Pounding The Keyboard

               Nagkaroon ako ng isang may kasinsinang pakikipagtalakayan sa isang punong-patnugot ng isang malaking limbagan ng mga Tagalog na aklat ilang araw na ang nakakaraan at nabanggit niya ang tila kawalan ng interes ng maraming kabataang Pilipino sa malalalim na wikang Tagalog, na isang paksang may kabalintunaan dahil Buwan ng Wika ngayon. Marami raw kabataan ngayon ang walang pagnanais na matutunan ang maraming malalalim na salitang Tagalog.        Nakapagdudulot ito ng ibayong kapanglawan dahil kung ating dadalumatin, walang dudang napakarikit at nakakarahuyo ang ating pambansang wika. Narito ang ilang halimbawa: Matitimyas Na Mga Salitang Pilipino.        Sa halip na hayaan lang na tuluyang anurin palayo ang loob ng ating mga kabataan sa malalalim at mga lumang salitang tagalog, hindi ba’t mas mainam kung pagsisikapan natin silang mabato-balani ...

       I chanced upon an article about doppelgangers (described as   1. A ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its fleshly counterpart. 2. Either of two people who physically resemble each other very much )   and it reminded me of a curious incident that happened when I was still in college (which was an awful long time ago). I was in a jeepney then when a pair (a girl and a guy who both looked probably just a few years older than me) boarded it.        The girl (who sat in front of me with the gu y at her left) instantly brightened up upon seeing me. “Have you paid your fare?” she asked me.        I didn’t know her nor her companion who was also looking at me and smiling at me at that time, it was the first time I saw them, but I nodded.        “Where are you going?” she then asked.    ...