Tag: July 31, 2011

THREE renowned Thomasian thespians were bestowed lifetime achievement awards for their stellar contributions to Philippine theater at the First Philippine International University Theatre Association (IUTA) Festival/Conference/Workshop held in Miriam College (MC) from July 18 to 20.

“Every year, the IUTA holds its executive committee meetings in different countries and this year was our chance to discover the Philippines and encourage Filipinos to be more involved in our association,” said Robert Germany, founder and former president of the IUTA, which started in Liege, Belgium.

TWO RENOWNED Thomasian musicians displayed their musical prowess in a concert held for the benefit the children of Concordia, Pangasinan.

Titled Piano Duet, the concert at the Philam Life Theater last July 10 featured Conservatory of Music Dean and CCP Artistic Director, Raul Sunico, and UST Symphony Orchestra conductor Aries Caces.

Their first number, "Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, Op. 56b.," was met with generous applause and was immediately followed by the heavier Franz Liszt’s “Concerto Pathetique for Two Pianos, S.258.”

Returning after a 15-minute intermission, the two shared one grand piano and performed Francis Poulenc’s “Sonata for Four Hands.”

SELF-EFFACING and modest when he was alive, National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin was nevertheless a vibrant personality. His admirers and fellow writers know that. But it helps that a new book, NICK: A Portrait of the Artist Nick Joaquin (Anvil Publishing, 2011), puts that beautiful personality on record.

“He never wanted to see something written about him. He’s that shy,” said Tony Joaquin, the National Artist’s nephew and co-author (with Gloria Kismaldi) of the book, during the launching last July 6 at Powerbooks Greenbelt 4 in Makati.

There was, however, no reason to bake another cake when there were already about six other cakes of different flavors, shapes and sizes crammed inside the over-sized refrigerator of the small peach-colored bungalow house of the De Leones. It was as if they owned a bakeshop, only none of the cakes were for sale.

In the pantry, Jill was busy preparing one teaspoon of vanilla, 100 grams of sugar, 100 grams of self-rising flour, a pinch of salt and three beaten eggs were the base ingredients Jill needed for a cake she wanted to bake for her mother’s birthday.

“She likes white chocolate, right, Papa?” she asked her father, calling from inside the pantry.

Black water is rising out from the heavens

as tin and plastic fish scatter

towards no certain direction,

drifting to an unending search for nothing.

I stand here, alone on galvanized sea floor

on a shallow part of the make-believe two storey sea,

waiting to be rescued,

or be drifted away—save me.

It’s been 43 hours. It’s been a while. Please?

Little droplets be part of the sea,

I wish they’d stop raining down on me.

The violent whisper of stone cold winds

cut invisible flesh wounds on my skin.

Here I am—stranded,

hoping that mishap come no more.

I beg mishap come no more.

ANG MGA tauhan na dati’y sa mga pahina lamang ng aklat nabubuhay, ngayon ay nakalaya na at masasaksihan sa pinilakang tabing.

Ganito mailalarawan ang naging kapalaran ng nobela ni Eros Atalia, propesor sa Faculty of Arts and Letters, na pinamagatang “Ligo na U, Lapit na Me,” isang best-selling book noong 2009.

Mula sa pagiging isang libro, isinapelikula ang kuwento at ipinalabas sa katatapos lamang na 7th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, isang pagdiriwang at kumpetisyon ng mga independently-produced films sa bansa.

Tulad ng panahon, nag-iiba ang daloy

ng pag-iisip ng sangkatauhan.

Halimbawa,

ang unti-unting pag-ubos ng tinta

ng isipan sa paggawa

ng isang tula upang mapunan lamang

ang blankong papel sa pagbaha ng mga salitang

dapat sana’y kanina pa nabanggit.

Hanggang hindi na namamalayan na

ang mga salitang idinidikta ng

pag-iisip ay kung ano ang maaring

ihambing sa nararamdamang pananabik

sa muli nating pagkikita

at pag-asang maaari sanang nagpatigil

sa inyong pag-alis.

BASTA Tomasino, bukas ang mga pahina ng Varsitarian sa opinyon mo.

Nabigyan ng pagkakataon noon ang lahat ng mga sektor ng Unibersidad na ibahagi ang kanilang mga opinyon sa pamamagitan ng isang seksyon sa Varsitarian na tinawag na “Cross Section.”

Nagsimula noong 1969 sa ilalim ng pamumuno ng punong patnugot na si Hernando Gonzalez II, ang Cross Section ay naglalaman ng mga opinyon at impormasyon sa mga paksang hindi batid ng marami na nais ipalathala ng mga Tomasinong guro, mag-aaral, at mga pari.