Nasaan Ka Ba Noong Tag-ulan?

Where Were You During the Rainy Season?
translated by Quark


Aba eto ako noong tag-ulan kamakailan . . . nakasampa sa tumba-tumba malayo sa basang sahig . . . nag-kukuyakuyakoy kasama ang anak kong si Sweepy . . .
Here I was when it rained recently . . . perched on the rocking chair safe from the wet floors . . . whiling the time with my pup Sweepy . . .


. . . nariyan din ako kung saan nandoon si Luchie na sadyang maraming pinag-aabalahan . . . nagpapa-ayos ng bahay sa tag-ulan!
. . . i was also anywhere near Luchie who seem to be busy having the house fixed during the rainy season!


. . . at naroon din ako sa kung saan nandoon ang aksyon 24 oras. Parang balita at tipong usisero, nagmamatyag, nagbabantay, uhaw alamin kung ano ang ginagawa nitong mga nagtratrabaho sa mga pinapagawa ni Luchie at nag-iiingay buong linggo!
. . . and I am also where the action is 24 hours. Just like the news and like the nosy ones watching and waiting and thirsty for news on what the people tasked to do the repairs needed by Luchie were doing and creating all that noise all week!


. . . at malamang nariyan din ako sa pag-sikat muli ng araw. . . na kung saan aabot din ang dati kong maaliwasay na mundo . . . ahahay!
. . . and for sure I will be there when the sun rises again . . . that will lead me back to my once cozy world.

Minsan . . .

Sometimes . . .
translated by Quark


. . . waring may hinahanap ka na hindi mo alam kung ano.
. . . it feels like you are looking for something but you do not know what it is.


Minsan ang mga bagay na sadyang nakasanayan mo na ay parang hindi mo na mawari. Waring hindi ka na sanay at waring hindi mo na bagay . . .
Sometimes the things that were familiar to you does not feel like that any more. Like they are not your own anymore . . .


Minsan ang mga bagay at mga nararamdaman mo na hindi mo na mawari ay dala lang ng panahon o paglipas ng panahon . . .
Sometimes the things and the feelings that you can not understand are brought by the passing of time . . .

. . . o siguro sa katandaan din. At ito ay nagdadala ng mga pag-aagam agam ng mga bagay na waring hindi mo na maintindihan . . .
. . . or maybe of old age too. And this brings uncertainties of the things that you do not understand . . .


Hindi matalinghaga ang mga pakiramdam kong ito, Pedro.
These musings are not that complicated, Pedro.

Sadyang iba na ang panahon at naiiba na rin ang pakiramdam ko.
It is just that the times are different and so are my feelings.

Waring naghahanap ako ng mga bagay bagay pero ang tutoo . . .
Like I am searching for something when the truth is . . .

. . . ang hinahanap ko . . . ang sarili ko . . .
. . . i am searching . . . for myself . . .

Wala akong tanong, Lui. Kaya wala kang dapat sagutin.
I have no questions, Lui, so you do not have to respond.

Ang Hari Sa Heaven

The King in Heaven
translated by Quark


Ako ang Hari dito sa bahay naming Heaven!
I am the King in our house named Heaven!


At siyempre, kapag may umasta na di mo mawari, aba sugod agad!
And of course, if there is a trespasser I attack right away!



Wala si Lui dito! Arf!
Lui is not here! Arf!



Ya, alam ko no, Sweepy! Huwag ka maingay!
Yeah I know, Sweepy, shut up!


Ayaw kong bibili si Lui ng puto . . . kasi hindi naman niya tayo bibigyan niyan!
I do not want Lui to buy puto (rice cake) . . . because she will not give us any of it anyway!

Hay naku napagod tuloy ako!
Oh that got me tired!



Mahirap talagang magtrabaho ng todo.
It is really hard to work this much.


Teka, makapahinga muna . . . diyan ka muna, Sweepy, at bantayan mo ang mundo, mahirap na!
Wait, I better take a rest . . . you stay there, Sweepy, and watch the world, it can be toxic!



At para sa mga tatay ng mundo . . .
And for all the fathers in the world . . .

. . . wag masyadong mag-aasta na hari lagi. Paminsan-minsan lang. Mahalin mo ang sarili mo kapantay ng pagmamahal mo sa pamilya mo. At kung may sobra aba eh di itodo mo lahat sa mundo. Eh sino pa ba ang magbabantay sa mundo kung hindi ako kasi Hari ako no!
. . . do not act like a king all the time. Maybe do it occasionally. Love yourself as much as you love your family. And if there is more love left you give it back to the world. Who else will watch the world except me because I am the King!



O sya, sana nag-hapipadersdey kayo mga ka-berks! Nasaan na ba yung anak ko at magpapahilot ako ng kalamnan?
So I hope you had a happy fathers day, dudes! Now where is my pup? I need to have my limbs massaged . . .

Kuwento ng Buhay . . .

Story of Life
translated by Quark


Meron akong kuwento . . .
I have a story . . .


Iyan si Sweepy.
That is Sweepy.


Sa bawat araw lagi siyang naghahanap ng kadamay, este, kasama . . .
Every day he is always looking for an accomplice, er, a companion . . .


Bawat kilos niya mistulang kulang kung wala siyang kasama.
Every move he makes seem wanting if he has no companion.


Naghahanap hanap siya at sinusuyod ang bawat sulok habang humihiyaw . . . mistulang baliw!
He goes into a search and scans every corner while whining like mad!


At kapag nakita niya ang hinahanap niya, aba mistulang nakakita ng multo!
And when he finds what he is looking for he looks like he saw a ghost!


Hoy Sweepy, halika at maglamierda tayo sa damuhan at magkutingting ng kung anu-ano, pang alis ng suya!
Hey Sweepy, come and lets play and putter in the grass to relieve our boredom!


At eto ang tatandaan mo: matuto kang maglaro ng mag-isa. Turuan mo ang sarili mong mag-aliw kahit wala sina Lui at Luchie . . . at kahit wala na ako. Kaya mo yan!
And this you must remember: learn to play by yourself. Learn to find things to amuse yourself when Lui and Luchie are not here . . . and even when I am not here anymore. You can do it!

Hay. . . Paano ba magpaalam sa mahal mo? Paano ba tinuturuan ang mga mahal mo na matuto na mag-isa at mamuhay na mag-isa? At paano mo tuturuan ang sarili mong mag-isa? Paano kung sa hinaba-haba ng panahon at unti unting nagpapaalam ang mga mahal mo at ikaw na lang ang naiwan? Paano ba mag-isa?
Ahhh . . . How do you say goodbye to the one you love? How do you prepare your loved ones to learn to stand on their own and be alone? And how do you teach yourself to be alone? What if in the end everybody starts to leave and you are the only one left? How does it feel to be alone?



Pakisagot nga, Lui.
Please answer these questions, Lui.