THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

[Photo: The statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza beneath Cervantes monument in the Plaza de España.]

I was in Madrid in September of 2008. One of the places I got to see was this square, the Plaza de España. It is dominated by a monument to Cervantes. He is seated and holds a book that rests on his knee. Below him are Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza.

Who is Cervantes?

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616) was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered to be the first modern European novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). He was dubbed El Príncipe de los Ingenios ("The Prince of Wits"). (Wikipedia)

What do Don Quixote and Sancho Panza have to do with Cervantes?

Don Quixote, fully titled The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, is a novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It follows the adventures of Alonso Quijano, a hidalgo (gentleman) who reads so many chivalric novels that he decides to set out to revive chivalry, under the name Don Quixote. He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza as his squire, who often employs a unique, earthly wit in dealing with Don Quixote's rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood. (Wikidpedia)

The novel has been made into a musical and a film. The original 1965 Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It has been revived four times on Broadway, becoming one of the most enduring works of musical theatre. (Wikipedia)

The 1972 film is an adaptation of the Broadway musical. It was financed by an Italian production company, Produzioni Europee Associates, and shot in Rome. However, it is entirely in English, and all of its principal actors except for Sophia Loren are either British or American. Peter O'Toole stars as both Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote and Sophia Loren as the scullery maid and prostitute Aldonza, whom the delusional Don Quixote idolizes as Dulcinea. (Wikipedia)

I read the novel a long time ago. Now I only have a vague memory of it. But I do remember that I almost died of laughter while reading it. There are two other things that I do remember. The first was his encounter with windmills which he thought were ferocious giants. This was one of the scenes often chosen to illustrate the novel. Then there is of course the love interest of Don Quixote, the lady Dulcinea. Every time I pass by Dulcinea at Greenbelt 1 in Makati, I can’t help but remember Don Quixote de la Mancha.

The principal song of the musical and the film was "The Impossible Dream". And it became a standard (a song of established popularity) (Wikipedia). The lyrics are as follows:

To dream the impossible dreamTo fight the unbeatable foeTo bear with unbearable sorrowTo run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrongTo be better far than you areTo try when your arms are too wearyTo reach the unreachable star This is my quest, to follow that star,No matter how hopeless, no matter how farTo be willing to give when there’s no more to give
To be willing to die so that honor and justice may live And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I’m laid to my rest
 And the world will be better for thisThat one man scorned and covered with scarsStill strove with his last ounce of courageTo reach the unreachable star.

The song “Impossible Dream” came from the musical and film “Man of La Mancha” and is, therefore, associated with it. But for Filipinos like me, the song is forever associated with Ninoy Aquino and with the Filipino people’s struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran this article about Ninoy and the “Impossible Dream” on August 21, 2009. It read: “His favorite song, The Impossible Dream, summed up Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr.’s uncompromising stance against dictatorship: ‘To fight the unbeatable foe ... To right the unrightable wrong.’ Ninoy was the first of thousands arrested and imprisoned by the martial law regime. He refused to participate in the military court proceedings against him. On Aug. 27, 1973, in the presence of his family and counsel, Ninoy delivered a defiant speech, citing two main reasons why he decided not to participate: ‘First, because this ritual is unconscionable mockery; and, second, because every part of my being, my heart and mind and soul is against any form of dictatorship,’ he told the military tribunal. The decision not to participate would have dire consequences. But Ninoy was determined and obstinate in his position and beliefs. No to martial law! No to dictatorship!”

I am disturbed by what I have seen in Facebook these past days. I see an effort to rehabilitate Marcos through lies and disinformation. For instance one post claims that during his time as President, the Philippines was the richest country in Asia. Certainly not! It was Japan. It asserts that the Philippines was the first to have an airport in Asia. Are you kidding? Ayala Avenue and Paseo De Roxas used to be the 2 runways of the Nielsen Airport and it was built way back in 1937.

Why am I so bothered? George Santayana said: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Here it is not just a matter of not remembering the past. It is re-writing history in order to hide the truth about the past, in order to present a lie as truth and thus, opening ourselves to the possibility of a repeat of the Martial Law years: one man rule for the benefit of one’s family and one’s cronies.

The elections are coming in about a couple of weeks. It is at the heart of democracy. Through the right of suffrage we are able to form a "government of the people, by the people, for the people". But the right of suffrage needs to be qualified. It is not enough to have the right to elect our officials and to exercise that right. We also need to have an enlightened electorate exercising that right. Do we have that kind of electorate today?

Someone said: “We elect the officials we deserve.” How profound. How true. I wonder who will be elected this May? I wonder what kind of people they are. But most of all, I wonder what will the election results say about us, the Filipino people?

SHOOTING THE RAPIDS

[Photo: Pagsanjan Falls]

Pagsanjan Falls (indigenous name: Magdapio Falls) is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. Located in the province of Laguna, the falls is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. The falls are reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, known locally as shooting the rapids, originating from the municipality of Pagsanjan. The boat ride has been an attraction since the Spanish Colonial Era with the oldest written account in 1894. The town of Pagsanjan lies at the confluence of two rivers, the Balanac River and the Bumbungan River (also known as the Pagsanjan River). (Wikipedia)

I have been here three times already. The first time was a family outing. I was in grade school then. The second time was many years later. I was at that time a young priest working as a catechist (spiritual moderator) of the High School department. Our community decided to go there for our community outing. The last time was about a couple of years ago. The parents of one of our Postnovices graciously gave this to us as a treat.

Every time I go there the strength, stamina and skill of the boatmen called “bangkeros” never fail to impress me. The journey to the falls is not always through water. Hence, it is not always a matter of paddling. Many times the boatmen have to push, pull, and lift a boat with four people aboard as they negotiate the river strewn with boulders.

I pitied a boatman during my second excursion to the falls. A visitor probably through carelessness threw some litter with a sharp edge. Our boatmen stepped on it and wounded himself. It wasn’t serious but it certainly wasn’t a painless. And what made matters worse was that we were still on the way to the falls. There was still a return trip.

I must give credit to the local government unit for putting in order the business of “shooting the rapids”. They have standardized the fees. This is something good for both tourists and boatmen. No extra charges are to be asked and none should be given. Boatmen have to register themselves. They are given schedules. This is especially good during the lean months in order to ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to earn something.

Another thing that caught my attention was the provision of head gear and life jacket. I think it was only on this third visit that we were provided with these equipment. The life jacket was to prevent drowning. That was obvious. But why the head gear? The first thing that came to my mind was for protection when we go under the falls. Some rocks might fall with the water. And I for one wouldn’t want to have them fall on my head. But perhaps it was really meant to protect our heads should the boat capsize while negotiating the boulders to and from the falls.

I like nature-tripping. How I love to stand and marvel at the beauty of creation! A sunset of blazing colors. Mountain tops peaking through clouds in the early morning hours. Mighty waterfalls covering the pools below with spray. The black night sky sprinkled with an abundance of stars. Or even just a flower with its arms outstretched in welcome. One word captures the feeling that overpowers me when I behold the beauty and the power of creation: awesome! It is then that I remember Psalm 8 and Psalm 19 . Psalm 8 declares:

When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and stars that you set in place—

What is man that you are mindful of him,

and a son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god,

crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him rule over the works of your hands,d

put all things at his feet:

All sheep and oxen,

even the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,

and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,

how awesome is your name through all the earth!

A TRAVELOGUE OF ILOCOS

[Photo: Bangui Wind Farm. Ilocos Norte.]

The Bangui Wind Farm is located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The wind farm uses 20 units of 70-metre (230 ft) high Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, arranged on a single row stretching along a nine-kilometer shoreline off Bangui Bay, facing the South China Sea. (Wikipedia)

I thought these wind turbines were silent electricity generators. But when you go to the beach you hear the sound of giant propellers rotating slowly. I read one blog claiming that the wind turbines were reducing the catch of fish in the area.

May 2011 has been a memorable month for me because for the first time in years (about three decades really), I have been able to go on a holiday with my siblings. Only our brother who was in the US was absent. But all the four of us having a holiday together is something that I hope can happen in the near future, hopefully as early as next year.

I have been to Ilocos once before. That was in the 1980s and it was limited to Vigan. We took an Isuzu van, not a comfortable vehicle to start with. The trip was so long and so tiring that I promised not to go back.

I changed my mind in 2011. I had hoped to join the educational trip organized by a professor of Philippine and Church history a couple of months before. But he said that all the slots had been taken. So it was wonderful news when one sibling decided to spend her birthday by organizing a tour of Ilocos with us.

We took a PAL flight to Laoag in the morning. We immediately went to Rosewell Hotel where we deposited our bags. Since it was lunch time already, we took a tricycle to La Preciosa. The restaurant was highly recommended by the travel book that my sister brought along. I must say that the ‘bagnet’ and ‘pinakbet’ were delicious.

Our tour on a tricycle began after lunch. We visited St. William cathedral and the sinking belfry. The belfry was not attached to the church but a good distance away. Also near the cathedral was the plaza where a monument to the tobacco monopoly was erected. After some picture-taking we took the tricycle to the sand dunes of La Paz. We did not see any sand surfers, perhaps because it was already late in the afternoon. But we did see other tourists. On the way back, our tricycle got a flat tire. The driver was kind enough to hail another tricycle to bring us back to the hotel.

On the second day of the tour we went to Paoay, Currimao and Batac.

Paoay, of course, is best known for the Church of St. Augustine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Travel books often mention a curiously-designed house in Paoay. It is octagonal in shape. We had the good fortune of meeting Mrs. Rosario Pobre, the owner, and of being invited to see the interior. She was so hospitable that she insisted on giving us chichacorn (crispy corn kernels) and Bugnay wine (made from wild black berries with 12% alcohol content).

There are two places of interest in Currimao. The first is the swimming area. It is not a sandy beach at all but rock (or is it coral?) formations where bathers can find shade from the sun and pockets of swimming holes. The other is the remains of a watch tower built to warn the people against marauding pirates.

Then we were off to Batac. Mention Batac and Ferdinand Marcos comes to mind. You’ll find there a museum where the embalmed body of Marcos rests. It looked like a wax statue to me. There is also the Malacanang of the North. There were two places inside that piqued my interest. The first was a small room on the ground floor that served as a mini-hospital. It reminded me of the mini-hospital that we saw in Malacanang when the palace was opened to the public after the EDSA revolution. The other was a spacious room for Imelda. How come she has a room for herself when there was already a master’s bedroom?

The third day of the tour brought us to Sarrat, Baccara, Pasuquin, Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud.

Sarrat is known for the Sta. Monica Church. It was there that Irene got married. Why Sarrat and not  Batac? Because the church at Sarrat was longer than that of Batac and therefore would do justice to the long train of Irene’s wedding gown.

Pasuquin is known for biscocho and salt. My sisters bought 1 kg of salt each. The Pasuquin bakery offered two kinds of biscocho: The hard toasted biscocho with which we are familiar and the soft biscocho (which looks like monay or pan de lemon to me).

Our first stop in Burgos was Cape Bojeador. On a hill there stands an old lighthouse which until today is a beacon of light to boats passing in the area. After lunch at a restaurant at the foot of the hill, we proceeded to the Kapurpurawan limestone rock formation. First, it didn’t look like limestone to me. I think it is sand stone. Second, it’s not a breath-taking formation. The most you can say is that it is outstanding, because its shape and color makes it stand out. You should bring an umbrella or hat and water with you. It’s quite a walk to reach it and the sun can dehydrate you.

Pagudpud is known for its white beaches. It has been called the Boracay of the North. But really its beaches can never compete with the fine white sand and crystal waters of Boracay.

Vigan. The fourth and fifth leg of the tour.

We had the misfortune of getting on a slow-moving non-air conditioned bus and so it took us more than three hours to reach Vigan.

Our lodging (we can boast) used to host Tom Cruise when he filmed "Born on the Fourth of July" way back in 1989. And we, in fact, stayed in the very room where he used. Piolo Pascual, too, (if you want to know) also stayed in that house. But he occupied the room across ours. If you’re curious about the house, it is Villa Angela. (But management needs to do some restoring. If you've been to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, you'll know what I mean.)

It was already dark when we ventured outside in search of a place to eat supper. One of my sisters suggested we go to Café Leona since the guide books were recommending it. It is at the end of Crisologo street, near the cathedral. We were deeply disappointed. I wouldn't recommend eating there, ever. Supper was probably re-heated food that had been cooked for lunch. I googled the restaurant and read a lot of complaints. You have been forewarned.

The following day was spent sight-seeing. On the itinerary were St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, the house of Fr. Burgos, St. Augustine Church in Bantay, a pottery-making shop and Cristy’s Loom Weaving shop. The belfry of St. Augustine Church is detached from the church itself just like the other churches in Ilocos.

But we had to go back to Laoag to catch our plane back to Manila. A tricycle brought us to Partas terminal. We did not have to wait too long for the bus to leave. We alighted right in front of Rosewell Hotel. Since it was well past lunch time, we deposited our bags and took a tricycle for Saramsam restaurant. It was also recommended by the travel books. We were not disappointed. The food was good.

In all the places we visited, one cannot deny the impact of the Church in the Philippines. You just have to look at the names of the places and the churches that you find in them. For this reason the result of a study by Eon Philippines is not at all surprising: “The Church is the most trusted institution while the government remains the least trusted institution in the country.” It is not that the Church (that means the leaders and its members) is perfect. It is certainly not. It must undergo continued conversion. But for all its faults, it still is credible enough to earn the peoples’ trust.

THE MINOTAUR

[Photo: Theseus and the Minotaur. Part of a set of sculptures at the Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia]

Theseus and the Minotaur. In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull". He dwelt at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus, on the command of King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. (Wikipaedia)

The Archibald Fountain. Properly called the J.F. Archibald Memorial Fountain, it is widely regarded as the finest public fountain in Australia, is located in Hyde Park, in central Sydney, New South Wales. It is named after J.F. Archibald, owner and editor of The Bulletin magazine, who bequeathed funds to have it built. Archibald specified that it must be designed by a French artist, both because of his great love of French culture and to commemorate the association of Australia and France in World War I.

Theseus and the Minotaur in the Archibald Fountain symbolize the triumph of the human spirit over bestiality. Theseus delivers his country from the ransom which it had to pay to this monster. By doing this he put his life on line for the good of humanity. (Wikipaedia)

Scripture passages as Food for the Soul-

• No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (Jn 15:13).
• For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (Jn 3:16-17)
•  Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).
• But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).