Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Forgot to wear a dust mask. The salesman at The Oil Paint Store very kindly gave me one that smelled, deliciously, of cinnamon. Bought two bottles of medium. Also bought a three-meter computer extension cord for Angelique's face-to-face exams, and then three medium-size mason jars for our ground coffee at the supermarket.

Thought of having a spinach and mushroom omelette and a sparkling drink at the Cubao Leaky Cauldron but decided against it, lest it suddenly rain.

Once inside my bedroom I discovered that I'd placed my original dust mask inside one of my cargo pants pockets and forgotten all about it.

A warm, dry day.

Spirit guides will speak to you through the board game Snakes 'N' Ladders.

Like every novel I write, every painting I make appeals only to kindred spirits whom I've known and reincarnated with over several lifetimes.

An early lunch at home with Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The gnomes adjust their eternal calendar discs.

Good night, Cubao!

Front porches are being bedecked for Halloween.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: You love the unknown yet fear to seek it. You sit in an armchair while listening to the results of your friends' explorations. Have you not been spiritually inert for too long?

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 a Netflix movie.

Angelique arrived home from their office off-site workshop at Clark Economic Zone.

Jazz arrived.

Staggered dinnertimes.

One-hour, morning nap.

Lunch at home with Aubrey.

Someone will collapse onstage.

Good morning, Cubao!

The writer goes online to see what's up with the world.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome families rearrange the positioning of their beds every month.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night of The Year

You with four syllables in your name: You asked me about the elementals in your house. If your house was previously owned, you need to tell me about its former occupants. If it was not previously owned, there is something about one or two generations before yours that we need to revisit, and it might have something to do with a dead baby. 

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, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Lunch at home alone.

Good morning, Cubao!

Dawn dreams spill over into the day.

Your Messenger message:

"Sir Tony, my father recently died due to heart attack and in less thank a month my younger brother followed. So healthy and full of life. Natulog po hindi na nagising. Sobra po ang lungkot ko. Madalas ko po tinatanong sarili ko kung nasaan sila? I asked a priest friend. Sabi po sa akin nandoon na sila sa dapat nilang kalagyan habang naghihintay ng paghuhukom. Pwede ko din po ba itanong sa inyo kung nasaan sila? Nakikita pa po ba nila ako? Napanaginipan ko na po minsan ang papa ko. Yun kapatid ko po gusto ko rin mapanaginipan. Salamat po. Pasensya na po kayo sa akin. I am not waiting for an answer pero kung masasagot nyo po salamat."

My reply:

Hello _____!

Thank you for sending me their photos.

Your father lingers on earth as your spirit guide. If you are single and intend to get married, he will move on after ensuring that you have settled down well.

Your brother's spirit is traveling round the world, especially to places he'd always wanted to visit.

You need not worry about them. Neither of them is in a state of suffering.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes are molding papier-mache jack-o-lanterns on dwarf squashes.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Despite your current age, your values and aspirations are fixated on the same ones you had when you were in high school. Grow old with the times, and be happy.

Dinner at home alone; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

Raven is at M.'s cafe for a brief vacation; he goes to school in Cavite only twice a week.

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 a Netflix movie.

One-hour, early evening nap.

Been lighting the inverted-cone candle several hours a day for a week now. I love the way it changes shape as the wax melts. It looks like a rock or mineral geode, especially because of its outer pattern, and I'm excited to see what the final shape will be. I wouldn't mind buying another like this, if I find one.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is a flat basket of fresh veggies.

Like oil paint, bloodstains can be removed as long as they are washed off immediately.

Angelique bought Keiko Kashigawa automatic feeders for dog food and water for when she is on travel. It's her first day and night at a one-week, off-site, office workshop in a hotel in Clark Economic Zone.

The ever-expanding multiverse indicates that there is more than one God, and that the concept of one God is an invention of men who seek to have power and control over all other men--and who will wage crusade after crusade until only one man stands high above them.

The old scavenger's comrades congregate at the main gate to our compound every morning. Through sheer observation I learned their do's and don'ts, their big taboos and their little no-nos, their codes, and their pecking order. They have come to know and accept me too. They no longer gawk at my Spandex shorts, at my jewelry, and at my faux Han Dynasty hair sticks. I sometimes still pretend that I am a character in a wuxia, specifically King of the Beggars' Guild, because they greet me cordially, at times give me little offerings, and watch over our compound.

I still wonder why the scavengers in our neighborhood are all old men. I know that some of them are married and have children, but I have never seen a homeless teenager roaming the streets and making a living out of scavenging.

Perhaps scavengers are men aged 50 and above who have had too many mid-life crises and dashed dreams, and no longer have the initiative to better their stations in life. 

The sun was out today. Daylight seeped like golden honey even into the darkest corners of the house. The concrete driveway was dappled with sunshine. The birds in the dragon tree flew to and from the other trees on the compound, our next-door neighbor's tree, the ficuses outside M.'s cafe, the talisay in front of D.'s store, and the trees across the street. I turned on the taps and warm water flowed from our stainless-steel tank. 

Gone are the dark, rainy afternoons with a stagnant chill in the air, when I used to light bottled candles in the small loggia. All of that is now but yesterday's dream.

I was completely surrounded by Christians at school and at work, yet I'd never met a Christian who ever heeded Jesus' words in the New Testament to "take everything you have and give it to the poor, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven." I recall that, the richer a Christian was, the more he was admired by his fellow Christians. As a matter of fact most of the priests I knew were proactive social climbers, and the rich Christians they hobnobbed with were only too obliging to wine and dine and pamper them--it was their way of "owning" them.

The poor Christians themselves never complained, believing they were destined to be on the receiving end. And yet, that was something that never happened, because, over the years, the poor not only remained poor, they also became poorer and poorer, Christians or not.

A pomelo pulp bit is an ice cream cone to an ant.

When you try to get rid of a co-employee, your Employer will eventually get rid of you.

Your Messenger message:

"Magandang gabi sir tony. Itatanong ko lang po sana kung masama ba magkuwintas ng ganito, tulad ng nasa larawan. May naiulat na may mga kabataan na sinaniban daw ng demonyo sa cebu yaong may mga suot na ganyan sa larawan na kuwintas.

"Totoo ba na nag-aatract ng bad spirit ang ganyan na kuwintas or anything na may mata?"

My reply:

Hello _____!

Pamahiin lang iyan. Ang totoo, kahit na anong kuwintas ang isuot mo, ang iiral pa rin ay ang karaniwan mong ugali, mga inaasam, at mga kinatatakutan.

Hindi nakasalalay sa anumang alahas (lalo na kung fancy o bangketa item) ang kapalaran at tadhana natin, kundi sa ating mga gawa. 

P.S. Ang mga kuwintas na may mata, sa kabila ng mga binanggit mo, ay tinatawag na "evil eye" (tulad ng mga nagmumula sa Turkey) na nagpapataboy ng inggit o masamang hangarin mula sa ibang tao.

Good night, Cubao!

The house mice bask under the moon on warm nights.

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

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come gain: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Brian fried native sausages and Shanghai rolls to add to our dinner.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Jazz; Aubrey preparing of her night shift.

Don't call it a fine day if people are floundering in floodwaters and dying elsewhere.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Jazz. 

Angelique has no work and no online class today; Jazz is working from home.

Maferefun, Oya!

All Wands must point to the ground again.

Good morning, Cubao!

Gentle sunlight is filtered through hosts of silver clouds.

12:15 AM. Wind and rain seem to be picking up in Cubao.

Good night, Cubao!

Never lose faith in your own dreams and wishes.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with seven syllables in your name: Continue to produce works. Do not be intimidated by the growing number of artists around you. As long as you are able to find and define your true oeuvre, nothing can go wrong.

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 a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Be mindful. When an anticipated disaster impends, such as a volcanic explosion, earthquake aftershocks, or a supertyphoon, men's libido shoots up, as though the instinct to have sex cancels out the threat of all life being wiped out.

Don't you just hate it when a supertyphoon waits until dark before it blindsides you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQUmlao1zg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbdkrZ6H0no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GP83iuzp0&t=103s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BXWIqpgQhQ

Lighted the Turkish lamp at my bedroom window, a candle on our writing desk, and three bottled candles on our side porch.

I must confess that I love storms, but I hate it when the power goes off and when water seeps into the house. 

And, of course, I especially hate it when the streets and people's houses get flooded and when people get hurt or die just because we've had no modern and efficient drainage systems since WWII.

The old scavenger who sleeps on the platform between our two side porches is most kind to me. Over the months he's given me a silver spoon with gold trim, an angel sconce carved of solid wood, and a jar of dog food pellets that a veterinarian gave him for his dog, Camille, but that Camille won't eat.

Staggered lunchtimes on a somewhat lazy Sunday.

Instructed The 36 Wands two days ago to point Wands of two courts 45 degrees upward to the east, and I hope it spares us from the super typhoon. The A.T.A.R.D.A.R. Wand, of course, is always in place. In the meantime the glass sliding doors wrapped around our house remain closed.

Thankful that we have a neighborhood grocery and that we have a cafe attached to our house. Should we have to hole up for a time, they really function as our extended pantries. 

Storms are exciting to almost everyone except heads of household, who must check for the need for repairs and oversee the clearing of debris after everything has blown over. 

When you receive a Messenger message that mentions only your name, such as "Sir", "Kuya", and "Tito" followed by nothing else, you can be sure that the sender's objective is to ask you for money.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are laundry baskets stuffed with white bed sheets.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes and the enchanted birds tether the branches of the dragon tree in anticipation of an incoming storm.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Following your heart means going against the mission-vision of every institution you've ever belonged to.

Asked David 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 a Netflix movie.

Jazz arrived.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Blazing sunsets always look delicious enough to eat.

A brief rainfall on Cubao.

We are actually on watch for Typhoon Noru.

Your Messenger message:

"Hello Sir Tony ask ko lang instructor po ba kayo ng painting?"

My reply:

No, I am not.

The granddaughters are off to the family dentist's.

Forty winks.

Bed linen laundry delivery,

Staggered lunchtimes.

Feeling sleepy and wanting to go back to bed.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi, sir Tony. Thank you for sharing your story on the serpentine creatures. The third part specifically triggered a question which I've been asking myself since few years ago.

"Are there really etherial unicorns? Where are they from and what do they do? Thank you."

My reply:

Hello _____!

Like sirens and centaurs, unicorns are mythical creatures, ethereal or not.

According to lore, unicorns can only be seen by virgins. Their mission is also to protect virgins. 

Maybe that is the reason you haven't been seeing any.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir Tony,

"A very good weekend to you! "May I ask you about the psychic exercises that you shared? "1. Does it mean that once the psychic senses are developed following your guide, any of the most developed or all of the psychic senses will automatically start sensing ghosts and entities? "That would really frighten and overwhelm me as I do not have the experience and knowledge to deal with them. Plus, I live alone. Your post about the tikbalang that kept on hounding you such that you had to consult another really scared me. "2. Granting that I start sensing ghosts and entities, is there a way to reverse it and go back to being oblivious to them? "3. Is there a less frightening way for me to develop psychic abilities to be able to do visualization, healing, telepathy, remote viewing, astral travel, and past life regression? This is how I plan to help myself and others psychically for now. "Maybe I’ll get braver in time. Right now there’s already more than enough stress from work. "Thank you very much for your guidance, Sir Tony! I’m very grateful that I get to see your Facebook posts since you added me as a friend and member of your private groups. "Best, "_________"

My reply:

Hello _________:

1. Not all psychic senses are developed in toto. Not everyone who has clairvoyance, for example, will necessary be capable of clairaudience.

2. Once you have activated your psychic abilities, there is no way of reversing them, because they are a form of enlightenment.

3. The exercises should not be frightening at all. First and foremost, they push your powers of observation to the maximum--a must for every writer and artist and creative person.

You think too much in terms of "ghosts". Think, instead, in terms of ancestors and spirit guides.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is a tropical fruit compote.

Review: _Dahmer (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story_

Watched all ten episodes of the U.S.A.'s 2022 Dahmer (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), a dramatization of the life and deeds, from birth to death, of a real-life Hannibal Lecter minus the intellectual trappings. Many people I know were deepy disturbed by this movie. As for myself, I'd read articles on Dahmer and litanies of his crimes, and even recall seeing a documentary or two, many years ago, and so I knew what to anticipate, including the manner of his death. 

Despite all the violence this is a slow, quiet, and long-drawn movie. Even the seduction scenes seemed to occur in high speed. The sequences were as graphic as those in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, even if the murders in the latter were fewer and far-between. The difference between Jeffrey Dahmer and Andrew Cunanan, of course, is that, while Dahmer collected boys, Cunanan concentrated on rich old men as part of his modus operandi.

In this movie there are frequent flashbacks and the chronology of events is jumbled up, expertly done with creative and sensible editing. Even the make-up department is not wanting; I noted that Evan Peters wore a silicon pad inside his mouth, above his chin, which, with his tinted glasses, made him look more like Dahmer.  

The screenplay is very detailed, possibly a result of the fact that Dahmer was very obliging to talk about his crimes, and so, too, were the other characters, including his own father, who wrote a book about him. The movie attempted to showcase all of the victims to the point that some scenes were predictable and repetitious. I wondered why Episode 6 lingered on Tony, the deaf young man, then decided that it was the closest Dahmer had ever gone to falling in love. While it was a pleasure to see Niecy Nash of Clean House, I found that there was too much focus on her and that too many of her scenes were redundant and unnecessary.  

Episode 7 onward is a mere editorializing on parenthood, the police system, racism, responsibility, remorse, and people cashing in on crime. Episode 9 was exceedingly subjective to the point of being a work of fiction, what with dream sequences and ghost sequences that may or may not have happened. Indeed, the last four episodes could have been trimmed and tightened so that the entire story could have been told in eight episodes rather than ten. The overlap with the last few days of Killer Clown John Wayne Gacy was interesting, though, especially in Episode 10, where there is a lovely cut-to-cut between Gacy's execution by lethal injection, Dahmer's baptism into Christianity, and a total solar eclipse. 

In the end, there were too many conflicting comments on Christianity, including the final episode titled "God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance", although that may have been the point.

Sadly, when historians weave together the tapestries of criminals' lives, the subjects themselves are no longer there to see the pattern.

Forty winks during the local news.

Staggered dinnertimes; Angelique has an online class and Aubrey preparing for her night shift..

Lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Good morning, Cubao!

Morning stuff are always on the windowsills, where sunlight blesses them.

Watched all ten episodes of the U.S.A.'s 2022 The Imperfects, a reverse take on the X-Men series. There are many "mutant" characters in this movie, but the protagonists are Tilda Weber, a rock band singer who has super hearing; Juan Ruiz, a graphic novel artist who turns into a chupacabra; Abbi Singh, a college applicant who emits powerful pheromones; and Sydney Burke, a laboratory assistant who morphs into her dark side--all of them results of failed experiments by a genius doctor, Alex Sarkov. The entire series is about their quest to find the cure to their abnormalities.

The series is set in Seattle and is presented as a montage of different events. The performers look plain at first sight but become increasingly beautiful as the camera continues to caress them. There is, however, a lot of overreacting, and, therefore, overacting. Continuity is handled well. The only awkward shot is in Episode 9, when Juan stands behind a sofa and then walks round to sit down on it, and the camera must remain on him.

In all, there there are just too many movies like this, and they ride on one another until they become products of a collective mind. I have yet to encounter one about young people that is completely unlike all other movies about young people, and that is why I abhor sequels.

Staggered dinnertimes; Angelique had an online class and Aubrey went on her night shift.

Asked David to bring some food over to M.'s cae staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed wth a Netflix movie.

Felt famished three hours later. Ordered a tapsilog and an orange drink from M.'s cafe.

Alkaline water delivery, 50 gallons, and water dispenser cleaning.

The pet dogs always get overexcited when the water service people are here.

LBC coffee delivery from Salma, all of them local products from Basilan except for the Kahawa Sug from Sulu, which her sister bought in Zamboanga.

Salma has been my friend for many years now. I met her during a workshop for young Muslim writers that I conducted in Mindanao before I retired. The Muslim officer from DC found my teaching methods bizarre and aborted the workshop. A year after the officer left for posting in a different country, I  conducted the same workshop for Muslim youths in Marawi City. The workshop was a huge success, and the organizers have been replicating it every since. 

Born-again Christians fear Tarot cards, crystals, and pentacles the way vampires fear crucifixes, garlic, and sunlight.

Your Messenger message:

"Magandang Araw po Sir Tony Perez& family

". Kami po ay nagpapasalamat at nasumpungan po namin kayo. Ako po si _______________, mag kokolehiyo na po kung palaring makapasa sa _______________. Balak po namin mag ___________.eksakto po ba ako rito. Si itay _____________ ko po may nababasa po ba kayo na maaari pa niya pag aralan? Pacenciana po sa aking kapangahasan. Salamat po"

My reply:

Hello ____________!

Makapasa ka sana, at maging maalwan sana ang buhay n'yo.

Hinggil sa Itay mo, ang pinakamainam tanungin ay siya mismo. Siya lamang ang nakaaalam:

--kung aling larangan ang magaan sa loob niya
--kung magkano ang dapat niyang ilaan mula sa sarili niyang bulsa para sa pag-aaral niya.

Pagdating sa mga bagay na iyan, walang makatutulong sa inyo kundi ang mga sarili n'yo.

Good morning, Cubao!

The gnomes are having a whole-day barbecue in the garden.

Good night, Cubao!

The night fairies grant you a wish each night.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with four syllables in your name: At this time in your life, avoid eclecticism. Focus on one form of art and ensure that you excel in it.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Additional wuxia hair accessories

Above: I'm pretending these are made of tung wood, a treasured material during ancient times. .

Below: More pairs completed.

Wrapped two paintings for eventual delivery to the framers'.

The granddaughters had an early breakfast, but it was supper for Aubrey, who is on night shift.

Saw Angelique off to work.

A heavy breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

Mid-week is the best time for a new beginning.

Good night, Cubao!

Even the pet cats and dogs enjoy watching late-night, horror movies.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Continue to pay attention to your body's appearance and your wardrobe. A neat and well-dressed young man continues to be neat and well-dressed even in old age, and is truly admirable.

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 a Netflix movie.

Did a thorough cleaning of my bathroom and toilet!

As a creative writer I have often wondered, if everything were sentient, how plastic bags would feel at first being used to contain good food and groceries and in the end being used to contain garbage.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Sometimes you have to see that faith is the ultimate form of superstition.

Bought two kilos red dragon fruit at the stand across the street.

A late lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Back home. Picked up two framed paintings from the framers', and then had two more paintings framed. Toto drove for me.

Mahalia Jackson.

Slept nine hours last night.

Good morning, Cubao!

Gnome children take a shower under the gentle rain.

Good night, Cubao!

The earth lies back comfortably after an evening of cool rain.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Your biggest setback is not being able to tell the person you love that you love him. Your fear of rejection is due to a lack of true self-confidence, though almost everyone perceives you as a confident person.

Asked David 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 a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes; Angelique has online classes and Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Retirement is for family and self, and for no one else. If it is not, you came down at the wrong train station.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sparrows fly through the drizzle to wash their wings.

Good night, Cubao!

The house gnomes light agar wood incense under your beds.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Your birthday was last month, and I should have advised you to have a good hypnotist regress you to a previous lifetime every time it is your birthday. Many of your questions will be answered.

Angelique and Jazz are back home from dinner out.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes.

More From The Movie Celebrity

 

Brand-new, white, linen, dinner table napkins.

Peach-colored, damask placemats. Perfect for M/'s cafe.

Tree with eight peaches. The Leaves are semi-precious.

Back from a two-hour lunch at the center with two sisters and two granddaughters.

Paid our water bill.

Thought of going shopping but decided to go home instead.

A sweltering hot day in Cubao. If it isn't stormy, it's dry and summery.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day begins with soft music.

Watched Thailand's 2015 Red Wine in the Dark Night (1:44:25). Wine, a gay young man, is devastated by his boyfriend's decision to break away from their relationship. One night he encounters a mysterious young man suffering from amnesia, whom he befriends and whom he names Night, but who survives only by drinking human blood. Wine falls in love with Night, and deems it his duty to keep him alive by providing him human blood to drink.

This is a tender, slow-paced, low-budget, but well-written movie. I was reminded of the musical The Little Shop of Horrors, in which Seymour adopts a plant from outer space and feeds it his own blood. Not for viewers who are squeamish with scenes in which blood is being drawn, but certainly a movie for straights and non-straights alike, because it is best viewed as a horror story--which Thai writers are very clever and creative at--rather than as a gay romance story.

There are no females in the cast, not even as extras, and there are several sex scenes verging on soft porn, but there is no full nudity and there are no hard-ons. The sex scenes, as a matter of fact, present the usual problems that directors have with sex scenes, which is that the farthest the performers will go is to remain in their underwear. It has been as problematic for time immemorial as the problems costume designers have had for mermaid movies: they just can't hide the actors' heels. 

The prudish, of course, will raise their eyebrows because the protagonist, Wine, engages in multiple sex and is quite promiscuous about it--and there are never any condoms in sight. It is a really scary movie, though, because you don't know how all of it will end. The premise is actually that of the fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife", in which the fisherman's wife wishes their hovel to become a house, and then wishes their house to become a mansion, and then wishes their mansion to become a castle, and then wishes their castle to become a palace, and then finally wishes herself to become God.

A few shortcomings: The actor who plays Wine is androgynous enough, but he has a dumb, insincere smile. The places where he takes his victims and his choice of victims, to me, are highly unlikely and too convenient for comfort. For some strange reason this is also one Thai movie in which everyone's enunciation is too nasal and has too much twang. None of the roles are true acting vehicles, but the best performance was rendered by the young man who played the role of Night.

At any rate, if you're not into cinema as art and are simply into scenes with young men in white briefs, this movie gives The Brotherhood of Satan a run for its money.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: It's been more than ten years since you attended my workshop in the south, but remember all the exercises I taught you. They are applicable not only to creative writing but also to life.

Good night, Cubao!

Light old candles so you can replenish your stock with new ones.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Jazz arrived.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Posthumous Gifts From A Family Friend

One of our family friends, a celebrity from the movie world, recently passed away. Her family gathered her close friends a few days ago to take away the celebrity's belongings that they didn't need. One of my elder sisters went and brought home four big bags full of stuff and asked me to take what I wanted.

They are hardly Elizabeth Taylor's jewels, but I value these not for what they are but for the person who used to own them.

I will not identify who the celebrity is.

James Dean mug for pens and pencils

\

Heavy, bronze candelabrum. Since we do not use pillar dandles I will use this instead as a stand for one of my crystal balls.

Chang'O, Goddess of the Moon

Kwan Yin, Goddess of Mercy

Tree with seven peaches. The leaves are semi-precious.

Photo session with a young model done. I needed a little boy for the last two paintings for my exhibit, and a compound tenant very kindly allowed their son to pose for the paintings. 

Lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey had brunch earlier.

One-hour, morning nap.

Death is like keeping on walking barefoot after you left your flip-flops behind.

A heavy breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

The earth stirs under a thin blanket of mist.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome children are watching scary movies every night through Halloween night.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with four syllables in your name: Move forward with your life and your career without pausing to see what others are doing and how they are doing it.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and ten snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes

Lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Watched the U.S.A.'s 1990  The Exorcist 3 (1:49:50), based on the novel _Legion_ by William Peter Blatty. I find this to be the best of the four Exorcist movies, because it illustrates that salvation from possession is not contingent on the Roman Ritual of Exorcism but, rather, on efficient police work and common sense. Written and directed by Blatty himself, the movie is more about hunting down a serial killer than about a spiritual battle against evil.   

Blatty is an extremely talented director but should be given other subject matter to showcase his abilities. His blocking of characters and his long shots are deliciously 1950s Vittorio De Sica, and his cut-to-cuts show the influence of Alfred Hitchcock. Many details in the sets and backgrounds are cleverly inserted and meant to have a subliminal effect on the viewers. I also give him points for a deep understanding of acting, unless he simply allowed his actors to do their own thing.

On the downside, the screenplay is riddled with quotations and allusions that verge on the pretentious. I also consider dream sequences to be passe. I believe that, should a writer and a director include dream sequences in their work, it is for the most mediocre member of the audience to be capable of interpreting, otherwise they merely end up as surreal video bridges from one scene to the next.

The movie is not free from other glitches. There is too much unexpected and unwarranted yelling. In one scene Kinderman punches Venamun in the face with his left fist (the hand is later bandaged by a nurse), but in the following shot Venamun's face swings to the right rather than to the left. In another scene Nurse Keating hears a clinking sound from her station and traces it to ice cubes melting in a glass inside a room behind a closed door several meters away, too far from where she is to have even heard it. She is later suddenly attacked by a robed figure too reminiscent of Scream (or the typical man on the street suddenly swiped off-screen by a speeding bus). There were too many hospital scenes, and I often wondered whether I was at a screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Venamun's insane monologues were so ham-acted that I felt like I was watching Andy Serkis auditioning for the role of Gollum. There is too much of a lull after 3/4 of the movie due to exposition. If Venamun is the Devil incarnate, can commit all of those murders, and can shut doors and windows by remote, why can't he even break off his chains and escape from the asylum? And those Halloweeny, pumpkin-orange and lemon yellow contact lenses were really hilarious--were these a precursor of Johnny Depp's eyes as the Mad Hatter?

I still cannot buy the concept of reciting prayers and asperging holy water that sizzles on skin--it's too Horror of Dracula for me. I believe that evil is conquered by the new and the unexpected, rather than by formulas.

Finally, where was legion? There was only one serial killer from beginning to end.

Good morning, Cubao!

Add a spoonful of sunshine to your coffee.

Watched the U.S.A.'s 2004 Exorcist: The Beginning (1:52:53). Lankester Merrin, an ex-priest, deploys himself to Derati, in Northwestern Kenya, to investigate a 1,500-year-old church that is being excavated. While exploring the church he discovers an underground passage leading to the ancient temple of Pazuzu, where human sacrifices were performed years ago.

An intelligent screenplay by Caleb Carr, an expensive production design, great cinematography, convincing special effects, and a cast of sensitive performers prevent this movie from being B-grade. Unfortunately things do happen, but mostly unexpectedly and largely by surprise (as opposed to suspense). The viewer is made to simply wait for strange occurrences without being able to participate in the mystery. The premise becomes clear only after more than half of the movie, before which it is difficult to tell what was going on. And, when an audience does not know what is going on, it becomes restless and bored. 

Like all 20th-century horror movies, this one resorts to the usual tricks of the trade: ugliness and gore, explorations at night rather than in the daytime, and cruelty to children and to animals. The casting of the doctor as a woman was a lame attempt to incorporate unnecessary romance-on-the-verge-of-sex and female nudity in the movie, most probably for commercial purposes. An all-male cast would have provided more tension and would have propelled the plot forward without frilled delays. In The Exorcist, of course, the female was Linda Blair, and I am now beginning to question why Pazuzu would prefer to possess females rather than males, since gods are typically chauvinist. There is also an attempt to render the screen in tones of brass and copper as was done in Louis Fletcher's The Exorcist: The Heretic.

In the end, the movie simply serves as an adequate prequel with logical continuity to The Exorcist via the graven image of Pazuzu. The imposition of Catholic rites on non-Catholic communities (to the Turkana in this movie and to the Mexicans in The Exorcist) nonetheless seems to indicate that exorcism is yet another instrument of religious imperialism. Indeed, when Catholics are unable to convert and control a community, their next step is always to exorcise them, which globalization has already made all too clear. 

Good night, Cubao!

The fairies are making preparations for a midnight banquet. Your household pets are invited.

One Message For One Of 1,000 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with seven syllables in your name: Never hide behind the shield of religiosity. It is not only highly inappropriate, it also makes you a hypocrite in your unguarded moments.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Watched all 40 episodes of China's 2022 Who Rules the World, based on the novel _Let's Try the World_ by Qing Lengyue, chronicling the adventures of two masters--the female Bai Feng Xi and Heng Fei Xi of the Four Gentlemen--in setting the world aright while dealing with the wicked Soultaker Sect, the Cricket and Locust Sect, counterfeit Empyrean tokens, the quest for the Sacred Jade Moon, the building of a dam in Liang City, and battles between cities. While the movie is about five, male contenders' struggles to rule, it is first and foremost a love story between a heroic man and a heroic woman, and about three princes and their relationships with their father, embellished with double identities, treachery, assassinations, love triangles, and corruption and palace intrigues in Yongzhou.

The movie is well-made and is a surprisingly atypical wuxia: the acting is modern as opposed to classical, and there are no stereotypes; the protagonists are lovable and the villains are not completely odious because they are given full characterization and understandable motives. There are many, precious non-verbal nuances. Dramatic problems are swiftly resolved rather than protracted before other problems are presented. The episodes are treated like interesting, detective stories. As in most other wuxia the fight scenes are breathtaking. There is no attempt to make sets overly beautiful; everything looks naturally lived-in, including gardens. High speed is given maximum use not only in battle scenes but also in simple scenes such as characters walking away after a conversation with other characters. Even the composition of extras in the background is well thought-out. Episode 7 has an unusual storm-at-sea sequence. Episode 34 was a most exciting family drama. The battle scenes in Episode 37 are spectacular, so is the interesting battle scene intercut and lap-dissolved with an earlier Go game. I loved the Chinese New Year sequences in Episode 20, the Lantern Festival episode in Episode 23, and the fabulous wedding scenes in Episode 38. How I wish that wuxia would feature other ancient Chinese festivals as well, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Festival of Hungry Ghosts.

The only glitches in this movie are continuity oversights, such as head and eye positions that do not match in cut-to-cut shots, and repetitious, simulated drone shots over the rooftops of cities, which were disturbing to me because they kept jolting me back to the 21st century. In Episode 8 Bai Fengxi's dress is supposedly burned to ashes, yet in Episode 10 she is shown wearing the very same dress. In Episode 17 a vendor is selling Ojibwe dreamcatchers; this is the second wuxia I watched that has them. I still cannot understand why men release battle cries when charging against the enemy--it may raise morale but it is also physically energy-depleting. I note that in almost all wuxia there are hardly any pet cats and dogs, and that the minors in the cast are seldom credited. Last but not least, the casting of the male characters was initially discombobulating to me--their faces changed depending on the lighting and their emotional states, and it was easy to mistake one character for another.

In all, this is a wuxia worth watching; after 40 episodes there is nothing like a happy ending. I love that all gentlemen have tea sets on their tables. I found that the Bai Feng Xi-Heng Fei Xi-and Bai Feng Xi's brother triangle reminded me so much of the Han Solo-Princess Leia-Luke Skywalker triangle in Star Wars. In Mandarin, "iba-iba" means "just a little". And sometimes the struggle for power in one's family is equivalent to the struggle for power in the world.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are litters of white puppies.

Good night, Cubao!

Magic rides not only on smoke but also on scents.

One Message For One Of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with seven syllables in your name: You take great pleasure in joining circles where you are attracted to a member or two--or in circles where a member or two are attracted to you. How long will you flaunt yourself that way? In the end, you will discover that no one will really be willing to commit themselves to you.

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 a Netflix movie.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

Ambergris oil delivery. This just might be my scent for life. After I die and you catch a whiff of ambergris in the air, deliberate whether it might not be me haunting you. Joke!

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

Pixies ride on sparrows through the soft drizzle.

Always consider this: that, when you leave, someone else takes your place.

Now let the day go. Slide under the night and have a deep sleep.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes light wormwood incense on their windowsills on warm nights.

One Message For One Of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Your interests are unusual, yet they clash with society's and your family's conservative expectations. Are you happy the way things are?

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 a Netflix movie.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun extends a helping hand to the sad and the unfortunate.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes bring out their furniture and lounge outdoors whenever the moon is especially bright.

One Message For One Of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: You focused on song and dance in your youth, now focus on spirituality and the many mysteries of life. 

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 a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Roger's parents visited. Brought them to M.'s cafe for an early dinner and drinks.

One-hour, mid-afternoon nap.

When a pubescent boy suddenly becomes overweight, it is because he subconsciously wishes to remain a child and denies himself the oncoming changes and responsibilities of adolescence.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sunlight shines through cobalt-blue bottles in a cozy kitchen.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes' head nurse assigns two caregivers to every patient in the gnomes' infirmary.

One Message For One of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with two syllables in your name: When feeling harassed or stressed, do things on autopilot, but well.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Avoid having crushes on persons wearing dust masks. Their eyes might be beautiful, but the rest of their faces might not be.

Aubrey back from a weekend with friends and Angelique and Jazz back from an anniversary celebration.

Bought a ream of ziggurats from D.'s store.

Bruce Lee gifts from Rouel. Love the figures from that early scene in Enter the Dragon!

The small figures are the perfect scale for our dollhouse dojo. We now have nine B.L. action figures in the dollhouse!

Meeting with Rouel at M.'s cafe. He kept me up to speed with Embassy news, among other things.

Lunch at home alone.

Good morning, Cubao!

It rains when sheets of clouds begin fraying at the seams.

Good night, Cubao!

Even the house mice fashioned lanterns after bottle caps.

One Message For One Of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with four syllables in your name: You Post attractive photos of yourself so that people will come to you and offer you their friendship--and the help you eventually ask for. How will your life be when you are no longer attractive and people no longer come to you?

Work for yourself and save money for yourself while you can.

Dinner at home alone.

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 a Netflix movie.

Worked half an hour on eighth glaze. This painting for my next exhibit is finished (August 28 - September 10, 2022). 

Two more paintings to go, albeit the two hardest!

An artist who subsists on commissions always resents the existence of other artists.

Lunch at home with Angelique.

Good morning, Cubao!

Today, September 10, 2022, is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

One-hour-and-a-half, deep tissue massage. Ended before midnight.

Good night, Cubao!

Worker gnomes sew through the night and stop before daybreak.

One Message For One Of 900 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables inn your name: Do not hide behind neutrality. It is the reason no one has been willing to commit themselves to you.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

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 snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Bong and his girlfriend sent us a lot of food while I was napping. I wasn't expecting anything like that at all. God bless them both for many generations to come!

The chap chae is to die for!

One-hour, late afternoon nap.

During the spurt of adolescence every boy swears to himself to always be kind to others and to never use the powers of his body to dominate others. He then conveniently forgets these. That is why he grows up to become a man with a residue of guilt in his subconscious.

That, to me, is original sin.

Worked half an hour on seventh glaze.

Years ago the ceramic potter hosted lunch and then gave each guest a small bowl from her kiln. Unfortunately I noted that every bowl was a reject, having fissures, being over-fired, and containing many flaws.

I thought it was very distasteful of her to have done that.

The lesson: If you are an artist, never give your trash to fellow artists. 

When persons are averse to corned beef hash, it is because they ate it when they were children and then they threw up.

Worked half an hour on sixth glaze.

Lunch at home with Angelique.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sunshine rides through the side streets on golden skateboards. 

Good night, Cubao!

Even on this night in September, the gnomes are already making plans for October.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with four syllables in your name: Do no fear aging and do not fear death, for they happen to everyone. Enjoy and re-enjoy pleasant memories, and know that you have true friends who always think fondly of you.

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

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

Night chores.

My favorite time o the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes; Angelique has online classes, Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

Surprise visit from Bong, who came all the way from the U.S.A. Bought him a chicken sisig and a soda at M.'s cafe. He gave me something that I'd always wanted, and I also gave him something that he'd always wanted.

Worked half an hour on fifth glaze.

Worked half an hour on fourth glaze.

Red dragon fruit delivery.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

Jewels sparkle in blazing sunshine.

Good night, Cubao!

Only the fairies fly enchanted kites in the night sky.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of Tne Year

You with eight syllables in your name: It is difficult to recover from an abusive relationship, but that is exactly where you are right now. Free yourself from the guilt of having made decisions you now regret. You owe yourself a happy life. Be confident and go through life with your head held up.

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 a Netflix movie.

Always be in a calm and centered state before and while executing a painting or a literary work.

Never do so while in an emotional state. Otherwise, in painting, your composition will suffer. In writing, your structure will suffer.

Worked half an hour on third glaze.

Fail everyone else, but not your ancestors and your family.

Worked half an hour on second glaze.

Worked half an hour on first glaze.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

When the sun is out, the rain was but a dream.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Expand the market for your art, and your art will expand. Do not be satisfied being ensconced in an island municipality forever.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes are already setting aside the magical implements to place on their windowsills when the moon becomes full. 

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 snuggling in bed with a Netflix  movie.

Department of "Agri-CULL-chr," not "Department of Agri-COOL-choor."

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

To feel the texture of Tagalog, listen to it on TV while pretending that you don't understand a single word.

It is possible that the text scam is being and has always been generated by insiders.

Brought Patrick to dinner at M.'s cafe, before he left for the bus station and a night trip to Vigan.

Always pronounce "Thank you" as "THENGK-yoo," never as "THAYNGK-yoo.".

Same for "Thanks" ("THENGKS," not "THAYNGKS").

And for "Thankful" ("THENGK-fahl," not "THAYNGK-fahl."

"Thanksgiving" is "THENGKS-giving," not "THAYNGKS-giving."

Never compare your life and your situation with those of your siblings', for you all have different destinies.

A heavy rainfall on Cubao.

And Patrick is on his way to the house from Montalban to pick up his three glass skulls. I'll bet he's soaking wet when he arrives.

To keep the fine point of a detail brush intact, dip only the tip of the brush in paint.

If you dip the entire length of brush hairs in paint, the hairs will separate and lose the fine point.

Note that this is a must-keep-in-mind even in calligraphy.

I am right-handed when I write, when I paint, and when do most tasks.

But, when I cannot twist open a soda bottle cap with my right hand, my left hand can. 

Remember:

Out of synch = Out of synchronization

Out of sync = Out of syncopation

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

Checked out small Christmas trees that I could possible use as Halloween trees, but I found none.

Your Messenger message:

"Good morning po sir tony, hope you can shed some light po with what I'm thinking right now.

"I've been reading about spirituality lately and I encountered some information about cleansing, what to do when moving to a new place.

"I put salt in the 4 corners of the house to tell it that we will be living in the house, i removed it 3 days after.

"Pero since then may weird lang na occurences, pero di naman madalas. Like my wife has been searching for her comb yesterday , hindi nya po makita. "Then pagbalik namin from grocery, nakita nya ung comb sa lugar na pinaghahanapan nya.

"Then today po while cooking breakfast, napansin ko na lang na open pala ung other stove. Either of me or my wife remember turning it on.

"Medyo worried lang ako if i did something wrong to disrespect the house or anyone or anything living in it before us."

My reply:

Hello ______!

There is nothing to worry about, your resident elementals are merely playing friendly tricks on you. To acknowledge their presence and as a gesture of peaceful coexistence:

1) If there are trees around your house, pour a bottle of inexpensive, red wine round the base of the oldest tree OR four handfuls of grain: rice, mug bean, green peas, and corn.

2) If there are no trees around your house, set up a dollhouse in your foyer or back area. The dollhouse should have dining and bedroom furniture.

Your Messenger message:

"Sir Tony, good morning! I'm sorry to bother you so early. It's just that I woke up from a vivid dream, so vivid that I can still remember the images and the conversations. I wrote it down in my dream journal, and I still haven't fully interpreted it yet. I was hoping that, maybe, you can shed some light on it. Thank you, Sir!

"September 6, 2022 Dream

"I brought A. to Susana Heights, Muntinlupa where my parents has a mansion. He was impressed with it, but I told him it had seen better days. My parents owned a large piece of land there and built two mansions - one for them and one for me. A third one, for my sister, was never built because our family ran into financial problems. "I left A. to rest at my parents' mansion while I went to visit my mansion. It had become a tourist destination, very much like The Ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental. Although my mansion was still intact, it was in a very dilapidated state. I used my knowledge of the structure of the mansion to get past the tourists. Inside the mansion, I felt nostalgic as I remembered beautiful memories during the time I lived there. To my surprise, my old servants are still there. They were still courteous with me, and they helped me remember parts of the mansion. I was grateful that they stayed even when our family has become so poor.

"I walked out of the mansion and saw that the 19th century San Pedro chapel beside my mansion is still there on the right side. Meanwhile, a brand new and stately college building has been built on the left side of my mansion. My sister arrived with her car, and we returned to my parents' mansion to fetch A."

\

My reply:

Hello ______!

1) The mansions in your dream represent your psyche. At this time in your life you are on the verge of a paradigm shift that entails the overhauling of your values.

2) It also seems that you are in love with a person who you hope will accompany you in your lifelong journey. 

3) Even at your age, you are inexperienced with the kind of relationships that you want, and I suggest that you not plunge into any proposal, proposition, or commitment.

4) Be realistic, not idealistic.

"Try to remember and if you remember/
Then follow/"

Good morning, Cubao!

Sunlight lances through light-gray clouds in the sky.

Good night, Cubao!

Monday nights can be as enchanted as Friday nights.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: You've chosen a career in which practitioners aspire to be stars, but your greatest success in life will be in helping others to be stars rather than in being a star yourself.

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 snuggling in bed with a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes; Angelique has online classes through 8:30 PM and Aubrey resting upstairs.

Actually mooncakes are supposed to be eaten using chopsticks.

Worked half an hour on eleventh layer.

Layers are done. Will commence glazes next, maybe tomorrow.

Worked half an hour on tenth layer.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

A quiet Monday in the neighborhood.

U.S. Labor Day. Angelique has online classes later, but Aubrey is off work tonight.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is a promenade through novelty shops.

One-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended 11:00 PM. Played a three-hour New-Age music track on YouTube and I felt like I was inside a bubble, floating in outer space--like the subjects in some of my paintings.

Good night, Cubao!

Life goes on, even beneath the roots of the trees.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with ten syllables in your name: You are currently recovering from a breakup. If it is any consolation to you, that person never really loved you and was just using you as a stepping stone to other things. Rejoice,. Be happy for yourself.

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 a Netflix movie.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Jazz; Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Forty winks before the local news.

Ordered very sour sinigang na baboy from Gerry's Grill and chicken sisig from M.'s cafe to add to our dinner, for the grandchildren. Fresh, hot soup is always good for the body.

Worked half an hour on ninth layer.

Worked half an hour on eighth layer.

The most intriguing thing about Ibong Adarna is that it is Freudian, not Jungian.

Worked half an hour on seventh layer.

Staggered lunchtimes. I want my grandchildren to stay in bed and sleep the whole day after their second booster shots.

TONY PEREZ'S GUIDELINES FOR HIS FACEBOOK FRIENDS FOR THE COMING WEEK (MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022):

1) You have to love a place before it loves you back.

2) Reevaluate your friends.

3) Be advised in advance that the coming year will be the year of the goddess of the sea, the god of iron and technology, and the god of healing waters.

4) Remember that no one is really at your beck and call.

5) The children will crave steak.

6) If you must buy gifts, do it now rather than later.

7) Never do groceries without a list.

8) Cut down on travel and save money.

9) Always take hints from Nature.

10) Maturity is the state one is suddenly in after immaturity has been exorcised from the ego.

11) Whatever comes your way has a significant meaning. 

12) Re-enjoy old comic books. 

13) Although sea water completely cleanses anything immersed in it for three years, sea water is in itself unclean.

14) Dance in private.

15) Surrogate parents can be more loving and more helpful than real parents.

Slept nine hours last night.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun pours abundant sunshine through metal sieves.

Pursue your dream while living, but never lose yourself in your pursuit.

Good night, Cubao!

The night fairies tuck you in with clean, warm bed sheets and a soft blanket.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Fear the unseen enemy rather than the visible one, for he works in the shadows and seeks to engineer your downfall.

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 a Netflix movie.

Staggered dinnertimes. Angelique and Jazz are off to Jazz's mother's birthday dinner celebration.

Today's coffee delivery.

Worked half an hour on sixth layer.

Grandchildren are back from their second booster shots.

Worked half an hour on fifth layer.

A late lunch at home alone.

Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz are off to get their second booster shots. It took some time before the second shots were made available to their age bracket.

A rainy morning in Cubao.

Good morning, Cubao!

The skies are draped with a thousand meters of silver netting.

Good night, Cubao!

Some of the pets are trained to patrol the house at 12:00 MN and at 3:00 AM.

One Message For One Of 500 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Take care against overpricing your sales items. What is fair to you may seem steep to others.

Dinner at home with Angelique; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

Asked David 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 a Netlfix movie.

Worked half an hour on fourth layer.

The objective of every artist is to live happily and alone, because Creators have no partners.

Worked half an hour on third layer.

Today's coffee delivery. The Darkness is from Australia, Blue Mountain Style from Germany.

I get bored and I leave whenever I don't know what is going on.

Nothing marks the swift passage of time more distinctly than the demise of someone or the loss of something.

Slept nine hours last night, and I could have slept two hours more.

Sleeping--in a cozy bedroom--is one of my most delicious luxuries.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are heavily hung with everyone's laundry.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery.

A strange night. Most of the stores on P. Tuazon Boulevard were already closed.