FISHBROOK (FB)

Few years ago, I am one of the many fish caught by a net. I am resilient to new things, but the promise of a beautiful and better home endeared me to it. I succumbed to the invitation. I gave in to the offer. Now after being webbed by the net, I land here in Fishbrook. I am happy to belong here really, at first. Rekindling ties with old folks was something to look forward to. But then again, building new ones was more intriguing. You see here in Fishbrook, new batches of fish arrive day by day. Some very calm, some very edgy, some you do not even bother to know and some you do not even think existed. In fact here in Fishbrook, you meet all kinds of fish, whether you like it or not.

I by nature do not love company. Maybe you would ask me, then why choose Fishbrook? Hey, it’s not that I do not like to mingle around. It’s just that I choose the ones to blend with. That’s it. I do not easily blend. I am the type of fish who does not simply go with the waves. In fact, I usually go to the waters less taken. That is why maybe I usually have lesser company. I do not mind really. In fact, I do not even care. And to your question, why Fishbrook? I only have this in mind: I was hoping to find other fish who share the same passion, same principle in life. And yes I did. Here in Fishbrook, only a few understands me. Come to think of it. I do not really want them to understand me, I want them to believe on me.

Enough of myself! Yeah, unlike other folks here, I do not want to talk much about myself. I love Fishbrook, but I leave Fishbrook where it should be. After all, beyond Fishbrook is a much wider and deeper ocean. Ok, ok enough really of myself. I hate talking about myself much that I hate listening to other fish’s me and myself stories. I honestly believe that these kinds of stories should be confined at a very personal level. And since Fishbrook is a community, what should come in and out of it must at some point be relevant to most of its inhabitants.

Here are some Fishbrook folks bitten by this me and myself story bug. Enjoy!

Meet Mr. Pea Ech Dee. I remember the first time we were introduced to each other (in fact, this is what he does every time he is introduced to someone). Hi, I’m Pea Ech Dee, MA, MS, BS, nice to meet you. Huh, I’m such an achiever noh? The capital letters attached to his name made him famous to every one in Fishbrook. He is actually not famous, on second thought. He strives to be popular but always to no avail, if I may say so. On third thought again, he succeeded on one thing, that is, to constantly annoy me. Nope, I do not feel threatened by his intelligence please. I am vexed by the way he begs for appreciation and praises. Imagine, he had to give it to himself because everybody else does not mind? Oh no, please do not get me wrong. I too value education highly. In fact I bet, much higher than he does. But I do not share the same hubris that he has about learned education. One’s intelligence is never measured by our titles. Rather, we are calculated by how we are grown by our education. And only if we have achieved the last can we be accorded the praises that we are yearning for. More so, laudation is earned not encouraged. It is never our duty to constantly remind others that we are good because when we are in fact good, they will on their own commend us for our ways. Right sir?

Now, I introduce Mr. Ceh Vee. This sir and Mr. Pea Ech Dee have some things in common but they are not really close. In fact, I believe that if do they meet they will clash. Why did I say that? Let me give you two people who both feel they are superior beings the other because of his titles, the other for the series of seminars he has attended in his lifetime. At some time, of course, they will exchange credentials one after the other until blood comes out of their self- acclaimed ‘overly used brain neurons.’ Nay, let’s give it to the geniuses. Ok, ok, let’s give Mr. Ceh.Vee. his time to shine. Unlike Mr. Pea Ech Dee, Mr. Ceh Vee. does not even open his mouth when introduced. He does not have to because a comprehensive curriculum vitae always comes in very handy. Here, your eyes will drool over his long list of achievements, educational attainment, lectures attended and every minute detail you never thought can ever be included in a vitae. Your eyes will drool yes. Your mouth may even salivate. You will also be annoyed, I promise. Please Mr. Ceh Vee, take the advice I gave Mr. Pea Ech Dee, laudation is earned not encouraged. It is never our duty to constantly remind others that we are good because when we are in fact good, they will on their own commend us for our ways. More so, Fishbrook you may not realize is simply a stage in our lives. Sometimes, it even becomes fictional at some point. There is a more real and bigger ocean to live outside of Fishbrook. And it is in this deeper ocean where we are truly measured.

My next neighbor is Miss Bum Bastic. She’s a bum. She really doesn’t do anything actually. Oops, that’s actually the problem, she does nothing. And she wants everybody else to know that she does nothing. Am I actually saying anything? Well, take this, Miss Bum Bastic every minute carries a megaphone hanging around her neck. Sometimes when most are pondering over the problems of Fishbrook, she just shout outs, “I’m sad!” (As if anybody cares if she is.) Or “Wala lang!” One may actually ask, does she really have to do that? Well, maybe she has to because when she does not, she will have nothing else to do. Get it? Mind you, her doing nothing comes to an extremely annoying level. One time, she gave each and everyone a picture of herself sporting her new fin cut. At least now, she has something to boast about- that is her newly trimmed fin. F! Fishbrook! Whew! Please forgive me for I have sinned. Just the other day however, this gal surprised me. She out of a sudden screamed, “I’m busy!” Indeed? I instantly became happy! She is finally busy. But this soon faded to my dismay because on second thought, she might not be busy after all because when she is she won’t have the time to actually announce that she is. Ok, she might actually be busy after all. I change my stand. She was indeed busy, busy telling everyone that she’s busy. Buzz! Go get a sensible life gal! Do you even realize that maybe, just maybe, not even one in Fishbrook cares if you are sad? Hmmm, I think I just wasted my time on you. Ok, on to the next please.

Miss Peeh X on the other hand is a bitchy rich fish. If Ms. Bum Bastic is busy with simple joys in her life like when she’s busy or has just sported a new fin cut, Ms. Peeh X is rather on the high end. In fact, Ms. Peeh Ex has already migrated to international waters. But as being fatally bitten by the me and myself bug in Fishbrook, she carried the symptoms even beyond our territory. Just the other day, she has this to say to everyone at Fishbrook: Hey, just got my newly-released Apple Ipond, see that? I tried to rationalize her and her ways and only one pops up in mind: salivate all you who cannot afford! I think no one could blame for it. She made me do it. Well, picture this out, when most in Fishbrook is poor and striving for a better fish life, here comes a filthy rich lass bragging of a fortune most folks, even beyond Fishbrook, could never own in their lifetime. Do not get me wrong, we o understand your joy. We do indeed. However sometimes don’t you think it is much better if everyone can relate to your happiness? More so, it is more blissful to feast on something hardly earned, right? Then maybe all in Fishbrook and beyond can relate and celebrate on your success.

Mr. Sar Dy Nas is our next neighbor to talk about. This pompous mister is one of our new leaders in the community. He likes grandstanding to the truest sense. He is fond of using the Fishbrook stage to convince everyone that he is the messiah of selfless service. In fact, he defends himself so hard that I am convinced that he wants to convince himself too. One time, while taking on his me and myself stories on stage, I stood up and throw straightforward questions at him. To my dismay however, he did not answer even one! The birth of the messiah is just a myth, I convinced everyone in Fishbrook. They branded me for being pessimistic but as always I do not even care. In fact, there was chaos in Fishbrook for a while. Nope, it was not between me and Mr. Sar Dy Nas. In fact, not even once did Mr. SS engage in a fish fight with me The pandemonium was created by Mr. SS’s solid and blind supporters. They rallied for me to be thrown out of Fishbrook as I was according to them one arrogant fish. This continued for a while but not even once was I confronted by Mr. SS. In fact, until it died down, I never heard him defend himself. I can only think of one reason why: He actually cannot.

Ms. Emow is on the limelight now. She is a close ally of Ms. Bum Bastic. However, unlike Ms. Bum Bastic who does almost nothing, all Ms. Emow can do is think of her love life. Every day she would proudly announce to Fishbrook that she is on an “emo mode.” You know what I mean by that. Emotional. Vulnerable. Fragile. Apparently, she and Ms. Bum Bastic share the same megaphone to let everyone now about the status of her love life. Oh did I already say that Ms. Emow has a pep squad that comes with her all the time? Yeah, unfortunately, she has. That’s explain why my annoyance heaped to its highest level. Imagine, I had to deal not only with Ms. Emow everyday but also a bunch of others who are exactly in the same mode that she is! Thus, when she says, “Hay, I miss home...and I miss you too hon” All would answer, “Hay…(downscale voice).” Then one would bravely ask as a follow-up, “Siya ba yan gurl? Wow, after all these years kayo din pala!” Ms. Emow would answer, then one would ask again then another until they fill the waters with all their angst-filled hearts. Verily, they live up to the true meaning of the saying, “tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who are.” I think that Fishbrook deserves better than these things. It may be an avenue for more significant and relevant things right? Don’t you realize that maybe just maybe the things that you do in Fishbrook is in fact insignificant to the lives of other folks here? I believe there are more important things in your life you may want to share in Fishbrook, something sensible perhaps? On second thought, there might actually none. Oops, poor you, that’s really a problem!

Miss Gut Sy is our last guest. Like Mr. Ceh Vee and Pea Ech Dee, Miss Gut Sy claims she is a learned individual. Unlike the others however, she participates in community issues. She too likes to grandstand. And even if she fails a countless time, she stands and fights again. One cannot really avoid admiring her guts. In fact, despite her being so-called learned, her guts is the only left imprinted on my mind. But also not like two other so-called fulfilled and learned gentleman, Miss Gut Sy does not border on anything like she knows everything. However, when it comes to her field, she has the highest regard for herself. She gives it to herself, that’s the funny part. What is funnier is that she cannot even live by what she claims. It would be very hard to delve on details. But I leave this for you to ponder: A wrong answer given is nothing more than a question not answered. In other words, a waste of time and energy.


This has been my everyday battle but I do not regret being webbed by the endearing net for it has indeed placed me in Fishbrook. Fishbrook, despite the existence of these species is a fine community afterall. Here, I meet different kinds of fish, of various species, origin, behavior and inclinations from whom I can all learn something from. I just hope my fellow fish would value Fishbrook and the opportunities it offers to each of its inhabitants as much as I do. It’s not enough that we live everyday but we should live a meaningful day each day. We only have one life to live. We might as well use every minute of it into something that might be of some relevance to others. After all, we all have this community to share with. Go fun swim!