Caruncho Avenue Blues 1

Lumaki ako sa Caruncho Avenue. Sa tabi ng palengke. Sa likod ng mga squatters. Sa harapan ng sakayan ng dyip. Katabi ng Bernie's Salon at Del Carmen Pawnshop.

Tuwing lumalabas ako ng aming pintuan noong ako ay nag-aaral ng kinder maging hanggang high school, lagi akong sinasalubong at binabati ni Mang Maning. "Hello, Teresa!" Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko alam kung paano niya nalaman ang aking pangalan. Isa syang pamilyar na mukha sa aming kalsada. Mababatid sya ng iba bilang isang taong-grasa.

Bahain ang lugar namin dati. May panahon pa nga na kinailangan kong mamangka papuntang bayan para lang makasakay sa aming Toyota Tamaraw papuntang Poveda. Tatay ko pa nga yung gumawa ng aming bangka, na yari sa kahoy at yero. Ginagamit din nila iyon para makarating sa aming pwesto sa dry goods section ng palengke araw-araw.

Parati kaming namimisikleta sa park ng aking kapatid, o di kaya'y naglalaro sa palaruan. Paborito namin yung malaking pugita sa gitna na maraming padulasan. Wala kaming pakialam kahit marumihan ang mga pwet namin sa kakadulas sa pugitang iyon. Kaya pa nga naming tiisin yung paso sa aming mga binti at kamay na resulta ng madalas na pagkaskas ng aming mga balat sa mainit na kongkreto ng padulasan.

Hindi ko makakalimutan yung jukebox sa kainan sa gitna ng park. Hindi ko mawari kung bakit lagi akong natatakot lapitan yung makinang iyon. Siguro dahil tuwing pinapatugtog siya, abot hanggang bahay namin ang lakas ng kanyang tunog. Siguro rin dahil masyado akong nalunod sa pagkakumplikado ng makinarya nya para lamang makatugtog ng isang kanta. Piso lang ang katapat para marinig ang "Karma Chameleon" o "Bawal Na Gamot." Isang beses lang ako naghulog ng piso. "Like A Virgin" ang kanta.

Dalawang sorbetero ang rumoronda sa aming kalsada. Dirty ice cream sa umaga at Magnolia sa hapon. Tsokolate ang kadalasang pinapakiusapan ko sa sorbetero ng dirty ice cream. Matindi naman ang tama sa akin ng Magnolia, dahil bihira ko lang sya bilhin at kadalasan, kinakailangan ko pang kumbinsihin ang tagapag-alaga kong si Ate Ester na bilhan ako ng Pinipig Crunch, o kung papalarin, ng Drumstick. De padyak pa ang karitela ng Magnolia noon. Hindi pa uso ang background music. Sa kalembang o tililing pa lang ng maliit na kampana, napapatakbo na ako sa aming harapan upang salubungin ang mga sorbeterong tila di napapagod sa kaiikot sa aming lugar.

[Abangan ang susunod na kabanata]

3D Christmas Trees Are Badass...Especially When Crocheted

Instead of making a doily or a coaster for my crocheting project for home eco in high school, I decided to make a 3-dimensional christmas tree. If I were to gruel over making loops over hooks, why not make it badass...right? Well, a 3d christmas tree isn't exactly badass. There were other more badass options like a zebra stuffed toy or a bikini. (Fine, save for a few coasters I gave away to classmates who got high grades for them, in exchange for the acknowledgment of being the best crocheter alive, of course).

See, I was that good that my teacher even accused me of having my project done by somebody else. She can't fathom the idea that a high school student can have bragging rights for crocheting excellence. It's not just for 'em spinsters and grandmas you know (that, of course, is not a good sign for me). I should have threatened her with my middle finger, which developed a calluse on the left side from too much "crochet hook hard pressing."

I like the intricacy involved with crochet. I like creating something out of nothing. I like the rhythm that goes with every pull of the thread and with every swing of the hook. I like the inconsistencies between every stitch. I like it when I get lost somewhere in the middle. I like it more when I find what went wrong and figure out how to fix it. I like the idea of making something and making it your own. I like it even more when I give it to others. I like it when my fingers get tired and I find a reason to continue and finish what I've started. I like how every project starts with an insignificant knot and ends with a purpose.

You see, I'm badass that way.

Looking The Part

Some have mistaken me for any of 'em people:

MOUNTAINEER

During a break from our meeting with business partners, the presenter flashed pictures of his escapades with nature. He was into diving and nature photography. One of my bosses got impressed with him. She turned to me and said, "You're the same pala Trey, oh."

Whatcha mean, Ma'am?

Then she looked at the guy and said, "Kasi Trey is into mountain climbing. She backpacks every now and then."

Ano raw?

P&G/NESTLE/UNILEVER GAL

On my visit at my former office (from my first job) to fix some documents, my ex-boss asked me, "Oh, kamusta P&G?" Where did you get that? "Sabi nila dun ka na raw."

Ha, I doubt.

Still on that same visit, I saw the VP of my former department. We greeted each other and he said how things are in Nestle. "I was told you transferred there already. Or was it Unilever?"

BAND MANAGER

I chanced upon a former classmate from Poveda whom I haven't seen since grade school. We did the usual catching-up-what-are-you-doing-now talk. She said, "You're a band manager, di ba?" Come again? "Someone told me you've been managing bands."

Oh, really?

Forward two years, I saw a former batchmate from Ateneo whom I haven't seen since his breakup with my friend. [Usual catching up talk insert] We were in Saguijo at that time. "Tutugtog ba yung band mo?" Weh? "Di ba you manage bands?"

Rakenrol, 'tol.

Lilok at Burda

"Sa panahong laganap ang katamlayan, ang pagwawalang-bahala ay matutong managinip muli. Sa pananalig na tinulungan n'yo ang mga taong tumutulong sa sarili nila." - Conrado de Quiros

Sa kanyang pagdungaw sa bintana ng kanyang silid-aralan, nakita nya ang isang ibong unti-unting binubuo ang sariling pugad. At doon nya nabatid ang kanyang pangarap.

Iniwan nya ang pagtuturo. Upang maging iskultor.

Salamat sa kape, Ben-Hur. [Please insert Emo shot here]