Breakfast with a Poet II - Biting the Bullet

I showed Elynia Mabanglo BarangayAmerika.com and she liked the concept. “Kaya lang bakit Barangay Amerika tapos lahat naman ng nakasulat e Ingles?�? aniya.

Oo nga naman.

Nang imungkahi at ipatupad ang ideyang sistemang bilingual sa edukasyon, sabi nila’y nagkaroon tayo ng henerasyon ng mga mamamayang mapurol sa ingles—at mahina din sa pilipino. Madaling intindihin kung medyo diskaril ang ating ingles, tutal hindi naman ito ang tinubuang wika. Ngunit walang dahilan kung pati ang ating pilipino ay pagewang-gewang tulad ng Kennon road sa Baguio at tulad din ng sulating ito.

Ipagpaumanhin ang pagiging TH, ngunit nalihis na ako sa aking nais isulat. Sana’y patawarin kung babalik ako sa pagsusulat sa ingles, sadyang hindi ko pa gamay ang pagsusulat ng mahaba-haba sa ating lingua franca. Nakakahiya talaga. Ngunit pagsusumikapan kung makapagsulat sa ating wika sa mga susunod pang mga kwento. Promise.

The other day was surreal, but it turned out to be one of the best days I’ve had in Japan. Again, breakfast set the tone for the day’s unfolding. Our guest would be leaving for home (Philippines, although she’s a permanent resident of Hawaii) and over breakfast she worried over her heavy baggage and the predicament of having to carry them all the way to Tokyo where her flight originated.

“E kung sumama na lang kayong dalawa (my wife and I) at babayaran ko na lang shinkansen niyo round-trip?�?

Perhaps it was the early hour and the craziness of the idea that prevented the thought from sinking in. Looking at Elynia though, she appeared serious. And then it hit, a free ride on the shinkansen – THE Bullet Train!. Only a fool would give up on the chance and I wasn’t going to be that fool that day.

A quick shower and we’re on our way to Tokyo on the Hikari Super Express. I felt like a child before his first ride on a roller coaster. But this was adult sized fun. I realized only now that what we did was go on a series of train rides all the way from Minoo City in Osaka prefecture to Narita Airport in Tokyo, a distance comparable to that between Manila and Laoag in Ilocos Norte. In 4 hours! It’s amazing how I was able to get through all the way to the Narita Departure Lounge with only my ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration) as my ID since in the rush I forgot my passport in Osaka.

We took advantage of the instant voyage by accepting an invitation to meet in Tokyo with our ampon (she lived with us for one year while she studied in UP Baguio), Hiromi Iwasaki, who was astonished to hear that we were on our way to her city, unplanned. We last saw Hiromi in October 2004, and though we are all now in Japan, the high cost of travel between Osaka and Tokyo precluded meeting casually.

The day zipped past us like the blur outside the shinkansen’s windows. Soon it was 23:55 and we were walking the few steps from the bus stop to our home in Osaka. Glancing at my watch, I noted that it was the exact time Elynia’s plane would be touching down at NAIA. We were all home at last.

mahal
maanong isulat
kung nahanap ko na
ang gusi sa paanan ng iyong bahaghari
dahil
ibig ko nang umuwi
--Elynia Mabanglo, Bayang Magiliw, Mesa Para sa Isa.