'Twas a blast

I spent most of my two-week Christmas vacation reading Twisted 6 by Jessica Zafra, who, in fact, didn't like the way people celebrate Christmas. And it was a blast.

But if you're looking for a feelgood book, look for another writer. Refrain from any of Jessica Zafra's book because her books don't make you, well, feel good. Jessica Zafra is that type of writer who vexes you, who doesn't make you sleep well, who disturbs you, and, most importantly, makes you see things in a new way. She doesn't "pander to the morons," to use her expression.

To give you an idea of what I'm saying, a few sampling from Twisted 6:

On Christmas

Christmas. I'm just glad it's over. Christmas is a wonderful concept completely ruined in the execution. Grand notions like peace and love somehow translate into vein-popping stress, frantic mobs in shopping malls, massive traffic jams, and mass hypocrisy as you feign camaraderie with people you'd rather push off the building. Christmas has become a holiday of obligation, underscore obligation. You have to give, give, give, and even if everyone says it's the thought that counts, the terrible truth is that no one really wants another scented candle.

On showbiz personalities entering politics

Unlike those who bewail the influx of showbiz personalities into politics, I see it as a natural development. The more movie and TV stars get elected into office, the closer we will get to the solution to our problems. Are you sick of patronage, mediocrity, corruption, cronyism, abuse of power, aimlessness and all that? Then let's forget this nationhood thing and turn the Philippines into an entertainment center: the Las Vegas of the East!

After all, we've had far more success in entertaining than in governing...

On Miriam Santiago


We know that in politics, allegiances change, loyalties are reassigned, and fighting words are sucked back in. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is not the only person to change her mind---politicians do that every thirty seconds, assuming they have minds. But Miriam was supposed to be different. I kind of miss the old Miriam. call me a nut, but I do.

On the yuppies in the Philippines

It should be noted that while the Philippines quickly adapts to the latest trends from the United States, the yuppie phenomenon is a fairly recent development. It did not really occur on these shores until the late Eighties and early Nineties. Therefore while yuppie is a derogatory term in the rest of the world, in the Philippines it is still considered glamorous.

Spending Christmas with...Jessica Zafra

People before had a hard time guessing what their manito or manita wants. Hence, they invented the Christmas Wish List. I don't normally write there what I really want lest I be accused of avarice. Plus I've had a bad experience before. Once I wrote in the wish list T-shirt, but ended up receiving a photo album.

Last Christmas party, however, was different. I said to myself, it can't hurt if I wrote in the wish list what I've been wanting to be had. So I wrote there: Any Twisted book by Jessica Zafra. My friend was surprised that I was actually wishing for a book. I was surprised that she was surprised. In fact, I should be surprised because she wrote there...I can't remember it, but I know it's something trivial. People wish for trivial things every Christmas anyway!

Perhaps she didn't want to banish from the face of the earth or she just had more money to boot, the one who picked my name gave me...Twisted 6 by the venerable Jessica Zafra.