I couldn't— or more accurately: it would have been utterly foolish for me to. So for ten days I felt like Nixau desperately trying to figure out what to do with the coke bottle. 

Finally coming to the stoic conclusion that I'm stuck with it, I had to re-learn— against my will, with a learning curve made even steeper by my bias against the oppressive eco-system. 

Then less than two weeks later, another one lands on my lap!?! This now ups the ante to further immerse myself in the suffocating fish bowl.   

Alas, justify— yes, indeed I will— but it terribly feels like a sell- out. 

Hmmmm ...accepta aqua lavit manus coram populo ...

Tikling

Tikling

Ako'y nanlulumo na nawala na ang pagmamalaki natin sa ating katutubong kabihasnan.

Hihiramin ko ang sinulat ni Augusto F. Villalon na nagsabi na:

"The Philippine cultural scene is as tumultuous as its politics so it is no surprise that for the Filipino, getting a grip on his own culture may be alienating.

The cultural scene today is such a mixed bag, including “beautification” of heritage town plazas with monstrous “multipurpose” structures where barrio beauty contests are held as the main cultural event of the annual fiesta. Usually crowned as Miss Barrio Beauty is the most Caucasian-looking among the contestants.

Noontime television shows entertain the entire nation, inspiring inmates of provincial jails to form their own dance troupes which out-dance the best Western pop dancers."

Nakakalungkot malaman na sadyang iyan nga ang katotohanan.

Ang nakakadagdag pa ng kalamsi sa sugat ay ito: panoorin nyo itong mga kabataan na buong sigla at galing na sinasayaw ang Tinikling— isang tunay na Pilipinong sayaw.

Buong yabang mong maipagmamalaki na ito ay katangi-tanging "Pilipino".

Ngunit kung mapag-isip ka ng mas malalim ay imbis na lumuwag ang dibdib sa pagmamayabang ng kulturang Pilipino, ay lalo ka dapat malungkot. Kinailangan pa na itong mga banyaga ang magpakita ng ganda at galing ng ating sariling kabihasnan, at hindi mo makikita itong galing at sigla dito sa ating bansa.

Baka naman pagkatapos kong isulat ito ay magbago din ...