Lessons from Mirana

the cadena de amor

I was looking through my traditional diary planner over things that I failed to do and I was so delighted to see the cadena de amor(Chain of Love) flower pressed on one of its pages. And I remembered the afternoon when we met up at the UP Diliman Campus, few days after the showing of her 'Silent Odyssey" to celebrate her birthday. I find the cadena de amor quite special because nobody else have given me such flower. Roses, tulips, orchid varieties and few wild flowers were handed to me in different seasons and situations from various people that I know or from stragers, but receiving a cadena de amor is a first time experience.

birthday dinner for Mirana

Second, its pretty bizarre because instead of me giving her a flower , it was the other way around. In addition we were in the ladies restroom at one of the buildings in UP me, powdering my nose while she was about to enter one of the cubicles when she handed me the flower which made me really smile upon remembering such moment.

Most importantly, this flower has been a constant reminder of three lessons that I learned from Mirana.

watching Mirana's Silent Odyssey

First, take time to listen. More than a year earlier, I was distraught about an incident in one of my trips in a small island and I found a willing audience in her. The good thing about this was- she knew the person and the situation which upset me so much but she merely listened. I am aware that she could be very busy as a filmmaker but she took the time replying to my e-mails and text messages, and most importantly, I did not have to tell her that-I had enough- she verbalised it for me. She did not push me nor requested me to try my best to be 'civil" to the person i was very upset with but she allowed me to freely express my feelings about the whole situation and gave me space. She was there when I "reunited" with this person and when apologies and explanations were done- she joined us. Our friendship reached a different level and most importantly, the friendship remained intact despite some odds. Moreover, she did not leave me wondering about things or information that I missed. She took lots of efforts to show me the "whole picture" which largely helped my understanding and "recovery" and judgement. In a nutshell, the whole brouhaha was a good learning experience for me.

watching her movie " Silent Odyssey"

Second is the idea of acceptance. "It was not meant to be" is a nice line that I always remember from her. I wanted to accompany her and show her around in Davao during the film showing of "Alyanna" in 2007 knowing fully well that it was her first time to go and aside from the film organisers, she did not know anyone in the place yet circumstances have not allowed me to do things as planned but there was no tinge of being upset from her at all. Her answer to my text message apologising for not being around was "It was not meant to be." We had exchanged more messages expounding about the line and the most unforgetable was when she said that saying such line makes her feel better and moving on a lot easier.

She has been a very private person and I do not know the circumstances nor the disappointments that she went through in life in relation to that line but surely I have realised that she is a person very much at peace with herself and to the world. Most importantly, that line is very useful to me making my own "moving on" a lot easier. "It is not meant to be" as Mirana said is like a breeze of fresh air that comes and makes her feel better. Similarly, that line has been making the same effect to me.

using sign language in Silent Odyssey premier show

Third, having the passion for something. Over dinner in our now favoured Italian restaurant Cibo, Belen, the seasoned communicator, no less the Chairman of the Speech Communication and Theater Arts Department in the UP Diliman asked her what inspires her to do her advocacy film after asking how much she had spent and the time used in creating the film "Silent Odyssey" ,the premier of which was few days before her birthday celebration. Now Belen has to ask this because she knows that she has been workingas a film editor doing "mainstream movies" and definitely, earning more than probably having a " break-even" in her advocacy films.

I was quiet and carefully listened as conversations like these from my achiever friends have always awed me. Without batting an eyelash, she looked at Belen and answered "passion". Well, at the time, the only "passion" that I was quite familiar of was passion among lovestruck individuals which talks about intense emotion, or ardent love so when I went home after that dinner I took a closer look at the huge dictionary. Passion, according to the huge red dictionary, also means " a strong liking for or devotion to some activity, object or concept "

Of course Mirana expounded on why such "passion" has been like a fuel that keeps her going and I listened intently while finishing the flourless birthday cake that the restaurant has gifted her.

catching up at UP Diliman over pancit(noodles)

Now I fully understand and see "Passion" from the perspective that Mirana was into when she answered Belen's question(which I dare not ask).

And seeing "passion" using Mirana's perspective has given me the "wings" to go and follow my own.

Oz Day

celebrating Australia Day along Swanston Street in Melbourne, photo by James

Today is another celebration of Australia Day in a nation where I was embraced by its people as I embraced their culture during my stint as an overseas student. I find its people, the Aussies, and the Melbournians very kind during my stay and I miss the place, its people and my life in there. When I go back for a short visit it will be probably on another festive day like this. And I will not surely miss the Australian open which has, along with my student days, has been very memourable.

Or perhaps I will go back- to stay. Not a remote possibility I reckon.

MarieAntoinette

The Golden Girl Belen

As an excellent communicator and educator, Madam Belen would probably dislike being called a "golden girl" but I can't help it. I missed attending her birthday this year- her golden year, thus this blog. It's a great coincidence to find out that her birthday falls on the same day and month, well of course on different year, with that of my mother's. I always take time to go home to my parents' house and join my family in a quiet celebration. This means that I have to miss joining Belen's own celebration, including this year which was the biggest so far. After all, its her golden year so she by all means deserves a huge birthday bash.

I met her few years back , when I enrolled in a postgraduate studies in Speech Communication in the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She was my assigned course adviser and at the same time, my professor in my Performance class. Having finished a Bachelor of Science from the UP at Los Banos, I am certain that I am treading a different path and she, just like my other professors in the College of Arts and Letters, were quite interested why I have decided to take this course for a master's degree. My standard answer was that, taking this course brings me personal fulfillment and I have always wished to open a speech school catering to children from all socioeconomic background in an island, probably where I was raised. I have always wanted to take up arts related course back in college but special circumstances led me away from it. When I have started earning my own money, I tried putting myself back to school to fulfill my wish. I have enjoyed writing, performing and the most memourable was directing for the Children's literature part where I realised that I have the capability and the patience to handle children. At the same time enjoyed meeting up individuals who turned up to be my friends from the communication and arts field. I was enjoying a lot and was bent on finishing on time, side by side with my achiever classmates who provided lots of inspiration for me.

In a twist of fate, I was unable to finish Speech Communication and did Political Science overseas. Yet it did not stop me to maintain my friendship to my mentor, Ma'am Belen, who has turned to be a close friend and in many ways like an elder sister or cousin to me.

Catching up with them in Dumaguete City(they literally picked me up at the city's boulevard after sunset), and taking our trip together to the Siquijor island in July 2007 with our filmmaker friend, Mirana and the expatriate Roshan brought us closer than ever. I had a personal emotional turmoil after leaving the island few days after and even though I had a very sympathetic and unbiased listener in Mirana, I sought refuge in Belen's home and felt a lot better afterwards. My apprehensions became valid few months after but I learned immensely in this situation that could greatly help me in my adult life. Most importantly, my friendship with this golden reached a different level.

I have seen her losing her Mom in January of last year and I was privileged to be able to join the necrological service prior to the cremation of her Mom. A couple of days after, her already bedridden father had a heart attack. Those are definitely sad, trying and difficult times for her yet she maintained her grace and has been a pillar of strength for the family during those trying times. I was no longer around when less than five months later, it was her father’s turn to go home to heaven but I was glad to see that she has been recharged after she decided to go overseas, in Germany and Prague where the photos above were taken by her friends.



Somehow I am mixed up with what to do in my life yet untiringly, she understands and encourages me to go one step higher, evaluate all my potentials and go for my dreams. She tirelessly gives encouragements and she never fails to highlight my untapped or unused talents.

These and for many others are the reasons why I enjoy calling her "the golden girl."

Hope you had a great golden year birthday celebration and wishing you happier days ahead!

MarieAntoinette