What we must learn from Nida’s death

Death makes us confront life straight in the face. It makes us appreciate life better. Nida Blanca’s brutal death makes a lot of us quiver in anger, fear, helplessness. All of us quiver for the passing of one of this country’s greatest actors who brilliantly moved from comedy to drama to any acting genre just to be able to entertain. We are angry because we know that she didn’t deserve a violent death. From all indications, there had been foul, despicable play. Who did it and what were his/her motives are still unknown. I hope we don’t stop until the killer is caught and is punished.

I hope we lengthen our memory power not to forget easily that Nida was a good human being who was mercilessly murdered by a criminal who must not be allowed to go in and out of buildings and parking lots and kill wonderful people.

With Nida’s death, we tremble in fear, because no one knows who’s going to go next. That unlike our schedules everyday, death is not penciled-in into our weekly planners. Knowing that, we realize how fleeting life is. No day but today, as Rent the musical screamed. Patti Labelle once admonished her audience after the death of her youngest sister, Jackie, "Go home and say "I love you’ to your wife, husband, parents, children or anyone you love – because tomorrow is never promised."

Sadly, we remember that we have to live well, when someone we love passes away. Death also humbles us like little kids who scamper away back to their homes when rain starts to fall on the playground. It makes us kneel and pray to Him, who gave us our borrowed lives. Death essentially makes us better people.

But the most heartrending experience is when you lose someone who made you a better person both when she was alive and now that she’s gone.

That was Nida Blanca, a great human being.

Time out in Baguio

At exactly 1 p.m., Nov. 3 with Nanay, Nancy (Nanay’s trusted girl-Friday), Philip (my production assistant) and Roland Lerum, I left Baguio City fresh and bright like a wild sunflower, untouched like a mountain virgin. Eleven hours later, I was raped like a helpless, wilted daisy. Traffic molested the serenity I saved up in the 48 hours that I spent cavorting with the sensuous, relaxing chill of this mountain paradise.

Where to go for the long weekend was a hard decision to make. Nanay wanted to go to Baguio. I wanted to go to the beach. Bong (my life partner) decided to go to Sagada with friends. And between Nanay and me, we know who’s the boss. I became excited about the infinite joys walking by the beach can bring to one’s stressful experience. We packed our bags and went to Baguio. Nanay was like a senior general in command of a small platoon of weary soldiers enjoying a most needed ceasefire.

Baguio was divine. The evening chill was refreshing. The smell of the pines was relaxing. City Travel Hotel right across the fame Burham Park is one of Baguio’s best. Rooms are clean and service is excellent. Rates are extremely reasonable. You leave the hotel smiling and you promise the staff that you will surely go back. And I will go back to City Travel Hotel.

But can I endure the eleven hour ride back home? – again?!?! God help me but I’m not sure. I think for the next long vacation Nanay will agree to go to the beach – "Kahit Manila Bay, OK na ako," she murmured. I could only smile!

Martin is back at Onstage

The internationally prominent and respected artist Ben Cabrera, better known as Bencab, has sketched a portrait of Martin Nievera which will be used as a poster for Martin Nievera... for New Beginnings, Martin’s concert at Onstage Greenbelt on November 20. Lani Misalucha will be Martin’s special guest along with Cris Villonco and Alex Godinez.

For months now, Bencab and seven of his artist friends from Tam-Awan in Baguio have been holding portrait sketching sessions for the benefit of Tam-Awan Village and New Beginnings. The fund raising tie-up has started a good relationship for both beneficiaries.

Martin was the last to be sketched in the ten portrait sketching series done by Bencab’s group.

Martin sat still for almost an hour for the sketching. That was perhaps the hardest thing for him to do for he has never spent a moment without moving his body or his mouth. He said he had to focus his eyes on a tree in the garden, and said he actually saw it grow!

Bencab came all ready for his hour with the Madman. Together with Ben were Jojo Elmeda, John Frank Sabado, Rishab Tibon, Jordan Mang-Osan, Jose Tulas, Ged Alangui and Roland Bay-An.

The Tam-Awan group found it amusing that they had Bigmouth himself; Martin, all still and quite, he even got minor cramps thinking they were sketching his whole body.

(Martin Nievera... For New Beginnings... Onstage will be staged on Nov. 20)