Gangnam Matata

(my journal entry dated December 12, 2012, a Wednesday)

Makulimlim ang panahon ngayon. A most welcome change, kasi ilang araw na rin kasi na matindi ang sikat ng araw, naturingang December pero hindi naman malamig.

Kagabi, ginulat ako ni Myrna (pinsan ko sa States). Kasi, bigla siya nag-message sa Facebook. She asked—jokingly, I think—kung handa na daw ba kami sa December 21, 2012. Wala lang. Natawa lang ako. Sabi ko, kung patay, e ‘di patay.

May binigay siya na link sa isang website. E hindi naman gumana ‘yung link. So, sabi na lang niya, i-search ko daw: “Nostradamus, Gangnam.”

I thought at first it was a joke. Pero mukhang seryoso ‘yung gumawa ng video. As in! Base daw sa isang prophesy ni Nostradamus tungkol sa siyam na circles at meron pang kabayo (was it “dancing horse” or “prancing horse”?). Sabi, kapag naka-1 billion hits na daw ‘yung “Gangnam Style” video ni Psy sa Youtube, the number would be nine zeroes corresponding to the “nine circles” in the prophesy. Tapos kasi, ‘yung sayaw ng Gangnam Style, parang nangangabayo pa. Ewan.

Natatawang naiinis ako. Hindi kasi ako fan ng Gangnam Style, and so far, utang-uta na ako sa kantang ‘yon. Parang “Nobody Like You” (tama ba title?) ng Wonder Girls ng nakaraang taon. Gusto kong ilibing sarili ko nang buhay sa tuwing naririnig ko ‘yun. Ewan.

Sa tingin ko, umaraw na ulit sa labas. Naalala ko, weeks ago, may napanood akong pelikula (comedy) with Anna Farris in it. Sabi ng character niya doon sa movie, a lot of sun daw tends to make people dumb—or something to that effect. Is that true?

Come to think of it, I think it makes people more “living in the present.” Not trying to escape. Enjoying instead all that is around, unmindful of worries. Hakuna Matata. Of course, living in the here and now does not necessarily mean that one is dumb. However, it does account for one’s lack of introspection.

Unlike in cold-climate countries. Sa tropics, we don’t worry much about temperature. Kapag nainitan, konting paypay lang, okay na. In cold countries, they shiver. They worry about keeping warm. Tayo, there are times we don’t even mind sweating much, especially when we’re having fun.

I guess people in cold countries tend to be more introspective. Now why is that? Maybe it’s because of the long winter season and people tend to stay indoors. And in their heads, they couldn’t help but try to “escape” the cold—with their imagination, thinking up ideas, reading, etc.

Dito kasi sa ‘Pinas, ang break lang, tuwing may bagyo. At ‘yung bagyo, isa–dalawang araw lang on average. Not much time to be introspective? Kung sakali mang may maisip na idea, the typhoons don’t last long enough to keep people indoors to pursue and finish up their ideas. Pagkatapos ng bagyo, people are back outside again. Living in the “here and now” again, coping with and simply reacting to the flooded streets and broken down houses and buildings.

Kahit nga Holy Week dito, hindi na rin ganoon ka-introspective ang mga tao. Bakasyon. Punta sa beach. O ‘di kaya, cable TV or DVD marathon. People are so in the here and now that they leave the introspecting to other people. Most are just ready to be spoon-fed the news and analyses—on TV, radio, or whatever. Kung ano ang pinag-uusapan sa TV, ‘yun na lang din ang pinag-uusapan nila. And they tend to believe anything, swallow anything—hook, line and sinker.

Like Psy’s Gangnam Style, for example. Or Psy being a horseman of the Apocalypse or something.

The Tokens: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"