5 Responses to “Embalsamador by Arnel Avetria”

1. Randy Valiente on March 29th, 2008 8:35 pm

   Aba si Mang Baggie Florencio ang karakter hehehehe

2. auggie on March 30th, 2008 12:33 am

   Magaling talaga itong si Arnel, kita mo agad eh….

3. Rod Samonte on March 30th, 2008 1:10 am

   Grim, morbidly grim. What puzzles is me is why a Filipino community would have a story like this published, in Phoenix, Arizona of all places. Usual subject matter tackled in Pinoy publications are about the Philippine Diaspora. Still, the illustrations are well-done, and you can see how good the illustrator is and can be. Also I notice the scans were made from the originals.
   Rod

4. Jose Mari Lee on March 30th, 2008 4:11 am

   The drawings are good, and if there are any problems they’re minuscule and can be forgiven. In fact, the cartoony look in the drawings made the material looks quite interesting and it tricks us to believe at first that it was a comedy.

   But the story is OTRA COSA.

   I was just on the second page and I already knew what’s going to happen in the end.

   Morality stories could still capture the readers’ attention and sympathy, but we just have to make sure that the reader gets A BETTER THAN HOPED FOR ENDING. In this case, there’s nothing more to offer us but the realization of the golden rule: “do unto others what you want others to do unto you” and nothing more.

   With some sort of re-awakening after the moral lesson, it would make the material more challenging for the writer and the readers alike. If we keep the ending right after the moral of the lesson and leave it there, like in this case, we’re still treated with something, yet it made the material really dated and “safe” as Simon Cowell would keep telling the contestants of the American Idol ;D.

   Morbid, as what Ginoong Samonte said, and for younger Filipinos who grew up in north America, this would be TRULY SHOCKING, since here in this part of the globe, not just every Dick and Harry would be allowed to work handling corpses. Here, you are expected to treat the dead with TLC and professionalism. One had to go to school to learn the proper handling of cadavers, and one had to be certified before he can work in a funeral parlor.

   If there is anything north American Filipinos have endured from this story, it is the realization of the sad fact that some of their compatriots who work in the funeral business can be too uncaring and cold. From the point of view of the dead’s family, the mere thought of treating their deceased loved one with disrespect – is a kick in the teeth.
   If we weigh any redeeming value from this story, we’d surely find it wanting. And if a foreigner became curious and asks this material to be translated, the only thing the Filipino community can inherit from it – is embarrassment.

5. malou on October 2nd, 2008 11:37 am

   Hi. Tanong ko lang po kung ano ang contact number ni Arnel Avetria? Thanks