Unless you are on a diet, never wear perfume or cologne to a sumptuous dinner. It depresses your appetite.

At A Loss For Words 2

Even Filipinos who don't usually speak English use the phrase "at least" in their Taglish, because of verbal economy.

Example:

"At least, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw."

Without the phrase "at least" the sentence would be longer: "Kahit papaano, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw", "Anupaman ang mangyari, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw". "Sa madaling salita, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw". "Huwag nang magpaliguy-ligoy pa, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw". "Sa bandang huli, nakakakain pa rin tayo araw-araw".

Aubrey's new study table was delivered today, and I am poorer by thousands.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun keeps a collection of gold lockets.

Good night, Cubao!

The night shift gnomes craft exquisite wax flowers under glass cloches.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Learn patience by watching plants grow, in the sunshine and in the rain.

A delivery of two items arrived.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

All teapots and teacups should be placed facing the interior of the house, not away from it, to ensure that the residents receive more blessings than they give away.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

A portion of your house should allow you to relax under an open sky.

Good night, Cubao!

Alley cats croon at the moon.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Do not get involved in your supervisor's personal and domestic problems.

Learn the art of appropriate detachment.

Gave another bag of hair ties to Cynthia and two sets of earrings to Brian and Bertod.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

My sister Sylvia sent me this fabulous, batik tablecloth for 12 from Sydney, but the design is too occult for my granddaughters. I'm using it as a bed cover instead.

M. and Bertod visited the roof deck garden and transferred some decorative plants to my sister Alice's front porch garden.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The orange cat basks under the noon sun.

Good night, Cubao!

Night gnomes set up curio shops along garden walls.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Seek to make things better rather than worse. Do not turn your back on situations that need resolution and improvement.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and a Netflix movie.

Manny Pacquiao will fight again. And again. And again. It's his only means of a big and an honest income. He will get paid in millions of dollars to win--AND to lose. And he needs that income for the upkeep of his house in the U.S., his houses in the Philippines, the lavish lifestyles of his family members, and his generous dole-outs. Without that income he becomes just another public official.

Fundamentalism is one of the major reasons why nations go to war. People usually cannot stand people who practice other religions, perceive them as devils, and do not hesitate to kill them.

If war must still be waged, all recruits of opposing armed forces should be comprised of fundamentalists only. That is the only time we can really say that all is fair in war.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

If you are a writer, remember this, that only straight Tagalog is timeless. When you use coined and faddish words in your works, your works will eventually become dated and obsolete.

That athlete will never garner medals. He has a serious personality problem--he loves sabotaging himself. He propagates videos showing his potential skills, bemoaning his lack of funds, and gathering donations from those who admire him. And then, at the last minute, he backs out of competitions, presenting injuries as his excuse.

In the end, no one will care about him, and sports history will remember him only as one big joke.

M. and Bertod visited the roof deck and balcony gardens this evening. 

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Left a bag of books at the cafe for my neighbor Gleenn to pick up.

Asked M. to go to the center and buy some stuff for me.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sunshine always provides consolation.

Push your ailments through your fingertips into the TV show you are watching.

Good night, Cubao!

The playroom has a neighborhood of enchanted dollhouses.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with three syllables in your name: Reinvent yourself during the pandemic period. For example, and this is only an example, do not write plays when there are no producers and directors to stage them, and do not mount art exhibits when no patrons and viewers will come and see your works. 

Instead, adopt forms of art that go well with staying home and that do not rely on live audiences in order to succeed.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with an Indonesian horror movie on Netflix.

Staggered dinnertimes.

One-hour, late afternoon nap.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery with Aubrey after the rain stopped. Did minor groeries.

Happy Tenth Birthday to my fourth granddaughter, Chevy!

Grandpa loves you!

There are three Rabbits in our family: Chevy, Aubrey, and I.

Angelique's first day of classes for the first semester of the new school year.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

A brief drizzle.

Good day, Cubao!

The afternoon sun is always a welcome guest to high tea.

Sometimes my work at the Embassy was a comedic rigmarole. Washington would message me directly about a heritage conservation project, and I would gather all the information needed. The Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer would come to me to take the information and claim it as her own. During an ensuing staff meeting, the Public Afairs Officer would ask me for the same information and I would give it. Then the Public Affairs Officer would look at me as though he were putting me in my place and say, "I have to check with the Assistant Cultural Affairs if that is correct."

No one has the right to tell you to be humble, especially if you have many things to be proud and arrogant about.

Learn the art of pretending to be humble while not actually being so.

Good night, Cubao!

The hungry bachelor takes a stroll through the night food market.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Because you love your family, you already hold the world in your hands.

Staggered dinnertimes. Angelique and Aubrey are having take-out food for their dinner.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Shou Chen Tan begins rehearsals for an experimental production of On The North Diversion Road, retitled for Singapore as On N. Diversion Road.

Brian installed eight planters on my sister Alice's front porch garden.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Booked Toto to drive for Angelique to the bank to pay her tuition for the first semester of the new school year.

Mario reported for work today and I assigned him to clean the floors.

Intermittent rain.

Good morning, Cubao!

Never expose cooked food to blazing sunshine.

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

Good night, Cubao!

House spiders spin dream catchers in bedroom windows.

Some 20 years ago on a work-related mission to Mindanao, I purchased two printed cotton, malong-type pajamas at the airport. I used them briefly at home. My eldest sister Lourdes, who lives in Sydney, asked me where I bought them, but I couldn't give them to her because I'd been wearing them already. I eventually stashed them away and rediscovered them in a backpack only two nights ago. I decided to start wearing them again last night. After all, what else could I do with them? Surprisingly, both M. and Brian admired them so much and asked for them, and I gladly parted with them. (I have too many night clothes; ironically, I like sleeping naked.) Truly, one man's trash is other men's treasure.

One Message To One Of 208 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Challenge neither your fate nor your destiny, and both will be kind to you through the rest of your life.

What I hated most about ALL of my grade school and high scbool teachers was that they always had to have the last word, no matter what, even when I was right and they were wrong.

I am certain that none of them have changed, which is why I'd been avoiding all of them since I said goodbye and good riddance to school.

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 spending some time watching online videos.

Afternoon deliveries: metal hanging planters, a lighted, miniature bus station for the small loggia, and dog food for Keiko Kashigawa. 

Spent the rest of the afternoon with Brian on the side and front balconies. He installed more hanging planters, moved some plants to the side porches, and watered the plants.

My sister Alice sent us half of the birthday cake that my other sister Sylvia ordered from Sydney.

Happy Birthday to my sister Alice!

Good morning, Cubao!

Day fairies dive into air as humans dive into water.

Good night, Cubao!

The sentinels' bedrooms have double-deckers in every corner.

One Message To One Of 208 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: It is a glorious waste of time to keep hoping for the love of someone who does not even think of you. Love yourself instead. Improve your status as a person. Be successful. And then others will keep hoping for your love.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey retired early to bed.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie.

Brian and Bertod walked Keiko Kashigawa and Yukiko Taka on the compound and then gave them a lavender-scented, anti-flea shampoo and bath.

A brief, heavy rainfall in Cubao. Lighted the ceramic house in the small loggia.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Replenished our soda supply.

Two types of people are hardest hit by the pandemic: big-time business operators and prostitutes.

Good morning, Cubao!

Fairy princes love disguising themselves as humans. 

Good night, Cubao!

Care for your house gnomes and your house gnomes will care for you.

One Message To One Of 208 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Do not allow your reeatives, co-workers, and friends to pressure you into a settled life you are not really prepared for. You will only discover, with much regret, that what people call a settled life is most unsettling.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Hallmark Mystery Movies.

Cubao rain.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

I was in high school when this picture was taken. My grandmother and my Jesuit uncle have already passed away.

Photo sent by my sister Alice, second from right. My sister Sylvia is third from right.

I have no idea who the man standing beside me is. Possibly a cousin. (I was always very distant from relatives on my father's side, and I still am.)

A big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

Fairy children weave crowns of garden flowers.

Good night, Cubao!

Fairies bake chewy cookies all year round.

One Message To One Of 208 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your name: One does not look for a role model, it is the role model that finds one.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Hallmark Mystery Movies.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Aubrey cooked hot sardine pasta with sliced sausages.

One-hour, late afternoon nap.

Handcarved, pinewood box from Russia. Pine trees are abundant there because of the cold climate. This kind of wood is even used to line their public and private steam baths.

A perfect humidor for my ziggurats.

Most people hold faith in superstition. It works because it is genuine faith. After all, one can have faith in anything, for faith is the conviction that even the impossible can be made possible. It is not the exclusive possession of any religion.

The gnomes make transactions not only on the branches of the dragon tree but also beneath its roots.

Angelique and Aubrey are taking their lunch in the dining room; I woke up late and am still settling down with two cups very black coffee.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sunbeams follow happy children into their playrooms.

Good night, Cubao!

House mice use fresh-water pearls as scrying balls.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with three syllables in your name: Consider a second occupation that will earn you more money, one you can easily and painlessly manage and one you won't fret over should you fail in or lose it.

Maferefun, Chango!

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and more Hallmark Mysteries.

"Pixie-like" is a 1980s term that women used to describe other women.

Never purchase a plaything that is stubborn and overpowering.

If you feel uncomfortable visualizing eight elemental kings in the cardinal and quarter directions, visualize eight saints instead. They will guide you through your day.

The same goes for the power animals (in front of you, behind you, on your left, on your right, above you, and below you).

Once a priest manifests bipolarism, avoid him completey.

A virus can be brought down to manageable levels, but it never really goes away.

A stray cat always exercises keen judgment.

Haunted in bed by mental images of the deceased? Just keep your back and shoulders covered in a blanket and go to sleep.

Whenever tempted to buy an expensive item, simply pretend that you've bought it already, that you've had it for some time, and that you've gotten tired of it.

Do not kiss a frog even in your wildest fantasy. He may turn into a man, but not into the man of your dreams.

An aging athelete gradually loses his strength and his practice. An aging artist gains deeper insight into his craft even as he grows much older.

Art immerses its audiences in illusions. Unfortunately most artists are immersed in delusions.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Festival of Hungry Ghosts 2021

Good morning, Cubao!

Skylights are symbols of unattainable dreams.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Make a list of all the good things you've achieved for yourself over the past two years. This will not only cheer you up, it will also inspire you to do even better for the rest of the year and for more years to come.

Dinner at home with Aubrey; Angelique and Jazz ordered food from outside and are taking their dinner upstairs.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Jazz arrived.

Watered the plants on the side porches and balconies.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

And now a delivery arrived for me.

Vitamins delivery for the granddaughters.

Good morning, Cubao!

Moderate sunshine heals.

Good night, Cubao!

Night fairies bear silver baskets crafted out of moonbeams.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Do your job well and keep on the right side of things. You need not do anything about dishonest, unpleasant, and annoying co-workers. They will soon shrivel and fall like dead leaves off a tree.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Emma Fielding.

 

At A Loss For Words 1

When a person describes a king-size bed, such as in a five-star hotel, he says, "Ang laki ng kama--puwede kang gumanyan-ganyan!" while rolling his torso and flailing his arms.

Actually he could say, without the matching action:

--bumiling-biling

--magpagulong-gulong

--humila-hilata

--tumiha-tihaya

--lumiyad-liyad

--bumali-baligtad

--bumuka-bukaka

--mag-tumbling

--umikot-ikot

Swung by the neighborhood grocery with Angelique. Did minor groceries.

Don't say "healthy food". Say "healthful food".

Staggered lunchtimes.

Your Messenger message:

"What happens to the spirit who resides in the tree when the tree is cut down? Do they just go inhabit another tree? Are all trees inhabited?"

My reply:

Hello ____!

1) All treees are inhabited.

2) A tree can have one or more than one inhabitant. If many birds and insects live in it, that is a sign that it has more than one elemental inhabitant.

3) Elementals have spirits but no souls. So, while they may live for hundreds of years, when it is time for them to go, they just fade away.

4) It is possible to plant a seedling near a tree that is scheduled to be cut down, and then ask the tree spirits to move into the seedling.

Good morning, Cubao!

The gnomes' well-stocked wine cellars are located beneath the roots of the dragon tree.

Two-hour, deep-tissue massage. Ended 12:30 AM.

Good night, Cubao!

The moonbeams are white stallions galloping on rooftops.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your name: You seem to be in a quandary and are under the impression that you must choose between your passion and your prospective boyfriend. Let me tell you that you can have both.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir Tony. Hope you’re well po. If you have time po sana, I’d like to ask you re: a recurring dream that I’ve been having since the lockdown.

"I’m always in a maze. At the beginning of the dream, I keep getting lost, running into dead-ends. There’s a muscular man who keeps following me, but I tell him to go ahead of me, because I think he thinks this was a race. He overtakes me, then I decide to head in the opposite direction. "Eventually, I find my way out of the maze. I look down, and see that there are dozens of butterflies gathering at my feet. "What do you think this means po? Thank you."

My reply:

Hello _________!

The maze in your dream is a metaphor for the mental and emotional situation you are currently in. Life presents itself as a challenge and a struggle, but you have the tenacity to see yourself through. The butterflies gathering at your feet are Nature's minions expressing their gratitude to you. At this time you have been favoring Nature over romance, that is why you walked in the opposite direction of the man, representing unwanted competition, who was following you.

An alternative interpretation of the man in your dream is that he is your masculine side, which you may have been denying, and which might account for any psychological imbalance you may be experiencing. Rescue your masculine side rather than perceive it as competition. There will be more butterflies gathering at your feet if you do so. 

One-hour, mid-afternoon nap.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Blazing, 2:00 PM sunlight casting blue shadows on the driveway and the stone walls always brings me pleasant childhood memories.

Bundled up in a jacket, long scarf, and sherpa's cap during yesterday's thunderstorm and sat in the small loggia to enjoy it. Lit tea lights in four lanterns and lighted the incandescent lamp at the side entrance. The sheet lightning was spectacular, the heat thunder a percussion delight. The cicadas in the dragon tree began their choir practice at exactly 6:00 PM, meaning not only that the sun had set, though we could not see the sun, but also that the rainfall was coming to an end.

Check, from time to time, how others are coping.

M. and I are planning to convert our rear passage into something useful and profitable.

Never command a class of students the way a stage performer commands an audience. Always place your students center stage.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Toto to drive for Rose to the center to pay our water bill.

One-hour, morning nap.

Good morning, Cubao!

Gnomes have rustic houses very closely interwined with Nature.

Good night, Cubao!

"Pearls are cold."

--Greta Garbo, in Grand Hotel

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Rearrange your furniture, redecorate with available matetials, and improve your living condition. That way you won't just overcome cabin fever--you'll also love staying at home.

Staggered dinnertimes.

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

Night chores.

My favorite time of te day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Miss Marple.

Done watching the available Murder, She Baked vidoes. Now watching a Miss Marple video.

Another evening thunderstorm in Cubao.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubaol!

The day fairies are organizing an outdoor luncheon.

Stop, In The Name Of Love!

natigil = ceased

hininto = put a stop to

naudlot = nipped in the bud

naparam = was suddenly stopped

napigilan = was held back

nasira = got ruined

naharang = was blocked by an object

naputol = got cut off

natali = was tied up

napako = was nailed to the spot

nasarhan = was shut out

nalubak = fell into a rut

nasadlak = was left behind/abandoned to pine away

napatid = was interrupted

nahadlangan = was blocked by someone/a human body

binalakid = encountered an obstacle

naunsiyami = was frustrated

pinaurong = was made to step back

pinosasan = was handcuffed

naparot = an intention foiled

napahiya = was embarrassed, lost face

naunahan = was beat to the finish by someone else

naisahan = was conned out of one's chance or opportunity

hindi pinapasok = was prevented from entering

pinaralisa = was paralyzed

nawala = disappeared, was gone

pinabalik = was made to go back

nakulong = got caged in

nabinbin = was left in a neglected pile

Dream On

panaginip = nocturnal dream

pangarap = dream of the future

panagimpan = daydream

bangungot = night terrors

somnambulo = sleepwalking

alimpungat = a twilight state, usuallyt experienced upon waking

asam = aspiration 

malikmata = trick of the eye

ilusyon = illusion

pangitain = vision

pantasya/larong-isip = fantasy

mithi = fervent wish

Vision Quests

makita = see

tingnan = look at

masdan = stare or gaze at

saksihan = witness

siyasatin = analyze

kilatisin = assess

inspeksiyunin = inspect

pag-aralan = study

obserbahan = observe

panoorin = watch

bantayan = watch out for

sipatin = squint at, as though taking aim

silipin = peek at

bisitahin = visit

galugarin (ng tingin) = do a thorough, visual search

hagurin (ng tingin) = look at up and down

basahin = read, scan, or visually interpret

unawain = understand

intindihin = comprehend

kilalanin = identify

There will be more ragpickers and scavengers than usual.

Relax, wait for your mind to uncork itself, and let the ideas flow.

Always allow a plant to grow in the direction it wants.

Some people can run but can't hide. Others can hide but can't run.

People would be a lot healthier if water jug dispensers were produced in different colors other than blue and white.

Every psychic easily attunes to the rhythms of the elements.

Never feel guilty about turning away pushy beggars.

Teaching does not make you rich. It just makes you exceedingly tired.

Good night, Cubao!

The earth exudes heat even after a rainfall.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your nickname: The end of the road remains unseen, for the journey is long. Do not give up, but do not be ungentle. Your efforts will not be left unrewarded. 

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Hannah Swensen.

Ordered deep-fried, buttered buffalo wings and spicy buffalo wings from M.'s cafe.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Tiny House Still Rules

The cafe crew managed to set up a tiny study desk at the foot of their double-decker bunk beds.

Chewy chocolate chip cookies delivery.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery store with Neil.

Tried the strawberry fruit drink with nata de coco at the neighborhood tea house.

We paint because of the psychological denial of two realities: the photograph and the reflection in the mirror.

Two-hour, noon nap.

Staggered lunchtimes.

A heavy downpour in Cubao.

A heavy breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

Garden birds are always messengers of good tidings.

Good night, Cubao!

Never cause your children sleepless nights.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your surname: How fixated are you to your university days? Do the opinions of your former schoolmates still matter? Whomis the opinion leader? How much of your life continues to be influenced by these people?

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Hannah Swensen.

Done watching online Garage Sale Mystery and Aurora Teagarden Mysteries online episodes. Now into Murder She Baked.

Why are you worried that Islamic fundamentalists are taking over a country in the Middle East and not worried that Christian fundamentalists are taking over social media?

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

There should always be a pair of vases on your foyer table.

Good night, Cubao!

The responsible parent always has a stock of clean bath towels not only for the entire family but also for prospective house guests.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with four letters in your nickname: Give equal importance to your job and to your art. Do not neglect one for the other at any time. Make both serve you well, now and into the future.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Aurora Teagarden.

M., Brian, and I visited the roof deck vegetable and flower gardens. Finally moved three potted, decorative plants underneath the iron spiral staircase, another on the staircase landing, and a fifth at the top of the staircase.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Lazy Sunday.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is iced with silver dragees and white sugar crystals.

Good night, Cubao!

What are you always putting off for the following day?

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your name: When someone pledges you something, act on it rather than be diffident and passive. All pledges have a shelf life; you will soon keep wondering why nothing came of them and why you are lost at sea all of a sudden.

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 snuggling in bed with Jughead and Archie and Aurora Teagarden.

One-hour, early afternoon nap.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Remember that your neighbors are vociferous in their good stead but have no news to tell you about themselves in their misfortune.

Like orchids, peepal seedlings do not like being overcosseted.

Never fall in love or have a relationshp with a person who makes less money than you do.

Both kindness and unkindness go a long, long way.

The answer will come when you see a person walking under a turquoise umbrella.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Be civil in front of your enemies. It befuddles their sensibilities.

Sunlight has a voice, but the world makes too much noise for you to hear it.

Be in control of funds, at the the same time ensure that everyone in the family is satisfied and content.

Loving camphor-scented joss sticks.

The Hungry Ghosts are fond of playing tricks, yet they shower you with blessings afterward.

Decide on an average amount of daily expenses and stick to it, kieeping in mind that it would be wiser to spend even less. At the end of the month you'll be surprised at how much you saved.

Religion is a form of illusionism.

Always contemplate the most unlikely.

If you can't excel in other people's eyes, ensure that you excel in your own.

Pay more attention to your dreams during Hungry Ghosts Month.

Your spouse should love your children as much as you do.

If what you do best earned you nothing during the pandemic, seriously consider changing your career, for there's no telling that you might have to live through another disastrous period.

Though I am a visual artist, it takes a lot more than physical beauty to gain my undivided attention.

A prospective love interest is like an attractive shopping item. You are better off if you just pass on it and go on with your usual life.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sometimes you find yourself wandering into a fairy marketplace.

Good night, Cubao!

Before going to bed, review the events of your day.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your nickname: Your patience will continue to be tested. Your abnormal situation will take two or three more years, and then a long year or two of rehabilitation, before the phoenix of your normal life rises again. In the meantime do the best you can. Never be pessimistic or cynical. Things may be very bad, but it is not the end of the world. 

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

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smitth and Jughead and Archie.

Finished watching all the online Garage Sale Mystery episodes over the past few nights, then moved on to Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.

Our dessert of the weekend and week is purple yam cake.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Cake delivery.

Every 13th of the month, including Friday the 13th, is Saint Anthony's day.

So relieved that my younger son Chtio received his first vaccination shot yesterday.

One-hour, early afternoon nap.

Laundry delivery.

Put out a saucer of milk for the compound kitten.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Did minor groceries.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The dragon tree is being bedecked for its monthly ball.

The Ghost Carpenter

Toward midnight every night since the beginning of Hungry Ghosts Month, we've been hearing construction work--specifically hammering--ongoing in some part of the neighborhood. The first few nights I thought the sound was coming from the former Manayon lot on EDSA, where intermittent work is being done in preparation for a high-rise building; other nights I was almost sure the sound was coming from Panopio Compound, across the street, where a PNP hospital is being erected. The sound, however, is not industrial in nature: the hammering is from a lone instrument on wood. It stops every now and then, as though a weary carpenter desperately repairing a house frequently needs to rest. All hammering ceases at exactly 4:30 AM.

One of these nights I shall go up to the roof deck and determine where, exactly, the hammering sound is coming from.   

Good night, Cubao!

Dark green is the color of Thursday nights.

Aubrey's Midnight Bakery

Aubrey is preparing dough for home-made pandesal, which she intends to bake early tomorrow morning. She makes it a point to bake pastry only late at night, when no one else comes into her kitchen.

Intruded briefly, though. Had a Batangas tamale and some leftover brandy.

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

One Message To One Of 210 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your nickname: Value your works, but do not overvalue them. Otherwise you will get sucked into the quagmire of a self-importance that no one else but you believes in.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Three-hour, late afternoon nap.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Streamlined our kitchen a bit. Gave the cafe two coffee plungers and a hot-water pitcher.

A hot, muggy day.

A heavy breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

Always spend some time each day under the morning sky and the morning sun.

Good night, Cubao!

Sit on your balcony or front porch and watch Nature and the world sleep under blankets of semi-darkness.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Never give up on something that your family and you need very badly, but your continued efforts should be through honest means.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff, including papaitan, the Filipino equivalent of Jewish chicken soup, good for persons who experienced chills and discomfort after vaccination.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Brian and Bertod walked Keiko Kashigawa and Yukiko Taka on the compound, then gave them a lavender-scented, anti-flea shampoo.

Tamales delivery.

Krispy Kreme delivery.

M. worked on the balcony vegetable and flower gardens.

Bell pepper growing

Chili pepper growing

Mayana mix

We found a fairy stone (a garden stone with a round hole that goes right through it).

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good noon, Cubao!

Wrap yellow-golden fabric round the trunks of enchanted trees in your garden.

Good night, Cubao!

The stars are shards of broken suns.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your nickname: Never compare your situation with those of others. You will only be in for a lot of bitterness and regret, for others will always have different resources than yours.

Staggered dinnertimes.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Live a stress-free life.

If the show cannot go on, it must not go on.

Green mongoose from Bulacan from my sister Remi.

Had a large glass of lemon-cucumber tea from M.'s cafe.

A late lunch at home alone.

Angelique and Aubrey are taking their lunch in the dining room.

Checked out how M.'s cafe crew are doing after their first Moderna shots yesterday.

The day gnomes' cafe serves different varieties of coffee.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night

Good night, Cubao!

Visualize yourself traveling through every room in your house, and then all around outside your house, before you drift off to sleep.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Move on comfortably, the way you easily do when you read "Sorry, we're having trouble playing this video".

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

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

Night drizzle.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Grateful And Relieved

I thank God, the Orishas, my spirit guides, Mayor Joy, and Quezon City Hall for this day.

My sister Alice and her helper, M. and his cafe crew, and D.'s convenience store crew just came back from receiving their first Moderna shots. In less than a month all of the residents of my humble and tiny estate will have been fully vaccinated.

Not in photo are Neil and Cynthia.

Staggered lunchtimes.

One-hour, late morning nap.

Delivery of 50 gallons alkaline water. Also had our kitchen water dispenser cleaned.

A big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

The enchanted juggler tosses six balls of bright sunlight in the sky.

Good news from Quezon City Hall arrived 10:30 PM.

Quite satisfied. The compound kitten lapped up all of the milk in the saucer.

Good night, Cubao!

Hang only pictures with soothing images on the walls of your bedroom.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: The stuffed animal toys will watch over you and ensure that you sleep well. They are safer and cleaner than having live pets in your bed.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Set a dish of milk for the whiny compound kitten at the enrance to our side porch.

M. watered the plants on the upper gardens.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery with Neil. Then we bought a snack at M.'s cafe.

A very quiet Sunday afternoon.

Dish of milk still untouched.

When a fundamentalist questions his sad plight, just keep reminding him that it is God's will.

Slept nine hours last night.

Staggered lunchtimes.

In Metro Manila, candy in a sealed bottle, a glass of drinking water covered with cling wrap, a tea light in a lantern, and joss sticks in an incense burner are sufficient offerings to wandering spirits during Hungry Ghosts Month. Place them at your gate or front door, beyond the reach of thieves.

On the first night (August 8), on Ghost Festival Night (August 22), and on the last night (September 6), light nine joss sticks. Light only one joss stick on all other nights. These are acts of compassion, for it is said that the wandering spirits are those of persons who died alone and had no relatives when they were living. 

It is also acceptable to place your favorite deck of Tarot cards, oracle set, or crystal ball on the offering table to obtain the blessings of the spirits. Again, beyond the reach of thieves.

First day of Hungry Ghosts Month (August 8 - September 6 this year).

A month of divination and tea leaf reading.

Good morning, Cubao!

It is possible to scry on garden gazing balls.

They were backbiting bitches when they were young, poor, and struggling. They became gracious after they achieved success, all in the name of public relations.

Now that they are back to Square One, they are miserable wretches lurking in their private darknesses.

He neglected to prepare for his retirement, and now he is putting the pressure on his children to help him  survive.

Since his children do not earn even enough for themselves, they wish him dead.

Finished watching all 52 episodes of The Return of the Condor Heroes (2017). I should have watched this before The Romance of the Condor Heroes (2014) but got the sequencing comfortably right in my mind. There's a three-year gap between the two productions, but Romance is primitive compared to the cinematography, editing, use of drones, costumes, color sense, and fight scenes of Return, which is comparable to a Kurosawa film. 

No, I won't be watching the first of the trilogy, The Legend of the Condor Heroes. I'm already all condored out.

Good night, Cubao!

The sky is a crystal bowl of black jello.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Do only what you can, but do it with the best of your ability. You should not be held accountable for anything beyond that.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Jughead and Archie.

Mixed coffee grits, used tea leaves, and fresh water in a tall pitcher. Watered the plants on the side porches, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony. Finished off with fresh water from a mist-sprayer.

Hung out on the side porches with M.'s cafe crew.

Yakult delivery. Bought a set for M.'s cafe crew as well.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Two-hour, early afternoon nap.

Moved our molded silk statue of Ti Tsang to our side porch entrance, along with a joss stick burner and a tealight lantern.

Brought a jar to D.'s store and had it filled with assorted candy.

Ready for the first day of Hungry Ghosts Month tomorrow, August 8.

A big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

You can tell which of your Friends have already turned into black holes. They are the ones who no longer Post anything.

Stay away from them lest you get sucked in.

One cannot begin to solve a murder without first discovering the emotion behind the act.

"Where the needle goes, the thread follows."

--Mu Nianci, in The Return of the Condor Heroes

On the Big Dipper Formation by the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, from the Nine Yin Manual:

"Spiraling out to disperse,

Spiraling in to consolidate,

Thinning out, resonate with the universe."

Huang Rong: Their formation is set like stars in the constellation. 

Guo Jing:The Big Dipper Formation is linked to the Big Dipper Routine. When they are in formation, the seven masters tackle the enemy with only one palm. Yet why are they so powerful?

Huang Rong: Their strengths are linked together. The one facing the enemy makes no move. The others attack on the side, with their collective strength all lined up. It's like a man possessing several people's masteries.

--From The Return of the Condor Heroes

Nature compels us to see how small we are in comparison with the entire universe.

https://tonyperezphilippinesenchantedknits.blogspot.com/

Another excerpt from the Nine Yin Manual:

"Midnight, morning, noon, and evening

Chi to the cinnabar field, palms push out

Facing south, sitting cross-legged

Focus on  the two palms moving to the center

Whereas it is known meditation is good for cultivation

Sage understands physical exercises complements contemplation

Seeks stability in flux"

Mei Choufeng on grip strength from Nine White Bone Claws:

"Channel energy to ten fingers from the center

Handstand facing a tree like the palm civet

Climb with claws to enhance grip strength"

--From The Return of the Condor Heroes

My note:

Since manuals on martial magic are written in verses of four lines each, one line is missing from the first excerpt, and one line is missing from the second excerpt.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun blesses gardens tended with joy.

Good night, Cubao!

Night gnomes work industriously on rooftop gardens.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: The man you have fallen in love with is good-loking and mature, but he does not earn enough for the two of you--or the two of you and your family. Money-wise, you are better off living alone.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith and Archie and Jughead comic books.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

The werewolf woke up in an extremely ravenous state, and so we ordered Andok's litson baka and liempo for lunch.

Good morning, Cubao!

The writer packs up memories in boxes and keeps them in the storage rooms of his mind.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: Never allow fear to overtake you. As long as you can take the right precautions, do not be swayed by self-doubt.

Good night, Cubao!

Night clouds are the powder puffs of the sky.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Slept the whole day. And tonight Brian is sleeping in my room to watch over me.

I no longer accept Friend Requests from persons I don't personally know.

Good night, Cubao!

Alley cats will play hide-and-seek under the light of the moon.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

Woman with two syllables in your name: If you are frequently having a sinking feeling in your chest, it is because your co-workers are talking behind your back. Just be civil and cordial, do your job well, and ignore all negativity around you.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Ordered food from M.'s cafe.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith.

M. is working on the roof deck and balcony gardens.

Angelique, Aubrey, and I are back from the Office of the Mayor at City Hall after receiving our second Moderna shot. Toto drove for us.

A very late lunch at home.

Good morning, Cubao!

Every cozy garden has stepping-stones.

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

A cup of chamomile tea.

Good night, Cubao!

House mice prepare sandwiches for their midnight snack.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: The man you are hoping to reconnect with will not reach out to you; you have to reach out to him. Even after you have done so, he will pause and evaluate your sincerity.

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, spending sometime watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith.

Getting interesting.

Replenished our soda supply.

Bought a ream of ziggurats.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center with Angelique and Aubrey. Toto drove for us. Went to the bank, sent some money to my younger son Chito, paid our electric and phone bills, did some shopping, did major groceries, and bought a take-out lunch.

Happy Birthday to our two youngest kuman thong, Kittibun and Daw!

Good morning, Cubao!

If the interior of your house must have a dollhouse, your garden must have a fairy castle too.

Good night, Cubao!

Organize one container of stuff every night.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with a J in your name: True love between men is not the meeting of bodies in bed at night. It is the meeting of minds and spirits, the knowledge that you are equals, and the awareness that you are capable of physically squaring off aside from physically defending each other.

Three-hour, afternoon nap.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith.

Good morning, Cubao!

Gnomes in your house not only ensure food and plenty, they are also a reliable line of defense against your enemies.

One Message To One Of 209 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with one syllable in your nickname: Be selective as to who you decide to teach you magic. Most local practitioners believe only in psychobabble, and you will end up no wiser than you originally were. Not every mage is a sifu.

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, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Alexander McCall Smith's Espresso Tales.

Finished reading Henning Mankell last night. A good read, but there are loopholes.

Birthday pizza and cake for Aubrey

 

Aubrey's friend sends her Japanese food and a birthday cake; Angelique buys a birthday cake for her too.