Missing Magdelene

(Goddess Sheelah Na Gig, photo by Gareth Lloyd Hughes, http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=2150&L=0)

All that religious experts' fuzz about the religious fiction book of Dan Brown made more people even more curious about the worship of God as female. In some archeological books, the utter devotion of the Roman Catholic religious to the Virgin Mary is traced to Goddess worship of much older times, preceeding the worship of God as male.

Virgin Mary could have been part of the many transformation of the Goddess in many cultures, transforming partly as an adaption to the reign of male-dominated cultures-- She is Iambe or Baubo, Sheelagh/Sheila/Sheelah Na Gig, Quan Yin, Isis, Iris, Gaia, Bathaluman (Filipino Tagalog), and so on.

Some Goddess names are found in this site: http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/goddessnames.html

I am now curious what part of the Goddess that Mary Magdalene fills in. If Virgin Mary is the virgin/saint and Magdalene is the vamp/sinner, perhaps the two make up a personality of the Goddess, perhaps of every woman. Utilization of both personalities being important to women who desire a sane, wild and meaningful life.

Dan Brown's book actually points out an omission that makes much stronger the male story of humankind. The passive, supportive, innocent Virgin elevated to great heights while the knowing, experienced Magdalene was played down and referred to as the prostitute, a lumpen who reformed. Most of male society has always been afraid of the knowing woman. A knowing woman knows man-- his fears, wants and weaknesses.

Yet, what I do not like about the fiction book is that it insisted the Magdalene was of royal blood decent and covered up her being prostitute ( a knowing woman), to justify her right to be revered. In the chart of royal bloodlines, the royal blood line came from King David, then Christ, then the offspring of Christ and Magdalene, aside from Magdalene being royal blood also. Enough of that royal blood thing. Please. Royal bloodedness is a fiction created by people, by society. A label and privilege created to justify the rule and abundance of the few over vast lands with many starving and hardworking masses.

The woman, her importance, as always throughout history, is revered, respected or voted(!) for her royal lineage via her father, forefathers or husband(s).

The book missed the potentially powerful essence of the person of Magdalene. It is not scary to male-dominated society after all.

Pinoy X-Tao

X-Men rocks. Of all the powerful characters, in the end, the rebel, dugyot (dirty, poor), lost, impulsive, unpredictable,'uneducated' Logan/Wolverine saved the day. I like that. I like Wolverine. True, transparent, willing to take risks and suffer pain. A character lacking in so many people today. Everyone is just so into their own power and well publicized causes.

I almost cried when Charles Xavier was killed by Jean Grey (but later on after the movie credits, Charles seemed to have transported his character into another body, so he is not that dead after all). It reminded me of our vanishing wise elders, being replaced by the likes of Magneto. I thought of Jovito Salonga (still very much alive today) who ran for president of this country once. I voted for hom but he lost. This country will continue losing its chances if it keeps on listening to the Magnetos.

Maiba nga ako... my friend and I have been thinking of X-men names for Pinoys:

Girl Bawang-- garlic breath that disintegrates anything in the way

Okay ka ba Chant--super sonic wail that induces earthquakes, floods and the heating up of air

Super Pork- ability to create pork dishes like sisig, crispy pata, etc. and compel the enemy to buy beer and have a good time, the enemy then dies of stroke

Porklet- anak ni Super Pork

Starlet - the sexy dancer who can hypnotize the enemy to sit down and feel his kamachohan, while starlet strikes for the kill; starlet sexy dances to the tune of "From a distance" by Bette Midler

VATman- the tax genius who kills via manipulating tax dues of his enemies until they become too poor and powerless

Ginoong Trapo - the villain who has endless supply of guns and goons, has four eyes, two noses, two mouths, six stomachs, eight hands, four feet and one small d*ck

Want to add a character?

watch Da Vinci movie

I saw Da Vinci Code the movie just the other day.

So many people were eager to watch the controversial movie, lining up in non-SM theaters, many among them wanting to see what the fuzz is all about. Bad business move for SM, I think, because there is more probability now that people will flock to non-SM theaters to watch movies. This time, conservatism is bad for business.

The Roman Catholic Church and the local government of Manila City must have seen something in the movie that compelled them to denounce and ban it...

I don't think the roman catholic religious who have been campaigning against the movie have actually seen the movie, except if you are tight-assed. The movie is all about probabilities and another view of Christianity, it isn't even against Christianity. It is not even against Opus Dei. If there is something that it is against, it is clearly against using religion and religious power/authority to secure selfish ends. Jesus preached about this, particularly whenever he referred to the Pariseo and Saduceo, religious high rankers during His time on earth.

It seems high rankers still have not learned lessons of ages ago. They use religious power to tell people, businesses and governments what to see, what to ban. Opinion could have been enough. Curtailing freedom to watch a movie is just way too much.

Babae sa Tag-ulan

It is near rainy season (tag-ulan) and tonight is the closing program of our photo exhibit at Penguin Gallery near Remedios Circle, Malate.

I am really excited to see the djembe players and dancers from Burkina Faso. O yeah, to quote my Nigerian friend, it will be Yonki! night... just kidding, hehe.

Jamming with me are two teens (Divine and Kwami) my age, asa pa ako, hehe, actually about 2/3 of my age. Really cool girls with talent. Whenever I see their kind, I see hope for this schizophrenic country.

That is a sample photo from the exhibit, a kid just after a swim from the mountain river near a dam site.

Rice not Rights (wag mo basahin kung ikaw ay pikon)

Excuse me, the rights I am referring to is rights movement of near-bogus or exactly bogus character.

NGOs--thanks to the Marcos, Cory, Ramos, Erap, Gloria eras for making them bloom and mushroom all over the place-- particularly the increasingly corporate-like ones, spend so much money for travel and publicity of rights causes; speaking as if they are one with the poor majority, the marginalized peoples. (People's and community organizations are a different a lot. I believe in them.)

Yes, being with NGOs for a long time made me analytical and be concerned about what's happening in the world, or even just this country. But now, I am seeing some NGO bosses use their organizations for career venture, if not a luxury and travel endeavors made to look like selfless service to the people. Kapalmuks no?

There are just so many of them pretending to be rights advocate when their talk is much much more than actual deeds. Travel here and there, all over the Phlippines and the world attending conferences, meetings and presenting papers read only by themselves because they are just so engrossed in their own words and worlds. Living in style, a citizen of the world, a world-class intellectual. If we convert their travel expenses and allowances to sacks of rice, we can feed so many communities, believe me.

We like to blame politicians for spending or taking money for the wrong things but who among corporate-like NGO top bosses is not doing it? Siguro meron pa. Sana. Pero kaunti na lang sila.

Pinoproblema daw ang usapin tungkol sa rights, may nagawa ka na ba para sa rice? Oo, rice para sa mga taong gutom, yung nasa malalayong lugar, yung mga hindi kayang umattend ng NGO conferences.

Gosh, hay naku, grabe... if you know what I mean. Ilagak nyo sa nararapat yang sandamukal na mulah na ninenenok nyo. Hinayupak kayo. Orocan, tupperware, ceramic ware, software, plasticware!

Bato-bato sa langit, tamaan please magalit! Now na!

O siya, matatanim pa ako ng kamote.

I hate drama!

I love drama, only when it is fit for the script.

But last night in our Pinikpikan gig at the Clamshit, I mean, Clamshell in Intramuros, the drama artistas in charge were certainly Over Acting on a badly written script. Super OA, chingga*.

We were invited to perform at this dinner and welcoming night for the UNESCO International Theatre Institute World Congress.

At first, the music and the vibes were good. The groove was Maayo Man, which translates to English as “ Life is Good”. The audience, delegates from the world’s five continents, loved it.

After the 'life is good' feel, a certain OA Nick came in with his microphone, where he got it do not know, and asked the people “...Do we want them to continue? Shall we go on?? Blah.. blah”. He was explaining that they still have things to attend to, running out of time, etc. Embrassing, the way he said it. But the audience wanted us to continue.

Lacking convincing power on the audience, he approached me, like a matapobreng doña from Rizal’s Noli told me we can only perform for 10 minutes more. I said okay. I was actually referring him to our contact for the gig, the stage managers, telling them that he should inform them, instead of going to me onstage in front of an audience and instructing me like an Indio just like the great old conquistadores and makapili days.

We obeyed, I informed Sammy (music director) about Nick's instructions and we did another song, Diwata (fairy), a five-minuter.

We were then consuming less than 5 minutes and 30 seconds of that 10-minute thing he set for us…Sammy and I were introducing the next song, Kalipay, which means happiness. Happines turned to madness when Nick interrupted us again. I was in the middle of explaining what the word Kalipay means and what languages and rhythms it uses when Mr. Artiste shit it off again with his “Excuse me… blah blah… we have to blah blah …” He was actually telling the delegates they have to go. Yes, even if there were no buses outside to fetch them.

Pinikpikan still played a percussion version of Kalipay. We had to play the gongs, or else we would have given Nick what he deserves, a good scold in front of everyone.

The delegates watched on. Many did not leave until the last beat.

The band packed up....

You know, it was like the band did not exist for him, like we were mere entertainment dolls, like an exotic dish that could be served and disposed of anytime . Galing niya, puede siyang ambassador ng Pilipinas, noh? Nagkamali siya, we are not this kind of music for nothing. We did not keep silent for that night.

I went to this guy. I asked him what the problem was. He suddenly flared up and told me he does not need confrontation. I was just asking and there he was yelling… pointing me to the big bosses.

Explaining to his boss (a well-known figure in the elite art world) why we felt bad about Nick’s actions did not do good. She just did not listen and kept on justifying her colleague’s actions. At first she was justifying, later on, she was accusing. She said they are having many problems with the whole congress. Sa isip ko, ah ganun, kaya gumagawa pa kayo ng dagdag na problema sa pambabastos sa kapwa ninyo Filipino at artist?

I leave out other details here.

The night ended with Pinikpikan having a relaxing drink at Penguin. I had four tall shots of tequila, pero di pa rin ako nalasing o naging tipsy! But then, I went home feeling good because we made our stand, and I was laughing about how such people like Nick and his lady boss could be such among the top people in the Philippine arts world.They are just so over- acting their matapobre-alta sosyedad roles. A classic example of tumanda ng paurong.

That Nick messed up with his thingies and took it out on others. Filipinos really looked like crabs in a pot on a stove that night. What can I say? Great welcome party for foreign delegates. Great treatment of local artists. He did not even care to apologize.

Thanks Nick. Great advocacy for the arts.

Great crabby act. Watch out for the boiling point.

---
* A lovely word, Zamboangeñas use this word when they are super pissed off

no means no

I've been watching a friend's collection of "L" Word series. Yes, non-Ls do watch this show too! And watching the series give us a lot to think about.

This line from the writer-near-psychotic character Jenny (season 2) is my latest favorite:

"...Because there isn't a single girl or woman in this world that hasn't been intruded upon, and sometimes it's relatively benign, and sometimes it's so fucking painful that you would have no idea what (it) feels like."

I try to look strong (and capable for violence) whenever I can especially when I am out for music gigs and drunk. But even if I do that, so many guys just do not know how to treat a woman nicely. When a woman does not want you, it would be so obvious... but some guys are just so into themselves that they do not ever take notice when a girl does not want them. Please guys, understand when a woman's eyes say "Fotah naman, kung trip kita pare, tinalo na kita kanina pa. Pero talagang di kita trip e!"

Help me God not to hurt an arrogant scrub.