I recently had my birthday and I wanted to post something on the day itself to mark it. But I was busy–I went to work, had lunch and snacks celebration with officemates, etc. and got home around 9p.m., fell asleep due to tiredness, and woke up before 11pm to eat the sotanghon that my mom…
Category: Life and Inspiration
Yearend thoughts
I woke up at 7am today and realized that it’s the second to the last day of the current year. Looking outside the bedroom window and the partially opened door to the balcony, I saw the leaves of plants and trees still wet from the rain at dawn. The sky and surroundings too looked fresh,…
Meandering Thoughts
I feel that one of the saddening moments of life is when a person suddenly loses interest and enthusiasm in things that previously made one happy or fulfilled. Like Veronika in Paulo Coelho’s literary world or in a lesser extent, John in “Brave New World” by Alduous Huxley, or Equality 7-2521 in “Anthem” (I like…
Sunday
Early morning calm The freshness of the leaves and the dewdrops The smell of brewed coffee Hot pandesal from the bakery (How delicious the scent!) Singers from the 70s to 90s crooning in the background Your mom or lola/lolo puttering in the kitchen (How nice is fried rice with danggit and atsara!) A few scribble…
Adulting 101
After years of renting, I finally got a townhouse in 2020 and my family moved in there in 2021, a few months before I returned from my Paris foreign assignment. I felt relieved to finally get a place in Manila that we could call our own and where my mom could have her mini garden…
Sabado
Limang minuto makalipas ang ika-sampu ng gabi, naglalakad ako nang matulin sa EDSA, galing Shaw papuntang Ortigas. Paano kasi, wala na palang byahe ang MRT paSouth; North na lang daw sabi ng guard. Hinintay ko munang makabili ng ticket ang kasabay ko paNorth, sinigurado sa guard ang impormasyon, at nagpasyang lakarin papunta sa EDSA Carousel…
Of People and Places
The late Jose Mordeno, Founder and then President of Speechpower, a communications company where I worked part time as a consultant for over 10 years would always mention in his speeches that “You cannot give what you do not have.” Mr. Mordeno was a brilliant, hardworking, charismatic man and in the past, I always looked…
A Rainy Day Story
It was on a rainy night last week when I had a most unusual evening. It was 10pm, yet I was in a Barangay Hall talking to two (2) tanods about a woman who was lost. The woman claimed that she came from Antipolo, then to Cubao but missed the last trip to Bicol, then…
Kuwento ng Gitara
Paalis na ako kanina ng opisina nang maisipan kong iuwi ang gitara sa bahay para sa weekend. Mabuti na lang at ginawa ko iyon. Ilang minuto pa lang pagkasakay ko sa Grab, napansin ko na inaantok si lolo driver. Medyo kinausap ko siya sa ruta para mabawasan ang antok nya. Noong nasa kahabaan na kami…
Lighthouse
May you be a bringer of light and peace. May you spread hope and cheer. Bring comfort to the downtrodden. Part the dark, thick curtains to allow passage of the sun’s rays. Offer words of inspiration and encouragement. Extend kindness in moments of despair. Make people seen and feel loved. But you do know that…
Beyond Routes 