UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,415 from 5,000.

Neil reported for work and is now doing the daunting task of cleaning all of our statues and statuettes.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,432 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,439 from 5,000.

Angelique and Aubrey went to Liu Liu across the street to buy milk tea.

Replenished our soda supply.

Mario and Neil wanted to come and clean today but if they don't show up I'll just take an afternoon nap.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like weeding out stale vegetables from my refrigerator crisper.

Now down to 3,454 from 5,000.

Lunch at home alone, then Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

Wait for the two, brass boxes of the sun to come to you.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Any man who spends a fortune to make a spectacular impression on someone who does not love him ends up as tragically as Jay Gatsby or the Phantom of the Opera.

Good night, Cubao!

The pistachio teddy bear escorts you to the depths of sleep.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.s' cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, then spending some time watching online videos.

It is such a chilly night that I decided to take my two-hour, deep tissue massage later rather than tomorrow afternoon.

Dinner at home with Angelique.

Chilly evening, chilly night.

No-nap afternoon. Neil came to clean the foyer and writing room.

Staggered lunchtimes.

The deceased relatives who never appear in your dreams are those who are working closest to you.

Good morning, Cubao!

The noontime sun is a golden hula hoop round Earth's equator.

Good night, Cubao!

The stars are crystal chandeliers hanging from the dark firmament of night.

Tonight the sky above Cubao is made of ice.

Angelique and Jazz are having dinner at Jazz's parents' house this evening.

Dinner at home alone.

Asked Neil to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching online videos.

The Wands must continue pointing to the ground.

Sad as it may sound, I finally decided to take deceased Friends off my Friends List.

On chilly nights, light a prayer candle in a safe, glass vessel by your bedside.

The smaller your Friends List gets, the easier it becomes to identify Friends for unFriending.

Lunch at home alone. Angelique and Jazz are having lunch out, after which Jazz will escort Angelique to the salon. Aubrey has been at a friend's house for a week, preparing for a test she will be taking tomorrow.

Home alone.

Saturday, Saturday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like giving old walls a fresh coat of paint.

Now down to 3,880 from 5,000.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sundials will reflect gradual changes in Planet Earth's rotational axis.

Life is a mystery because of death. 

Death is a mystery because of life.

Children's books do mages a disservice by depicting them as having oppressed, unhappy, childhoods.

A very small room is best lighted with fluorescents, because, while incandescents simulate cozy candlelight and gaslight, fluorescents expand cramped spaces by flooding out even the darkest corners.

Every team member is capable of doing something the other members can't.

Good night, Cubao!

The raspberry teddy bear brings you pleasant bedtime surprises.

Asked Q to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching online videos.

Jazz arrived.

Angelique and Jazz ordered food from outside and are taking their dinner upstairs.

One-hour, late afternoon nap.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed, sent some money to my younger son Chito, and bought two boxes of purple yam cakes and a bottle of Chinese hot sauce.

A sweltering afternoon, though it was cooler at noon.

Yukiko Taka took her deworming drops yesterday, and today Q brought her out on her first walk, after which she had her strawberry-scented shampoo.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique still resting upstairs.

Happy Birthday to my second sister, Remi!

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun wears three gold chains round his neck.

Thursday, Thursday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 4,006 Friends from 5,000. It was like crossing out names from a guest list for an afternoon of high tea.

"When they ask you if you knew me/

Remember that you were a friend of mine/

As the final curtain falls before my eyes/

Oh when I'm old and Wise/"

--The Alan Parsons Project

Good night, Cubao!

They astral-travel who sleep in boat-shaped beds.

Asked Q to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching online videos.

_The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection_

The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection

Oil on cradled canvas

6' x 4.5'

January 3 - 28, 2021

An angel informs Mary of Magdala that Christ is risen. Mary goes to the risen Christ, who admonishes her not to touch him because he has not yet gone to the Father.

In this painting I used Leonardo Da Vinci's illustration of the architect Vitruvius' perfect proportions of man for the figure of Christ. No human being in this world conforms to those proportions, but I used the illustration to indicate that we resurrect in perfect bodies before ascending to heaven. Until we ascend, perfection cannot be touched by imperfection. I retained Da Vinci's double image to indicate that the enlightened Ego and the grounded Shadow resurrect together as one, complete, spiritual component.

It can be said that this painting is really about Mary of Magdala. Christ's and the angel's eyes are fixed on her. Her identity covered by a cloak, she represents every woman (and every man) who is, in a manner of speaking, being "left behind".

Composition-wise the Shadow Christ's legs connect the figure of Christ to Mary on the left and to the angel on the right. Mary and the angel, on the other hand, are connected to each other by Christ's discarded shroud, which the angel has only begun folding on top of the niches. This triad of relationships forms an (invisible) isosceles triangle below the circle and the square. There are, of course, four more invisible isosceles triangles: those formed by visualizing straight lines crossing from the corners of the square, their common apex being the midpoint, which is the penis of the figure as in Da Vinci's illustration. 

While the central figure is the risen Christ looming larger than life (proportioned to eight heads) in comparison with the figures of Mary and the angel (both proportioned to seven heads), the leitmotif of the painting is everyone's hands. The Shadow Christ's hands are outstretched to remind us of the Crucifixion in the immediate past. The risen Christ's hands are raised like the wings of a phoenix rising from the blazing sun. It is also the same, bright sun that seems to prevent Mary's hand from touching Christ. The angel's hands are clasped beneath the shroud, indicating that he is unable to approach Mary and console her.

I used five kinds of blue in this painting: phthalo, cyan, and turquoise for the sections inside and outside the circle and the square, cerulean for Christ's loincloth and shroud and the angel's wings, and Prussian for the interior of the empty niche.

The pandemic is still on and I continue to refuse to admit outsiders and models into my studio. Jazz sat for the figure of Christ, Angelique, for the figure of Mary. The angel is Joseph Schwarzkopf, a Thai seminarian who completed his theological studies at Maryhill School of Theology. Years ago, before he departed for Thailand, we would meet for lunch at Araneta Center, where we discussed Thai names and words and, believe it or not, kuman thong (of which I have seven), sak yant, and Thai magic. I was already initiated into Haring Bakal in Santander, Cebu, at the time, and I saw many parallelisms between Haring Bakal and Thai sak yant. I once took reference photos of Joseph and promised to make him the angel of the Resurrection someday. Joseph was fully clothed when I took photos of him; we were, after all, inside a restaurant.

Here is the painting, and I have kept my promise to Joseph.

The auditory stimulus I used while making this painting is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4HI1_LTWIk. Do listen to it while viewing the painting.

In another context, this song is also for all the Facebook Friends I unFriended. Forgive me, but my objective is to end up with only 500 or 200 interactive Friends I intend to be with through my old age. Please listen to it while watching the video. In my personal life I've resurrected as a different person and a different artist. I am no longer whom you remember me as, but, since I've unFriended you, that is for me to know and for you to find out.

Dinner at home with Angelique. She celebrated her end of final exams by ordering food from outside.

Then we went to the neighborhood grocery to buy Korean hard drinks because she and her classmates are having an online drinking party later, and I don't want any of my grandchildren to go outside alone.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery to buy a loaf of white bread.

Washed 35 brushes.

Worked half an hour on thirty-fifth glaze.

Worked an hour on thirty-fourth glaze.

An early lunch at home with Angelique; this is her sixth and last day of final exams.

I love napping after breakfast.

Cut down your wish list in half.

The best persons are never available.

You will hear sirens in the streets outside, but there are none. They are on streets miles away from your house, in another city.

A painting is a song that never ends.

Other than your bedroom, have a sacred space somewhere in your house that can serve as a personal sanctuary for your solitude.

Producers should eliminate the supplementary flaps on the sides of plastic bags. They are completely useless; they tear off easily and just add more plastic trash into the bargain.

The sun wears yellow diamonds on his breastplate.

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

The vanilla teddy bear gives you light thoughts as you drift off to sleep.

Dinner at home with Angelique.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching online videos.

Afternoon downpour in Cubao.

Hired Neil to clean our dining room floor, then hired Brian and Neil to replace the ceiling bulbs in Angelique's bedroom.

To view the photos, go to my Facebook Posting at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3679457182140982&set=pcb.3679457998807567. If Blogger does not enable you to do so, copy the link, go to Facebook, and Paste on your browser.

Worked an hour on thirty-third glaze.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique still resting upstairs.

Worked an hour on thirty-second glaze.

One-hour, morning nap.

A mug of Ma-ay's very black, brown coffee from Cotabato.

In this city, the problem with having to be compassionate is that, nine times out of ten, the persons seeking compassion expect you to shell out some money to alleviate their suffering.

Thank God, I am not a compassionate person.

Good morning, Cubao!

The god of the sun invites the goddess of the moon to a resplendent buffet breakfast.

Work In Progress

It's Day 24 on Painting # 21 for Maryhill School of Theology but I am far from done. I have to wait for each glaze to dry before adding more glazes.

The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection

Oil on cradled canvas

6' x 4.5'

January 3, 2021 - ______________

Good night, Cubao! 

Lie down comfortably and sleep while the rest of the city is still unwinding from the end of day.

An early dinner at home with Angelique.

Asked Q to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching online videos.

Worked an hour on thirty-first glaze.

Worked an hour on thirtieth glaze.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

Lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey still preparing for an end-of-the-month test.

Angelique's fifth day of online final exams.

Day fairies spin giant, crystal tops on the floor of the sky.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

The honey teddy bear watches over your precious possessions while you sleep.

Dinner at home with Angelique.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

When con artists disguised as mendicants insist that you give them money, explode and make sure that everyone around you hears you. The sudden attention scares the con artists out of their wits.

Do not react immediately when things go wrong, because you have everything you need to make them right.

Bear with time and time will bear with you.

Quite strange that the richest women give you the best neckties that quickly become your favorites, but you eventually forget who those women were.

Worked an hour on twenty-ninth glaze.

Worked an hour on twenty-eighth glaze.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like picking pebbles out of a dish of semi-precious stones.

Down to 4,172 Friends from 5,000. Can't wait to go down to 3,000 soon and then on to 500.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi sir Tony. we just moved houses last Saturday, renting this lovely duplex in Paranaque. The owner kept on saying that the house is a lucky house. feeling the presence of a gnome/ duwende. just wanted to ask if this is somehow true, and if so, what's the best way of living with gnomes? thank you sir! all the best po."

My reply:

Hello ________!

If the former owner says so, then it must be true; there is no reason for him to make up a supplementary story like that, even if to please you further with your purchase.

Just live in the house as you normally would and see what transpires. 

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Angelique's fourth day of online final exams.

Worked an hour on twenty-seventh glaze.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are stretched out like white laundry under the sun.

Good night, Cubao!

A bedroom should contain nothing that represents your fears.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Lennoel to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

Going to bed and sleeping early again tonight.

I cannot believe that money does not buy happiness because, whenever I have money, people always come to me and ask for some.

Rest not because you want to but because you have to.

Worked an hour on twenty-sixth glaze.

One-hour, afternoon nap. Woke up only because of loud thunder.

What an exquisite feeling it is to be sitting at my desktop computer in front of an open window while it is raining outside and I am warm and dry under the colorful light of a Turkish lamp.

The underlying disaster to every disaster is that too many people irresponsibly did only what they wanted and afterward expected other people to rescue them.

Use and remember your physical senses well. In the astral realm, it is sense experience and sense memory that will allow you to continue using them, including sensing warmth and coolness, including enjoying a bowl of ice cream.

It is even the reason why spirits continue to have sex in the astral realm.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery to do minor groceries. Got home just in time. It rained soon after.

An unforgettable person is remembered in the most fleeting and unexpected moments.

A house can never have too many lights, for not all of them will be on at the same time.

Every classroom teacher soon realizes that only ten out of 100 former students really learned what he was actually teaching.

Old friends will always be more reliable than new friends.

The intellect matures, but it never ages.

I love writing and painting, but my favorite hobbies are still sleeping, eating chocolates and pastries, drinking coffee and tea, shopping, sitting on the side porches and balconies watching people go to and fro, and doing absolutely nothing.

Once you are retired with a hefty pension, you realize that the world does owe you a living--and that it actually delivers.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room. Sat with them awhile.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

The sun bakes a variety of pastries in a giant oven.

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept eleven hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

The purple yam teddy bear escorts you to enchanted realms in your dreams.

Asked Q to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Q helped me with night chores.

Sleeping early tonight.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

They had brownies and fresh strawberries for dessert.

Worked an hour on twenty-fifth glaze.

Aubrey is off to Roi's to do research work on a test she is going to take.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Worked half an hour on twenty-fourth glaze.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

We had Aubrey's brownies for dessert. Yummy. She placed layers of crushed Hershey's Kisses in between layers of brown fudge. She finished up baking 11:00 PM last night.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique is on her third day of final exams and Aubrey is still resting upstairs.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a relaying station for messages from the Milky Way.

Grieving is natural and flushes out negativity as catharsis does, but prolonged grieving, or grieving outside a reserved period for grieving, creates great imbalance within you.

Losing a precious item is nothing compared to losing your own life.

Be kind to workers who earn just enough--or even less than enough--to survive each day.

For your maximum convenience, always keep a roll of toilet paper: in your toilet, by your beside, and on your work desk.

On the eve of every weekend, write a scenario for each day of that weekend--rather than merely allowing things to happen.

Study the scenarios afterward.

Did everything happen according to your projections or did things have to change spontaneously?

How good are you at envisioning and being in control of time and circumstances?

When a young person asks that you be his mentor, be discerning enough to see what he really wants from you.

Good night, Cubao!

If you are a bedtime snacker, make a list of healthful snacks that help you sleep well and pace them apart appropriately.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn  online videos.

Aubrey baking late-night brownies in the kitchen.

Worked half an hour on twenty-third glaze.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

A painter always lives by the day.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Bought deep-fried sprout rolls with vinegar and fresh mangoes at one of the hawkers' stands.

Worked an hour on twenty-second glaze.

Never be enslaved to dire predictions of the future, for it takes away your initiative, your free will, and you faith in yourself and in God.

A person who paints or writes at least four hours a day every day eventually becomes a master of his medium.

The morning rose bright and early from its bed. M.'s cafe opened for breakfast for a group of office people.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique's second day of final exams and Aubrey's first day of online classes for the second term.

One delivery arrived.

Good morning, Cubaol!

Yellow and amber are favored colors of the sun.

Bought beer from M.'s cafe. One of the great things about being retired is that, when you feel like drinking, you don't have to wait for a weekend.

(I drink only to get drowsy and go to sleep.)

"One, two, three, one, two, three, drink/

One, two, three, one, two, three, drink/"

Always be grateful to and thank your spirit guides. After all, if you look at the unfortunate people around you, it is apparent that they do not heed their own guides and continue to wallow in suffering. 

Good night, Cubao!

The chocolate teddy bear comforts those who fear the dark.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite part of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Painting is great fun when your mind is ten steps ahead of your work on canvas and you know exactly what to do next and why.

Never act impulsively. When your feelings are like fire, let your rational thoughts be like water.

A non-interactive Friend, no matter what his reputation is, has absolutely no value to a Facebook account holder, for he actually prevents social media from being social media.

Ironically the Muslims in the Philippines are in the precarious position the Jews were in, the Christians being the Romans, during New Testament times.

Do not bother to argue with persons who are less fortunate than you are. It is most unkind, and it will only make them doubly miserable.

Waiting for stuff we ordered online. I hope they arrive before the weekend.

Worked an hour on twenty-first glaze.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Asked Brian to buy three sheets of sandpaper (rough, medium, and fine) from the Sitio Catacutan hardware store. Aubrey needs them for the repainting of her bedroom walls.

Worked an hour on twentieth glaze.

Worked an hour on nineteenth glaze.

Vice-President Calamares

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique on her first day of final exams and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Good morning, Cubao!

Jewelry has no value without either sunlight or artificial light.

The wrong kind of gasoline causes engine failure.

Yukiko Taka is the only living creature who hears my prayers during my night rituals at the three altars on our ground floor. She sits up quietly and keeps her gaze on me, listening intently as though she comprehends everything I say.

I love the way ghosts are depicted in traditional Asian movies. They have name plates hung round their necks, their feet are tied, and they hop forward like bunnies.

Good night, Cubao!

Who do you say "Good night" to before going to bed?

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Q to bring some food Over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Still drizzling in Cubao.

Learn to enjoy time and live in the present like a retiree. When doing something, such as taking a meal or taking a shower, be in that moment and in that moment only. Do not think about what you need to be doing after the meal or after the shower.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed for two weekends and paid our water utility bill. Also bought tubes of titanium white, zinc white, and black, which I always seems to be running out of.

Drizzly morning in Cubao.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Good morning, Cubao!

The children of the sun keep smiling no matter what the day brings them.

Good night, Cubao!

The cherry teddy bear sends you the sweetest dreams.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to dinner after Angelique's online evening class. Sat with them at table.

Asked Neil to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Aubrey is planning to repaint another wall of her bedroom tonight.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Staggered dinnertimes. Angelique has an online evening class.

Learn to listen to faraway sirens. Then close your eyes and determine the directions they are headed in.

Test your note-taking skills by watching a video and jotting down everything you need to compose a concise summary of it .

Do not allow yourself to be distracted from your true objectives.

Have at least one thing that you can be really excited about each day.

The reason many people do not sleep well is that they leave the day's chores undone.

Every person should own:

--a well-supplied sewing box

--a nail-grooming set.

Allow your children to come into their own.

Never abandon a project due to lack of enthusiasm or to discouragement. Be tenacious and see it through.

Brian fixed two wind chimes for us. We then tied them to the iron parapet round our water tank.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage.

Worked an hour on eighteenth glaze.

Yakult delivery.

Amazing how nary a day passes without my taking out my wallet and paying for something.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery and did minor groceries.

Good morning, Cubao!

The consorts of the sun wear gold, hoop earrings.

Perplexed by the image of Lapu-Lapu on the new, 5,000 PHP bill. The face looks like that of Leo Martinez: Sino-Hispanic and not at all typical of the roundish, lantern-jawed male faces of the Philippine south. It actually looks like a college-graduate, modern actor dressed up in Lapu-Lapu costume.

Good night, Cubao!

Baby house mice sleep in walnut-shell cribs.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Many strangers will pretend that they are in urgent need of help. Do not even converse with them.

Do not dread dreaming, and you will easily remember all your dreams.

The characters in your dreams, whether attractive or monstrous, always represent the persons you love and value the most.

As you walk down your neighborhood in your dreams, you discover places and spaces that do not correspond to the neighborhood in your waking life. Remember those, for they represent not only your blind sports but also where to find the greatest treasures.

We learn how hard it is to create and own material things in our lifetimes so that we can fully appreciate their virtual counterparts in the astral realm called heaven.

What we need to do is live, not die.

Be wary of "friends" who scheme to get you in trouble with authorities.

Humps slow you down for safety. What are the metaphorical humps in your daily life?

Worked an hour on seventeenth glaze.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like tearing obsolete and faded posters off a democracy wall.

Now down to 4,245 from 5,000.

Worked half an hour on sixteenth glaze.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Light your garden creatively. You will find that it is much more enjoyable there at night than in the daytime.

Do not allow your neighbors views into any of your rooms.

A garden without birds and butterflies is inconceivable.

Do not bother to teach magic to the curious and the overambitious.

Never oversupply yourself with a good thing.

Sometimes half a glass is just as potent as a full glass.

I've long since realized that staying at home makes me most creative, productive, and prolific, and that my colleagues who do not stay at home manage to churn out only mediocre, derivative, and unreflective works.

It has occurred to me that a lot of people who've been dying this month were actually due last year, except that they swore not to die in the year 2020.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun wears different crowns and mantles in rotation.

Good night, Cubao!

The black licorice teddy bear protects you from astral visitors throughout the night.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Forty winks.

Worked an hour on fifteenth glaze.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery with Angelique and Aubrey, then they stopped by Liu Liu to pick up milk tea drinks.

Hired Brian and Q to wrap The Assumption of Mary into Heaven.

A cup of arroz caldo.

Feeling drowsy.

Worked half an hour on fourteenth glaze.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Follow your passion, but only if your passion pays.

Avoid taking on jobs that pay you just enough to survive, for even those who earn more than enough find themselves sorely wanting at the end of each day.

Avoid taking on jobs that may seem fun and satisfying for you to do everyday--until the day comes when you retire and realize that the job you loved so much has stopped wanting you and gives you no monthly to sustain you the rest of your life.

At every dining table, the view from each seat should be pleasant and cozy and the lighting neither too bright nor too dim.

Good morning, Cubao!

The god of the sun is also the god of magic.

Good night, Cubao!

Before going to bed, brush your hair slowly and sensuously for at least five minutes.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Paula Zahn online videos.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Angelique and Aubrey ordered food from outside.

Worked an hour on thirteenth glaze.

Worked half an hour on twelfth glaze.

So many of my formerly affluent Friends are no longer opening their Facebook accounts and are currently focused on exploring ways of generating alternative income for themselves.

Now science takes three steps forward and two steps backward.

It is less trouble to follow rules than to not follow them.

A superb foot massage should make you feel that you are on a raft on a placid lake leaving all of your troubles on land, and should eventually make you drift off to a peaceful slumber.

Always go for first-class mirrors. When polished, their surfaces disappear, and they become windows to clear dimensions.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

Worked half an hour on eleventh glaze.

Worked half an hour on tenth glaze.

The P50-million SEA Games cauldron reminds me so much of Seattle's Space Needle.

Lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Alkaline water delivery, 45 gallons.

The water service man also brought our dispenser to the water station for a thorough cleaning.

Good morning, Cubao!

Always believe that you can attain your highest and your brightest dreams.

Good night, Cubao!

The strawberry teddy bear provides comfort and consolation.

Do not linger where the danger is.

A bed in a corner is harder to make up but cozier to sleep in.

A bad loser is a loser ten times over.

Like your body, your house will tell you what it needs.

Sometimes it is better for a useless friend to leave you than for you to lose a diamond ring.

Always give your body the nourishment it deserves.

Do not bother to count your losses; they are water under the bridge. Instead, work for and look forward to everything you have to gain.

Rotate responsibilities among trustworthy persons.

Always be alert when resting outdoors.

The carnival always opens before sunset.

It is unwise to snap up something just because it is on sale.

Never mistake loneliness for hunger. It will lead you to become overweight.

If you live alone and keep to yourself, never plan celebrations that will burden you with too many leftovers.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed for the weekend. Bought a hanging lamp for a corner of Aubrey's bedroom. Hired Brian to install it.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Your Messenger message:

"Good morning po, sir Tony. I would just like po to ask kung ano pong ibig sabihin ng mga panaginip ng wife ko. Since po kasi nung bata pa raw po siya madalas siyang managinip ng kabaong. Laging puti daw po ang kabaong na nakikita niya sa kaniyang panaginip.Minsan po may mga bulaklak nakapatong sa kabaong. Alam niya daw na merong nakahimlay sa loob bg kabaong pero hindi niya nakikita. Last night po nanaginip nanaman po siya ng kabaong parehas daw po nang dati: puti at may nakapatong na bulaklak. Is it something negative po ba ang managinip ng ganito? Tnx po. Magandang umaga.

My reply:

Hello _______!

Your wife needs to know something in one of her past lives that will help her resolve her karma--a karma that remains not fully paid over several reincarnations. I suggest that she consult an older counselor of her own gender, someone who knows how to conduct regression under hypnosis.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun's metalsmith forges swords and daggers out of brass and molten gold.

Good night, Cubao!

Rest well with the mindset of a normal person living a normal life.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

What are the monthly bills and expenses you are expected to regularly shell out money for? Are you generating enough income to cover them? If not, are you doing anything about it?

Make a list of atmospheric sounds around you. Which ones, when absent, will indicate to you that something is terribly wrong?

One of the reasons pets make great friends is that money means nothing to them, and they care not whether you are rich or poor, only that you are there.

When a friend does not deliver, move on to a more reliable and trustworthy friend.

Aubrey came down to a late lunch in the dining room.

Worked an hour on ninth glaze.

Washed dishes. I love doing house chores. They have a grounding effect on me and are perfect respites between my painting sessions.

Worked half an hour on eighth glaze.

Gave Yukiko Taka her deworming drops.

Worked an hour on seventh glaze.

Angelique came down to lunch in the dining room.

A nice, warm day for a change.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir! I think I attended one of your night classes earlier. I had a vivid dream -- you were explaining (?) or telling me something. This is the second time a psychic/writer appeared in my dreams (the first time he was giving me 'tips', which I unfortunately forgot to write in my journal). But whatever your message to me was, I'm sure it's going to manifest in some other ways. Btw, your tips/posts have been helping me, mundane or otherwise! Thank you, Sir! May our paths cross in Cubao someday."

My reply:

Hello ______________________!

I have been holding night classes unannounced, because, when I do announce them, the roof deck becomes overcrowded.

I've become a hermit and am not interested in meeting new people, but thank you for the nice thought. I am, as a matter of fact, even neglectful of updating relations with old friends.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun wears a mantle of golden light on his shoulders.

Whenever you cheerfully give up things, your talents amplify tenfold.

Tea lights in lanterns or safe, glass vessels warm up a chilly night.

When an enemy forgives you in all sincerity and you yourself have not yet forgiven him, you accidentally lose an item of value.

It pays to always stop and reflect on what you did and what transpired over the past four hours.

Do not tempt even your closest friend to commit a crime of opportunity by stealing or taking something away from you.

When something unusual happens during your day, it is because your spirit guides are reminding you to do something you've been neglecting for too long.

Good night, Cubao!

The blueberry teddy bear watches over the infirm.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

No mage, no matter how powerful he is, can ever cast a dark spell on any person who does not deserve it.

Learn to take things in stride. It is just as important and as effective as multitasking.

Plan to fortify yourself and survive the year as though it were last year. That way, when things improve, there will be no other way to go but up.

We have two burglar alarms in the house: Yukiko Taka on the ground floor and Keiko Kashigawa on the second floor.

Like former classmates, there are former coworkers one can never forgive for the slightest things.

Worked half an hour on sixth glaze.

Worked an hour on fifth glaze.

Angelique came down to a late lunch in the dining room.

Had a glass of Double Dutch ice cream and then a mug of pure chamomile tea (!).

Worked an hour on fourth glaze.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique still resting upstairs.

Aubrey is off to a lunch reunion with college friends.

The sun records his memories in a hardbound journal.

Your Messenger messages:

1) Good evening po sir Tony...maari po bang magtanong tungkol sa Spirit guides? ... May babae po kc n kumakausap s akin s panaginip ko pag sobrang emotional ako.. My times n my tumatawag din s pangalan ko... Spirit guide ko po b ito? Pwede po ba sila mgpkita s panaginip or tawagin ka s iyong pagtulog? Thankyou po.."

2) Good morning po Sir Tony.. Pasencxa na po s sobrang agang chat... My gusto po sna ako itanong s inyo kung ano itong ngyare po s akin today plus nkraang araw po. Mula ng mgstay po ko s staffhouse nmin pg weekdays npka dalang ko po mkatulog ng maaus.. Klimtan po nagigising po ako ng 12 or 2am hnggang 3am.. Neto pong bumalik ako after holiday mdalas n po n ngkkaganyan ako. Ngaun po my ngyare po s akin ngising po ko ng 2am then tnry ko ulit mtulog ng 3am then s panaginip ko po ng aayos ako ng kurtina ko s bintana tas natulog po ko tas nkkramdam po ako n my biglang yumakap s akin, mbgat, tas po pinilit ko po gumalaw tas bgo ko ko mgmulat my ndinig po ko n bulong s kaliwang tenga ko n yeee yaaa then nkagalaw npo ko... D npo ko nkatulog at binuksan ko n po ung ilaw s kwarto."

My reply:

Hello _________!

Your dreams bear a schizoid quality, possibly born out of extreme loneliness or a separation that you cannot as yet accept.

I suggest that you consult an older psychologist of your own gender. Do not, however, consult a psychiatrist; she will only prescribe you medication you will get addicted to.

Please refrain from Messaging me about such problems again. I don't handle women, and I never will.

Good morning, Cubao!

Woke up 8:30 AM but could have stayed in bed forever.

The granddaughters took a late dinner in the dining room after Angelique's online evening class.

Sat with them and had a mug of pure chamomile tea.

Good night, Cubao!

A Chinese opium bed is a cozy bedroom in itself.

Staggered dinnertimes. Angelique had an online class this evening.

Asked Lennoel to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

Been hibernating almost like a winter bear in this cold weather: a full night's sleep, a morning nap, an afternoon nap.

Hope to resume glazing tomorrow.

Another chilly evening in Cubao, the kind of chill that penetrates your bones. I'm actually wearing my faux timber wolf fur coat.

The most irritating friend is he who always expects you to reach out to him and find out how he is.

Never allow other people to use you or take advantage of you in the name of friendship.

Religious fundamentalists are the most bigoted people in the world.

Honeybees love sheltering and building their honeycombs in the eaves of old houses. Should a neighbor decide to raise bees in his backyard, all of the bees will eventually escape and go to the oldest house in the neighborhood.  

I can always tell when a person is in grief and unable to handle it. His eyes are dull and lifeless and he looks like a wilted flower.

When a friend leaves you, always see it as a blessing. At the very least consider it as savings on your time and your resources.

Why wear white sapphires when you have diamonds?

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Did minor groceries for the rest of the week and the coming weekend.

Aubrey took a late lunch in the dining room.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 4,311 from 5,000.

Actually, if you have no intentions of being interactive, please go ahead and unFriend me. I'd like to have only 500 real Friends in my List.

Two-hour, morning nap.

Aubrey went to the bank and do some personal errands. Toto drove for her.

Replenished our soda supply.

Lunch at home with Angelique.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun sets up his canvas to commence painting the story of the day.

Your Messenger message:

"Dear Sir Tony,

"What language do trees speak? Our landlord decided to cut a mango tree that I believe is over 20 years old and a balete tree that was once a bonsai but which we decided to plant on the ground about 6 years ago to help cool us more during the very hot summer months. I want to say goodbye to these trees as they have helped us so much and I really feel bad about losing them. Aside from providing us shade and fruits (Indian Mangoes), these trees have given our place an enchanted charm.

"Do I say my goodbye orally or would they “understand” me if I just “give them my thoughts”.

"I hope you have time for to read this. Thank you and happy New Year.

"Yours sincerely,

"_______________"

My reply:

Hello ____________!

I assume that the trees have already been cut, since you speak of the acts in the past tense.

Simply plant a mango tree seedling in a pot and a banyan tree seedling in a pot and keep them there so that they will not grow into huge trees. Do not plant them in the ground, unless your landlord allows you to do so in locations acceptable to him.

That is how trees "reincarnate", especially if you've grown attached to them.

Good night, Cubao!

Night gnomes love gazing at warmly-lighted windows from streets and alleyways.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Q to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

Chilly evening, chilly night in Cubao.

Worked half an hour on third glaze.

Deep-tissue massage.

Worked half an hour on second glaze.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like throwing away chandelier bulbs that no longer work.

Now down to 4,321 from 5,000.

An early lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey still resting upstairs.

M.'s birthday. There might be a lot of hopping at the cafe tonight.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun lances through crystal balls and scorches dark warlocks' spells.

Good night, Cubao!

Sleep in the cozy embrace of the night.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos./

Your Messenger message:

"Good pm po... Pasensiya na po sa abala... May itatanong lang po sana ako... Kasi po ung kapitbahay namin ay mga nararamdaman na hindi po nakikita... Pero sabi po ng isa namin kapitbahay na open ang third eye ay harmless naman except doon sa 'bata' na makulit...

"Ano po kaya maganda nilang gawin? Natatakot po kasi sila"

My reply:

Hello _________!

I suggest that you simply ignore the problem. It is not yours and it is essentially none of your business. If your neighbor really needs help, he or she will seek proper help without anyone else's assistance.

Worked half an hour on first glaze.

Hired Brian to do minor plumbing work in Aubrey's bathroom and in the laundry area.

Worked half an hour on seventh layer.

Layering is done.

Glazes commence next.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Many ailments in life are healed by prolonged doses of sleep.

An early lunch at home alone; grandchildren still resting upstairs.

Actually the entire neighborhood seems to be still asleep except for the fruit and vegetable stand across the street which is already playing music.

Children of the sun build backyard playhouses with banana-leaf rooftops.

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

Never resist the night. After all, it will be daytime soon enough.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

Staggered dinnertimes.

When you honor the deceased, the deceased honor you.

I am still uncertain as to whether sudden poverty brings out the worst in people or simply shows up their true colors.

When the world is in chaos, step back, observe, and reflect.

Which of your former classmates continue to try to control you and your colleagues to this very day?

Unburden yourself from time to time, be it of useless possessions, problems, or emotions. Do not anticipate the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. You will either have a breakdown or a stroke.

Rather than be depressed, patiently wait for better times.

Bought a pair of Turkish, glass mosaic wall sconces to replace the glass Venus-shell sconces at our family columbary. Hired Brian to install them.

The Turkish vendor calls me Uncle and gave me another gift, a packet of Turkish coffee and a rococo spoon to go with it. I'm pretending he's in love with me. Joke!

Put together little girls' odds and ends that I found around the ground floor and gave them to the two little girls who often play outside our side porch, They were actually praying in front of the image of the Black Nazarene on our side porch, where I lit a candle twice today.

Saturday

Yakult delivery

Worked an hour on sixth glaze.

Jazz arrived.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

One-hour, morning nap.

Good morning, Cubao!

Rock gardens dedicated to the planet Mars are made of marcasite.

Good night, Cubao!

Do not forget to take occasional moon baths.

Staggered dinnertimes. Angelique has online classes this evening.

Lennoel and Quilay arrived from their grandmother's wake in Bicol.

Asked Lennoel to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

You can actually tell which religious orders have true compassion for the poor, the needy, and the oppressed--and which ones are primarily concerned with enriching themselves.

He who is quick to judge is just as quickly proved wrong.

Never compare your current project with previous ones. To begin with, it will dictate its own requirements and its own time frame.

It is when your palms exude extreme heat that you can heal others.

Love and appreciate your family members, for they are irreplaceable.

Life without a cell phone is a heaven inconceivable to others.

In oil painting, blue pigments make the fastest stains of all. They are very difficult to wash off.

Value your job whether you love it or not. It pays your bills.

When painting, your psyche subconsciously enters the canvas. If it does not, your painting becomes a flop.

Worked half an hour on fifth layer.

Down to 4,347 Friends from 5,000.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

From my Facebook Album titled Sunlight In Cubao.

Happy Birthday to my youngest sister, Sylvia!

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is the king of the stars in our universe.

Good night, Cubao!

Night fairies always garb themselves in diaphanous clothing.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D and Patty Mayo online videos.

Worked an hour on fourth layer.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Paid our electric and phone bills and bought some cleaning stuff.

A very early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Must go jalan-jalan in a while.

We have Indian lamps, Moroccan lamps, and Turkish lamps. When I get down to it I'll put together a bohemian room.

I immediately liked this Turkish mood lamp because of its atypical mosaic--no flowers, no sunbursts, no "snowflakes"--that reminded me of Gustav Klimt and Henri Matisse.

Good  morning, Cubao!

The sun changes his robes five times a day from sunrise to sunset.

Good night, Cubao!

The goddess lives in her crystal palace on the moon.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey. They ordered beef with broccoli from M.'s cafe.

Asked Neil to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick online videos. 

Worked an hour on third layer. 

I love watching the afternoon sunlight from my bedroom windows--the way it slants from the west onto the rooftops of our neighbors' houses, on the street, and on passersby. There is something about afternoon sunlight that always wants me to be alone, the way I was whenever I watched it lighting the trees from the windows of our ancestral house in San Fernando, Pampanga. When I was in school or at work in the office and the afternoon sunlight beckoned to me from the windows, I always yearned to be at home.

Worked an hour on second layer.

Worked an hour on first layer in the studio area while Angelique and Aubrey took their lunch in the dining room.

Happy 7th Birthday to my grandson, Vinci!

Back from the bank with Angelique. Toto drove for us.

A very early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun paints the wings of doves in flight a golden yellow.

Went through Newsfeed again and unFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like descending to my Unconscious and getting rid of my Shadow's debris.

Now down to 4,377 from 5,000.

Went through Newsfeed and unFriended more non-interactive Friends.

I feel better retaining only Friends who actually read my Postings. Other than that is a waste of my time and my thoughts.

Now down to 4,415 from 5,000.

Good night, Cubao!

The Rabbit continues to mix the elixir of immortality on the moon.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Hired Jay and Brian to clean the service passage and laundry area and bring down Keiko Kashigawa's unused cage to the laundry room for Yukiko Taka.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick online videos.

Worked another half hour on construction lines.

Construction lines done. Will commence layering tomorrow.

Worked another half hour on construction lines.

Getting there.

This one's taking me longer because it 's a tableau using three models, unlike Paintings #s 19 and 20, which used single figures only.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Con Artists

Observed old women accompanied by young men. They would approach lone, unwary shoppers, greet them, and pretend to know them from way back.

When that happens to you, all you have to do is face them directly and say in a loud voice, "Hindi!"

Back from jalan-jalan at the center.

Sent some money to my younger son Chito and bought a bundle of joss sticks and other stuff.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Went through Newsfeed and unFriended ten more non-interactive Friends. Most of them were names I couldn't place with faces, and I wondered why I even accepted their Friend Requests in the first place.

Ah well, never again.

Good morning, Cubao!

Creative families in the neighborhood hold outdoor picnics on their rooftops.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnomes set up outdoor restaurants in lush gardens.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked M. to bring some food over to his cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick online videos.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Calling it a day for painting.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir. Happy new year!

"Wondering about my dream the other night. "In my dream, I returned to teaching in the former school I was employed 10 years ago. It's the first day and I am looking for the room of my first class. The day is gloomy and it was raining hard. I am walking down the staircase to the ground floor and discover that rain is pouring down from the ceiling in the middle of the corridor. I decide to pass the other way so I climb the steps and walk through the second floor corrdor. I come across some students, surprised that they were my students I taught in my first year of teaching there. I am quite amused that they have not graduated and have not aged at all. Looking down at my clothes and built, I look similar to how I was 10 years ago. "Thanks Sir and enjoy your week. God bless!

My reply:

Hello ____________!

Your dream reflects your current yearning for happier days in the past. The rain--pouring outdoors and indoors--represents your grief.

Remember that not even magic can turn back time. Assess why you were happier ten years ago. Were your parents proud of what you were doing? Were you passionately in love with someone? Was your work more meaningful? Were you better off financially?

As in a Monopoly board game, we need to keep throwing the die to move forward. Greater joys await you in the future. Go there and be there. Look to the horizon rather than to the fading night behind you.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like rearranging furniture to get rid of dead space.

Now down to 4,463 from 5,000.

The Lazada, LaLaMove, and Grab delivery folks park their vans in our compound--right outside our side porch, to be exact--where they assort their packages and deliver them on scooters to the different condominium buildings down the street. Amazing how much money everyone still has, considering that this happens EVERYDAY.

Lunch at home with Angelique.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Two-hour, morning nap.

A bright, sunny morning.

Worked an hour on construction lines.

Your Messenger message:

"Good Day, Sir Tony!

"Happy New Year! "Thank you for all the guidance and illuminating words you have shared with us throughout the years. I pray for you and your loved ones' good health for all the years to come. "I am writing this while quarantined in a government facility in __________. I've just arrived a couple days ago and am slowly acclimatizing to the weather. I was hoping you could interpret this dream I just had if it’s not too much trouble: "The dream starts with me waking up in my quarantine room. Everything was normal enough until I start to get visitors coming into my room. These first visitors were my closest and best friends in the Philippines. They come in a few people at a time and I welcome them until I remember that I’m supposed to be in quarantine. The penalty for breaking quarantine rules in ____________ can reach up to half a million pesos. I quickly try to disperse them, hoping we weren’t noticed, but as soon as I get my friends to leave, more people come in droves. Literally, too many for me to handle. This next batch of people were, as I imagine you would call them, 'atchays' and were really typically just exhibiting standard atchay behavior. By this point, I considered myself just fucked, and as I looked outside my door, I saw all the other rooms and whole facility was totally swarmed by people as well. I turn back to my room and at the back corner by the window there is an elderly priest giving a sermon. If I can remember correctly, he asked those listening 'What is the Quest of the Parts?' A voice from the crowd answered 'The Quest of the Parts is the Whole.' At which point I wake up from my dream. "Thank you very much for your time, Sir Tony. I wish you a pleasant day. "Respectfully yours, "_________"

My reply:

Hello ________!

Your dream was an anxiety dream--a result of being in a foreign country, being in quarantine, being afraid of breaking rules, and being already homesick. The setting and action you describe are a veiled image of a funeral wake--your funeral wake. You have two types of guests: non-atchays and atchays, reflecting the social circles you've been straddling all along, when you were still in the Philippines. They could also represent two sides of your personality. You look around you and the facility is swarming with people. The facility, then, becomes a complex of funeral chapels, underscoring the image of dying and death.

As to the ending of the dream, the priest (in this case a mediator between life and the afterlife--or between the Conscious and the Unconscious) is your Higher Self, wanting to ensure that you get the message of the dream right. "The Quest of the Parts is the Whole" refers to what happens to a shaman after he is killed and dismembered: he must be reassembled and rise, like the legendary phoenix, as a new and more powerful person.

You've experienced many kinds of death in the past. Yet, you simply went with the flow and did not bother to reassemble your severed parts. Now in a foreign country and with a promising albeit uncertain future before you, it is time to reassemble yourself. 

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun has a dozen golden backpacks, one for each month of the year.

Everyone has at least three talents, but society conditions everyone to develop and be well-known for only one.

Being obsessive-compulsive about your work can prevent you from having Alzheimer's Disease.

After the pandemic, you will quickly realize that the best days of your life are those when all of your family members are at home.

Money doesn't grow on trees, but miseries do.

Don't just be a dreamer. Be a dreamer with an income that will help you realize your dreams.

Work does not go out of its way to come to us. It is we who must go forth to meet work.

The people suffering most during a pandemic are those who cannot accept their own defeat.

Good night, Cubao!

Fairies dip their wings in gold and silver glitter before attending their formal gatherings.

Worked an hour on construction lines.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey,

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick videos.

Brian trimmed Keiko Kashigawa's nails while Angelique, Jazz, and Lennoel held her.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

This painting begins today, January 3, 2021.

Sorry, no visitors allowed.

January 3, 2021

Look, Dick, look!

Another piece of cradled canvas arrives in the rain, and this one's for Painting #21 for Maryhill School of Theology.

It was ready December 29 but the men couldn't deliver it because of the volume of work on their hands.

Endless rain. The ocean feeds the sky, the sky feeds the earth, the earth feeds the ocean.

Man dares not control the weather because, to him, it would be like attempting to control God.

A gray, rainy day in Cubao.

Three-hour, morning nap.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun showers the earth with golden coins.

Good night, Cubao!

The fairy prince gets drowsy on chocolate confections.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick online videos.

Your Messenger message:

"Happy new year, Tony!

"May i request for your interpretation? "These are two dreams occuring right after each other at around 5 this morning. "1. I dreamt of my lower right molar coming off, but without blood and without pain. "2. I dreamt of two soprano friends of mine, an unlikely combination as they do not know each other, singing as a duet in a concert."

My reply:

Hello ______!

In the first dream fragment, the loss of a molar is the equivalent of the loss of a "wisdom tooth", the name coming from the time when such a tooth is due to go, i.e. when a person has reached a mature age or status. This indicates to me that you have gained an important insight in your life "without blood and without pain".

In the second dream fragment, your psyche is asking you you to look closely around you and put two apparently unrelated things together in order to create something new and unexpected. Off the top of my head it could be your painting on ceramic cups (painting + drinking cups), which seems to showcase your talent more amazingly than painting on canvas does, but I am certain that you might find other parallels in your present situation.

Both dreams are connected. They are both about insight, for insight is nothing more than fining the relationship between two apparently unrelated things. When a dream occurs in two "acts", as in a play, both acts bear the same meaning, as though the psyche wants to make sure that you get the message by presenting you with two different illustrations.

Every lifetime has a beacon that shines like a bright star and always shows you the right direction.

What is the current beacon in your life?

Money not only houses and feeds you, it also keeps you well and alive.

Always aim to achieve at least three objectives in a single month.

Never give false hopes to others, no matter how well-intentioned.

Morning chores begin your day. Derive satisfaction from them.

When no one buys you flowers, buy them yourself.

It is the dream that occurs roughly at 4:30 AM that bears the most important message from your psyche.

Avoid on-again, off-again relationships. They hinder you from your personal progress.

When your love is unrequited, your only options are to suffer or to move on.

The more people you connect with, the more losses you feel when they die.

How many people were you able to make happy over the holidays?

Did you also remember to make yourself happy?

Never neglect your penmanship. Write frequently with a good pen on good paper.

Always be a loving parent. Do not raise your children on anger or resentment.

It is impossible to engineer any situation to be loved by someone who does not love you.

They cannot sleep at night because they had a dissatisfying day.

Be consistent with your personal principles.

You cannot boycott someone you love. You will only end up losing him.

Magic develops your abilities, which, in turn, help you solve your problems.

Never be miserable with your job, for you will only be miserable with your life.

Always fight the urge to go out and take risks.

Gripes are most often the result of not seeing the big picture.

Aubrey took a late lunch upstairs.

Hired Neil and Brian to rotate Assumption on its easel once again.

Retouched black cradle sides.

Three-hour, late morning to afternoon nap.

The Yakult woman brought us our weekly delivery.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Jazz arrived.

Must hire Lennoel and Neil to rotate Assumption on the easel again, but I'm feeling very sleepy.

Gave Yukiko Taka a strawberry-scented shampoo.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes build reed huts on green rooftops.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Neil to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Lennoel, Neil, and Jay are now manning the cafe. We are still awaiting the return of Brian and M. himself.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then spending some time watching Bounty Hunter D, Patty Mayo, and Dan Patrick videos.

Electric clocks that play snatches of music every hour on the hour jolt unwanted astral visitors and compel them to snap right back into their physical bodies.

Do not buy anything that you know you will eventually get tired of or outgrow.

All too soon it will be 2022 already, and this new year will have been but a dream.

Painted last two cradle sides of Assumption black.

Now the sun is setting, but I wouldn't say it'd been a lazy day.

Hired Lennoel and Neil to rotate Assumption on its easel.