Aubrey arrived from her night shift.

Staggered lunchtimes; Angelique at work.

Good morning, Cubao!

The phoenix is not a bird. It is the sun.

Good night, Cubao!

Adults play with their favorite toys on sleepless nights.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: When the sun comes out, the typhoon becomes but a dream.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

Rayven is giving Keiko Kashigawa, Yukiko Taka, and Cloudy doggie soap baths and shampoos.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with Agatha Christie. Finished The Christie Collection: Agatha Christie's Poirot (Book Two) last night. Reading The Hound of Death, a collection of supernatural stories by Agatha Christie, later tonight.

Good morning, Cubao!

On special days the mage wears crescents in his hair.

Good night, Cubao!

Smell the earth's sweet perfume on sweltering evenings.

One Message For One Of 1,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name:  Learn patience, for not everything conforms to your expectations everyday.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes; Aubrey preparing for her night shift.

The cafe baby visited again and went round the ground floor. We call her visits museum tours.

Night chores.

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

Good morning, Cubao! 

A day of callers for morning coffee and afternoon tea.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome taverns are bustling with patrons tonight.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Attune yourself to the weather. Do not take risks.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

It's U.S. Memorial Day and Aubrey won't have night shift work tonight.

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

Also now on Episode 30 of Till the End of the Moon.

How wonderful to not yet be painting!

A student who does extensive research on magic but has no senior mage to guide him toward his complete cultivation will always be a big failure.

A spirit guide informed me that, after a typhoon has passed in Luzon, it is advisable to take a flask of clean water from Taal Lake, to be used for healing. The water is not to be imbibed but applied, instead, as a balm.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sky ships ride on high winds.

Good night, Cubao!

Losing oneself in a 40-episode xianxia is total joy.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: It is safer to assume that a faraway storm can affect your location, rather than not.

Staggered dinnertimes.

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

Night chores.

M<y favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with Agatha Christie

Lunch at home with Angelique and Jazz; Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are festoons of white gauze shot with silver thread.

Happy Birthday, Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit (2017)!

Already on Episode 26 of Till the End of the Moon.

I'm spending days on Netflix now that all of the paintings for my exhibit are already in gallery storage.

Will resume painting for Maryhill School of Theology July 1.

Good night, Cubao!

Bottled candles never fail to warm up rooms on chilly nights.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: It is better to be over-prepared than merely prepared at any time.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Little Angelique, Little Aubrey, and their compound playmate Honey do a number during my sister Alice's 60th birthday at Richmonde Hotel. The girls were still in grade school at the time. Now Angelique is 27 and Aubrey is 23.

https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media/?attachment_id=6319218938135206&message_id=mid.%24gAAlA7seloSWOjiW8t2IXN8oHEZAU&thread_id=2604669086310693

A ream of ziggurats and four lighters from D.'s store.

Sun out after a heavy rainfall.

The grandchildren arrived from the center.

The grandchildren decided to spend the day at Araneta Center.

Good morning, Cubao!

The gnome children oversleep on weekend mornings

When children do well, be sure to tell them so.

A huge graduation party seems to have been ongoing since this evening on the campus of Samson College of Science and Technology, on the other side of our adobe wall. I hope everyone gets home safely before the rains and winds descend on Quezon City--in case they do, that is.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes fasten their doors and windows in preparation for a stormy night.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Always keep your business venue secure. It is a good idea to invest in bars, locks, and keys.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Supertyphoon watch begins.

Aubrey and Roi arrived this morning, while Angelique and Jazz spent the day out.

Lighted our warm-white lamps while it was raining. Sat inside the small loggia watching the rain, and I wished I could stay there forever.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery after the rain stopped. Bought a dozen fresh eggs and two cartons fresh milk.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun sails like a giant starship across the sky.

Jazz arrived.

Good night, Cubao!

We live the night inside our houses, away from the rain.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Always be concerned with your health A long life is a blessed life.

Angelique arrived from work,

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

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

Good morning, Cubao!

The head of household keeps the keys to the treasure rooms.

Your Messenger message:

"Dear Sir Tony, I have a dream that I wanted to consult with you. I did my own interpretation but I am happy to learn from you in case I missed some things out because of personal biases. I have noticed that in the past year that I have relocated, my dreams were much more intense. It feels like it isn’t longer my usual dreams. Majority of the characters are strangers and it feels like I have delved deeper into my unconscious/ subconscious. It just feels deep that I can’t explain how I know so. This is why I am writing to you to hopefully get some clarity.

"This is the narrative of my dream: "May 24 "My husband and I went into a gathering after which a facilitator said that there is no more to teach for now. We just have to have a good time and relax from now on. She will appear when needed; although, I think she needed the rest herself. She looked tired and worn down. "There was a group of people in that gathering, too. I asked one of them where they were staying. I was shocked when I was told that she was renting in an upscale village. She must be really rich, I thought. Then, my husband and I decided to go some place. It ended up at the very end of the city by the border of another town. "There was a long table where a lot of food was served. My husband and I sat down after I announced that 'Oh! So this is your hideout,' referring to all of the people dining there. They were all familiar faces of the people of my past. "I swam carefree like a pro swimmer in the vast water, turning my back while I jumped. At first, I was afraid because when I did, it was too deep that I had to go back up right away to get some air. When my sister saw that it was safe to do so, she followed suit. She swam easily while I explored and learned that I just needed to make my body feel lighter in order to stay afloat. It was easier to swim then and much more enjoyable. "I used the restroom when my mother followed after a while to tell me that it is time to go. I went outside to see that my husband paid for everyone’s meal. I wasn’t happy because it was expensive and we were the only ones who paid for it. I went to my chair and went through all of our things there in plastic bags. My mom was rushing me so I just have to leave everything behind. We were in a queue when I found out that I forgot to wear my pandora bracelet. Although I was wearing many expensive jewelries that time, too. I can’t remember everything but I recall the feeling that they were all pretty. "I told my mom that the bracelet that I lost has many gold in it and that it was really valuable. My mom told me to just go back and run in order to get it while the queue wasn’t really moving. I told her that it is fine. I will just tell my husband about it and we can go get it together. (It was a feeling of just okay, maybe I will just get a new one.) "While on the queue, there were a few people lining up who were short-tempered. They kept cutting the line and asking why it wasn’t moving. I just observed one of them and thought maybe she was just rushing in order to catch some other form of transportation vehicle to get to where she is headed. "While in the queue, I also noticed that I don’t have my slippers on. I told my mom that I have to put on slippers. She told me it was a good idea not to put on one because it symbolized baggage and wrong decisions. Now, I have the choice to be free from all of that. My mom told me that my aunt who just turned 50 was practicing that since she was a child. I told her that she wore heels just recently. "Then, I found myself just wearing panty looking for my husband’s office. But all I see was different stores. I particularly noticed an ex, who is now a doctor, in a psychology room. I do not know what I did but I just went past it without looking back, hurrying to go to my husband’s place. I reached a crowded place where everyone was busy doing their own thing and they don’t even notice me. There was a group of men on my right side drinking beer together while there were three old ladies on my left who were singing karaoke, enjoying themselves together except for one who was crying next to them while listening to her friends cry. I think I did something to purposefully catch her attention because the next thing she did was run after me. I wasn’t afraid though because it was initially my intention to make her behave that way until I finally get to my destination. "The place was a maze but I was sure that my destination was not far ahead, perhaps just a block away before I finally wake up from my night dream. "Thank you very much for taking the time to read this narrative. I wish you all the best in your upcoming exhibit. God bless you tenfold or more for all the things that you do for the Collective."

My reply:

Hello _____!

Your dream is not as complex as it may seem. It is all about security versus insecurity, a normal feeling state that besets one after one after moving to a new place. All of the females in this dream represent yourself: the desire to live in an upscale area, the need to save money in order to be ahead of others, wanting to be carefree, and wishing to be independent while relying on your husband for support.

The  dream further indicates your current, split attitudes toward life: a long queue in which everyone lines u0p to move on, and a labyrinth.   

Know what you want, Define your priorities. While you cannot have everything, you can most certainly have some things.

Good morning, Cubao!

Gray clouds are the dimmers of the sun.

May 23, 2023

My younger son Chito in Occidental Mindoro

Good night, Cubao!

The elders play card games in the den while watching over the family members who went to bed early.

One Message For One of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Maintain a healthful diet and actually FEEL healthy.

Rayven watered the plants in the roof deck, side balcony, front balcony, and ground-floor gardens.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes

Night chores.

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

Exactly one month to the opening of Ambiguous at Gallery 928

One-hour nap.

Been taking small, mid-afternoon meals for the past two weeks now,.

The gallery owner's nephew and staff member came to pick up the last six paintings for my exhibit.

Vacant studio.

Good morning, Cubao!

A honeybee hive in a tree is a sure sign of a blessed garden.

Good night, Cubao!

Beds with curtains all around are cozy glamping tents.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Be realistic when planning. If traveling is inconvenient, it is all right to stay at home.

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 Agatha Christie.

The framers delivered the last two paintings for my exhibit this evening,

"A troubled heart should be treated with care and love."

--Till the End of the Moon

Good morning, Cubao!

Water can vanquish fire, but fire can also vanquish water.

Good night, Cubao!

There is nothing like a satisfying dinner and bedtime snack to end a day.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Continue to save money while strengthening your enterprise.

 Aubrey and Roi arrived from a day out, and then Angelique and Jazz.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day as come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling bed with Agatha Christie. Finished reading The Mysterious Mr. Quin two night ago. Enjoyed it. Now reading Agatha Christie's Poirot (Book Two).

Good morning, Cubao!

The kingdom of the sun is a carnival island.

Good night, Cubao!

The family hunkers down to a cozy night of movies.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Enjoy your weekends, but be aware that you can earn more money on weekends than on weekdays.

Back from dinner at Pancake House EDSA corner main Avenue with the grandchildren.

Night chores.

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

Retirement bliss is:

--Waking up late in the morning and then lolling in bed for another hour or two

--Having two-hour lunches, two-hour dinners, and two-hour showers
--Feeling that I am actually being paid for doing nothing

--Writing and painting because I want to, not because I have to

--Shopping

--Boosting existing collections I am still passionate about

--Entertaining only my family and myself, not friends

--Thinking, saying, and doing only what I want

--Feeling completely free from all expectations, including my own

--Abandoning the updating of my curriculum vitae

--Observing how envy and jealousy manifest in others

Lunch at home with Angelique and Jazz; Aubrey sleeping after her night shift.

M. cooked pork tapa for us.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is an inverted, stainless steel basin.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes light braziers at the feet of their beds.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Keep your best memories in the albums of your mind and heart.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

The kickboxing team is now resting in their training camp. They drive back to Baguio tomorrow.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is superimposed with a fantasy template.

Frequently ask yourself, "Why have you come?"

The kickboxing team departs Cambodia on a 1:00 AM flight tonight.

Good night, Cubao!

The family that lives by the sea takes a vacation in a mountain forest.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Enjoy what you have. Do not wait for special occasions to do so.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

So many broadcasters who used to be young, energetic, and full of zest now look old, tired, overfed, and dowdy.

Isn't it better to gracefully retire while the going is good rather than die in discomfort and with one's boots on?

Lunch at home with Aubrey; Angelique at work.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is an empty hammock under the trees.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome nurses and caregivers watch over the small tents inside the travelers' inn.

One Message For One of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Savings are savings--they do not indicate that you can spend more than you usually do. Keep your savings in order to look around you one day and see that you have become rich.

Staggered dinnertimes.

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 with Aubrey; Angelique at work.

Good morning, Cubao!

Nature kills, but Nature also heals.

Good night, Cubao!

Keep your ears perked for the fairies' rondalla music coming from the bushes, and then playing on and on in your mind.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Or The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Take your maintenance meds regularly. At the same time, eat only healthfully.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Your Messenger message:

"Hello po sir tony:

"My dream, "Nasa pwesto po ako ng tita ko and went for a pee, nakita ko po lolo ko na siya na po susunod sakin sa pag ihi since the door hindi po masyadong ayos, while umiihi po ako may fetus like po sakin na lumabas where i can see the eyes, hands and feet and nasa bahay bata pa po siya, pinakita ko po sa lolo ko and my lolo said picturan mo. "My partner went home galing sa event i know that we are not ok, may kasama po siyang babae, may dala dala po siyang plastic i think food po un, in my dream i was so deeply mad at him to the point na umiyak ako and he let me packed his things up and leave, i send him the picture of the fetus and didnt know his reaction. "In my dream i feel like im very mad and being tired of him thats why i let him leave. I feel like i wanted him to leave pero may pagmamahal parin po ako na natitira pra sakanya but i let him leave the house."

My reply:

Hello _______!

This was another anxiety dream. It reflects your fear of being abandoned by the person you love.

The fetus and the plastic bag containing food are one and the same thing: how you express your love to your partner. With the former image, you feel that you have given yourself completely to your partner but you feel that he does not appreciate this and takes you for granted. The fetus, therefore, represents lifeless love or a life that has died before even being born and raised as a human being. With the latter image, you see that the other woman has better expressed her love by producing food--nourishment--both for herself and for your partner,

Worry not--in both dreams, YOU are both women. You are simply torn between the devil and the deep, blue sea at the moment.

Remember that no man can completely understand a woman, even if that man is her partner. By the same token, no woman can completely understand a man, even if that woman is his partner.

In the end, also consider this, that a partnership is not as strong a bond as marriage. You may have qualms about being married and being tied to one person for life, but, if you truly love your partner, you will be able to take the risk, fully commit yourself, and transcend all of your doubts, especially for the sake of your child. 

AMBIGUOUS: 14 Latest Works by Tony Perez

June 23 - 30, 2023

Gallery 928 4th Floor, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City and Gallery 928

AYSN Building, 3rd Floor, P. Tuazon Boulevard corner C. Benitez Street, Cubao, Quezon City

The Narrative:

The narrative of this exhibit is comprised of 14 different renditions of night.

The prologue piece is _Portrait of Joel Cruz as The Magician_, setting the tone for the exhibit and heralding the succession of 14 paintings that follow. The Prologue Painting is the one painting that contains all of the techniques employed in the body of works that comprise the exhibit: measurements and composition, brushwork, light-and-shadowing, color sense, use of contrast and double-entendres, and the utilization of at least four shades of color in a single work.

The first painting is _That Evening, in the Professor's Study_, a simulated panel from _The Spirit Questors Komiks_. In his dialogue bubble the professor announces the secret to traveling between enchanted trees via astral railways, like those of elevated trains. One such railway is in the next painting, _Night Ocean (Diptych)_, hovering over land and the sea of the Unconscious. This motif of the railway continues in _Night Train Passing Through_, where a young man in his bedroom is about to drift off to sleep after a hard massage. Meanwhile, in the district, a man trudges up a street in _Night Shift_. In _Night Classes_ we see various night shifts already at work within a cluster of buildings.  _Sleepwalker_ follows, in which a boy climbs a ladder presumably to go over a stone fence. In _The Caretaker's Child_, the little girl is not sleepwalking but likewise dreams. 

The second part of the exhibit takes the viewer into actual dream states, beginning with the artist's _Self-Portrait as Gorgon_, which serves as the transition painting from the first part. _Kumanthong Cabinet_ shows us a boy spirit come to life from its statuette, stepping out into the interior of the house where he is enshrined, and then, in _Constellations_, he goes outside the house and looks at the stars in the night sky. Dream slides into fantasy in the deconstructed female figure in _Rain_ and  in the Philippine myth of _Bernardo Carpio_, who is suspended in eternity preventing two mountains from colliding with each other. And then there is _The Copse_, where a man sits beside a bonfire under the trees. The final piece is _The Builders_. In this, fourteenth, piece the viewer can assume that some of the men in the previous paintings are taking a brandy break from a day of construction work in Cubao.

Kickboxing awarding ceremonies.

Congratulations to The King, who earned a Bronze! 

Good morning, Cubao!

The earth thirsts for rain.

M. helped me unwrap one of the paintings--my favorite--for photography.

Good night, Cubao!

Always take a macroscopic view of the night.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Take your well-deserved rest after a hard day's work. Your spirit guides are always with you. They stay with you through thick and thin.

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

Night chores.

My favorite time of the cay has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling in bed with Agatha Christie.

When you take your master's degree in Religious Studies, you learn that everything in this world is classified under three categories: life-giving, death-dealing, and war-freaking fundamentalist.

Kickboxing Semifinals Day

Good morning, Cubao!

Let the day take the lead for you.

Never have a deep tissue massage in the open air in the heat of summer.

When you are having a deep tissue massage, your body heats up and increases the probability of your having a heat stroke DURING the massage.

Good night, Cubao!

Weary travelers who had a full day retire to bed earlier than usual.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Be completely prepared to face every challenge. Do not be overconfident.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Back home from a late lunch out with family.

Kickboxing Semifinals tomorrow.

Your Messenger message:

"Magandang umaga po ser Tony Perez, kalabisan man pong mag-chat at napaka-informal nitong flatform.

"Magtatanong lang po sana ako ser kung may binebenta pa po kayo na book niyo na Cubao-Kalaw,Kalaw Cubao. o kung hindi naman po maaari po kayang makahiram ng kopya, gagamitin lang po ng inyong lingkod para sa papel na sinusulat sa Graduate School sa Programang Malikhaing Pagsulat, ang Cubao-Kalaw na lang po kase ang wala akong kopya, wala po nito sa UP lib, sa Ateneo at La Salle po hindi po pinahihiram. "Kung sakali rin po, maaari ko pong rentahan. "Maraming salamat po. "Magandang umaga"

My reply:

Hello _____!

1) Hindi ako nagbenta ng sarili kong mga libro kailanman. Trabaho iyan ng Marketing Manager.

2) Wala akong kopya ng sarili kong mga libro. Bakit ko gagawin iyan? Ako na nga ang nagsulat, ako pa ba ang magtatago ng mga sinulat ko?

4) Kung wala kang mahanap na kopya, palitan mo na lang ang paksa ng papel mo. Higit kang giginhawa.

Good morning, Cubao!

Early on Sunday mornings I wake up to hear the male fairies chanting to the rising sun.

Good night, Cubao!

The den glampers watch a horror movie over pizza and pasta.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Yea

You with six syllables in your name: Review the day's events--what went right and what went wrong. Be prepared for a better day tomorrow.

Staggered dinnertimes,.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snugging in bed with Agatha Christie.

The King won against his Thai kickboxing opponent today,

He faces a Vietnamese opponent in the semi-finals.

Rayven is watering the plants in the roof deck, side balcony, front balcony, and ground-floor gardens.

The grandchildren arrived from a birthday celebration in the north.

Kickboxing Quarterfinals

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is an Olympic torch in the sky.

We do not "rest in peace." We come back to be with you again.

Good night, Cubao!

In the travelers' inn, there are small tents within big tents for the infirm.

One Message For One Of 7,200 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Do not get wet in the rain. Stay indoors.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, and then snuggling bed with Agatha Christie.

Went back to watching a wuxia on Netflix this afternoon, though.

May 12, 2023

Second Weigh-in Day and Preliminaries for Kickboxing

Good morning, Cubao!

Rain sleeps in the city of clouds, and so do I.

When rain awakes, it falls to earth, and I descend on its crystal staircase.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome caregivers add bolsters and pillows to the travelers' bedding.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Be methodical. Do what is logically next. Do not rush. Do not jump the gun.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Kickboxing Weigh-in in Cambodia

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun takes off his golden loincloth and dives into the ocean.

Good night, Cubao!

The sky is a dark, fleece blanket covering the earth.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Day

You with six syllables in your name: On the eve of an important day, check whether any shortcomings remain within yourself.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a concave dish sending signals to outer space.

For the past few months I've been Posting "Night chores", but I've really been paying Rayven 100 pesos to do those chores for me. Besides, he needs the money for his schooling allowance.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended 11:00 PM.

Tips to completely enjoy a deep tissue massage:

--Be in the moment, Transfer your consciousness to the masseur's hands and fingers.
--Do not go on your cell phone.

--Do not listen to music. The music might go against the rhythm of the massage.
--Do not read a paperback
--Do not tell the masseur your life story.
--Do not ask the masseur to to tell you his life story.
--Do not discuss politics with the masseur. You are not having a haircut,
--If you have company, do not joke and convers with them.

--Do not focus on your problems and on tasks that need to get done.

Good night, Cubao!

Golden showers fall from enchanted trees at midnight.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Is your schedule firming up or is it still changing? Dance to the music instead of complaining

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Retirement checklist:

An adequate monthly pension for life ensures:

--The ability to pay rent or own a house

--The ability to pay for utilities and other bills
--The ability to have house repairs done
--Three meals a day for the family, plus snacks
--A regular supply of vitamins and maintenance medication
--Continuing to send children and grandchildren to school
--Shopping to your heart's content

--Going on occasional trips or vacations

--Sustaining hobbies

Delivery of two, framed paintings for my next exhibit.

Lunch at home with Aubrey; Angelique at work.

Two framed paintings are done, and I'm hoping they're delivered to me within the day.

Good morning, Cubao!

The earth sparkles with early morning dew.

Your Messenger message:

"Hello Tony. I woke up this morning thinking of agate. I remember the word being in my head as I slept. I know it's a type of stone but I don't know what it means in relation to my life. Is it a message from the ether or my spirit guides? It's so random. I looked up its properties as soon as I woke up and read that it's used to balance yin and yang energies and to cleanse the aura. Should I get one? And if I do, in what form should it be? A regular stone or jewelry?"

My reply:

Hello _____!

Agate is a very common semi-precious stone. There are sea agates, for instance, which are usually made into playing marbles.

The best form of talismanic agate is the Tibetan dzi bead. I include a photo here off the Internet.

Dzi beads are brown or black agates carved by a shaman. They are said to endow their owners with immortality. A single dzi bead strung on a cord and worn round your neck would do well for you.

Do extensive research on this, because there are a lot of imitations being sold. They also have different "eyes," i.e. there are eight-eye dzi beads, nine-eye dzi beads, et cetera.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome children bathe in the first night rainfall of the month.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Always anticipate what's coming next. Be prepared for anything, but keep calm and composed and rely on your inner strength.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Sheet lightning and heat thunder over Cubao.

Night chores.

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

Night drizzle on Cubao.

Night rain.

Aubrey and Roi arrived from lunch out at Gateway 2.

They report that, as of now, only two levels of Gateway 2 are accessible to the public

I love the UNCONSCIOUS, magical sensibilities of the architects who designed the buildings of Araneta Center.

The Coliseum has yellow (air), green (earth), and red (fire) entrances, corresponding to quarter-directions.

Cubao Expo is a Philippine version of Rowling's Diagon Alley. Yes, I've bought a lot of magical stuff there.

The entrance to Gateway 1 is dome-shaped and simulates a starship.

And now, the entrance to the new Gateway 2 is the Egyptian lotus, a symbol of the sun, creation, and rebirth.

Aubrey and Roi are off to the new Gateway 2, which is, apparently, now open to the public, If so, well and good! I'd love to explore more restaurants there.

The cafe baby visited and played with the small loggia keys again.

Lunch at home alone.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is an assortment of bags filled with fresh produce from the wet market.

AMBIGUOUS: List of Paintings

AMBIGUOUS

14 Latest Works by Tony Perez

June 23 - 30, 2023

An Art Trek through two galleries: 

Gallery 928

4th Floor, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Opens 5:00 PM Friday, June 23

and

Gallery 928

AYSN Building, 3rd Floor, P. Tuazon Boulevard corner C. Benitez Street, Cubao, Quezon City

Opens 7:00 PM Friday, June 23

List of Paintings:

1. Portrait of Joel Cruz as The Magician (from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck)

Oil on cradled canvas

Oil on cradled canvas

5' x 3'

2023  

2. That Evening, in the Professor's Study

Oil on acousticon board

24" x 24"

2022

3. Night Ocean (Diptych)

Oil on cradled canvas
4' x 4'
2022

4. Night Train Passing Through (Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?)

Oil on cradled canvas

4' x 4.4'

2022

5. Night Shift
Oil on board
14" x 23.5"

2022

6. Night Classes
Oil on board
13" x 21.5"

2022

7. Sleepwalker

Oil on board
20" x 21"
2022

8. The Caretaker's Child

Oil on board

16.25" x 12.25"

2022

9. Self-Portrait as Gorgon

Oil on metal roasting tray

16.75" x 14"

2022

10. Kumanthong Cabinet

Oil on board

15" x 12.5"

2022

11. The Constellations of Men

Oil on cradled canvas

2022

12. Rain
Tony Perez and Nelson Miranda
Oil on board
14" x 20"
1997 and 2022

13. Bernardo Carpio

Oil on PVC tabletop

35" x 23.5"

2022

14. The Copse

Oil on board

13" x 19"

2022

15. The Builders

Oil on cradled canvas

4.5' x 8'

2023

Good night, Cubao!

A night of rest and recreation for the neighborhood gnomes.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Get adequate rest and be attuned to changing schedules. Do not take anything for granted.

Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz arrived late in the afternoon.

Staggered dinnertimes,.

Night chores.

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

I always take tortang talong with Worcestershire sauce.

It is genuine kindness to everyone, not freedom from sin, that merits us the kingdom of heaven, for it is easier to be free from sin than to be genuinely kind to everyone.

From observation and experience, the truly successful psychics are not the most spiritual and the most popular, but the most financially and materially provided for in life.

Multiple graduate degrees will not serve you toward the end game of your life.

The cafe baby visited. She loves taking my keys away from me and pretending to open the padlock to the small loggia door.

Now home alone. The granddaughters and Jazz are spending a day at the center.

The kickboxing team is now departing Singapore on a plane to Cambodia.

Men age because of suffering and not because of time.

Forty-six days to my next exhibit and I still need to have two paintings framed.

Watched the entire series of fights in One's Johnson-Moraes Trilogy last night. Very interesting and very entertaining, but, to me, quite a letdown in that all of the fights were spectacular EXCEPT the Johnson-Moraes fight.

I think it's because Johnson is a level-headed and compassionate human being and will not resort to undue violence.

Good morning, Cubao!

Spend the day on your balcony and watch the world trudge by.

Good night, Cubao!

It's children's game night inside the dragon tree.

One Message From One O 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Be alert, be prepared for spontaneous changes. Follow instructions from the person in charge.

Staggered dinnnrtimes.

Night chores.

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

Meeting with my jeweler at M.'s cafe. I must have bought five pieces from him already over the past few months. Thinking of wearing some of these to my exhibit opening in June.

This afternoon he gave me a very unforgettable gift.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is a parcel of assorted goodies.

Your Messenger message:

"What does my dreams mean po kaya? I often dream about my boyfriend after we broke up. As in everyday po then nabawasan na lang po as days go by. I already forgot my dreams in the first months. Just recently when I started journaling them.

"I never saw him happy in my dreams, and no verbal exchange in the dreams po. Feel ko lang po na malungkot s'ya and parang need ng help? "There's one dream I remember I had in March and dun lang po may conversation. He seemed worried, he wanted to get back to me, so I told him to cut it off with his current partner first. "Thank you po."

My reply:

Hello _____!

These were yet more wish-fulfillment dreams. You saw your ex-boyfriend as unhappy because you want him to be unhappy and come back to you.

If, after all this time, your ex-boyfriend really wants to come back to you, he would do so in person, not in your dreams. If he does not, assume that he is man enough to solve his own problems and has found his own happiness.

As the saying goes, completely set him free, If he comes back to you; well and good. If he doesn't, well and good also, but you need to rid yourself of your obsession in order to find true peace of mind and happiness.

At this point you should consult an older psychic of your own gender. This issue is absolutely of no interest to me, and here's hoping you find someone of a different mind.

Good night, Cubao!

Neighborhood guests in formal clothes arrive at the entrance to the brightly-lighted dragon tree.

One Mesasge For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllabl3es in your name: Always lock yourself up in your room and count what money you have. Determine how much you can save through the end of the month.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Asked Rayven 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 Agatha Christie.

M. and Rayven wrapped The Magician for me.

As long as you appreciate yourself, you need no one else to appreciate you.

Your Messenger message:

"Lovely day lovely sir

"I found this underneath one of the floor tile at my bf's studio... "What is it po?"

My reply:

Hello _______!

It's just a talisman for house protection.

Your Messenger message:

"I see po

"I was puzzled, confused, worried coz it was his name & other woman's name that was written on it, though he's with me..."

My reply:

No worries. It's not a binding spell between a man and a woman. Binding talismans are never placed where people will step on them.

Your Messenger message:

"Good Day Maestro

"I need advice can you help me"

My reply:

Just Post it here but my reply is always on my Wall and open to Public, minus your identity.

Your Messenger message:

"Nq in love po ako sa isang babae na iba ang ginagalawang Mundo"

My reply:

Sorry, I never give love advice, especially to adults.

My only suggestion is that you fall in love with a normal, human being. Life is so much more enjoyable that way.

There is nothing more irritating than having to deal with a schizophrenic who should be better off in therapy with a psychologist.

Your Messenger message:

"Good morning sir tony ask ko lang po Kung may particular na prayer o ritwal sa mga duwende Kasi nakikita ko yan mga binebenta na anting anting, dasal n pang katoliko din Ang ginagamit Nila e dipo ba mga elemantal sila"

My reply:

Hello _________!

Never trust commercial talisman dealers. They are usually uneducated, sometimes illiterate. They mix Catholic prayers with magic as an excuse to be accepted by the majority--or to not be condemned by fundamentalists.

As for myself, I never mix apples with oranges. I find that magic is more straightforward and more effective that way.

P.S. I don't pray to or do rituals for gnomes. I just treat them as friends, and address them in a conversational manner,

Good morning, Cubao!

The neighbors organize a backyard barbecue.

Good night, Cubao!

Preparations are underway for a big, weekend banquet in the dragon tree.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with five syllables in your name: Congratulate yourself for jumping over a major hurdle. Now focus on maintaining good health and operating your business.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

Your Messenger message:

"Hello sir Tony, I just want you to know that I dreamt of you last night, and the other night as well.

"My dream was we were sitting inside a room full of wooden antiques and colorful paintings, we were sitting face to face and you were teaching me how to do tarot readings. "I have so much to learn about tarot reading, as I only started to practice and understand spirituality a year ago and I pursued it when you told me that it is okay and safe for me to continue this journey. "I was just glad and I felt happy and fulfilled with the dreams I had. "I just want to ask, does my dream imply something or was it just because of my wishful thinking? "Thank you for your time, and have a great week, sir Tony!"

My reply:

Hello ____!

Yes, this was a wish-fulfillment dream.

You attended one of my night classes, however. It seems you are capable of astral projection and traveling. I suggest that you develop this ability. There are many books on the subject, and Google-searching can lead you to them.

Slept nine hours last night, and woke up quite late. A mug of coffee, and then lunch way past noon.

Had a wonderful sargassum salad from a hawker's stand.

Good morning, Cubao!

Everyone goes to heaven, for heaven is customized to each individual.

Good night, Cubao!

The cicadas sing lullabies while the baby birds drift off to sleep.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Work well, be modest, and take care against overconfidence. Along with pride and arrogance it has caused the downfall of many men.

Two deliveries arrived for Angelique.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening show4er, and then snuggling in bed with Agatha Christie.

Your Messenger message:

"Good day, sir Tony! "Just watched you on an episode of Mars in GMA. "I've been thinking that my boyfriend was under a gayuma. He suddenly changed and left me then after a few weeks he's with someone else, who I believe is doing the gayuma to him as he seems under her control. "Do you know any kontra gayuma po for him? "Where in Cubao po pala kayo? Taga-Cubao din po ako.

"I usually have a dream about him po. I never saw him happy in my dreams. There was once a dream I had last month, he seemed worried, he wanted to get back to me, so I told him to cut it off with his 3rd party/karmic partner first."

My reply:

Hello _____!

You need to consult a magtatawas for that. I never deal with cases of gayuma with persons I do not know. Nine times out of ten the person in question simply fell out of love or was rightfully married to a person other than the person coming to me for consultation.

Secondly, I will not bind or unbind a fellow man just because someone is in love with him.

Sorry, I cannot help you there.

Back home from jalan-jalan at the center. Withdrew money at the bank, changed dollars to pesos, paid our electric and phone bills, did some groceries, bought four sets of brushes and two ice cube trays, and sent some money to my younger son Chito.

In the meantime a delivery arrived for me. Claimed it from the compound admin office.

Good morning, Cubao!

Sometimes today is the time to savor yesterday.

Good night, Cubao!

Once in a while the beds are rearranged inside the travelers' inn.

One Message For One O 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Count the days and the hours, but always make sure that you are more than prepared for the challenges you are to face.

Angelique arrived from work.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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

The cafe sent us a bowl of moringa leaves cooked in coconut milk.

_The Magician_ should be ready for wrapping in two days' time.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique at work and Aubrey at the family dentist's.

M. and Rose take the cafe baby on another tour of the studio area.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day is a circuitous ride home.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended midnight.

I love it most when my back, butt, head, face, arms, and hands are being massaged, in that order.

The weirdest experience I have all the time, though, is when my eyes are being massaged. With my eyes closed I see that I am inside a different room--the ceiling, walls, and furniture are in rooms I've never seen before. There are times when I am certain I am in a foreign country; I was once pretty sure that I was in someone's bedroom in Russia.

It happens all the time.

I have yet to figure out what it all means: Am I in rooms where other men are having a massage at exactly the same time? Am I in rooms where other men are dead, or dying? Am I in rooms I'd been to in previous lifetimes?

When I am having a deep tissue massage, I don't need a plane ticket to go places.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnome caregivers attend to their wards in the travelers' inn.

One Message For One Of 2,700 Friends, One Every Night Of The Year

You with six syllables in your name: Sleep and get adequate rest before a travel day. It is pointless to get physically and mentally stressed when all of that can be easily avoided.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

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