Isang Bagong Panaginip

Sabi nila, the time it takes to get over a break up is half of the time you were together. Tama nga siguro sila. More or less, it took me three years to finally recover from the break up. I wouldn't say that I am totally healed from it for there are times that the experience still haunts me, but I could say that if there was one thing I'd miss about it, it was how the relationship was and not the person. Kahit naman kasi nauwi sa hiwalayan ang relasyon, hindi ko maitatangging most of the six years we spent together as a couple were happy times.

Revealing ang naging dream ko two nights ago. It clearly shows the state of my heart and mind at the moment. Palagi namang ganito. Kung gusto mo akong lubos na makilala o malaman ang pinagdaraanan ko, tanungin mo kung ano ang panaginip ko.

Nakikipagbalikan daw si ex. Dati, 'yun ang pinakaasam-asam kong mangyari. In my dreams, I'd jump at the chance of reconciliation. This time, I was hesitant. I couldn't immediately say yes. Ang nasa isip ko, kung babalikan ko siya, ito ay dahil alam kong wala akong patutunguhan sa relasyong gusto kong pasukin sa ngayon. O dahil gusto kong pasakitan ang taong nagbibigay sa akin ngayon ng sakit at the same time ay tuwa.

Hindi ko pa nasasabi sa "kanya" kung ano ang naging panaginip ko. Madalas ay tine-text ko ito sa kanya kapag nagising na ako lalo na kung very vivid ang dream. Hindi ko alam kung ite-text ko ba o sasabihin ko nang personal. Pakiramdam ko ay he had enough emotional honesty this past week from me at baka hindi niya muna gustong makarinig pa. (It was an emotional week for us.) May mga gusto pa sana akong sabihin pero ayoko munang ipilit until he's ready or at least open about it.

Madalas ko rin siyang napapanaginipan nitong mga nakaraang buwan. Alam niya ang mga 'yun. Naikuwento ko sa kanya. (Maging siya ay may mangilan-ngilan ding pagkakataon na napapanaginipan ako.) Minsan, for two consecutive nights, napanaginipan kong iniwan niya raw ako, at wala akong magawa para pigilan siya. Mabigat sa loob nang magising ako, but he assured me that he would not do such a thing. (He may have done so before, and he has regretted it.) Pero may kakaibang laman ang naging panaginip ko noong Linggo. Sa unang pagkakataon, nilapitan niya ako at hinalikan. And I kissed him back. Pagkagising ko, hindi na bigat ang dala niya kundi ngiti sa aking mga labi.

I long for that first kiss. Sana ay hindi siya hanggang panaginip lamang...

The Witty Dialogues of Ishmael Bernal's Salawahan (Regal Films, 1979)

I was confused when I saw Chris Martinez's upcoming Status: It's Complicated's teaser. I didn't understand what it's about. Characters led by Jake Cuenca, Paulo Avelino, Maja Salvador, Solenn Heusaff, and Eugene Domingo were just throwing lines at each other that you'd hardly understand (dahil sa bilis o dahil hindi mo alam ang pinanggagalingan). The point of teasers and trailers is to get at least the gist of the story and not get confused by it. I wasn't into watching it (even though I am a Chris Martinez fan) until I learned that it is a remake of Ishmael Bernal's 1979 classic Salawahan starring Jay Ilagan, Mat Ranillo III, Rio Locsin, Andrea (Sandy) Andolong, and Ms. Rita Gomez.

Immediately, I looked for my copy of the film and watched it. I was giggling in most of the scenes! It was the first time I've seen it in its entirety (I've only seen parts of it in Cinema One every now and then.) and instantly became one of my favorite Bernal movies!

To quote a friend, "Si Bernal talaga ang magaling! From camp to high art, from Pridiyer to Himala to Nunal sa Tubig!" We were just talking about Pridyider (second episode of Shake, Rattle and Roll) then and how it was a product of its time: bold genre of the '80s. It was a horror film yet it was never shy of its sexual tone. He has not seen Salawahan yet, but I'm sure that he will like it, too, as much as I do.

Here are some of the witty/campy dialogues of the film that had me giggling!

Andrea: Saan ka nagpapagupit? Ang ganda ng buhok mo, ah.

Jay: Tinatapat ko lang sa bentilador.

Rene Requiestas: Bakit hindi mo ko kaladkarin sa batalan at gahasain? 

O, diyos ko! Anong sinabi ng oblation ng UP!

Andrea: Sa New York, wala akong ibang ginawa kundi swing dito, swing doon. 

I am such a swinger, talo ko pa si Tarzan.

Mark Gil: Napakahina mo sa babae. Nakapatong na sa 'yo, tatanungin mo pa ng,

"What school are you from?"

Bongchie Miraflor: Kuya Jerry, bisita mo!

Jay: Paano mo nalaman?

Bongchie: Matanda, eh!

Jay: Pasensiya ka na sa kapatid ko. Probinsiyano 'to, eh. 

Hindi sanay makakita ng magaganda.

Rita: OK lang. Mahilig din naman ako sa mga bata. 

Lalo na kung tahimik.

Bongchie: Hello, lola!

Rita: Biologically, I'm 33. Intellectually, I'm 60. And I hope I look 18.

 Rita: How do you like my position er I mean my opinion?

Jay: Well, I respect your opinion. And I love your position!

Matt:  Bakit kayong mga babae, gan'yan? Kapag nakuha n'yo na ang lalaki, 

gusto n'yo siyang baguhin? Kung babaguhin n'yo rin lang ang lalaki, 

bakit n'yo pa nagustuhan in the first place? It doesn't make sense. 

Kung nagustuhan n'yo s'ya, dapat for the way he is, 

not for the way he will be.

Rita: Girlfriend ako ni Jerry.

Andrea: Same to me.

Rita: Hindi ba tayo magko-confrontation?

Andrea: 'Wag na lang. Nakakatamad, eh.

 Rio: I hope you understand. I'm impulsive. I'm only 18.

Andrea: Parehas lang tayo. I'm only 20.

Rita: Ako, I'm hungry.

Last screencap doesn't include any caption because it is purely visual! Two words to describe it: Mark. Gil. See for yourself!

Salawahan was one of the finest performances of THE Ms. Rita Gomez. She was memorable in every scene. I wonder how Eugene Domingo will do in this role (even if she is already an established actor). Para ngang nababataan pa ako sa kanya para sa role. Even then, mahirap ding isipin kung sino ang puwedeng gumanap sa role na ito. Jaclyn Jose perhaps?