By Nora Soriño
ILIGAN City--Parallel means somewhat like “like” And “like” means you do not dislike. You may or may not make it known on FB by clicking
That being said, I now have laid the foundations of my case which are several cases of “likes’’ or “parallels.”
For instance, immediately in the wake of that killing of that top Iranian general named Qasam Sulaimeni, thousands mourned for him. So amid such procession whereby his remains inside a casket were followed by thousands of mourners in Iran, I heard Boy, a teenager, remark: “It’s just ‘like’ the ‘Traslacion!’” He was referring to the much-viewed Traslacion in Manila. The general’s killing is said to be courtesy of President Donald Trump of the US who is facing ouster via the impeachment process. I remember this one as like that of then-president Bill Clinton who also faced impeachment due to a lovely intern called Monica. So, Clinton also facilitated some targets like that of Trump’s in Libya. Donna, a dentist friend then commented that such Clinton action was a “tactic’’ to divert people from his impeachment proceedings then.
So, those are several “likes.”
In the wake of the “alboroto’’ of Taal Volcano, we saw hundreds, even thousands of people evacuating their way to safety.
I then heard another viewer say: “Just ‘like’ the Marawi siege in 2017!”
But Brenda, another friend, said, “There are no reported casualties though.”
And I agreed with her although there are reports on three students who died after doing some relief assistance to a town near Taal as the vehicle they were riding crashed on their way back to Manila. And there are three or four reported missing in the process of evacuation.
Taal, by the way, is somewhat like Anak Krakatoa that erupted in 2018 and then in December 2019. But we did not pay attention to it. Anyway, national TV only gave some obligatory reports on them. “The report on it just lasted three seconds. So we did not get it,’’ I said putting in some millennial touch on the lingo to Dennis, a friend.
“I think it was four seconds,” Dennis replied making light of it. From our point of view, Anak Krakatoa was no big deal. Even if the residents there in Indonesia were also “tarantated” just like what happened in Taal this January.
Now, history tells us that once upon a time there too was an island called Krakatoa. This was somewhere “east of Java.” Although the location really was “west” of Java. But when it was made into a film and shown in moviehouses in the ’60s, the producers thought “east” would sound more “colorful” as it rhymes with “Far East” so there...
Krakatoa then on Aug. 27, 1883, we are told, disappeared from the face of the earth because of a volcano there. The disappearance of course included all the people who were there and directly on its path. So, “Anak Krakatoa” is self-explanatory. The “anak” came after the parent.
Now, this is like going through some geography and history lessons. Like we mentioned at the outset, the city of Marawi, the site of some action in 2017. That is in Lanao del Sur which is just several breaths away from this “City of Waterfalls” called Iligan.
And we know too at this time that in Tagaytay, there is “a view to a kill” made by some volcano in a lake within an island inside a lake inside a crater of a volcano which suddenly had made life more difficult because of its “alboroto.” Some notes on “alboroto” then. This is a Bisaya word. I heard of this first time to refer to a person, to a kid most especially when he or she is having some “tantrums.” The grown-ups most especially when this occurs, are at a loss on what “tactics” to employ if only to stop such “tantrums.” Now, please ask me what is “tantrum” and the answer is just “like” the Taal volcano!
Wait a minute! I do think some geography lessons are adding to the stress that we have. Like, it’s not good for the health. So we take some geography lessons of another kind. Like I remember, some professor in an accounting class years ago, a Mr. Jose Ong, a CPA throwing in this geography lesson of sorts.
He said: “A woman of the age of 14 to 21, is just like Africa. Partly virgin and partly explored. At 22, she is like Asia, ‘hot and mysterious.’ “ The speaker then cleared his throat. And then continued:” At 23, up to 45, she is like the Philippines, ‘generous with her natural resources.’ At 46 to 69, she is like Guam. Everybody knows where it is, but nobody wants to go there. At 70 onwards, she is like the Sahara desert, dry and arid but still fighting for a place under the sun!”
The boys in the class really “liked” that one. But the girls, I don’t know if they “liked” or not that geography “lesson.” Now.. well... happy liking...
