IN WESTERN Visayas, I have already established my reputation as the preeminent agent of provocation.
I like driving people crazy with my crazy ideas.
Because I am so good at it, people have now come to expect me to be always provocative.
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Like, if my words or attire or make up does not attract attention, people would presume something is wrong with me momentarily.
They’d wonder if I am sick.
And that’s just how it is now—16 years after I threatened to protest in the nude by the Arroyo Fountain in front of the Provincial Capitol.
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I keep some of my premier agent provocateur persona online.
But for those who don’t know me for my real life exploits in Iloilo and the region, I understand that I can be something like a shitposter.
Mema, as the young people would call it.
Basta lang “me ma”-gawa.
Translation: Just so I can post or do something.
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I really don’t care.
I enjoy interacting with my people, my audience, my readers, online.
(Don’t worry. I have the time.)
They feed me, and I feed them.
Sometimes, inspire me to many, if not great, thoughts.
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Because I actually reflect on life, I post like a mad man.
I post every thought that comes to my mind.
Mostly, they’re inane.
But often, I could phrase them originally, creatively, uniquely.
So that they come out entertaining, or at least, funny.
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I remember exactly how this “pera series” came to be.
I was in the kitchen discussing with my sister-in-law how much salt I’m putting in my cooking.
And I had a passing thought of a conversation, totally unrelated, with a friend who said that I am so rich because I don’t desire so many material things.
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My “pera-asin” post on Facebook was very well-received.
And, of course, I couldn’t stop with just one post.
And it was like eating potato chips.
Until I was posting variations on the theme.
Every 15 minutes.
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‘Yang pera, parang asin din ‘yan.
Because I don’t need much, I actually have too much.
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‘Yang pera, parang ano rin ‘yan.
Masarap laru-laruin at hawakan… kung malaki talaga.
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‘Yang pera, parang pacencia rin ‘yan.
Kung wala nang pacencia, madali ring nauubos.
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‘Yang pera, para ring jowa ‘yan.
Kung waley na, humanap ka ng iba!
‘Wag tatamad-tamad.
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‘Yang pera, parang mukha rin ‘yan.
Ang kakapal… ng mga mukhang-pera.
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‘Yang pera, para ring papel ‘yan.
Kung barya lang ang hawak mo, alam na this!
Wala kang papel.
Quiet ka lang.
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And life is like that.
I can swing from witticism to profundity, to a verbal puzzle, to non sequiturs, to nonsensicalism.
I just let the jokes fly, even if sometimes they bomb.
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At another time, a friend’s post ran through my feed.
It was an aphorism about being real, and not obsessing to become wealthy.
I wanted to react, of course, because I thought it was making my friend lazy and complacent.
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I also thought it is a wrong philosophy to circulate on the Internet.
I mean, I understand the real message.
But if we don’t give a different perspective, it can be dangerous.
Hello?
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And I also meant for people to question my opinion/s.
They couldn’t just agree with me!
Just as I couldn’t simply agree that “Life is not about becoming rich, but about being real.”
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Life daw is not about becoming rich, but about being real.
Hello?
Get real!
Stay poor, pero ‘wag kayong mandamay!
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Life daw is not about becoming rich, but about being real.
Mga addict lang ang nagsasabi nito!
High ba kayo?
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Life daw is not about becoming rich, but about being real.
Poverty seeks misery as company.
I-like n’yo raw sila.
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Life daw is not about becoming rich, but about being real.
Pustahan tayo, mahirap ang nagsabi nito!
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And that’s why, I’m #ThePSN, with the hashtag!/PN
