Public Enemies Film Review

The film was based on a 2004 non-fiction book by Bryan Burrough entitled Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34.

I’m a big fan of mafia book but sad to say I am not a huge of gangster movies. Actually, I find them slow and at certain times even boring. But what got my attention with this movie was the star of the film, Jonny Depp. Depp’s been known to take a usually common and almost unadventurous role and turn it into a spectacular character (e.g. Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka); anyways, so I got interested in this movie and actually was interested enough to watch it.

Like almost all gangster movie it started with a gun fight between the members of the gang and of course the authorities, this time though the film started with John Dillinger breaking his buddies out of prison. What is really noteworthy about the gunfight was the fact that it wasn’t too theatrical; it was a straight forward jailbreak – they over powered the prison guards, one hot head killed one of the guards and a gun fight ensues wherein one of Dillinger’s gang, his mentor actually was killed and as punishment he left out to the vultures the one who caused the commotion in the first place. It was immediate and gangster type justice.

The film was set in the early 1930s where men still wore hats and trench coat was the fashion, sort of a Dick Tracy reminder there, and men can actually walk the streets with their guns and banks doesn’t seem to that any security (at all!) I remember commenting on how easy Dillinger and his men enter the banks they rob with his double handguns. I mean, they just make it so easy for them to get rob imagine a guy entering the bank and breezing through the door and straight to the bank manager with a loaded gun and that’s before he even fired a shot. I guess these events were the things that triggered bank security and such. During the robberies, the movie emphasizes on the fact that Dillinger makes the effort to put on a great show of stealing only the “bank’s money” rather than the small deposits of the general public. Sort of like a steal from the rich and not the working man kind of thing…hehehe! Honor on thievery…a twisted sort of values I guess but a value just the same.

Another noteworthy part of the film was Dillinger’s very gangster like courting of his love interest Billie Frechette (Marion Cottilard, practically demanding that she become his girlfriend and buts or ifs about it. Well, she complies of course what other answer could she give anyway. And he woes her with lavish gifts, of fur coats and expensive dinners, Dillinger promised her the world but the world is changing from the one that Dillinger knew. Crime and the criminals itself were beginning to change, and law enforcement have started to evolve. This was also the time of the birth of the FBI and the enactment of the first ever “National War Against Crime” act.  At one point being recognized as Dillinger’s girl Billie was apprehended by the FBI was viciously interrogated and beaten to learn about his whereabouts but she refuses to talk, instead sneering that they missed their chance to capture him at the hotel, and that Dillinger’s anger will know no bounds when he hears about her treatment. Sadly, though this was the only part of the film where Cottilard was given any decent character development.

It is here in this part of the story that you see the huge difference between the American gangsters and the Sicilian Mafioso. Where the first was just a bunch of crude men with guns, interested only in money and wealth run by crude leaders with very little foresight, whereas the other gets wisdom, tactics and even influence from an entire bloodline of elders, advisers and even at times a council made up of other mafia lords. I personally attribute that fact to why the gangs never stay as long as the mafia.

Well, in the film, Dillinger failed to move and change with the times; he failed to recognize the effect that the new law enforcement arm of the government would have on him. Dillinger lives for the moment, unwilling or unable to consider the future, and with little use for the past.

Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis, Dillinger’s main rival. Bale’s chilly screen persona is perfect for a self-righteous villain like this.  Unfortunately, the two main rivals, Purvis and Dillinger, don’t really connect much onscreen, except for one brief, well-placed discussion through prison bars.  I love Bale’s intensity and his acting had always been flawless, here he was the silent but resilient agent assigned to head the anti-Dillinger team. Bale made us see an effective operator, ruthless sometimes but always justified.

Allow me to comment now on the action on the film, unlike most action films with a lot of big action effects and extravagant explosions the actions on this film are well made and real. I said real because it was believable. The combination of stark lighting and shaky camera movements gave chaos an open invitation to rear its ugly head at any time. The bullets are loud and plentiful and when they hit, the blood is not shy about making an exit.  

What makes this film really different is its loyalty to reality, director Michael Mann made sure that the film stuck as much as possible to what actually happened most especially on the details of Dillinger death. Mann spends a great deal of extra time mining Dillinger’s real-life ending for all its movie-ness. Dillinger was shot just after a showing of Manhattan Melodrama (1934), and so Mann showed clips from that film (with Clark Gable, William Powell and Myrna Loy), and deliberately ties in some of its ideas to his own film.

I liked the film, it’s not my favorite Johnny Depp film but it was really good.

Super…nakakainis!

Ewan ko ba kung bakit ako naiinis, pero naiinis ako! I can’t figure it out kse, I mean bakit ba naging habit na ata ng marami lalo na ng mga actresses naging feeling sosyal to use the word “Super” with almost anything as in “Super natutuwa” daw sya; or “Super Thankful” daw sila; or “Super worried” ako…and so many more at sa totoo lang “SUPER” nakakainis sila!!!!

What irks me most is the fact na ang dami na ngang baluktot mag-english sa bansa natin to the detriment and embarassment of others tapos alam naman ng mga artistang ito that they influence people lalo na yung youth and they go around twisting the language even more!

Okay na nga yung tag-lish eh. Kahit papano we have gotten used to it, pero naman…yung mag-invent pa ulit ng baluktot na language eh “Super” nakakalungkot na talaga..pramiz! sheesh!!!!!

Just a few days ago, our domestic help was watching the PBB thing on TV and sad to say my pc is located in the living room of our house WITH the TV! So no choice ako I can hear the entire thing at ang nakakahiya eh these contestants were all trying to get accepted into an exchange program abroad. Then when one girl was asked, “What is your best physical asset?” Ang sagot…”I am patient.” Patay!!!!! Tapos the next girl was asked, “What is your country’s biggest problem?” Ang sagot!? “Early pregnancy because of premarital sex!” WTF!!!!!!??? Kelan pa naging mas importante yun kaysa poverty or graft and corruption!?

Tapos eto, dadagdag pa ng problema yung mga artistang walang magawa! Ano ba yan!?

 

Book Review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I know that this review is long overdue but I very good friend requested that I don’t do this soon after I finish reading the book and I complied, although I think by now I have given him a good enough time to be able to read the book himself so I’m going ahead with my personal review of the book.

Well, I have always prided myself with having my own opinions about thing but this time around I think I would have to agree with the rest of the critiques on the book. I hate to say it but there was nothing extra-ordinary about the third Robert Langdon book by Dan Brown. I want to state here that I have become a fan of the Langdon series I love the thrill of the hunt and the fast phase of Angels and Demons; and I love the intrigue of The Da Vinci Code. Sadly, none of those things are present in this book.

For one thing, The Lost Symbol was not the first book that used the secrets of the Masons as a basis for the mysteries; Dan Brown himself used them in his first two Langdon books. And it’s alright, but he should have given this new book a brand new twist, something to keep the readers entertained and thirsting for more. The “national security threat” issue which started appearing after only a few chapters was dragged out far too long to my opinion and then it didn’t justify the hype that was built up for it.

The same goes for the “lost word” which was supposed to have so much power and bring order from chaos. I don’t know but after all the build up that went on through out the book, one would think that this would be a powerful word and something unique and unusual; something arcane and able to unlock a great secret…well, it’s nothing like that at all. I mean, considering all the things that they went through and all the effort the culprit exerted to gain this “lost word” it was disappointing to finally find out what it was all about in the end. All in all the book was anti-climatic, and not in a memorable way. Unless… you want to remember it because you’re disappointed with it.

If you’re embarking on your way to a trip to Washington, DC anytime soon this book would be a great companion; it would be quite fun to go find the symbols and clues that were mentioned in the book. But if you’re looking for something to read that’ll keep you at the edge of your seat, I recommend you just wait for the paper back issue.

In my personal opinion, the book could have ended with half the chapters but it was stretched far too much that it get boring as you go further. Sadly, with all the hype that was created before the book came out…it turned out to be nothing but an ordinary read.

Movie Review: The Taking of Pelham 123

Synopsis:

In the movie Denzel Washington plays a NYC subway dispatcher Walter Garber who was assigned to the Rail Control Center, due to an ongoing investigation that he took a bribe to recommend a Japanese car manufacturer for the next subway car contract.  Unknown to him, this day was about to turn into complete chaos with him right in the middle of it all. Four heavily armed men, led by Bernard Ryder (John Travolta), board the New York City subway 6 train departed from Pelham Bay Park Station at 1:23 p.m., and proceed to take control of it. The group then uncoupled the front car from the rest of the train and held the passengers in this front car hostage. Ryder and a former MTA train operator named Ramos settle down in the front of the car, while the other hijackers watch the hostages in the back. They demand $10 million in ransom money to be paid within an hour or they start killing the hostages. Garber and Ryder exchange conversations through the microphone, while his men set up a wi-fi booster apparatus to enable Ryder to access his laptop in the tunnel to watch the stock market plunge nearly 1,000 points during the next hour.

Unknown to him, one of the male passengers has an active laptop with a webcam, that was casually knocked to the floor, facing the car’s interior previously when they took their hostages, which simultaneously reconnects using that same wi–fi link; reestablishing the feed to his girlfriend’s desktop with whom he was videochatting; when she returns to her PC, she sees the hostage situation through her webcam and provides the live feed to a local television station. Here I started to get real irritated with the girlfriend, she keeps talking to her boyfriend demanding him to tell her he loves her when…well…he’s pre-occupied trying to stay alive! At one point in the movie one of the hijackers saw the laptop on the floor and when made the effort to scare the girlfriend but it puzzled me that he didn’t even make a move to punish the boyfriend or so much as destroy the laptop..weird!

The Mayor (James Gandolfini) agreed to pay the ransom while waiting for the money to be collected, Ryder talks to Garber. Through his internet connection he googled Garber’s name and found that about the alleged bribery and forces him to confess by holding the boy with the laptop at gunpoint, saying the reason for taking the money was to pay for his kids college education but that the Japanese company was his first choice anyway. While the police stand down in the tunnel, a rat on the roadbed crawls up an officer’s leg, causing him to discharge his sniper rifle, killing Ramos, who was sitting in the motorman’s position and aggravating the situation even further.  Ryder demands Garber to personally deliver it within 7 minutes. Garber calls his wife to inform her about his new responsibility, in order to save the hostages, but she cares only for his own safety. She makes him promise to pick up some milk on the way home, because he must come home safely.

Well, basically, that is the plot of the story. The rest of the film is best seen and not read.

Review:

Watching this movie reiterates to me why I love John Travolta and why I adore Denzel Washington movies; then to have the two of them in film..it was awesome! I mean the story wasn’t all that great, it has none of the depth you would unconsciously expect from a film which stars Denzel Washington, though is has all the drama, suspense-filled feel of a John Travolta movie. The plot needs a lot more to be desired but the acting of the two stars certainly made up for it, and even made the movie worth watching. The suspense was simply something you would definitely expect from Tony Scott. Rotten Tomato rated this as 52% fresh…well, anyways very few action movies are ever rated high by this review site. Though, I must say the movie was anti-climatic…after watching it you get the feel that something’s missing or you go something like “that’s it?!”

It’s Christmas!!!!

Well, in the Philippines they say the start of the Christmas season always comes with the first day of the ‘ber’ months. But lately, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas at all – what with the typhoons and all the calamity that befell the country lately it just felt like a callous thing to be thinking of Christmas and all the delicious and extravagant and jolly things that came with the season’s celebration.

And yet this morning, I woke up to the cold, fragrant Christmas air. It was the very first time that happened this year, and it just brought to mind that no matter what we do or how pitiful or hard everything is – we could never stop Christmas from coming.

Suddenly there’s something different in the air…it’s colder and it smells different. There’s something uniquely Christmas in the way the cool air touches your face, the smell that permeates the air and the general feeling of something’s coming. I don’t know if anyone else feels the same as I do but somehow, it’s the gifts or the bonuses nor the festivities that make Christmas so different from all other occasions but it’s that feeling of excitement or anticipation…that’s what makes Christmas special.

So maybe we won’t have as many gifts under the Christmas tree this Christmas, some of us may not have a decent Christmas celebration but Christmas is still Christmas and it will come whether we like it or not. And thank the Lord for that; Christmas means hope, and with that hope it is also fitting that the New Year comes after that – for that means a new beginning. A lot of our countrymen are starting a new this time around, they have lost so much and have to start from scratch.

For this Christmas before anything else, please try to remember our brothers and sisters who will be spending their Christmas at the relocation sites and at the evacuation centers and please spare a prayer for them. This is a humbling experience for us Filipinos but as always the Filipinos are resilient and we will carry this through and make it through.

Merry Christmas to one and all.

When Mother Nature Strikes Back….

If there was one thing I realized this last few weeks….it is that when nature decides she’s had enough of our man-handling she strikes back and she does so with a vengence. And in the end we humans, turn out to be the losers in this game…

We had barely recovered from Ondoy’s wrath when earthquake struck the Southern part of the country; then Pepeng came along and while this typhoon didn’t hit Metro Manila head on it brought devastation in Northern and Central Luzon and in fact affected the country in a much larger scale as it damaged crops, especially rice which is a staple food in the country.

I guess it’s really about time we stop and think what we’re doing to our natural resources. We Filipinos seem to think we’re immune from it all. While the rest of the world had been making efforts to ‘go green’ we just brush it off, shrug our shoulders and think that tragedy will never get to us. But it did, and it was a good wake up call too before it was too late.

It is true that Ondoy brought so much rain; it is true that Pepeng took three landfalls…but would all the landslide happen if we took better care of our mountains? would it have flooded so much if we didn’t clog the drainages with trash? would there we so much flooding in Baguio if the trees were there? I mean just look at the area of PMA, it was almost untouched by the typhoon. And why? Because the trees and the mountains in that area was protected and so the trees provided them protection.

I am saddened by all that we have lost – people, properties…but I believe it’s also about time we realized that all these things are also due to our neglect and carelessness.

If there was one good thing that all these devastation brought forth, it was that we saw the country united once again. This time around people came together to help…why can’t we be more like this everyday? Why do we always wait for a calamity to happen before we turn to lend a helping hand to our neighbors? Why?

Another day…it seemed the same

It’s been three days since Typhoon Ondoy struck the country and it would seem like it’s back to normal for some folks but for others life would never be the same. A lot of people lost their homes during the flood, others lost the things they’ve worked so hard to get…and still others..those most hurting at the moment lost their loved ones.

I don’t think there’s any establishment, office, organization or group at this point who’re unaffected by the disaster that Ondoy brought. My officemate lost all the worldly possession they’ve worked so hard to build up but he’s still thankful that his family is intact.

This is not so for one of my sister’s people. The man had 12 children, and he did his best to save all of them by tying a rope around them like a chain and taking his children to safety. But alas, when they got to safety, he found that one of his children was missing and up to this time they have not found the child yet.

Being a parent myself, I could understand the pain that man is going through, I don’t know how I’ll handle it if one of children went missing. I know that I’ll function, that I’ll survive for the sake of the remaining child but no matter how many you have the lost of one child is irreplaceable.

Before you sleep tonight please pray for our countrymen that are still bearing the pain that Ondoy gave them and pray also that the void left by a loved one would somehow heal with time.

ONDOY makes his mark….

September 26, 2009

This was certainly a day to remember….

The day started out quite ordinary..it was cloudy day, with a promise of rain. The radio announcer said we have signal no. 1 for Metro Manila, usually this doesn’t mean much to most Manila residents.  The weather forecasted heavy rains by the middle of the morning, but I said the storm signal was still at no. 1 – which means, there are classes for college and work for most people – basically its just another rainy day for most folks. Little did we know..

I left the house at 7:30 am to go to school…we were in the middle of class when the first torrential rain came down and by 10 am classes were suspended. One of my professors suggested we have lunch at the canteen first before heading out…and it was a good thing we did! By the time we got out of the school the water in the roads outside was already up to our knees. Left with no choice we waded through the flooded streets and took our chances hoping to catch a bus ride home, but after a while we all realized no bus would arrive. The streets were too flood for the bused to get through…so we walked all the way to the LRT station and from there took a ride going to Taft Ave. where we intended to take the MRT and finally get to North-EDSA. Luckily, we had no problem getting into the LRT…that is if you consider wading through the murky and dirty flood water not a problem.

So to cut the long story short, we got to Taft Ave and crossed over the bridge towards the MRT station….but that proved to be another ordeal! The crossing took about an hour! The place was packed to busting, and people we arguing, kids were crying…it was really trying. It was around 2:30 pm by this time…we were tired, soaked to the bones, and hungry. Finally, by around 3:30 pm we were able to get our tickets and get on to the MRT train.

And this is where we see that tenacious Filipino humor… we were riding along EDSA and people were pushing in and out of the train, at one point a guy shouted “Hwag nyo kong ipitin, buntis ako!” to which another guy replied “Eh di mali ka ng nasakyan, dun ka dapat sa kabila!”

Then when we reached Santolan station, there was this woman who noisily pushed her way towards the door, insisting to get out. Behind her a guy was calling out to her…”Hindi pa! Hoy! Hindi pa!” but the woman pushed forward and was able to get off the train…once out she turned back looking for her companion who was still inside the train and was shouting “Hindi pa! Sa kabila pa!” pointing towards the direction of the next station, but this time the woman couldn’t get back in anymore, the door of the train closed and the guy simple called out to her “Sunod ka na lang!” and the train sped on. As we made our way to the next station, Cubao, one of the guys near the man asked, “Asawa nyo ho?” and the guy replied “Oo eh, tanga eh!” The entire car burst out laughing!

As the train stopped at Cubao station, people began pushing forward to the doors, some of the guys were shouting “Lalabas! Hwag nyo munang salubungin!” but some of the people outside kept pushing in and keeping the people inside from getting out. Then another guy shouted, “Hoy! May mga lalabas! Huwag nyong salubungin yan..di nyo kamag-anak yan!” and  the crowd again laughed.

This was right in the middle of the crisis and everyone was wet and tired and yet the recilient Filipino humor was very much alive. That is one very unique thing about our people, we have the ability to laugh and find something possitive at the least expected moments.

I finally got home at around 4:30 pm; out house was flooded knee-high but at least everyone was safe. My mom was beside herself with worry since I was the only still out by that time and they were worried about how I’ll be able to get home..but I finally did get home.

At 5:00 pm we received a call telling us my sister-in-law just gave birth to a healthy 8.2 lbs baby girl! My goodness! I couldn’t help it I just had to say, “Well, bro she certainly announced her arrival with a blast!” It’s like the kid was saying ‘I have arrive!’ LOL!

I visited them at the hospital this morning and fell instantly in love with my new niece…she was absolutely cute! Daphne Nicole have certainly arrive! LOL! And I whisper to her, “Pasalamat ka boy yung bagyo kundi ipapangalan ka dun.”

Photos at Taft Ave at 3:30 pm

This was infront of our house at 5:30 pm

And the lovely thing that happened that day…Daphne Nicole…

On Teachers…

There were only three of us for my first class at MBA…and that particular Saturday the other two were indispose at the time. Anyways, tambay ako sa Dean’s Office..sa Faculty Room…(one of the priveleges of old students and MBAs, is that you get to be rubbing elbows with the Faculty and Dean- or mga walang hiya lang talaga!) While there, my last subject professor arrive, mejo nahihiya pa ako kse though I do well naman sa class nya eh…madalas nag-e-excuse ako to leave early making excuses like I was being called at work kse I know that would be a legal excuse and would not affect my grade and class standing at all.

Well, while we were there we got to talking…about how education is right now and how students are…and comparing them with old school ways like really researching and reading things out not like today where students like to copy and paste reports from the net.

She started talking about the responsibility of teachers to gain the interest of the students and help the students become a better person. It was then that I remembered one particular teacher who really made a mark in our lives. My sister, my brother and I all went through her abled hands and we all would be first to say that she was the turning point in our lives.

She was Mrs. Miranda, a grade 5 Science teacher and a beautiful individual. She was also my friend’s mother so I really got to know her well. I have always been a good student, I mean I’m not “the top” of the class but I was one of them. But the year that I entered her classroom was the turning point of my life, it was from her that I learned to really enjoy learning – not just the learning to get high grades kind of stuffs but learning as in finding joy in reading and simply finding out what things are about. She had a thirst for knowledge that was very contageous…and this same thirst, she was able to communicate to her children and students.  She never had to shout or get angry in class, I don’t know why but when she walks in the door we all settled down to listen to what she was about to tell us. What’s surprising is that even the rowdiest of the bunch would quiet down when she’s teaching.It’s like we all knew that we was about to impart something very important to us and we all wanted to know what it was.

Teachers like her are rare, and I have always considered myself lucky, together with my siblings, to have been able to encounter her in this lifetime. I have never encountered another teacher like her again, but one person like her was enough to spur me onward.  It is my pervent wish that one children would encounter someone like her too; a mentor who would set a good example and make a difference in my children’s life.

May TIN number ka na ba?

I actually got this as forwarded e-mail several years ago and I kept it just for the sheer fun of it and also because it’s so real and all so true. I hope those who still read my blogs will also find humor in this one…(mejo mahaba lang sya…Gomen!)

May TIN Number ka na ba?
Writings : Adventures Sa Kawatanan ng Rentas Internas
Contributed by mechajol
Friday, January 31, 2003 @ 01:50:27 PM

Okay. So natanggap na ako nung November sa NCCA bilang researcher. Contract employee lang. 3 months. May Yearbook project kasi sila at kailangan ng extrang tao. Okay lang ang bayad, kaso may 10% withholding tax, at siyempre, dapat may Tax Identification Number ako.  So tinanong ko yung boss ko- “Sir, di po ba yung employer ang maglalakad ng TIN ng employee?” Sagot ni bosing- “Di ka kasi regular employee kaya dapat ikaw ang maglakad ng TIN mo.” Assurance nung assistant ni bosing- “Okay lang yan, one-time hassle lang yan.”

Ala ako problema. Sige, ako maglalakad ng TIN ko. Tutal, ano ba ang worst case scenario? Mahabang pila? Red Tape? Naknamsiomai, sanay naman ako sa UP e- kuhaan ng classcards, pila sa registration, pila sa graduation, etc. Ako rin naman ang naglalakad ng registration ng beetle ko, at sa pagrerenew ko ng lisensya, so okay lang.

Sabi ni bosing, dun daw ako mag-apply ng TIN sa BIR Main, sa may QC, para mas konti ang pila. May BIR din naman sa labas ng Intramuros, walking distance para sa mga sanay maglakad, pero mas konti raw ang tao sa Main. So, sige, nagpaalam ako, isang araw mag-aabsent ako para lakarin yun. Dun ako sa Main, dahil malapit lang sa amin, tapos plano ko, dadaanan ko yung ilang research materials sa UP. Solb.

Pagdating ko sa BIR Main, nagulat nga ako dahil wala ngang katao-tao. Ni wala akong nakitang pila, maliban lang dun sa pila sa harap, dahil tsinecheck nung sekyu yung bag ng mga tao. Nung pagpasok ko, wala pala silang TIN forms. Wow. Naubusan ng TIN Forms ang BIR Main. Hanep.

Tinanong ako nung lalaki sa desk kung para saan yung TIN application ko, sabi ko, para sa work. Tinanong kung saan ako nagtatrabaho,  sabi ko sa Intramuros.

“Dun ka mag-apply sa Intramuros.” sabi nung lalaki.

“Di po ba puwede talaga rito?”

“Hinde, kasi sa Intramuros ka e, sila ang may hawak sa’yo.”

Okay lang, although medyo naburat ako sa efficiency nila. Ibig kong sabihin, wow, Main BIR sila tapos una, naubusan sila ng TIN Forms, pangalawa, ewan, ang laki-laki ng saklaw nilang lugar, ang laki-laki ng mga building nila, tapos hindi nila ako ma-accomodate. Taragis, e malamang sa kanila rin naman mauuwi yung records ko kung sa BIR Davao o BIR Batanes ako mag-apply, dahil tutal, Main sila e, di ba? So ala na akong magawa, ala rin silang TIN Forms, so useless din kung magprotesta pa ako dun. So pumunta na lang akong peyups for official business, for the first time. Hehehe!

Pagpasok ko sa work, sinubukan kong lakarin yung TIN application ko sa BIR sa labas ng Intramuros, yung malapit sa port area. Pag-akyat ko sa taas, hinanapan ako ng certificate of employment, at baranggay clearance. At dahil walang nagsabi sa akin na kailangan ko nun, lalo na yung lalaki sa BIR Main, wala akong bitbit na requirements.

Pagbalik ko sa opisina, inexplain ko sa bosing namin yung problema. Nakatingin sa akin yung bosing ko na parang nawe-weirdohan din at di maintindihan yung paghihigpit ng BIR. Lintek, sabi nga nung isang workmate ko, the fact na nag-apply na ako for TIN, dinedeclare ko na sa gobyerno na puwede na nilang kupitan, err,  kaltasan ang maliit kong suweldo. Ako na nga ang magbibigay ng pera sa kanila, ako pa ang hinihigpitan. Tanginang gobyerno yan, kahit kailan talaga pahirap sa mga tao.

Anyway, pag-aaralan pa raw nila kung mabibigyan nila ako ng certificate of employment. Yung baranggay clearance, ako na ang maglalakad. Plano kong bumalik ulit sa BIR Main. Hindi ko na lang sasabihin na sa Maynila ako nagtatrabaho. Yung ninang ko na may business, binigyan ako ng TIN Forms. Form 1901, take note. Para sa mga regular employees. May pipirmahan sa likod ang employer ko. After nito, dumiretso ako sa baranggay hall namin para sa clearance. Hiningan ako ng CV para sa file. Medyo naiirita na ako sa puntong ito. Isipin mo naman kung gaano ka-hassle ang buong prosesong ito, para saan? Para gawin ko ang aking role bilang mabuting mamamayan sa pagbabayad ng tamang buwis. Anyway, tinanong ako nung babae sa baranggay hall kung may TIN daw ako. Napapalo ako sa noo ko. Whoooooo!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!!!

Okay! So may clearance na ako! Humingi na ako ng certificate of employment sa bosing ko, at pinapapirmahan ko na siya sa likod ng Form 1901 ko. Kaso sabi niya, hindi raw puwede kasi wala ako sa roster of employees ng NCCA. Project employee lang ako e. So tinanong ko kung puwede ibalik yung mga kaltas sa akin, tutal ala naman akong TIN e, at ayaw akong bigyan ng BIR, kaya putangina sila, di ko bibigay pera ko sa gobyerno!

Ang problema, hindi raw puwede yun. Tuloy-tuloy ang kaltas sa suweldo ko. Kapag hindi raw kasi kinaltasan, sila raw ang malilintikan kapag nag-check ng expenses ang NCCA, makikitang hindi binawasan ang suweldo ko. So tinawag ngayon yung isang accountant ng NCCA para tulungan kami sa aming munting problema. Hindi rin maintindihan nung accountant  kung bakit hinihigpitan ako ng BIR. Putsa, ako na nga ang magbibigay ng pera sa gobyerno, may gana pa silang magpakipot. Sabi nung accountant, yung kinaltas sa akin, mapupunta pa rin sa gobyerno, may TIN man ako o wala, at hindi sa bulsa ng kung sinoman sa NCCA.

Well, dadaan muna sa gobyerno, sa BIR, bago mauwi sa bulsa ng isang congressman, pero technically, alang problema dahil pagkahaba-haba man ng prusisyon, sa simbahan pa rin ni satanas ang tuloy. Ang difference bale, kapag may TIN ako, dinedeclare ko lang na sa akin galing yung kakaning-ibon na baryang portion ng pang-tip ni Mr. Congressman sa pokpok niya sa Pegasus. Otherwise, mula kay Mr. Anonymous yung pang-tip niya.

Advise sa akin, sabihin ko na lang na freelance writer ako. Tutal, may kaltas din naman daw kapag nag-freelance ka sa mga diyaryo. Tapos i-assert ko raw na ako na ang magbibigay ng pera sa kanilang mga letse sila kaya dapat bigyan pa nila ako ng libreng chocolait at biskwet out of gratitude mga hayop silang mga impakto sila.

Okay. So bumalik ulit ako sa BIR Main. As usual, ang pila lang ay yung sa harap, kung saan nagtse-check yung sekyu ng bomba sa mga bag ng mga tao. Anyway, babae na yung nasa desk ngayon. Pinakita ko na yung baranggay clearance ko, at yung accomplished Form 1901 ko. Nung tinanong sa akin kung saan ako nagwowork, inexplain ko na freelance writer ako kaya wala akong regular employer, kaya walang nakapirma sa likod. Okay? Okay. Hinde. sabi nung babae, since hindi ako regular employee, ibang form dapat ang finill-up-an ko. At bigla siyang naglabas ng Form 1902 at binigay sa akin. Whew, kinabahan ako dun a. Yung Form 1902, sabi niya, ay para sa mga “mixed-income individuals,” para sa mga taong hindi regular ang kita- professionals, businessmen, at sabi niya, freelance writers.

Okay! Fill-up dito, fill-up dun, okay lang!!! Magkakaroon na ako sa wakas! Inaabot ko na sa babae yung Form 1902! Eto na…

“Ummm, okay na? Ngayon, punta kayo sa West Ave,. Branch namin.”

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Wow, nasira agad ang aking moment of triumph.

“Err, hindi po ba puwede rito sa Main?”

“Hinde, kasi sa Project 6 ka nakatira. West Ave. Branch namin ang may hawak sa inyo.”

Naramdaman ko, parang umiikot-ikot ang paligid ko. Parang gumagaan ang ulo ko, nanglalambot at naghihina ang tuhod ko. Bigla kong naramdaman ang isang matinding pangangailangan na i-headbutt ang kausap kong babae sa desk. Sa halip na isang headbutt, nagtanong na lang ako.

“Puwede po bang ibang tao na lang ang maglakad nito para sa akin?”

“Oo, gawa ka ng authorization letter…”

Ah! Para akong nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib! Papalakad ko na lang ito sa nanay ko. hehehe. Paglabas ko, marami pa ring tsinecheckan ng bomba sa bag sa harap. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit. Ako rin gusto ko rin silang bombahin.

Hindi ko pa rin mawari, nung araw na yun, kung ano pa talaga ang purpose ng BIR Main. Nakangsiomai, dun sa maliliit na branches nila, siksikan ang mga tao, milya-milya ang pila. Sa Main, ang lawak-lawak, pero di sila nag-a-accomodate ng applications!

Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ako nakapagsulat ng authorization letter, at masyadong busy ang nanay ko para ilakad ang TIN ko. Anyway, sabi niya sa akin, may kaklase yung tita ko sa BIR West Ave. Kapag nagipit ako, hanapin ko na lang yun. Okey. Sige. Isa pa, may Form 1902 na ako, baranggay certificate, at yung excuse ng aking pagiging freelancer. Pila lang siguro ang problema, pero okay na. Putsa, dapat okay na.

At nakarating din ako, isang araw, sa BIR West Ave. Sa second floor sila nag-oopisina sa isang building. Masikip yung elevator dahil sa dami ng tao. Narating ko na rin yung desk para sa TIN. Nung chineck nung babae dun yung papeles ko, hinanap nila yung pirma ng employer.

“Ay. Wala po. Freelance Writer po ako e.”

Napatingin sa akin yung babae, tinitigan ako sa mata na wari’y tinitimbang ang mga salitang aking nasambit…

“Ano yung Freelance Writer?”

Napapalo ako ulit sa noo.

“Ma’am, freelancer po ako. wala po akong regular na sahod. Binabayaran ako per article na sinusulat ko. Hindi po ako regular employee kaya  wala akong certificate of employment.”

Nung makitang Form 1902 ang dala ko, sinabihan pa akong maling form ang bitbit ko, kaya ineplain ko pa na nanggaling na ako sa BIR Main, na Form 1901 ang dala ko dati pero sabi dun, mali raw ang 1901 para sa akin kaya binigyan ako ng 1902 dahil freelance writer ako, at inirefer ako sa branch nila.

Nakatitig sa akin yung babae, ninamnam ang bawat salitang sinambit ko…

“Ano yung Freelance Writer?”

Okay! Kulang ka ba sa iodized salt?

Ipinaliwanag ko ulit kung ano ang freelance writer, at nakatingin pa  rin siya sa akin na tila nambubullshit lang ako.

“Punta ka na lang sa Officer of the Day.”

“Umm. Saan po yun?”

“Sa Seventh Floor.”

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10… ayan… kumakalma na ako… NAKANANGTOKWA!!!! ANG DAMING TAONG NAKAPILA SA ELEVATOR!!!! $#@*^%$%#!!!!!!!!

Alang choice, tumakbo ako paakyat sa hagdanan mula 2nd patungong 7th floor. Hingal na hingal ako nang lapitan ko ang Ofiicer of the Day.

“Ma’am, pinaakyat po ako mula sa second floor…” At ipinaliwanag ko yung nangyari, mula yung pagpunta ko sa BIR Main, hanggang sa pagpunta ko sa ibaba kanina.

“Umm… at anong gusto mong gawin ko?”

Gumuho muli ang mundo ko, pero buti na lang may upuan sa likod ko. Ipinaliwanag ko ulit.

“Oo nga. Sa second floor ang application ng TIN. Bakit ka pinaakyat sa akin?”

Halos nagmamaka-awa na ako.

“Ma’am, ala po ba talaga kayong magagawa?” At inilahad ko ulit yung masasayang adventures ko sa BIR Main, sa BIR Port Area, sa BIR Main, at sa BIR nila.

Awa ng Diyos, may kinuhang chart yung ale, hinanap yung kategorya ko. Nung makuha yung code, sinulat niya sa isang espasyo sa 1902 ko, sabay tatak.

“Ayan. Okay na yan.”

Napangiti ako. Sincere!!! Halos mapaihi na ako sa tuwa. Matatapos na!!! Kaso, putsa, ang daming taong naghihintay sa elevator. Walang choice, takbo ulit ako sa hagdanan pababa.

Pagdating dun, lalaki na yung nakaupo sa desk. Pinakita ko ulit yung mga papeles ko.

“Saan ang Certificate of Employment mo?”

Nammannnnn!!!! Ano ba’to? Twilight Zone? Napasok ba ako sa isang loop?

“Bosing, hindi po ako regular employee e. Freelance writer po ako.”

“Ano yun?”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At ipinaliwanag ko ulit kung ano ang freelance writer, at ikinuwento ko yung episode kanina, at yung episode sa BIR Main, etc.

“Ito kasing Form na ito, itong 1902, para sa mga may negosyo ito e.”

“E yan po ang binigay ng BIR Main sa akin, dahil hindi regular ang sahod ko!”

“May mayor’s permit ka ba?”

Pikon na pikon na ako nun kaya hindi ako natawa, pero, talaga, grabe, comedy ito, men. Wow.

“Hindi ko po kailangan ng mayor’s permit! Writer lang po ako!”

Ineksamin ulit nung lalaki yung papeles ko.

“Ummm, propesyunal ka ba?”

“Opo.”

“Anong propesyon mo?”

“Writer po.”

“May lisesnsya ka ba?”

Sa isip ko- “HU-WAAAAAAATTTTTT!!!????”

Kung kumain ako ng bulalo kanina, malamang na-stroke na ako ngayon.

“HINDI NYO PO KAILANGAN NG LISENSYA PARA MAGING WRITER!!!”

Sabay follow-up ko ng:

“ANO BA KAYO? AKO NA MAGBABAYAD NG TAX SA INYO, PINAPAHIRAPAN NYO PA AKO!!!”

Deadma si lalaki. Nakatingin pa rin sa papeles ko, iniisip kung ano gagawin. Kung pinapunta pa niya ako ulit sa Officer of the Day, i-he-headbutt ko na’to talaga. Buti na lang-

“O sige, irereceive ko ang forms mo, pero ang alam ko dapat may kasamang papeles pa ito e. Pumila ka na lang dun…”

*haaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy…….*

Kaso, sobrang haba ng pila, at sa takbo ng mga pangayayari ngayon, ayoko nang maghintay ng isa’t kalahating oras para lang mag-replay ng kuwento ng kung ano ang freelance writer, at kung bakit hindi ako regular employee. Lumabas ako, pumunta ako sa corridor. Pikon na pikon. Tinawagan ko nanay ko, tinanong ko yung pangalan ng kaibigan dati ng tita ko sa highschool na nagtatrabaho ngayon dun. Okay, nakuha ko na yung pangalan. Balik ako dun, tinanong ko yung sekyu kung saan ang opisina nung babae.

“Sa seventh floor po.”

Hindeeeeee!!!!! Pero sige, para lang magkaroon ng bunga ang paghihirap ko ngayong araw na ito- may exodus ng tao sa harap ng elevator, kaya ayun, inipon ko ang natitira kong lakas at hininga, at aking tinakbo muli ang second to seventh floor sa hagdanan.

Pagdating sa taas, halos bumagsak sa lupa ang baga ko. Nagtanong-tanong ako ulit kung saan ang opisina nung bes-pren ng tita ko, hanggang sa mapunta na ako sa gitna ng opisina nila. Sa wakas-

“Ay! Diyan yung opisina nun, pasok ka diyan.”

Yehey!!!

“Ha? Ay! On-leave siya ngayon. Babalik siya sa January 2.”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hindi pa rin nauubos ang mga tao sa elevator, hindi ko maalala kung paano ko tinakbo pababa ang first floor.

Pikon na pikon ako, grabe. Pag-uwi, nakaubos yata ako ng isang pitsel ng gulaman. Hinintay kong humupa ang tila-nuclear holocaust ng galit sa loob ng dibdib ko. Punyetang gobyerno ito!!! Letse!!! Hindi mahuli-huli yung mga tax evaders, hindi mabigyan-bigyan ng TIN yung mga nagmamagandang loob na magbayad ng buwis!!! Tangina, no wonder may lumolobo tayong mga deficit!!! Syet!!! Ano nangyari sa iodized salt campaign ni Ramos!!!

Nung gabi, tinawagan ko si TJ, yung kasama ko sa trabaho, at kinuwento ko lahat. Lagi ko kasing kinukuwento ang bawat installment ng aking BIR adventures, at tulad ng isang epiko, grabe ang climax nung hapon na yun. Syet. Hayop sa climax. Tinatawanan ko na lang, pero nung hapon na yun kaya ko sigurong mangagat ng leeg. Tawa rin nang tawa si TJ, at ngayon, kuwento niya, tawa rin nang tawa yung mga pinagkuwentuhan niya. Pati yung mga tao sa tambayan namin, nung kinuwento ko, di rin makahinga sa katatawa. Langya, baka maging urban legend pa ang buhay ko, in which case, sana puwede kong i-video lahat, at lalagyan ko ng sumpa- ala “Ring”, tapos papadalhan ko ng kopya yung mga tao sa BIR.

Naisip-isip ko na lang ngayon, paano nga kung kailangan mo ng lisensya para magsulat. Isang physical manifestation ng concept ng poetic license? haha! Kung sa driver’s license, may mga restrictions tulad ng “Vehicle up to 4500 KGS GVW” o kaya “Automatic clutch above 4500 KGS GVW”, etc. paano kaya yung sa “Poetic License” o “Writing License?”

I.Restrictions

1. Haiku and short essays only

2. Essays up to 500 words and Freeverse up to 5 stanzas

3.Essays above 500 words and Freeverse above 5 stanzas

4. Critical Essays, Short Fiction, Poetry

…etc.

Pero nag-digress na naman ako.

Isang hapon, pagkatapos nung BIR episode, dumaan ako sa tambayan namin sa UP. Nung makita ako ng mga kasama ko-

“Jol! Pumayat ka a! Grabe!”

hehehe. Naalala ko yung jogging-jogging ko sa building, at yung stress, at napangiti ako. Isang mapait at matamis nga ngiti.

At kinuwento ko kung bakit.

###############
ps: hanggang ngayon, wala pa akong TIN. Kuwento ni TJ, si Santi Bose raw, namatay nang walang TIN. Nakakatakot.