Art Actually

Art, according to Plato, is an imitation of nature. Though I am half-hearted about his claim, I would like to elaborate more about it. Whenever we hear about art, we are somehow reminded of things that are connected to art. For instance, art reminds me of paintings and vases displayed in museums, sculptures erected in historical places, and everything that appears to be simply beautiful (without questioning the basis of being beautiful) in one’s eyes. But as a university student, can art be simply defined with those mundane ideas that I have just expressed? In the university, we, as students, are being trained to see through things, or to look at the things beyond the naked eyes could see. It might seem like complicating simple things, but it actually helps us understand what really their purposes are.

If art will be defined by someone who is unfortunately incapable of scribbling lines together in order to create a graphical sketch of, perhaps, a girl, then will his own understanding of art be considered valid? Likewise, if art will be defined by someone who went to a comprehensive art school and academically honed his innate skills of visually expressing himself, then will his understanding of art be the most valid definition of art? Will the latter invalidate the former, or otherwise? In my opinion, the answer to all of the questions here is simply NO. Anything that is either concrete or abstract is subject to the definition of anyone belonging to any level of demographic or psychographic profile, so is art.

We see things in many different ways. Like me, for instance, if dictionary.com[1] defined art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance”, then it is always up to me if I would like to understand art as how it is interpreted by reference books or websites, or if I would like to let my brain explore on its own library and decipher a new definition of art based on its own personal experiences.

Art is art as you see it, as to conclude this. Your definition of art might be influenced by your personality or by the knowledge you acquired from educational institutions. As for me, art is when I see something that is unlikely to be cliché. Art is when it stands out even though no one is likely to pay attention to it. Art is when it exceeds the basis of being mediocre. But art is everything that we see around us. The nature, whether maintained or ruined, is art.

So, Plato was right.

---

[1] An online dictionary that is likely favored by this author as one of the most reliable reference websites on the cyberspace.

__________

Author's Note: This is an essay about "What is Art for you?"

Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro by Gregorio Brillantes (SCRIPT ADAPTATION)

Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro 

SCRIPT DRAFT 1 (TAN)       

09-04-2014

SCENE 1

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM.

LATE AFTERNOON

(SFX: Chopin or Local classic)

Dr. Lazaro is sitting in the sofa and he is half-asleep, probably enjoying the music he’s listening to. Dr. Lazaro’s wife is also sitting opposite him and she is reading a book.

Dr. Lazaro: Andiyan ba si Ben?

Mrs. Lazaro: Nasa kuwarto niya, malamang ay nagbabasa rin. Ang alam ko’y mayroon siya pinagkakaabalahang libro ngayon.

Dr. Lazaro: Akala ko’y lumabas muli ang batang yun. Sino nga ba yung babaeng kinakatagpo niya nitong mga nakaraan lang?

Mrs. Lazaro: (She will look up at Dr. Lazaro, will not speak, but her eyes will show that she doesn’t know the answer)

Dr. Lazaro: Hindi lang maligamgam, napakainit. Dapat ay nanatili na lamang sa Baguio. Mga karamdaman, sakit, paghihirap, lahat ay dulot ng pagkagat ni Adan sa mansanas. Kung sana’y may sagot na nakalaan sa lahat ng katanungan…

Mrs. Lazaro: (while Dr. Lazaro is speaking, she should be looking at the husband)

Then, Dr. Lazaro’s phone rings

(SFX: TWO RINGS)

SCENE 2

EXT.

PALENGKE/TINDAHAN - PAYPHONE BOOTH

LATE AFTERNOON

Pedro Esteban is wearing some kind of ragged clothes. He’s kind of weary and tired. He is running along the market to look for a payphone.

PEDRO ESTEBAN: Ale, may payphone po ba kayo?

TINDERO: Ay wala e. Subukan mo sa tawid.

PEDRO: Sige po, salamat po!

Pedro will run towards the store.

PEDRO: Ate, pwede pong pagamit ng telepono ninyo?

TINDERA: Sige, tawag ka lang.

(The sales girl will hand out the phone.)

(SFX: dial tone)

(SFX: ringing on the other line)

SCENE 3

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – DOORSTEP

LATE AFTERNOON

From the sofa, Dr. Lazaro will stand up and answer his phone while making his way outside the house.

Dr. Lazaro: Hello, sino ito?

SCENE 4

EXT.

PALENGKE/TINDAHAN - PAYPHONE BOOTH

LATE AFTERNOON

Pedro: Pedro Esteban po, kapatid ko po si Nanding Esteban, yung katiwala niyo po sa ospital?

SUPERIMPOSITION of IMAGES OF a sickly child in bed being cared by the mother

Pedro: Opo, susunduin ko na lang po kayo sa may gasolinahan. Opo, salamat po!

SCENE 5

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM.

LATE AFTERNOON

Mrs. Lazaro: Huwag mong sabihin pasyente na naman yan.

Dr. Lazaro: Newborn Tetanus (papalatak)

Mrs. Lazaro: Ang sabi mo hindi ka papasok sa ospital ngayon? Hindi ba’t sasamahan mo kami ni Ben mag-dinner ngayon?

Dr. Lazaro: (will look away)

SCENE 6

INT.

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – BEDROOM

FLASHBACK

Dr. Lazaro’s eldest child, Anna, is lying on the floor. Blood is gushing out of her mouth, a bottle of cyanide is still in her hands.

Mrs. Lazaro is crying, she is wailing. She is kneeling beside her daughter, shaking her to wake her up.

Mrs. Lazaro: Anna! Anna! Diyos ko, hindi mo naman kailangan gawin ito e. Naiintindihan ka naman namin ng papa mo e. Anna! Anna!

Dr. Lazaro is standing at the doorstep, his face is unexplainable. His face is not showing any kind of expression. He is just looking at his wife and his deceased daughter.

(BG:

Dr. Lazaro: Pasensya na talaga mahal ko. Babawi na lang ako sa susunod ha? (Bebeso sa asawa) Sige mauuna na ako.

Mrs. Lazaro: O sige mag-iingat ka.

(Ben will enter the living room)

Ben: Pa? Aalis po kayo?

Dr. Lazaro: Oo e. Gusto mo ba ako samahan? Mayroon akong pasyente pupuntahan. Bata.

Ben: Sige po pa. Nang makalabas-labas din ako.

The two goes out of the house.

SCENE 7

EXT.

ROADSIDE –

ALMOST NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro and his son are walking together in somewhat like fast manner.

Dr. Lazaro: Mabuti at napirmi ka sa bahay ngayong araw na ito. Balita ko’y abala ka raw sa pagbabasa ng libro?

Ben: Opo, papa. Talambuhay po.

Dr. Lazaro: Mainam yan.

Ben: Marami po kasi akong napupulot na magandang aral.

Dr. Lazaro: Talaga? Kung gayo’y mabuti nga iyan. Kanino bang talambuhay iyang binabasa mo? Talambuhay ba yan ni Einstein? O ni Bill Gates?

Ben: Ay hindi po papa. (will laugh)  Tungkol po siya sa isang lalake na naging monghe.

Dr. Lazaro: Hmm. Subukan mo ring ipabasa iyan sa mama mo. Magkakasundo kayo ng mama mo sa ganyan, iyon pa naman ay napakarelihiyosa.

Ben: Sa tingin ko nga po. Nakaka-inspire po siya.

Dr. Lazaro will suddenly stop and look at his son. He’s trying to search his son’s eyes, but his son will look down.

Ben: Pa …

Dr. Lazaro: Anak, sa tingin ko’y mapapabuti ka kung magtutuloy ka sa medisina pagkatapos ng AB mo.

Ben: Sa totoo lang po papa, hindi ko pa rin po alam e.

Dr. Lazaro: Kapag naging manggagamot ka na rin tulad ko balang araw, makakatulong ka sa mga tao. Sa mga mahihirap. Dun sa mga walang pambayad sa ospital.sPero pwede ka rin maging manggagamot sa Maynila. Para kumita ka, para magkapangalan.

Ben: Pa ang pinakagusto ko po talaga ay makatulong sa mga nangangailangan…

Dr. Lazaro: Mainam nga iyan. Teka, hindi ba anak at magaling ka sa Math? Sa tingin ko pwede ka ring maging engineer.

Ben: (Smile) Pag-iisipan ko pa muna pa, wala pa po talaga akong maayos na plano e.

Dr. Lazaro: Sige lang anak. Matagal pa naman iyon. Ang gusto ko lang naman e gawin mo kung ano iyong gusto mo, at kung saan tingin mo e mas sasaya ka.

Ben: Opo papa. Salamat po.

SCENE 8

EXT.

GASOLINE STATION

NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro and his son have almost reached the gasoline station. Pedro Esteban is standing at the side and he is fidgeting. Then, when he sees the two, he will run towards them.

Dr. Lazaro takes out his hand to shake Pedro’s hand.

Pedro: Ako po si Pedro Esteban. Mabuti po at nakarating kayo agad. Halina po kayo doktor.

Dr. Lazaro: (he will nod his head)

The group walks away from the gasoline station as Pedro leads the way.

They walk along the busy streets. The streets are crowded and filthy.

(SFX: Market noise, car honking)

SCENE 9

EXT.

IN FRONT OF PEDRO’S HOUSE

NIGHTTIME

Pedro gestures his hand as they reach a small barong-barong.

Pedro: Narito na po tayo, Dr. Lazaro. Tuloy po kayo.

SCENE 10

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG – BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

As they go inside the barong-barong, they see some women who are whispering to each other. Dr. Lazaro will not mind them although he will look at them. Meanwhile, Ben is behind his father, he follows him as he goes inside the bedroom.

(SFX: women whispering)

As they go inside the bedroom, they see the sickly child together with the mother. The mother, who is stifling a cry, reaches out for the doctor.

Mother: Parang awa niyo na po, ginoong doktor, pagalingin niyo po ang anak ko.

Dr. Lazaro: (He looks at the wife, and places a hand at her shoulder) Gagawin ko ang lahat, huwag kang mag-alala.

Dr. Lazaro puts down his bag and takes out alcohol to wash his hands. Then, he goes to check the skin of the child. He realizes that the child is not going to last longer, his skin is turning cold and the heartbeat is irregular.

(SFX: Irregular breathing)

Dr. Lazaro removes the blanket that encapsulates the sick child and injects something to the child. Ampule. However, the child becomes rigid and suddenly becomes stiff as wood. Dr. Lazaro breaks another ampule again and injects it to the child. He is sweating. He is very nervous. He thinks that the life of this child lies on his hands.

VO OF DR. LAZARO: Nasa kamay ko ang buhay ng batang ito… Kailangan kong maisalba ang buhay niya…

However, the child is not moving at all. Hence, he tries to revive the child through CPR. But it’s useless as the child turns greyish. The child is dead.

SCENE 11

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro tries to stand up but he’s faltering. His legs are not helping him well. He looks straight at the lamp; he cannot look at the eyes of the spectators around him.

VO OF DR. LAZARO: Alam kong masakit para sa kanila ito, pero masakit din ito sa akin sapagkat ako ay isang doktor. Responsibilidad ko ang isalba ng buhay ng isang nag-aagaw buhay. Tungkulin kong pagalingin ang may-sakit. Isa akong manggaggamot.

SCENE 11

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

Pedro approaches the doctor. He is crying. He is clutching the arms of the doctor.

Pedro: Doktor, ano pong nangyari sa anak? Doktor …

Dr. Lazaro: (He faces Pedro, he tries to put a stern face but he is faltering. He softens up. Then, he shakes his head, and reaches for his things, and taps Pedro’s shoulder. He is about to say something when he hears someone murmuring.)

Ben is kneeling beside the dead child. He is whispering a prayer.

VO OF BEN: In the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Holy Spirit

 *unfinished*

When life is at its last: LIVE

*This article is originally posted at BD7A Online Journalism Wordpress in compliance with the requirement for my online journalism class at the University of the East-Manila.

All these days I had no idea on what to write about this topic. I really don’t want to talk about anything related to “the end of the world”, or “the last days of my life here on Earth”. I am such a positive person that I just want to talk about things in the meantime or perhaps about future plans. In fact, I always look ahead of my path in a very optimistic way, for instance, I always save money in order to prepare for my future. I also prepare a time table to help me identify the things that I should be doing in every hour of my day, but not until that day.

(Source: motioncars.inquirer.net)

It was July 16, 2014. The doomsday, as everyone would have exaggerated it. According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA, a very strong typhoon would hit Metro Manila in the afternoon of July 16. When I heard that, I had the biggest fright of my life.

There was a sudden pause, and then a very long pause again.

Everything went to a halt and all I could hear was a silent buzz that perhaps no one but me could only hear.

I was very afraid of what might happen as soon as this strong typhoon makes its landfall in Metro Manila. I was not afraid of what might happen to me, because I was not just thinking about myself. I was thinking about my family, I was all worried about my unfortunate remnants once something bad happens to me.

Then, it hit me.

What if that day is going to be my last day on Earth? What if on that day I suddenly expire and I have not gotten any plans about it? Life would have totally screwed me, in one way or another, but I would not have loved the idea of my life ending because there was a scarcity of safety around me. That indeed, would be very boring. Thank you very much but I am not going to entertain the idea of dying just like that.

What if I only have 24 hours left on the life-clock? What if the Fates have actually decided to shorten my string of life and cut it after 24 hours? Would I still have the chance to complete everything that I have listed on my bucket list? Would I still have the opportunity to leave a legacy on Earth? Would I still be able to make memories with my love ones? With 24 hours on the clock, I don’t think it is possible. However, I have Cicero’s quote sculptured on my system: While there’s life, there’s hope.

(Source:quotespedia.info)

I just can’t give up each inch of hope that I have in life. Do you remember what I said first thing here on this article?  I am a positive person. I will live an optimistic life until my last breath.

Hence, here I am. If I would really have 24 hours left on my life-clock, and I would not have any chances to prolong my stay here on Earth, then I should start working on my last-minute plans now. One of my best friends, his name is Facebook, has frequently asked me this: What’s on your mind? Really, I appreciate the thought that one of my best friends is actually asking me about the stuff that goes on my head. In fact, I love the idea of someone asking me that question now, because to be honest with you, my fellow readers, nothing has come up to my mind yet. However, whenever I think about death, which I haven’t occasionally done so far, I always think of nothingness. Nothingness, according to one of my best friends (again) and his name is Dictionary.com by the way, it is the state of being nothing. And that is I am very much afraid of. Frankly speaking, I do not want to be forgotten. I am not trying to be Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars who had feared oblivion, but seriously speaking, some of us might have feared the same thing too. However, I don’t think that is going to work on me. I’m just nobody, I’m not somebody. Even though I don’t want to be forgotten, that’s still going to happen eventually. People will die; it is natural and it is part of the cycle of life.

(Source: weheartit.com)

Therefore what should I do in the supposedly last 24 hours of my life? Should I accomplish everything that I have listed on my bucket list, or even just the half of it? Again, I don’t think that is possible. It would take me time. Indeed, it would take me a lot of time to accomplish everything that I want to accomplish.

Then I realized that I just want to be me. I want just to be myself in my remaining time on Earth. I don’t want to do anything that is beyond my scope of resources and capabilities. I just want to stay where I should be staying at: MY HOME. I just want to stay with the people I should be staying with: MY FAMILY.

My siblings and I

I just want to do the things that I should be doing everyday: eating, reading, learning, playing, and lots of USUAL THINGS. At the end of the day, when Death arrives I shall come with him peacefully. At the end of the day, I want to realize that I am not actually afraid to die, for...

“Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,

For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.”

-(Death Be Not Proud. John Donne, 1631)

How Do You Control Your Anger?

Obviously, there is just one thing that I want to do whenever I had enough of everything -- I want to burst open. My anger is running down my veins. I can't help it. I can't stop it. My heart is pumping anger through my veins and arteries, and I can't do anything to stop it, or else, I will die.

Would you like me to die, for God's sake?

In the first place, why do people get angry?

Is it because someone had a row with them?
Is it because someone had a bad day with other people?
Is it because someone had not achieved his expectations?

Or is it because someone had tried not to lower down his own pride?

We all know the answer.

We all get angry, apparently, for some eligible reasons.

In my case, I usually get angry when I feel like people have betrayed me.

Like they have taken a lot of my good nature, and yet, they all have treated like I'm nothing.

Like I'm futile, and that I'm only of acquaintance to them when necessity has arisen.

What an arse attitude, to begin with!

And after that, everything have seemed not to be bearing with me.

Bad day at home, bad day outside, things getting broken in one touch, or having rows with inanimate things-- this is how life looks like once anger has started sinking down on us. Nothing is okay, to cut it short.

How do we fix things then?

Can we still fix things that got broken after your outburst?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

But things start getting okay, when we start lowering our pride. And start feeling sorry to those people we've hurt during the times we were feeling down.

As soon as we see things in a different light, then that's the time we will come to realize that life indeed, is better, where there is mutual understanding, where there is patience, where there is emotion control, when there is love. 

Well, folks, we are all aware that anger is a result of misunderstanding. And misunderstanding is simply inevitable. It's part of human 'ecosystem'. The equilibrium of human beings and our emotions.If every human is considered perfect, then life wouldn't be fun to live, would it be?

So the questions has now come to light, how do we control anger then?

First, try NOT to be angry.

If we think that we are almost there, getting ready to burst anytime soon, then LEAVE. Stop and leave the place that causes your anger, for the meantime. Avoid the person that's causing you to heat up. Go to a place that could help you feel better. Mine is the cyberspace. Well, I live in a very congested place and my own house will surely not help me feel better, especially if the reason of my emotional outburst is right at my own house. Escape to a place that could help you breathe freely. 

Second, AVOID situations that will end up as heated ones.

If you could avoid anger-inducing situations, do so. Avoid talking about things that could end up into heated discussions, those that are not healthy. For example, discussions about religion, politics, and stuffs like that. I have had a similar situation very recently, and we almost ended up bashing each other on the internet just because of our different opinion regarding religious stuff. I swear I will not bring it up here on the internet, much less if I want to start a fight on cyberspace.

Third, laugh but not too much.

If you think you can't avoid the first two situations above, then you ought to have some sort of defense. I've heard a lot of times already that laughter has always been the medicine. And in times of heated discussions, the best ice breaker is always a funny joke, or a funny anecdote, that would definitely put a period on both side of disagreement. Just make sure that your joke won't start a new reason for discussion again.

Here you go, fellas. 

Let's talk again soon!

Have a good day!

Your Chief in Charge,

as ALWAYS.

Welcome Aboard, Mate!

This is your chief, speaking.
Well, obviously, I'm just writing this down.

Alright, mates.
Supposedly, a blog should always be about something interesting. Something worthwhile reading.
But on my part, I don't think the purpose of a blog should end there. I mean, it can still have more purposes.
It can be something promotional, or something conventional, but in my case, this blog will serve as my diary. My public diary, if you don't mind me saying.

I have heard from a lot of people (when I say a lot of people, I mean some real friends, some imaginary friends, some colleagues, advisers of some sort, and everyone) that blogging, ehem, could make someone feel better. It could help you release the tension inside of you,especially, if you are feeling a little bit uptight these days, after perhaps a couple of rows with people around you. Well, this is an outlet. Outlet of my feelings. I don't mind telling people about my feelings, I am literally an open book. Even though, I haven't meant to be like that, a lot of people (again, I'm using a lot) have known a number of things about me, including the things that I haven't known myself yet.

So I'm writing this to serve as a warning. In a couple of days or so, you will be reading a number of articles with rants, dreams, and everything. I don't mean to be sensational to everyone. But I do care what all of you will say about this. Maybe you could even help me.


Everyone, welcome aboard!
Let's have all have a happy trip!


With love and respect,
your Chief in Charge.