Steps in moving on is what I found in the chick lit "Getting Better" by Tara Sering. She enumerated ways of how to handle situations after a break up. The chick fic is like an article in a magazine like, Cosmopolitan or FHM, articles like, "How to seduce your crush", "Why a guy do this"-- The how's and why's of the society. I think Getting Better is influenced by Serings experience when she was writing for a women's magazine.
     It was easy for me to understand chick lit because she used places that I have been to, thus, imagining myself in the situation. She used places like Katipunan (where I frequently drink with my friends, and one of my friend used to have a condo), Whistlestop (my mom used to have dinner with clents and she used to bring us there), Via Mare (I think that Via Mare is located in Shangrila, where my mom picks me up after class), Greenbelt, Laguna (I study in Laguna) and of course, U.P. Diliman (my sister studies there, I studied there, and I watch gigs and events). Everytime she uses settings like those, I imagine myself in that place, and in that time. Imagining myself in the story makes it easy for me to understand it more. The main setting of the story was in an advertising company somewhere in Makati. I think advertising is one of the job trends nowadays for fresh grads. I find a lot of person into advertising industry. Even in movies like "Narining Mo Na Ba Ang L8est".
     When she enumerated some of her tips in the chapters, I was agreeing with her like "Oo nga, no" in my mind. You can see it in the society today. I had friends having problems with her other half, who invites us to drink and discuss matters. But for girls, I think they just talk and cry a lot hust like in the story. There was also a part of the story when Karen rearranges her apartment that it was therpeutic. I tried it onceand, yeah, it was (but I did not came from a break up). I know someone when she gets mad, she washes the dishes to let it out. Weird. Usually, I asked women what they do after a break up, they said, they eat a lot, or "nagpapaganda" (i think they would like the guy to think that its not her loss?)
     Overall, I liked the story so much because its realistic. Realism portrays events that may happen anytime to you unlike those in other short stories we've read.

     Long before fancy cellphones were the talk of the day, before hot cars were cruising the streets, before clubs and bars dazzle into the night, people lived simpler. People were delighted even with the simplest things. In the story, "The Mats", when the children were given mats with their name embroidered on it, they were so happy. Those mats were like gold to them. It seems that they were contented. Nowadays, if you were given a mat, would you be ecstatic? We might think: "What am I going to do with this? You should have given me money instead. At least I can buy stuff that I want, not this..." (I am not like that. This is just an example. Actually, I am looking for a mat with an ethnic flavor for my room) Contentment is not permanant. No one is contented. Maybe, if you asked for a cellphone and tell your parents that if you buy me this phone, I will be contented. Maybe for now, but not for long. A new model will come and you would like that model. Only change is permanent in this world.
     When people passed away, we still commemorate their presence, as spirits, in our prayers. We talked to them even thouh we know that he or she is dead. We even cherish their belongings which represents them. During All Souls Day, we visit our dead relatives in the cemetery to celebrate their souls resting with the Father. But sometimes, it is hard for us to accept the cycle of life. We have a hard time to let go of them.

     Filipinos have been known for lots of good traits. Around the world, the Filipino citizens have been known to be hospitable. This is one of the most popular reactions or perceptions by tourist, as well as our fellow country men. This can be traced all the way from the Spanish invasion. There were revolutions, but in some provinces or islands, they treat them as visitors. Besides the hospitability of the Filipinos, this land is also known as the land of smiles. Foreigners said that Filipinos love to smile. Here in the Philippines, amidst all the crises occurring nowadays, we still manage to smile. There is a war occurring in the Southern Islands, there is poverty, there are corrupt politicians, God helped us. But behind all this chaos happening to our country, we still manage to smile on those problems. We laugh. Humor is our remedy to all these problems. It was evident in the story written by Carlos Bulosan entitled, “My Father Goes to Court”.

     The simple family doesn’t have much but they were healthy. They said that humor was the key to long life. When they were accused of stealing and send to court, the case was dismissed with a burst of laughter in the courthouse. He doesn’t have a lawyer to defend him (because he does not really need one), but he just made everything plain and simple. Crazy, but it was very appropriate for me.

     I live in a family who does not have much just like in the story. Money is a problem. There were times that we don’t have money to pay bills, our house, and other payments. We do not have enough money, but we still have fun. I remember that there was a time that our electricity was cut because we were not able to pay for it. We had candles for light, a fan made from rattan, and a katol, to get rid of mosquitoes. The members of our family sleep in one room. Before going to sleep, we cracked jokes and made fun of each other. We can not do anything, so we just laughed.

     Moving on to the other story, “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife”, there were lots of Filipino traits being portrayed by a typical Filipino family residing in the province, more probably somewhere up north. The setting might be in an Ilokano province where people used terms such as “Manong” for elders. Just like “Kuya” in Tagalog. The story revolves around farm boy meets city girl, and city girl is on her way to meet the family. Several tests were made to see if she can live the life in a province, where there is no technology and little development. Today, there are lots of girls and boys who grew up in the city and without knowing or experiencing the real life in provinces. You will hear a lot of “Eeeeewwww, what is that? what is this? Kadiriiii! It’s so mabaho and yucky!” I hate girls like those, girls who can not stand the smell of chicken shit and pig pens. “They are so maarte” If some resident hears that, they may be offended or beat the shit out of you. When I have a family, I am planning to live in a province and build a farm with chickens, pigs, plant crops, vegetables and fruits, and after a day’s work relax in the porch watching the ocean, and see the sun set. I want a wife who will love the province and able to live a simple but happy life.

     I went to Aurora province (located at the northeastern coast of the Philippines), in Baler, with two of my friends to have a new adventure. We do not know anyone who lives there. But to our surprise, people were giving us shelter, sharing their homes to us. We were total strangers but they are welcoming us to their homes. I am really glad that the hospitability of Filipinos is still evident in some places in our country.

What might have been? She may regret it, she might live with it, or maybe she’ll hope she had never got that letter. What could have been? That question may still be running in her mind until now (if Tinang still lives today). Aida Rivera-Ford left the ending for the reader to decide. Maybe she wants the readers to enhance their imagination. The letter was the conflict in the story. She is living a normal life with a baby and a husband, living simple. Thinking that she was left by her lover, she stood to her feet again, rose, and started a new life.  Tinang almost forgot Amado until the piece of paper came. There came the letter and confused her.  She felt differently upon reading the letter. She was enlightened and dark grey mist in her mind cleared up. Amado still loves her. He didn’t left Tinang. She might think about time travelling, going back to the past to restart every bit. But we only are humans. We should be responsible and live with our decisions in life.

If I may run in the same situation, I may regret it, especially if I moved on already. I am a man who does not want to regret what happens. I would rather take chances. But if that may happen, I would sink into sadness regretting every piece of that letter that I will torn. Or maybe I should not read it at the first place. Truth hurts.

I was also struck with the last part.

“...’Come’ pulling her to the screen of trees beyond. She resisted but his arms were strong. He embraced her roughly and awkwardly, and she trembled and gasped and clung to him. A little green snake slithered languidly into the tall grass...”

I think the infant she is holding may be Amado’s baby. Maybe Amado is Bagobo.  Amado is working on the tractor when he saw Tinang looking at her seductively. Amado’s hormones rose and grab her. And then the, “little green snake slithered languidly into the tall grass”. She may be raped by Amado, for Amado always admired Tinang but he did not have the chance to court her. Maybe she was trying to move on from that dark past.

Who would you choose the man who loves you, or the man you like? Edith L. Tiempo’s, “The Corral”, also portrayed, somehow, the same situation as the story, “Love in the Cornhusk”. In “The Corral”, Pilar was caught in a dilemma for they are two men bothering her mind. One was the principal, Mr. Perfecto, who was “ugly, fat and ugly” and the woodcutter heart rob, Gregorio. I tried to imagine what the characters look like. Pilar is this chick in the barrio, who is simple but gorgeous (girls on one look you wouldn’t notice but meeting her would change your perception. Mr. Perfecto looks like a short, fat, semi-bald, looks like a maniac, and a principal you might mistaken to be a rapist who rapes her students when their grades needs a little magic. Gregorio is the guy you see in advertisements, athletic looking, and sweaty, tall and dark, flirty, takes ladies panties off with one look.

Pilar would definitely choose the woodcutter with a big axe for he is so hot and might be every girls dream to sleep with. But the downside is, I think Gregorio is a no-brainer who only wants to sleep with ladies. The way she flirted with Pilar and Pilar also seduced Gregorio by slipping her scarf to her shoulders. Can you imagine the slow motion of that shot? It is really seductive with sexy background music. Then Gregorio showed off, as well, by showing his muscles flexing by chopping wood.

On the other hand, the rapist-looking principal may have this heart that beats only one name, Pilar. He who really have something for Pilar. He who really admires Pilar. He who really cares for Pilar. But he is ugly.

Being in this situation must be really confusing at the age of 30 maybe when time maybe running out for marriage. I asked the same question to myself. Who would I choose? The girl who is not so good-looking but really loves me or care for me, or the hottest chick in town, where every masculine is fantasizing about her, and I have a chance of sleeping with her? Although, I am not sure if she really loves me. If I choose to marry the hottest chick in town, I will have the best wild nights of my life. I have the hottest wife and I will be the root of envy of my fellow men. But does she love me? On the contrary, if I marry the simple girl who really loves me, would I be happy. Hmmmm... I made up my mind. I will choose the simple girl who will love me for the rest of my life and I can love her back without any doubts. I may not like her today, but I have the rest of my life to love her and be the happiest man alive.

Estrella D. Alfon’s “Magnificence” gave us a glimpse of what is happening in the real world. Upon reading the story, I felt anger and hatred for the man who was a paedophile.  Kids are symbols of angels, innocence. Their minds are ignorant of the real world. What kind of demon could have done that? What sensation could he be getting? What were they thinking? I could not even think of lust when I hang out with kids. He is a demon pretending to be an angel. He bribed the little girl with pencils to get her attention and made the girl be attached to her. She used those pencils to lower the girl’s defences. If that happened to my daughter or my sister, may God forgive me.

Why Magnificence? The way the mother handled the situation was very magnificent. She approached her anger with a serene act. She does not want her kids to be affected and erased what happened from their thoughts.

Alfon wrote the story to tell what is happening. In newspapers, especially tabloids, you will find headlines like, “Tatay, ginahasa ang pitong taong anak” or even, “Lola, kinaplog ng apong tinedyer na adik”. No one is safe from this kind of abuse. Everyone is prone to this kind of incident. Being abused or raped, changes the point of view of the victim to the world. He or she may be traumatized by the incident. Worse, the society may not even accept the victim.