Itching to write, anything, but first the updates.
Same Sunset Different Day
Another dusk signals another end to a busy day. Its reddish glow appears like a big traffic light saying stop, it’s the day’s end, another one has come to pass. A day that has its own challenges, little or impacting, be it a slow traffic that seems endless; or a strive to perfect work that seems impossible; or a parenting job that gets tougher as the kid continues to grow as an inquisitive and active one; or a relationship that needs to be perked up soon–maybe through an inexpensive date or a simple walk in the park.
Every dusk gives us time to reflect, to get the rest we deserve as we prepare for the next day to start all over again, fresh and full of vigor, as morrow’s dawn strikes again. It is when we start our lives as an employee, a spouse, a parent, an entrepreneur, or a student who–when dusk fills the sky, again– simply looks forward to tell himself, “Yes, it’s the same sunset but today’s a better one.”
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (I do not expect to see a sunset today but I just hope today’s a better one.)
It’s Christmas Time (Again)
The most awaited start of the ‘ber’ months is here. It is the time when us Filipinos begin to feel the spirit of Christmas. Like today while waiting for Marcus to finish his class I heard on the radio Band Aid’s It’s Christmas Time. What’s more, the station will now play one Christmas song every hour until December.
It is also to be expected that any time soon people will see malls with Christmas decorations and yuletide tunes playing in the background and in effect, like a subliminal message, entice more people to spend and splurge.
But one doesn’t need money to enjoy what we claim as the longest Christmas season. In the name of tourism–local and foreign, spectacular giant Christmas trees and sparkling lights are expected to illuminate streets of major cities and business centers–Makati commercial business district, Rockwell, and Nuvali are places to be. Petron gas stations have likewise held their annual Christmas decoration contest which I hope they continue this year.
A better way of course to feel the real spirit of Christmas is to start as early as now to realize the true reason of this celebration. Admittedly, however, in the midst of strong influence of commercialism, to see Christ in the middle of it all is a big challenge. For most of us, we get lost when we have the material things that give us that Christmassy feeling. It therefore helps to reflect regularly each day and recognize that there is deeper reason behind all these. God bless everyone, it’s Christmas time.
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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Labor day in the US.)
Write About Writer’s Block
A day left before August ends and it’s me – 0, writer’s block – 1. No reason, just excuses. But this tweet from @AdviceToWriters uplifts me:
Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all — CHARLES BUKOWSKI
On a traffic-free day I arrive early at work and when it happens I either read or write in the car. These past few days I drafted some but never had the time to polish my ideas, one of which is again about hitting the dreaded writer’s block. But I didn’t post it for fear that it will soon become the biggest among my tag cloud. So thank you @AdviceToWriters I learned another tip from you. Yes, anything to write about is probably worth writing.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Had a good run, had good breakfast.)
Driving Conditions We Have Come To Accept?
Every day as I drive home I realize that there are conditions that we must have already accepted as the norm. At some point in the past these got so much attention most in the form of promises and grandstanding of politicians, and rants from the general public and the media. But as time passes focus on these issues have gone cold.
For example, dark streets. For more than three years I have been driving through the same dark inner roads and highways. On these roads I have witnessed countless accidents that could have been avoided had these places been well-lit. It bothers me to think that lives and limbs would be wasted soon unless the concerned government agencies start getting their acts together. There are already cheap solar street lighting so it makes me wonder what keeps our officials from installing them.
Then there are also the potholes. Years ago, each time I hear an exposé about substandard road projects I hoped and believed that change will start to happen soon–that roads will stay paved for long. But it was being naive because change was temporary. What appeared to be worthy projects have once again ended in the hands of corrupt contractors. Our roads are back to its sorry state.
Then we have the existence of smoke belchers. These vehicles, usually trucks and jeepneys, continue to pollute and to make driving a lot more difficult. Just imagine the challenge I experience almost daily as I make my way through pitch-black, zigzagged, and potholed road while following a slow-moving truck spewing a screen of thick black smoke. Oh, before I forget, this part of my trip is uphill. Whatever happened to the clean air act?
I don’t know when another campaign to eradicate these problems will kick in once more. Maybe soon but maybe not. Or, maybe when these hazardous road conditions claim the life of someone famous. Until then it looks like these are just things that we must accept and live with.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (My body clock is American, time zone is Asian.)
Hello Halo
Two years ago a friend of wifey gave Marcus toys he brought from Canada. One of those is a box of buildings blocks which would have been perfect for him since he’s already into Lego–he got his first Duplo from my sis–but the age label on the box says 8+ so we decided to keep it.
Yesterday, dropping by SM with the main intent to get a replacement for wifey’s laptop charger that our cat chewed, Marcus kept on asking me to buy him a toy. I gave a condition–as long as it is cheap but as expected, the ones he wants aren’t. He pointed at an Iron Man action figure, a battery-operated gun, and like a good hound dog, ended at the spots where there is a Halo 4 XBox game and other Halo merchandises. “Marcus, all those have four numbers after the P sign on the price tag. We can’t buy them now,” I tried my best to stress on ‘now.’ He surrendered and obediently followed back to the parking lot after I told him that I have something in store at home.
All the while since I wrapped the building blocks box in black plastic bag I was thinking that it’s a Transformers robot. When I opened the traveling bag where it was hidden it was then that I realized it’s a Mega Bloks Halo 96869 Covenant Brute Prowler set. You can just imagine his surprise–it was the perfect toy for his favorite game. Thanks to it, we killed more Covenant that night.
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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (It will take some convincing to get him to review for exam tomorrow.)
Editorial Abstracting
I am still re-posting my old articles and I found out that exactly five years ago I was waiting for my editorial abstracting jobs to be loaded. It was one of the toughest writing jobs I ever had.
Birthday Weekend
The recently concluded weekend breaks routine. On Saturday, with wifey and Marcus, I attended the 7th birthday party of my officemate’s daughter. It was a good way to meet some of my colleagues away from the confines of the office, it was just about (fast)food and fun. Thanks to Jollibee and the party’s Hello Kitty theme, it erased for a moment the pressure of the Friday that was.
Every time we attend a Jollibee party, however, it reaffirms Marcus’ dying admiration of its mascot. Just like any Filipino kid, he once used to go crazy at the mere mention of meeting the famous red and yellow bee. He was once a big fan that he can even identify the store’s illuminated signs the instance he sees any of it from afar and it is usually when he would excitedly shout ‘Jollibee’ in gibberish. He was less than a year old then. But wifey and I now have observed that Jollibee parties for Marcus mean just parties with free food and loot bags. Period. In the past couple of years, whenever we talk about kiddie birthday celebrations, Marcus would strongly express that he prefers McDonald’s. Or Pizza Hut. Well maybe leaning more on Pizza Hut because lately he loves singing the pizza chain’s ‘making it great’ jingle.
The next day was entirely different. No balloons, no loud music, no screaming kids. On Sunday, we found ourselves at my MBA classmate’s place somewhere near Nuvali. It was a good time to re-connect and chat again after three years since I last met her. (Great house by the way.)
In both days, I am pleased that we successfully skipped the malls—we easily convinced our son to be home after each event. I now wonder if Marcus has started getting bored being inside these places? Has he become more fond of his Call of Duty Xbox game? Or has he begun to know the last-stretch-before-payday feeling? I think I have an idea.
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Happy birthday again Keih and Anna. Thanks for inviting us. Until next time.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Still stuffed. Need to lift weights later.)
We Need 36-hour Sundays
Don’t we all wish that Sundays have 36 hours?
In Glenda’s Path
Typhoon Glenda (international name Rammasun) gave us a taste of what it’s like to be in the middle of a strong typhoon. Measured by PAGASA to have winds of 120-150 kilometers per hour, thus the signal number three warning in CALABARZON area, it has reminded us to take such weather disturbance seriously.
In my three years of driving to Nuvali, this is the very first time I felt so much danger. I have driven a lot of times through strong rain but Glenda’s fury topped everything else so far. Thanks but no thanks to its combination of hours of heavy downpour and gusty winds, it blew away roofs, shattered windows, and uprooted trees regardless of size. And I almost became a victim.
Planning to let the storm pass I settled in our company’s sleeping quarters only to be awakened by a security guard who asked me to move my car ASAP. True enough, rushing to where I parked I saw that a couple of guards where already holding on to a tree that’s threatening to smash my car any moment. I was actually lucky as two other cars few meters away from mine got hit already. I owe those guards big time.
Having nowhere to transfer—the rain have slowed down that morning but the wind remained strong, so strong that it shook the car hard—I decided to head home. It was a very bad decision.
Just meters after driving away, the wrath of the typhoon became more apparent. What used to be a serene area, Nuvali has become a war zone. I pushed my luck, nevertheless, by weaving in and out of toppled trees and even braving a foot-deep flood that stretches for several meters. I had to check the door sides while slowing making my way out of it to see if water is already seeping in.
I got past the Paseo intersection flood with the car still running perfectly although I was only able to drive barely two kilometers more. I got into a dead end of trees totally blocking my way so I conceded and turned back to the office to wait further.
It was past 10 a.m. when I got out of the office after I got a text from a colleague that they were able to pass through another route. I took the detour but I still have to maneuver cautiously with few other motorists between tree branches that could either scratch or dent our cars anytime we lose our focus. I reached home before lunch time thankful that wifey and kid were ok.
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Power supply at home returned after 24 hours while Nuvali’s was fixed two days after the storm. During these days, the surrounding area have been dark and noisy due to the generators. I got back to parking at the same spot, this time with only a few surviving trees. At least when the next storm comes, hopefully none anymore, I only have the lamp posts to worry about.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (The plan today is to let Marcus step out of the house. He’s been in since cancellation of classes last Monday.)
Marcus Can Blog 