On January 17, 2022, a blizzard passed by and covered Toronto with some 55 centimetres of snow.
There was nothing like it, perhaps since 1935; although some friends, in phone conversations, quipped that the latest blizzard was pale compared to what occurred in the winter of 1999.
From an apartment window the following morning, I was dumbfounded to see how the blizzard dumped snow that canopied flat rooftops of nearby buildings, filled apartment and condominium balconies and hid vehicles in parking lots and streets.
But it was a good day. Through it all, Torontonians – with stout hearts, positive minds and helping hands – managed and overcame the woes and hazards the inclement, real bad, weather brought about. Snow removal and clean up went on days after.
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Among those who said the snow storm was an eye-opener and a blessing were stubborn old men Mang Kulas and Tatang Ompong. For both, it was personal. They wanted to do it. They needed to do it. They were sturdy bold men, or so they insisted.
For quite some time, Mang Kulas calmly took in jokes that he was better off on a snug couch, absorbing books or ingesting snacks, after he retired many years ago. Tatang Ompong was in a similar case. So, on the afternoon of January 18, they coincidentally shared the same thought of turning the joke on the jokers.
When Mang Kulas knew that his daughter and grandson went to the parking lot for a dig-out, he got into his layers, boots, gloves and toque to join them. He gave some thought to but later brushed aside his grandson’s pleas to stop daring the cold and to stay away from the borrowed shovel.
As he shovelled, Mang Kulas said he never cared about mass and weight, explaining that he was no Isaac Newton. Each of his calculated shovelling thrust and lift applied little force that could make rocket scientists blush.
In about an hour, all three lent and shared arms to demolish and clear a snow bank and a rectangular snow wall. Soon, his daughter’s car was out of the erstwhile white pit and was on the streets again.
Mang Kulas thought: “Of course, after the dig-out, I expected a dig-in.” He got his wish.
Not far away, Tata Ompong said he got into his winter jacket and other cold weather covers to help his son get his SUV out of its knee-high white surroundings. His son had to go to his night-shift job.
For him, it was another nice rare moment to flex aging but not fragile bones and muscles. It was also a time of maximum help for minimal work.
Done with the task, Tata Ompong said: “I never felt the cold; I was dressed for it. Each movement I did warmed my body.”
Like Mang Kulas, Galileo’s view of gravity was the very least of Tatang Ompong’s concerns. He viewed each shovelling bend, stretch and swing as a workout that would likely make fitness folk squirm. “I did not shovel snow. I helped collapse soft white hills and moved them out.”
He admitted that his back, hip and knees somewhat groaned and grunted; but the aches ebbed when the warm shower, the hot patch, a hot meal and a good night’s rest did some magic.
Asked by phone if they would be back after a snowfall a week later on January 24, Mang Kulas and Tatang Ompong both appeared to have the same sentiment: “Too bad, the drop just did not bring it on.”
But both implied: “Like what you do; look forward to doing it again. That gives you all the best reasons to go on and to be around until the next fleeting fulfilling feeling comes.”
*****
Kung wala diyan, nandito; kung wala dito, nandiyan. Kung wala dito at wala diyan, nasaan? Tulad ng pinya, may saysay ba ang tumingala at maghanap sa kalawakan?
Ang magtanong ay hindi masama.
Tulayin ang kawayan, parang tagak na sa pilapil ay gumayak. Magbasa na lang ng komiks o manood ng telebisyon kung bayani’y kathang-isip na payak?
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Naumay na si kapitbahay sa mausisang palipat-lipat ng laway at papalit-palit ng kuwento.
Umiwas ka na, kapitbahay, at baka ka mahawa ng Kubid na umaaligid sa paligid. Lumayo ka na rin sa nakalilitong diskurso na kadalasa’y kasinungalingan na pilit isinusulong ng ilan.
Makulit na kung makulit, mas mainam pa rin ang paulit-ulit. Ang malinaw na mensahe ay tanggap lamang ng nakararami, kung ito ay pinangangatawanan ng nagsabi.
*****
There is nothing mind-boggling about not getting a definitive answer to a direct honest question.
So, when the ones relied on to dish timely and relevant information, to erase doubts and to provide certainty are not doing their job, people ignore the latter, tick them off the nice list and go on with their lives.
Pontius-like hand washing, pointing fingers and passing the puck may be trendy, but does not clean a mess.
A bit sooner, maybe, well-intended public and community service will replace egotism and self interest, corruption and dirty economic and political games and the seeming surge to bully and dominate.
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Pabatid ng mga dalubhasa, airborne daw ang Coronavirus. Puwes?
Change topic. Ang panlalawigang halalan sa Ontario ay gaganapin bago o sa ika-2 ng Hunyo. At ang national elections sa Pilipinas ay nakatakda sa ika-9 ng Mayo. Beep, beep! Bumubusina lang po.
Balik topic. Kung airborne ang Coronavirus, hahayaan din ba ang mga pulitikong pulpol na magpasa-ere?
Hindi! Dapat gapiin at alisin ang mga iyan nang makahinga naman ng maayos at maluwag and lipunan.
*****
Korniks. Kung ang Inglis ng mais ay corn, ano ang sagot?
Eh di kambing.
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“Bababa ba?” “Bababa.” Narito ang isang talinghaga.
Mula sa Room 20 sa ika-22 palapag ng marangyang kastilyo, apat na sikat ang nag-elevator.
Pinindot ng una ang button for Parking. The second pressed Lobby.
‘Yung pangatlo at pang-apat hit Basement 1 and Basement 2, respectively.
In cold and chilling silence, they all went down and out.
Nanasok naman ang bata at mapaglarong pinagpipindot ang lahat ng de-numerong buton na kayang abutin.
At sa bawat pagbukas at pagpinid ng pintuan, sinisilip ng bata ang kawalan.
Larawan ng kanyang ngiti ang kaalaman na siya’y patungo sa kaitaasang tahanan.
*****
Sabi sa social media: Locked down? Kausapin mo ang lock. Communication is the key.
Kaya lang, baka may humalakhak at magduda kung ikaw ay mentally healthy.
*****
Magiging saksi tayong muli ang isa pang pandaigdigang tagisan ng lakas at husay sa winter sports. Halina’t antabayanan, itaguyod at pasayahin ang mga manlalaro ng Canada at Pilipinas na sasali sa Olympics sa Beijing at katabing-bayan ng Yanqing at Chongli sa People’s Republic of China, mula ika-4 hanggang ika-20 ng Pebrero.
Isang pagbabalik-tanaw na hango sa Internet: First time na gaganapin sa Beijing ang Winter Olympics. Dahil naging punong-abala din ang lungsod sa 2008 Summer Olympics, ang Beijing ang unang siyudad sa mundo na sinaglitan ng tanyag at tampok na four-year summer and winter Games.
Patunay ito na taglay ng East Asia, may pandemya o wala, ang kakayahang magpatakbo ng magkakasunod na Olympic Games – una ang 2018 Winter Olympics sa Pyeongchang, South Korea; pangalawa ang 2020 Summer Olympics sa Tokyo, Japan at pangatlo ang 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Kasing-ganda kaya ng opening and closing ceremonies ng 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics ang panimula at panghuling palatuntunan sa winter Games na gaganapin din sa Beijing National Stadium?
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Just saying: Walang pakialam ang mga atleta’t manlalaro sa politika. Tutungo at sasali sila sa Olympics upang makipaglaro, makipag-kaibigan and have fun. Susubukan nilang manaig at magwagi, at matamisin ang katuparan ng kanilang taon-taong pagsasanay. Ito ang saysay ng Olympics, wala nang iba, para sa kanila.
Bagkus, ipunin na lang sana ng mga bashers at kontra sa 2020 Beijing Winter Olympics ang panis na laway at idura sa kanilang marungis na bahay. Huwag mag-alala, marunong ding makipaglaro ang mga langaw, ipis at uod.
Pakiusap: Bago ngumawa, manalamin muna at burahin ang simangot sa mukha. Iwasan na rin ang mambato kung may bahid ang pagkatao’t pamumuno. Ang sinuman na may kalat na basura’t kabulukan sa bakuran ay hindi qualified na mambuska at manlait ng dumi ng iba.
Magpasalamat na lang tayo at sa kabila ng pinagdadaanan ng sanlibutan, mayroon pa ring hantungan ang ating pagmamabutihan, pagsasamahan at pagkakaibigan sa isa’t-isa – sa larangan ng Olympics.
Sports had always been an amazing platform of skill and strength shown and made prominent in individual fun, team camaraderie, community involvement and international friendship.
*****
新年好 Sshin-nyen haoww! San nin hou! Happy Chinese New Year!
恭喜发财 Gōng xǐ fā cái! Gong hay fat choy! Happiness and prosperity!
Paano mang isulat at sabihin, maligayang bati sa lahat sa pagdating ng Chinese New Year of the Tiger nitong ika-1 ng Pebrero.
Harinawa’y isulong ng bagong taon ang kasaganahan, kaayusan at kapayapaan sa sandaigdigan. #####
PHOTO WITH CAPTION BELOW
10 seconds for a pose. Like they say, this is not about working hard. It’s more like hardly working. The pose was taken while I was on a ten-second break; then, back to clearing a snow bank block. (Photo by Francis)
