| Na, Mora'y Guidangat * !!!
Letters, faxes, e-mail, phone calls, conversations......
*(This is a temporary title for this new
column. Send us your suggestions. It should be a typical word or expression
to which all of us can relate. Does not need to have sense - mga Tanjayanon,
heh, heh! - Braddock Calumpang
BRADDOCK |
.
Sari reads ATN
The Ang Tanjayanon Newsletter brought chuckles
to us here. It's a unique publication with each issue a collector's
item. It's annuit coeptis indeed.
Ms. Sari Saavedra
Dumaguete City
o-o-o-o
. . . and Pepe, too?
'Dock, ba'ing
lami-a nang atong Ang Tanjayanon - makalingaw gyud. I'd
rather spend my time reading it than our local newspapers here which
talks only of government corruption, currency crises, droughts and
other depressing news.
Suggestion:
I think it would also be fitting for our ATN to have a section wherein
we feature some Tanjayanons who in their lifetime have excelled in their
calling. Two who come to my mind are Peping Romero (former
Philippine ambassador to the Court of St James, England) and 'Bay Zoe
R. Lopez (one of the most famous violinists in the Philippines).
Pepe Tiongson
Tanjay, Negros Oriental
Pepe (Atty
Jose V.) Tiongson is a law professor, a very fine writer and a well-known
talented pianist. But most of all, Pepe is known to be a good man.
o-o-o-o
.
Tanjayanons, kind and generous
Sincere greetings
to you. I enjoy the ATN very much. It is like being with my
friends who are Tanjayanons. They are always happy, kind and most
of all very generous.
I want to order
a copy of your book Tall Tales from Tanjay. I hope it's not
expensive and you don't charge me a lot. Please give me a discount.
Instead of mailing, just phone me and I can pick it up so you will not
charge me for shipping and handling costs. Please call me as soon
as possible. Okay?
Martha S. Ventura
West Covina, Calif
Martha, Martha,
thou art overly concerned with the cares of this material world.
Verily,
verily I say unto you: thou shalt have
a copy of the book for free delivered to thy home. (Yes, Martha ,
Tanjayanons are kind and generous and dali ra nimong owaton!)
o-o-o-o
.
Tanjayanons, insensitive,
callous
I read with
utter disbelief the latest issue of your newsletter.
You headlined:
Tanjayanons face difficult year ahead. If this is a fact, and indeed
you know it is, how can you be so callous and so insensitive to the
plight of your fellow Tanjayanons? I thought you had affection
and empathy, but no, the newsletter went on with its tasteless,
off-color jokes, silly anecdotes and ridiculous letters.
Truth to
tell, in a quid pro quo basis, reading your ATN is a shameful
waste of time. Instead of publishing it with all its costs and expenses,
it would be better if you just send the money to the Philippines
to help our poverty-stricken people.
Al Moranas
Los Angeles, Calif
******
Brad, kana si Al Moranas, haral nang daku!
Precy Torres-Laxina
Norwalk, Calif
******
Si Al Moranas ug moadto na sa ato, makulatahan gyud na'g dili oras!
Polly Salva-Korn
Los Angeles, Calif
******
This is for Al Moranas:
If this is your real name, ignore all criticism and be proud of it: a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet. If, however, you're hiding
behind that pen name, that's a shame: Al Moranas by any other name would
smell etc., etc., etc.
You characterize the ATN's humor as being "cheap, tasteless, slapstick,
witless and dry?" I'll defend your right to your opinion especially when
you have valid points to make, but you have to agree that this observation
is relative. The question is, "From whose point of view?" Having
travelled a bit, I assure you that concepts of humor vary widely from one
society to another.
I can sense from your letter that you have concerns that transcend ATN's
current choice of
topics. I suggest you write them down and submit
them to the editors. That's the way to "do a little good", to quote
you.
Sure, ATN can stand some improvement (few things in this world approach
perfection), but
personally I am grateful that a large number
of Tanjayanons care enough for their town and origins to maintain their
organization and ATN as a powerful means of preserving and promoting their
unique identity. I was in our country last year and believe it or not,
I saw xerox copies of ATN. It should then please the editorial
staff to know that ATN's circulation is much bigger than
they think.
David C. Martinez
Los Angeles, Calif
(Danny is a among the most respected writers
of the Philippines. Among his latest distinctions are the 1997
Palanca Award (First Prize) for short story, and another special
Palanca Award (Second Prize) for poetry. We are conscious that our
editing of his very well-written letter due to space limitation may be
amateurish (for which we ask for consideration and understanding.)
We are proud to say though, that his mom, Mrs. Carmen Cabello-Martinez,
is a genuine Tanjayanon.)
****
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Faxed from Australia . .
.
The Editors
Ang Tanjayanon Newsletter
Dear Sirs:
I came
across an item in your July issue written by a certain Al Moranas asking
what's in your town of Tanjay that makes it interesting and for you guys
to be proud of?
I
feel Mr (or Ms) Moranas is right in asking such a question. May I
note that in one of my Southest Asian tours gathering materials for a dissertation,
I happened to have stopped over in that very small town of Tanjay, and
really there never was a thing that impressed me. The market
buildings were dilapidated with topsy-turvy and shabby stalls. People
were seen going around in rubber flip-flops and seemed to be speaking with
a distinctive curled tongue.
I
was incidentally in Tanjay on April 9 (Good Friday), and I just couldn't
understand my feelings. It was a day of retreat and repentance of
sins but outside it was Christmas!!!
Thanks and good day.
Irene W. Kenneth
Plymouth, Australia
****
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