Down to 513 from 520.

I must say, it's getting harder and harder to weed out Friends, so I'll go with this number for a month or two.

Worked half an hour on third glaze.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

A welcome rainfall.

Good morning, Cubao!

Bamboo huts belong both to the earth and the sky.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

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

Brian showed me a jar of organic fertilizer he concocted. We are to apply it on the vegetable plants tomorrow.

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

Good night, Cubao!

Even in the darkest night there are visible shadows.

Worked half an hour on second glaze.

Worked half an hour on first glaze.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Heat rain in Cubao--a boon for our vegetable garden.

If you dreamt about padlocks and multiple keys, I was with you in that dream.

Good morning, Cubao!

Read the sky like a book, for in it are inscribed the secrets of the day.

Good night, Cubao!

Tonight gnome symphony orchestras hold concerts in flower gardens.

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 online videos.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Replenished our soda supply.

Neil and I went up to the roof deck to water the vegetables. The sprouts are not yet big enough to be transferred to individual boxes.

To view the photos, go to my Facebook Wall at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3764608830292483&set=pcb.3764610370292329. If blogger does not enable you to open the link, go to Facebook and Paste the link on your browser.

Strawberry sponge cake with tres leches delivery.

Neil takes Yukiko Taka on a Saturday afternoon walk.

To view the photos and captions, go to my Facebook Wall at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3764580723628627&set=pcb.3764583436961689. If blogger does not enable you to open the link, go to Facebook and paste the link onto your browser.

When you pirate someone, karma befalls you by your losing everything.

Worked an hour on eleventh glaze.

Jazz arrived.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good noon, Cubao!

Sky fairies bear banners emblazoned with faces of the sun.

A hot shower on a hot summer night never fails to cleanse your skin.

Good night, Cubao!

You can ask your spirit guides to linger in your bedroom and lull you to sleep.

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 online videos.

Always keep a list of supplies you need to replenish.

If you were a wind instrument, which musical instrument would you be?

Repetition leads to boredom, and boredom leads to being critical. Hence many TV ads are not as effective as they were in the 1950s.

The number of diverse personalities you have is contingent on the number of diverse fantasies you entertain.

Go beyond Earth to outer space. Then go beyond outer space, and there will you find God and his grand design.

Down to 520 from 530.

Worked an hour on tenth layer.

Worked an hour on ninth layer.

Never believe that private universities consider their deceased activists as heroes. Their registrars are the ones who provided the activists' personal data to authorities.

How Mitzi imagines my dream house to be:

Your Messenger message:

"Dear sir Tony.. Pagbati po

" I hope it is alright to share these dreams with you, and to ask for guidance as to their meaning. These are dreams of my younger brother that he received on the same day (Feb 24) in 2017 and then again this year 2021. "Feb 24 2017

"The asteroid was humongous. It became bigger as it got closer. Then it hit us, and it was fast. There was a loud, fiery explosion. I saw everything flying towards me and then I felt nothing anymore. No pain at all.

"The afterlife was calm and quiet. Almost nobody was talking. Finally, God reigns again. I tried to fly like how I used to do in my dreams. It was an effort at first and then I could fly low. Two old ladies joined me. I saw them go up. I looked at my surroundings and I was amazed. It was exactly how it looked like in my dreams. Everything was how I saw things in my dreams. And then tears of joy fell down my cheeks. Everything seemed real and not just a dream anymore. "Feb 24 2021

"I, together with some people, am watching from afar the huge burning in the horizon. Great balls of fire hurled down from the sky. It was like the explosion of nuclear bombs but far more devastating than what is shown in videos. It was scary and we knew we'll be dead any moment.

"Suddenly, a huge, burning thing like a mountain came towards us. I thought we were getting a direct hit, but it went past above us and it exploded from behind us. Then the atmosphere changed, I felt the earth move. I knelt down with my head on the pavement and I placed my hands against my nape and waited for things to fall down on me. I was so scared and I knew the time has come and death was coming to me. I was scared of the pain.

"I heard the wailing of people, everyone was scared like me. People were shouting and crying and there was no refuge. It was the end of the world.

"Suddenly it became windy and cold, perhaps because of the shockwave from the blast. But it became freezing cold, and from my crouching position, I moved my index finger and wrote something on the pavement: 'I love you, God. Jesus, I will see you soon.'

"I didn't feel anything after that. I was suddenly brought to a place where young people were seated, watching someone speak from the front. It was Jesus. I knew it was Him. Maybe because He looked like the illustrations in the books. Jesus had a beard and looked really handsome. I asked the young man seated next to me what that place was. He shrugged and whispered, 'Another earth'. He was Caucasian and I noticed then that we were a mixture of different races. However, one thing was common: we were all young, like teenagers. I felt young as well. I touched my face and it was smooth. My hearing was perfect and my vision clear, unlike the usual that when I would look at things I needed my eyeglasses to see clearly. Somebody talked to me and told me there was one thing Jesus didn't like in here: We should never think ill of anyone. 'Never think that someone took something from you. Never complain about anything because the Lord provides you with everything.'

"Next scene I was back on earth like the normal days, as if nothing happened and no destruction happened. I was playing with my nephew but I was still thinking about how happy I was to see Jesus. "SALAMAT PO...

My reply::

Hello ________!

Your brother's dreams indicate major changes he is undergoing in his life due to a loss or to losses, whether material, social, or romantic. In both dreams, the afterlife is a wish-fulfillment state of peace and well-being. His psyche/higher consciousness/superego manifests more explicitly in the second dream as Jesus. 

The statements "Another earth" and "(T)he Lord provides you with everything" should make it clear to your brother that his dreams clearly state his problem and its solution. Tell him to lean back, relax, and allow things to happen.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

A warm, early summer day.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are three-tiered cake trays filled with pastry.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir Tony. Hope all is well. I always look forward to your posts. Thanks for all the guidance.

Just want to share with you my dream yesterday. "A good friend of mine told me that he just visited Padre Pio shrine. He asked me to accompany him somewhere in South -Tagaytay Batangas area. I agreed and we passed by a small road which is not cemented. No houses on both sides but full of grass. "We decided to stop and grab some food for takeout. He told me that we will go to a place wherein he will show me some kind of magic later. So I asked him what type of magic. He said that he will throw something then I will see his whole body covered with neon green color. "When we were about to leave the fastfood, I said that I saw someone who looks familiar. So I stopped and moved closer to a group on the other table. I was surprised to see my brother (he passed away already years ago. I think I mentioned him to you last time Sir). To make sure, I took pictures of him and sent copies thru messenger to my family and they confirmed. I had this in mind when I saw him - How come he is alive? So he is just here all along?Who was the dead body that was given to us by the hospital a long time ago? In my dream he was busy talking to a group. "When I woke up I mentioned during lunch that my brother was in my dream. My eldest son suddenly reacted and said that he also had a dream that morning and my brother was in his dream too. "I am just wondering Sir why he appeared on both our dreams. If you may just give your insights. Thank you very much. Keep safe always."

My reply:

Hello _____________!

Your dream summarizes your present state in life. The friend in your dream represents your psyche. He accompanies you on your continued, spiritual journey. He promises you a kind of magic that interests you.

Your psyche then indeed transforms, not to a neon green color (the color of enchantment, if you recall the green light that Princess Aurora followed as she ascended the tower where a spindle would prick her finger and cast her into a deep sleep of 100 years) but to another character--your deceased brother. It is possible that part of your journey is coming to understand his life, his personality, and his overall mystique. It is part of your objective to be able to explain your brother to your family. Your deceased brother, then, has become an element of your spirituality.

That your eldest son also dreamt of your brother is, to me, a mere coincidence. Whatever his dream was, your brother represented something else to him.

Good night, Cubao!

On lonely nights, converse with a candle flame.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Q 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 online videos.

Spent part of the afternoon on the roof deck with Brian. We watered all of the plants and planted more vegetable seeds.

In the meantime everything we planted is growing, especially our garlic, which is growing fast.

I could stay forever on the roof deck. I love the songs of the birds in the dragon tree. I love the open sky. I love watching the sun traversing the west and beginning to set.

On the roof deck, I feel that I am in some rural area, not in bustling Cubao.

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

Hired Brian and Jay to wrap The Resurrection. Three paintings are now ready for delivery.

Now Jay is cleaning our side porches.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

Moroccan plates are exquisite but are best displayed in cupboards rather than used for eating.

Never use patterned crockery for your meals. The visual chaos gets in the way of enjoying your food and digesting it.

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

Good morning, Cubao!

The day gnomes are planning an outdoor barbecue.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended past midnight.

A bedtime snack.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnome schools of philosophy and gnome dojos are located on green rooftops.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod 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.

Down to 530 from 539.

A mug of honey and vanilla chamomile tea.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed for the weekend, bought two rolls masking tape and a roll of silver duct tape, then bought two personal items for myself. 

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

A delivery arrived.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes glide on kites above open rice fields.

Good night, Cubao!

Supper is sacred, for it is the last meal you share with your family until the sun rises again.

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.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

For dessert we had Margo's scrumptious rum bundt cake.

Rum cake delivery. Finally.

Worked half an hour on eighth layer.

Worked half an hour on seventh layer.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

Garden gnomes blush under the morning sun's first caress.

Ordered a shredded beef salad with red wine vinaigrette from M.'s cafe and had that with dry toast and lemon soda for a bedtime snack. Then had some of Aubrey's gummy worms.

Good night, Cubao!

The night tells stories of the day; the day tells stories of the night.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

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

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

"You have to love everyone," Bruce said, "not only women, but men as well. You don't have to have sex with a man, but you have to be able to relate to his separate physicality. If you don't, you will never be able to fight him, to drive your fist through his chest, to snap his neck, to gouge out his eyes."

--Bruce Lee in Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly

Spent the afternoon with Brian and Neil on the roof deck vegetable garden. We planted the seeds that M. bought, adding ginger and okra for good measure. I'm now thinking aubergine, potato, and carrot, a la Peter Rabbit.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Outside, the sky was gray and the trees were still.

A fine drizzle over Cubao.

Good morning, Cubao!

The morning is a well-laden tea cart.

Today M. bought packets of seeds for growing cabbage, Chinese lettuce, and bitter melon. Brian also dried out some fresh tomato seeds for planting. We are spending part of the afternoon on the roof deck vegetable garden tomorrow.

Good night, Cubao!

In the moonlight, windowsills become highways for tiny creatures.

Gave some food to my sister Alice.

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 online videos.

Generate income, not creative self-expression. You may be needing all the money you can make over the next two years.

It is not what it is because it is what it is not.

Worked an hour on sixth layer.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery to do minor groceries.

An early lunch at home with Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes ride skateboards on neighborhood rooftops.

Good night, Cubao!

Sometimes a transient spirit will speak a word or two in your ear as you drift off to sleep.

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

Night chores:

My favorite time of the day came again: an evening shower, and then spent some time watching online videos.

This turned out to be a food-trip Saturday.

And now, it's brandy night.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz. It was pizza night. For dessert, we had Margo's celestial strawberry sponge cake with tres leches.

Painted the remaining cradle sides of The Resurrection black.

Brian and Neil take Keiko Kashigawa and Yukiko Taka on a Satirday afternoon walk.

Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz arrived from lunch out.

Brian and Neil flipped The Resurrection on its easel so that I can paint its remaining cradle sides black, and transferred my work in progress to the main easel.

Your Messenger message:

"Good afternoon, Sir Tony. I am sorry to bother you. I am writing this to seek for some advice if it's not too much to ask from you.

"On December, last year, a stray kitten found its way to our home. It is not really unusual since every year, a stray cat always appears at our gate and we gladly provide shelter for them. This kitten particularly looked like it suffered from a gut disease. We taught it to eat, at first, because it seems that it doesn't know how to eat or drink milk. To cut it short, Sunny- our bright adopted kitten died on the eve of Jan 1st. "This February, 3 of our kittens died the same way. Although these 3 were consistently vomiting and relieving when and wherever they can. What's more peculiar is that they died on the same spot as the adopted kitten. "When we brought them to the local Vet, the doctor said that it was some kind of a viral disease. They were on meds after that. It didn't help, though, because they were in so much pain that they couldn't even meow or swallow water. We had to manually place a few drops in their mouth to keep them hydrated. "This is the last photo of my kitten which died today. There are only 4 of them. Only one is striving to live now and I can't bear to see and hear it crying for help. I wonder what I can do to comfort it or, at the very least, lessen its suffering. "Thank you very much for your time. God bless."

My reply:

Hello _________!

It is really quite sad; a friend of mine lost one pet cat after another to the same, apparently mysterious,virus.

The only advice I can give you is to bring your one, surviving kitten to the vet and ask him to her to save it as best they can.

Worked an hour on fifth layer.

Waiting for Angelique and Aubrey to come home from their lunch out.

Slept ten hours last night.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Two cups of Peter and Christine's Benguet Blend coffee.

Good noon, Cubao!

The day washes its brushes only to paint the sunset all over again.

Never constantly rely on the kindness of others, for everyone's sense of kindness is essentially inconsistent.

Do not extend the day by working late into the night. Extend the night by preparing early to go to bed.

Good night, Cubao!

Your bed does not rock. Your body does, and it makes you feel as though your bed were rocking.

Worked half an hour on fourth layer.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

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 third layer.

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

Went jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed, sent some money to my younger son Chito, paid our water utility bill, upgraded the granddaughters' bedroom pillows, bought two large mason jars to store our ground coffee in, and bought some trivial things for myself.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique has online classes and Aubrey is still resting upstairs.

Worked half an hour on second layer.

Two cups of Peter and Christine's very black Dark Sagada Roast.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun strews gold dust across a powder-blue sky.

Good night, Cubao!

Use a designated night pen that you should never use in the daytime.

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 online videos.

Worked an hour on first layer.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Painted two cradle sides of The Resurrection black.

Replenished our soda supply.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The condor rules over the eagle.

I suppose that puppies and kittens still cannot differentiate between spirits and those who live in physical bodies.

Since Yukiko Taka and I are always on the ground floor, she follows my every move and listens to everything I say, even if I am not addressing her. Tonight I caught her, once again, not paying attention to me but gazing, instead, at a tall entity invisible to me. She held her gaze as though listening intently to what the entity was telling her, and even rose and raised her paws as though she wanted to follow whoever or whatever it was. At first I thought that she was being visited by a deceased human being or one of her siblings who recently passed away. After a focused scanning I saw that it was the spirit of our peepal tree finally inviting her to the next elfin ball inside the dragon tree.

A bedtime snack before finally going to bed with the Bruce Lee bio that Joel gave me.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended past midnight.

Earth, fire, wind, and water form a quartet.

Classify your dreams into the grandiose and the realistic, and work on the latter first.

Learn from every resplendent tree. Its roots and its branches grow in all directions.

The polite, highest bidder, not the crude cheapskate, is usually given the best.

Good night, Cubao!

Identify your favored, night time scents for candles and aromatherapy oil.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod 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 half an hour on construction lines.

Brian, Bertod, and I resumed work on the roof deck. More cleaning, more replanting.

We moved all of the decorative plants to the Kwan Yin shrine, where Cerefina's and Kichiro Mayuzumi's graves are located.

Planting of vegetables began, and so this is Day 1 of our roof deck vegetable farm, a joint project of our family and M.'s cafe. Brian, who grew up doing farm work, planted string bean, Chinese celery, bell pepper, chili pepper, bitter melon, and garlic.

We plan to buy more vegetable seeds sometime soon, including some that might involve the construction of trellises. Can't wait to take photos when everything is growing.

Perhaps on the downside, our roof deck has begun to lose its Tennessee Williams atmosphere, the same atmosphere in the garden-with-Tampinco-bagneuse-fountain of the old Army-Navy Club in Ermita. Yes, the lanterns and statuary and park bench and marble table and Vietnam stools are still there, but the place is no longer as poetic as it was. Years ago, with the overhead and spot lights on, Angelique and Aubrey used to read their textbooks there at night.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky fairies nap on the roof decks of the clouds.

Good night, Cubao!

Be grateful for feeling tired and sleepy at night after putting in a full day's work.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff. They seem to be celebrating Q's birthday.

Night chores.

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

First saw this enhanced close-up on Jocellyn's Wall, which she shared from Bogart the Explorer on Twitter. I Commented that I wouldn't recognize the man had I met him in the street. His face never looks the same in other photos, paintings, and statues, perhaps due to constant editing, the way people in authority edit the lives of saints.

I like the friendly grin and mirthful right eye, but am disturbed by the cold, almost ruthless, glare of the enlarged left eye.

Saw another electronic announcement asking for financial help for an artist who is gravely ill. It is truly sad that there are no real arts industries that keep artists employed and give them regular salaries to cover their food, utility, and medication bills.

There are no real arts industries in the Philippines because of the ancient Chinese "Third Wife" mentality. In ancient China, prosperous men usually had three wives. First wife took charge of household administration. Second wife took charge of the education of the children. And third wife--to her was assigned painting, music, dance, calligraphy, flower arrangement, and interior decoration, almost as an afterthought and even as though none of it were necessary.

That is the subconscious mentality that pervades society today, especially in times of hunger and economic survival.

No amount of religiosity can ever dispel truth.

Bruce Lee and I shared the same teaching style, which was, for every two students we accept, we offend one.

We both offend the weaker student, observing whether strength voluntarily wells up from within him and he can confidently stand on his own.

Q's birthday. He brought us a plate of fried noodles.

Neither resent nor regret anything, for, at the final hour, resentment and regret prevent everyone from dying in peace.

Angelique came down to lunch in the dining room; Aubrey still has online classes through 1:00 PM.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs after their morning online classes.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun shines through a tall pitcher of mango juice.

Night chores.

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

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

Tanya sent me a box of my favorite Bailon piaya all the way from Bacolod, through my next-door neighbor Glenn.

Three-hour, afternoon nap.

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

Down to 539 Friends from 5,000. I am stuck at this number for now. Feel free to unFriend me so I can have less. But, I will not add more.

These are the Friends I can hopefully grow older, share my innermost thoughts, and spend my last days with.

Another way of putting it is that you are my guests on a private yacht that will take us on my strange adventures. 

The sun is a yellow bantam car slowly ascending a hill.

Good morning, Cubao!

Deep sleep last night, free from visitations by Valentine lovers. Rose to a brand new morning, a brand new day.

Good night, Cubao!

Night dragons have shiny, silver scales.

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

The cafe is swinging on a Sunday night.

Night chores.

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

Replenished our soda supply.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery to do minor groceries.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Now Aubrey is baking another batch of chocolate brownies.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. 

Now down to 695 from 5,000.

As I go down to 500 and then 200 beginning tomorrow, the persons I will unFriend will include PERSONAL Friends. Please know that, as far as I'm concerned, our electronic friendship has NOTHING to do with our actual friendship.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 790 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 817 from 5,000.

My son Chito finally bought the hiking shoes he needs for work.

Jolly did some plumbing in the laundry area.

Aubrey took an early lunch.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed for the weekend and sent some money to my younger son, Chito.

Also bought small S-hooks to hang our miniature, red, Chinese lanterns.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 844 from 5,000.

A big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

A Happy Valentine's Day to my--as of now 882--Facebook Friends.

But I am unFriending more non-interactive Friends today.

Sunday, Sunday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like weeding out old T-shirts to use as rags for oil painting.

Now down to 896 from 5,000.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun remains your most loyal ally.

Angelique and Jazz arrived from dinner out.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 951 from 5,000.

Good night, Cubao!

Always keep a thermos of distilled, alkaline water on your night stand.

Angelique and Jazz are at a dinner out.

Dinner at home with 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 online videos.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like eliminating deaf-mutes auditioning for my choir.

Now down to 994 from 5,000.

Getting faster and easier the less Friends I have.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,087 from 5,000.

Q and Bertod take Keiko Kashigawa and Yukiko Taka for a Saturday afternoon walk.

Keiko preferred to rest in the shade and observe the surroundings. Yukiko, as usual, loved chasing motorbikes and compound tenants.

Both had a strawberry-scented shampoo after.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,157 from 5,000.

February 13, 2021

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Spirit Questors.

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

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,189 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,238 from 5,000.

The first cup of coffee. The first cigarette of the day.

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

Listen to the creaking of gnomes' wagon wheels passing outside your bedroom.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz.

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

Hired Q to clean the laundry area floor.

Our Turkish vendor figured in a motorbike accident and was out cold for eight hours. He is currently under observation.

Friday, Friday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like scraping dried paint off my palette.

Now down to 1,300 from 5,000.

Took a four-hour, afternoon nap after Paulo and his co-worker left.

Paulo and his co-worker came, and I gave him a lot of stuff I no longer want. His co-worker escorted him because he has a poor sense of direction.

They had lunch at M.'s cafe before coming to the house. We met along the side porches, because I still can't let people in to see my work in progress.

Angelique and Aubrey took their lunch in the dining room.

More of Angelique's law textbooks arrived via delivery service.

Took a late lunch after a two-hour, morning nap.

Jazz arrived.

Now waiting for Paulo and his co-worker to arrive. I promised to give him a wooden box and two bladed weapons.

Lit special joss sticks from Mike at our three, ground-floor altars.

Good morning, Cubao!

Who do you say "Good Morning!" to as soon as you wake up every day, without fail?

Happy Chinese New Year!

We learned from the previous lunar year lessons and realities about ourselves and about others--none of which we could have conceived of or imagined in previous years. 

Good night, Cubao!

The night is yours. Do not allow others to intrude on it.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended past midnight.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,388 from 5,000.

Chinese New Year's Eve dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey. We just ordered food from Hap Chan Ali Mall via Grab Food Delivery, had Bellini's orange cake for dessert, and had pink moscato.

Thursday, Thursday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like giving my Facebook account a social dialysis.

Now down to 1,497 from 5,000.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

Your Messenger message:

"Good afternoon po Sir Tony! Mag share po ako ng panaginip ko kagabi. We were in a big event center tapos upon arrival may security tapos sabi bawal daw po naka tsinelas then i opened my bag meron pala ako dala nagpalit po ako. Then nung nasa loob na po kami medyo feeling uneasy na ako tapos sabi ko po mag banyo ako. Then nung nag CR po ako may bata na gusto pumasok tapos nakita ako kasi hindi maayos lock system nung cr. Tapos otw pabalik sa area po eh may nakasalubong kami na natapunan ako ng juice sa damit. Tapos pag akyat po namin sa event center nagdecide na icheck ang mga gamit na iniwan sa baba pagbalik namin eh nanakaw na po yung ibang mga gamit. Yung buong panaginip po eh ang kasama ko ay pamilya ng boypren ko po. Nagising po ako sa halo halong emosyon nang nanakawan na may sense of relief may mga importanteng bagay na hindi nanakaw kasi hindi naman po lahat kinuha at iba pa ponh emosyon sa ibang nangyari sitwasyon dun sa panaginip. Ano po kaya ang ibig sabihin nito?

"Salamat po sa inyong panahon sir Tony."

My reply:

Hello __________!

This was a mild anxiety dream. You may have been making wrong decisions in your life lately, particularly in connection with your work. Your current feelings of insecurity are reflected in the dream: having to follow others' rules, bag inspection, the need to go to a rest room, being intruded or spied on by a stranger-child, having juice accidentally thrown on your clothes, and being stolen from/losing things. All of these indicate that you are not in control of your life at the present time and that you may even be, in a sense, clutching at straws.

My advice is for you to step back, relax, and be a passive observer for the meantime until you have fully gathered your wits. Do not multitask or try to accomplish more than one thing at the same time. Ground yourself with a nice cup of coffee or tea. This is the right time to think of raindrops and roses and your other favorite things.

Lit special joss sticks from Mike at the Chinese altars. The Chinese lamps will be turned on this evening.

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

Went with Angelique to the bank, where she paid for her tuition and textbooks for the second term. Then we bought an orange cake at Bellini's for our Chinese New Year's Eve dinner tonight. Toto, a Grab driver and our next-door neighbor, drove for us.  

Good morning, Cubao!

Learn how to bleach your frustrations and disappointments under the scorching sun.

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.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,698 from 5,000.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

The granddaughters' Torani vanilla syrup delivery arrived.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

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

Worked an hour on construction lines.

A bundle of long joss sticks arrived. I had to order it online because the Chinese grocery ran out of them.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Replenished our soda supply.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,790 from 5,000.

Worked an hour on construction lines.

I stop and focus on this moment and tell myself, This is my body, this is my mind, wondering what my last feelings and my last thoughts will be when my time is up and already regretting that I will be unable to record them then.

The only way for artists to have legitimate and profitable careers in the arts is not for legitimate arts industries to exist but for legitimate arts industries to abound.

Sometimes you need to be kind to the living because no one knows what horrible deaths await them.

Adolescent fantasies should not be carried on through the age of 18.

Big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is Earth's star, but always follow the sun-star within your heart.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

This painting begins today, February 9, 2021.

Sorry, no visitors allowed.

Washed six palette knives.

Look, Dick, look!

A new piece of cradled canvas arrives for Painting #22 for Maryhill School of Theology.

I hope to finish this one within the month of February, making it my third for this year's first batch.

Vernissage: The Resurrection

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,898 from 5,000.

Rainy afternoon in Cubao.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,937 from 5,000.

Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

Wet morning in Cubao.

Lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey has online classes.

Good morning, Cubao!

Like a Chinese philosopher's pavilion, your home should have a garden of rocks and sand that you can gaze on to calm your mind.

 UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 1,980 from 5,000.

It's become easier now to unFriend people directly from my Friends List rather than from Birthdays and Upcoming Birthdays.

Good night, Cubao!

Every once in a while, gaze at the stars and feel your own infinity.

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 online videos.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Did minor groceries.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center.

Had money changed and bought a mango cream pie, among other things.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir! Just worried about an aunt who passed away last month. She died alone in a pension home in the States and was discovered only 2 days after, lying on her sofa. She was in her late 80's.

"It is sad that during her later years, she was most of the time bitter and always picked fights with some relatives on social media and private message. "My last contact with her was through messenger last Jamuary. I greeted her happy new year. She greeted back, 'Happy birthday! I love you!' I found it touching as it was only five days before she passed away. "But now I am concerned because her daughter asked for prayers this morning. As she was organizing my aunt's clothes, she was able to smell a strong odor like vomit. It disappeared as she put out my aunt's medicines from the same bag. "Do we need to pray particular prayers? Or is it ok to mentally talk to her to ease her spirit? She may have been sometimes difficult to other people but she remained sweet to me in the past years. "Thank you for interpreting my dream the last time. Have a productive week ahead, Sir!

My reply:

Hello __________!

Prayers and spoken messages are both in order.

It appears that she'd been especially hurt by that daughter for some reason in the past, but all of that is water under the bridge.

Your aunt chose to have this life before she was born, and she is currently making her choice for the next one.

Monday, Monday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends. It was like weeding out unenjoyable confections from a box of assorted chocolates.

Now down to 2,395 from 5,000.

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

In the daytime deal only with reality, for your wildest fantasies should stay in your bed until you pick them up at night again.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

The mosquito told his wife and kids that he would be back as soon as possible. Little did they know that the room he went in had an ultraviolet zapper.

Good night, Cubao!

An artist who does not have his own bedroom will never know true solitude.

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.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Then Brian, Neil, and I went up to do some serious work on the roof deck. We are retaining the Kwan Yin shrine, but are transforming the rest of the roof deck to M.'s vegetable garden. The produce will not be for sale but for our own consumption.

Exhausting, but it is quite therapeutic to work in soil and mud.

Watched the sunset from the roof deck. After dusk fell, the halogen lamps on P. Tuazon Boulevard went on, glowing beneath dark clouds and an orange sky. Should have brought my camera. The scape looked like the back of a Bengal tiger.

I detest artists who foam at the mouth just to desperately remain in the public's awareness.

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

Good morning, Cubao!

Leave no loose ends untied at the end of day.

Saturday, Saturday

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 2,476 from 5,000. Yes, I am more than halfway through my original List of 5,000 and am going further down to 500 or 200.

I have already sworn to myself never to have more than 500 or 200 Friends again. Going through the List is a real and a literal pain in the neck.

Good night, Cubao!

Look forward to the night, as you look forward to the day.

Asked Bertod 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.

Had a shredded beef salad from M.'s cafe for a bedtime snack.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz.

Jazz cooks a Korean dinner celebrating his office promotion.

We had Aubrey's water heater and shower head replaced the whole afternoon.

Jazz arrived.

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

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

Good morning, Cubao!

Never linger too long in the sun's ardent embrace.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended past midnight.

Good night, Cubao!

Count your money in the shelter of the night.

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 online videos.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Every year during Arts Month, instead of mounting exhibits all over the place, make an effort to encourage private institutions to create legitimate arts industries that will ensure employment for all arts graduates.

The arts are not just all about creativity and self-expression. They should be means of livelihood, profitable businesses, and sources of lifetime security. 

A mug of pure, chamomile tea. Turned on the Turkish lamp on our writing table and the faux Moroccan lamp above our credence table. Sat in the foyer watching compound tenants pass by. Now Lydia is sweeping dead leaves off the driveway and I love the soothing sound, like the sound of waves on a shore. 

Dusk is descending on  Cubao. A peaceful Friday evening.

Took an early lunch alone, then Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sun's warriors wear brass-studded boots.

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 online videos.

Do not wear perfume or cologne at mealtimes. It retards the appetite.

Meet the Chinese New Year with images of Buddha and a dragon and with lit joss sticks at your front door.

We measure time not only by the rising and setting of the sun and the moon but also by births and deaths.

Too many major personalities have been passing away, and there are no writers who are willing to author their biographies.

Make a list of the things you enjoy most in your times of solitude.

Never use superlatives when introducing a young writer. You never know where and what he will be in only a few years' time.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. One of the bag boys offered to carry our groceries all the way to our house.

One-hour phone conversation with Laurice Guillen.

Yukiko Taka Takes A Thursday Afternoon Walk

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Had money changed, paid our electric and phone bills, bought new bath towels and face towels for Angelique and Aubrey, and an electric mosquito killer for Angelique's bedroom.

An early lunch at home alone; Angelique is still on term break and Aubrey has online classes.

Must go jalan-jalan in a while.

Good morning, Cubao!

A house has windows to let the blessings of the day come in.

Every protagonist is someone else's antagonist, and every antagonist is someone else's protagonist.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnomes and pets religiously patrol your house three times before sunrise.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

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

It is a bad idea to plod ahead if your family will be left behind.

Heat and cold affect elementals, because they are part of Nature.

Keep your back covered on chilly nights.

Know that there are people who will insist on having their own way against the odds, like birds that keep crashing into clear, glass window panes.

Ensure that you are well-prepared for each day, the night before.

Always be aware of the number of persons who live in your house and how much you need in order for all of you to survive.

Never desire to marry a dreamer, for dreamers live best alone.

Neil reported for work this afternoon. He is now cleaning the living area.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center with Angelique and Aubrey. Toto drove for us.

We went to the bank, did major groceries, and had lunch out.

Good morning, Cubao!

Each morning, lay the night to rest in your bed.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 2,995 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,029 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,037 from 5,000.

Good night, Cubao!

The lemon-drop teddy bear prevents you from catching a cold and having night sniffles.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

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.

I am saddened by the demise of Naty Crame-Rogers, truly a grand lady of Philippine theater. She and her husband, Colonel Joe Rogers, were proactive contacts of the Embassy of the U.S.A. in Manila during the time that I was employed there. Her life turned bleak when Joe passed away some years ago. She had to sell their fabulous house in Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig--a house I will well remember for its huge, white, Thai spirit house that guests were invited to pour water on, her life-size portrait by a famous Thai artist, their son's wonderful oil paintings, their framed, batik collection, the awesome, rustic, open-air buffet parapet along the side of their dining room, and, of course, the living room where her Sala Theater Group performed a variety of chamber plays.

Before I retired from work I was able to help Naty out by purchasing from her the Thai bed and two side tables that were located in a corner of their master's bedroom and an ornate, brass, Thai cremation urn. In turn she gifted me with her mask collection from Indonesia and Thailand, including a pair of comedy-tragedy masks from New Orleans, a bronze image of the goddess of fire that she instructed me to hang somewhere in the center of our house, a set of hand-painted, clay, katakali dancer statuettes, and a pair of hard-rubber statuettes from Borneo. Most of these were gifts to her by her admirers from Asia. 

I should have visited her, but I thought that she would live forever.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,053 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,119 from 5,000.

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

Aubrey's first day of online classes for the second term.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,262 from 5,000.

Good morning, Cubao!

Place the brightness of the sun in a vase and set it inside the darkest room of your house.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,322 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,342 from 5,000.

Good night, Cubao!

Design and arrange your house not only for the day but also for the night.

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 online videos.

Your computer hangs like a sudden leg cramp.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Never bother to explain yourself to enemies who do not understand you. Leave them to figure you out for themselves.

Whenever an ambulance passes by, pray for the speedy restoration to normal health of the sick person inside. It earns you merits and spares you from having to be hospitalized yourself.

Be happy for others' special occasions, but celebrate only your family's and your own.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,360 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,373 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,394 from 5,000.

UnFriended more non-interactive Friends.

Now down to 3,406 from 5,000.