Still wondering why, after all these years, some people insist on looking exactly the same in all of their photos--same angle, same sheep-like smile, same raised eyebrows (this one never made sense to me).

Once you are already full and sated you cannot stand the photos of other people's food. They become like obscene photos of naked, overweight bodies.

Late lunch with the granddaughters.

Despite all the food in the ref they now want pizza and cheesecake for dinner.

Good day, Cubao!

First day of 2017.

The sky is a 3,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

To propel yourself forward into the new year, step two years back briefly, then two years onward, like pulling and releasing a rubber slingshot.

Happy Birthday, Allan!

Your birthday messages:

1) It is time to go beyond comfortable confines, but never sacrifice your family in the process.
2) A psychic is never honored in his own neighborhood.
3) Do not be swayed by the people who shun you.
4) Which of the gods is your father? Which of the goddesses, your mother?
5) Consider upgrading your career.
6) Introduce yourself to the world.

January 1, 2017

The day to consult the oracle of Chuko Kung Ming for the year.

The Tagalog translation is at http://tonyperezphilippinescyberspacebook4.blogspot.com/2013/06/welcome-to-my-fourth-cyberspace-book.html.

Ravenous, and the moon isn't even full.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

Brought home a foot-long hot dog sandwich with mayonnaise and ketchup, and had that in the kitchen with half a big bulb of white onion and two small bottles of Pepsi in a thermos filled with ice.

The white onion always stings like iodine on an open wound, but tastes as sweet as a juicy pear.

ISOTSOMA!

Sunday, January 1, 2017

MAGNAM TIRGAM
JUADARITA
ALAAYA
SARADOC

GEATAO
TE APELLA

GEPARATO
GEPIPO
CHRISTUM PEPUM
BISTE
BANGE
BESTIPO

RECANTAR ITE
BUM
QUE SE DEUS PACTENIT
MOLAI
MALANAI
MOLAO
PETAT MATAT

HARI ANG DADAAN,
HAHAWI KAYONG LAHAT!

MAIGSAC
MAIGMAC
EGOLHUM PETIGSAC

PENIVICCIUM LUXCIRIS SALVAME

Cerefina, as usual, is distressed by the albeit faraway and intermittent firecrackers. She is taking refuge inside my captain's cabin bedroom, and I suspect that Kichiro Mayuzumi is  inside Angelique's bedroom upstairs.

Having said that, the compound and the neighborhood are unusually quiet and as still as a graveyard. No one is in the driveway and in the streets. Everyone seems to be in bed or has gone elsewhere to meet the New Year.

Until 11:55 PM, perhaps. I'll go outside, and I know that everyone else will.

Aubrey cooks for Christmas Eve, Angelique cooks for New Year's Eve, and I light the soapstone candle holders from India on my writing desk.

An employee who steals or destroys equipment, does so not out of need but put of anger, resentment, or boredom.

If a tribute does not concern you, it is merely a glorified, private affair.

Consider that only children and pet animals have pure faith.

The best part about New Year's Eve is that its celebrations all over the world have nothing to do with religion.

Late lunch with the granddaughters.

And now Angelique is cooking our New Year's Eve dinner.

The sky is a rosewood cupboard.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

It is one of those nights in which, outside, everything is quiet and the air is still, but, from the interior of my captain's cabin bedroom, I hear ocean waves rushing on a shore.

Many years ago, I wrote in my introduction to Cubao Midnight Express: Mga Pusong Nadiskaril Sa Mahabang Riles Ng Pag-ibig that I would always hear a train passing through, somewhere in Cubao--and this was years before the LRT and MRT were ever built.

I wonder what the ocean waves could mean.

A soda at M.'s cafe.

Whenever I am having an iced soda in a glass with a straw and no one's looking, I bend the top of the straw and bring it to the opening of my gullet, and sip. The soda does not come in contact with my tongue or with the interior of my mouth.

Try it, being careful not to inhale the liquid. It really quenches your thirst more than if you sip your soda the normal way.

Your Messenger message:

"Tony, I just came out of watching my third MetroManila film fest. And I had to write you. When you talked about atsay culture in Pinas, I had reservations about your assessment. But I realize now I was being optimistic. You are right. Just between the two of us, atsay culture really plagues Pinas. And the weird part is Pinoy cinema is being hailed by Pinoys themselves as having a renaissance. Nakakahiya. Self-congratulatory pa ang kaatsayan. I read the news after watching a movie just now. [...]. I just saw it. It is incoherent on so many levels. L...]. I felt I just wasted two hours of my life. I am about to watch ___________________. And if this is an atsay film too, I am crossing my fingers it will offer a few patches of enjoyment. Kakarampot na sining. Haaaay."


My reply:

Hello _________________!

Have you checked out literature, theater, and art?

Christmas Says Goodbye

Groceries and an afternoon snack with Chito, Chevy, and Vinci.

Back from the center with Chito, Chevy and Vinci. Gave Chito three shirts, Chevy the Betty Boop lunchbox from my collection, and Vinci a Superman lunchbox from my collection.

If you haven't noticed yet, everything negative you generated against others this year ultimately redounded on you.

Think about it on the threshold of 2017.

Unless you want 2017 to be your Karmageddon.

Sometimes I feel that call center employees are syndicated beggars who ply the streets of cyberspace.

A late lunch with the granddaughters. We just ordered food from the cafe.

Beware. Strangers are going round with fake sob stories, asking for money from the unwary. People like these are con artists who capitalize on the compassion of others.

I drink occasionally. Others do to unwind or to escape from their problems, albeit temporarily. I do to ground myself from too much psychic activity, to relax my physical and mental muscles, to feel like I am one with others and the earth, to overhaul my mind and allow new ideas to come in, and to savor, for a brief moment, not being anyone in particular and not doing anything in particular.

Good day, Cubao!

The sky is a round, goldfish bowl.

All home. Angelique and J. arrived from a trampoline park and dinner out.

My favorite butchers at Farmers Market are artists and love their trade. Whenever I purchase a kilo of beef or pork they slice the meat generously and skillfully, taking care to give me a really good piece. When I go over a kilo I pay for the extra weight and take everything--it's mine for the cooking anyway. I note that, whenever other customers insist on paring down their meat to a kilo, the butchers get somewhat distressed, as though the piece they have to shave off decreases in value.

I guess, not everyone likes going home with a hefty, untrimmed piece of meat.

A soda at M.'s cafe.

Most of the men on the compound and in the neighborhood are just hanging out, text-messaging, and sitting on the side of the street,looking financially depleted, probably after splurging the last of their money on Christmas Day.

I am able to survive the holidays by setting aside several budget allocations--for Christmas Eve, for Christmas Day, for New Year's Eve, for New Year's Day, and for in-between days. Each allocation covers items such as food, necessities, children, self, and unforeseen expenses.

Never keep all of your money in one container.

Your Language Is A Huge Part Of How You Look

Been watching replays of How Do I Look? on DIVA and can't help but be more appreciative of the seasons set in L.A. Everyone is more spontaneous and articulate: the subjects, the conspirators, the hair and make-up artists, and the walk-on extras. They made for a fuller and more substantial show.

The seasons set in Asia seemed too "set up" and, in many cases, scripted--and stilted. Alas, sometimes, how people speak and what they say simply ruin what they are wearing.

It is true that what you are wearing affects your confidence level, but what you are NOT wearing, because you cannot, affects it even more.

"Someday" is more appropriate than "One day".

Question: When will you get down to writing your book?
Answer: One day.

vs.

Question: When will you get down to writing your book?
Answer: Someday.

An abbreviation of "Someday I will."

"One day" is too literal a translation from "Isang araw". It indicates that the speaker is thinking not in English but in Bahasa/Tagalog.

An evening of sweltering heat.

Sacred Seal

This sacred seal from Tibet can be worn like a ring.

One of you will visit the side chapel of a dark and dingy church, and will be nauseated by the cloying smell of flowers.

Back from the supermarket and Farmers Market. It's Angelique's turn to cook on New Year's Eve.

Whenever the granddaughters give me grocery lists, I go to the supermarket and discover that they slipped in a lot of girl stuff on the lists.

Wearing Platinum by Roberto Verino.

He fought so hard for that scholarship. But what use is it to him now that he is hungry, in need, and ill?

Late lunch with the granddaughters.

A languid 29th.

Good day, Cubao!

The sky is a chrome-plated grocery cart.

Departures are not yet over. 

A tall, dark woman says goodbye.

A soda at M.'s cafe.

Back from the circus with my sister Alice, Angelique, Aubrey, and J. Dinner at Hap Chan after. It was a nice, mid-week activity for us. We had fun, but the circus was nothing more than acrobatic dances on a proscenium stage. Moreover, none of the acts in the poster photos were in the show.

Try to access my Album here: https://www.facebook.com/siharingkristo.metatron/media_set?set=a.1218383871581671.1073741894.100002302090886&type=3&pnref=story

Good day, Cubao!

The sun is a wax seal on the parchment-paper sky.

Going to Alitagtag, Batangas with Tina in January. Must record this in my planner.

Everyone home. We have a full day tomorrow.

I love ice cubes that pit. I wonder why some ice cubes pit and some don't.

A soda at M.'s cafe.

Lots of beer drinkers tonight.

Chinese take-out dinner with Aubrey. Angelique and J. spent the day at Pinto Art Gallery and are having dinner out.

1) If "crave" is used as a verb, do not use "for".

Wrong: "I crave for ice cream."
Right: "I crave ice cream."

If "craving"is used as a noun, use "for".

Right: "I have a craving for ice cream."

2) If "request" is used as a verb, do not use "for".

Wrong: "I request for office supplies."
Right: "I request office supplies."

If "request" is used as a noun, use "for".

Right: "Did you receive my request for office supplies?"

Your Messenger message:

"Hello Maestro, good day to you.
"I would like to request for an interpretation of my dream I had this morning. "In my dream I was in my bed reading a book, the room was dark but somehow light emanates from it, the book was authored by you and its content were random old antique photographs that were digitally enhance (zoom & magnified), here you tend to explain things and highlight images from the background of the photos to point out - spooks, elementals and the likes. "I was scanning and running my fingers through the pages of the book in a way, like reading a manga-novel. I came across the 1st photo. "The picture was taken from a stage play like a sarsuwela, two men dress in camisa chino -one sitting in a chair with hands raise and other one at the floor crouch like a frog with his back-turn at the audience, in the picture your pointing out a streak of light in the background which is supposed to be a specter, I can see the light but somehow having trouble figuring-out the image of specter. "The 2nd photo my finger-randomly picked was Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo with both standing tall, elbows seated on a tall table like they are about to arm wrestle, in here your pointing out a shadow shaped gun on top of Andres head (like Damocles sword) –sort of a premonition of what’s about to happen. "The 3rd -is a group photo of the revolutionary elites; Rizal, Luna brothers and others which I don’t know the names seated in a saloon bar - here you’re pointing out the mirror on the bar where the bottles and bar tender was standing and inside the mirror is an image of a lady in maid-attire. "I immediately saw the image on the mirror – but as I gazed through the picture the photo seems to magnify itself and my bedroom immediately change into a saloon and suddenly I was inside the picture and slowly being pulled into the mirror. Inside the mirror I could clearly see the lady in maid outfit, but she’s not moving, I moved towards her so I can look her face to face – when suddenly she blinks. "This shocked me and I woke up. "I appreciate it, if you could give me reading. Thank you for your time. "Sincerely, "___________"

My reply:

Hello __________!

The characters in the dream represent all of the conservative values you were taught to cherish in school. The "ghosts" in the background are reminders of other values that you really cherish, activities that you really like doing, objectives that you really want to achieve--and none of these are manifest in the people and the situations that surround you everyday. It is as though you are living in a cage in which you are safe and regularly fed, yet you yearn to be free and able to explore the world around you, entailing risks that must be taken.

As such, the "ghosts" in the dream are not actual ghosts but impulses and desires in your unconscious that are constantly attempting to emerge, like wild animals inside a forest.

The New Year approaches. Your psyche is asking you to assess your life, your accomplishments, your satisfaction, and your happiness. If these fall below the standards you have set for yourself, it is high time to be your true self and follow your heart. You've owed it to yourself for the longest time, and no one has the right to take that away from you.

Gifts from Kay: a Kiblawan man's prayer shawl from Mindanao, a notebook from the Tate Gallery, and a box of Almond Roca.

Back from the center. Had coffee and cake with Kay at the Cubao Hogwarts Espresso Station. Downloads from the starship. Caught up on news about friends.

Then bought phone cards for the granddaughters, a medium size coffee plunger, and three ice cube trays. Two of the trays mold the ice to look like faceted sapphires.

The sky is a plate of champagne pearls.

Good morning, Cubao!

Bright and sunny.

Meeting Kay for coffee at the Cubao Hogwarts Espresso Station tomorrow.

Dinner with the granddaughters at home. We used the secret passage between the studio foyer and the kitchen of M.'s cafe for the first time. Placed an order and, as soon as it was ready, the waiter knocked on the door and I unlocked it to receive the food.

If your child is depressive, move from a cold and snowy place, for starters.

You have extraterrestrial connections if:

--You feel brief sensations like weak, electric shocks in different parts of your body. When this happens, make your mind still and listen to your body.

--You are fascinated with serpents and serpentine jewelry.

--You are able to communicate with animals even without meaning to.

--You take little interest in trivial, mundane matters.

Forgive me. When I said that it would bend, I meant that it would bend away from MY city.

T. came and gave me a wonderful post-Christmas gift: a camera with mike for my computer and a headset. Of course he installed them for me.

Now I can make and receive video calls.

Had black coffee with my former coworkers after lunch, but am having my usual two cups of black, Dennis Coffee Garden coffee at home anyway.

The sky is a warrior's iron shield.

Good day, Cubao!

Good news from T. I hope he delivers.

December 26, 2016

Lunch with former coworkers

Watching NASA's Unexplained Files on Discovery Channel.

Going to bed with the TV tuned to the news.

They superimposed the sound of exploding fireworks on her abrasive, strained voice.

Every broadcaster's life is a clockwork orange until the spirit within him yearns for a major change.

Never use Christmas as an excuse for anything.

The fun in collecting is knowing that you will never complete your collection and wondering what becomes available to you next, and when.

At the end of the week, will we weep because of water or because of fire?

Fourth cup of black, Dennis Coffee Garden Coffee in my Captain Haddock mug.

Our fifth Advent candle.

Three of a set of Betty Boop pencil toppers that Cathy Choachuy gave me in 2002.

A quiet Christmas Day at home, and, indeed, everyone should stay at home.

In a country of mispronouncers, the mispronouncers comprehend one another--and are immediately insulted when someone attempts to correct their pronunciation.

Those hard-shell suitcases may look pretty to look at, but they can't take a lot of content and, once warped or dented, have nowhere to go but the trash bin.

Quite sweet of D., who owns the convenience store next door. She gave me a big bag of Lay's potato chips and two reams of my favorite cigarettes, gift-wrapped!

Good noon, Cubao!

The sky is a stainless-steel water tank.

You Are A Father?

As I mentioned in a previous posting I now have more than 2,000 facebook Friends, and only 600 of these are Filipinos. The rest are from approximately a dozen different countries, some of them Islamic states. Many of those from the Islamic states greet me via Messenger in different languages, and I've been able to converse with them with the help, albeit not superb help, of Google Translate.

A typical introductory question from these Friends, after the usual "Where are you?", is "You are a father?", to which I reply, "I am a father and a grandfather", and wonder whether they ever read "About Me" or viewed my photo Albums.

That question gave me pause the first few times it was asked me on Messenger. What did it really mean? Did it mean, "Are you old?" Did it mean, "Are you straight?" Did it mean, "Are you a responsible person?"

Whatever the question meant to the senders, my answer "I am a father and a grandfather" seemed to open friendships that led to more substantial and deeper conversations. None of them Unfriended me. Almost all of them continued to regularly view my postings.

Now alone in front of my computer on Christmas Eve, I am mulling over the question "You are a father?" and voting for it as the question of the night. I am reminded once again of the Philippine magical phrase "EGOSUM ABISTE CORPUS (EAC)", more correctly written as "EGO SUM ABBAIS TUIS CORPUS", meaning, "I AM THE BODY OF YOUR FATHER"--a phrase that is decidedly discombobulating to everyone. I actually have a stainless steel ring of EAC, and I am wearing it tonight.

You are a father?

I am the body of your father.

The more I study those phrases that function as portals, the more I seem to be able to comprehend them. Yet, I know that it will take me an entire lifetime to fully understand them.

Thanking Malou for sharing her recipe for roast beef. Aubrey replicated it for our Christmas Eve dinner today, and it was superb! We had Aubrey's shepherd's pie and two kinds of pasta as well. Aubrey spent the whole day in the kitchen.

Apparently my nephew Raymond Floro taught at Dan Inosanto's gym in L.A. twice. According to Raymond, Dan frequently visits Australia. He is 80 years old and still going strong.

Here is a video in which Raymond and one of his students recreate the sparring duel between Bruce Lee and Dan in _Game of Death_.

https://youtu.be/IxW35Q2qcMk

My antique dealer is threatening to bring me two items after Christmas.

Meeko visits. With a roll and a Figma B.L. to add to my altar!

In Azerbaijani, "Filipino" translates to "Tagalog".

Trying out Malou's recipe for roast beef with gravy.

Very unexpected gift from Tina. At least I woke up early this morning. Wasn't much of a host, though. House still dusty from the L-shaped wall construction.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun tattoos the sky with a white-hot needle.

Dipped outside for a while. The air is still and somewhat stale, and doesn't have the chill of the past few nights.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Be satisfied that your enemy is displeased with you. Leave it at that and simply resume your progress.

Another Christmas party ongoing in the neighborhood. Sounds like it's coming from Camp Panopio Compound again. I can hear the music and the on-mike singing from the window of my captain's cabin bedroom.

Dinner at home with Aubrey. Angelique and J. are at a dinner hosted by J.'s sister.

Everything is costly and time-consuming because we have our pre-Christmas Eve dinner, our Christmas Eve dinner, our Christmas dinner, our between-Christmas-and-New Year's Eve dinner, our pre-New Year's Eve dinner, our New Year's Eve dinner, and our New Year dinner!

Atchays do not have their own trash bins. They instead conveniently use yours.

The best way to post messages without being messed up by Google Translate:

--Write in simple English.

--Use short sentences.

--Do not use idioms.

--Do not use metaphors.

--Do not use coined words or phrases.
--Always check your spelling.

Good day, Cubao!

The sky is a water dispenser waiting to be tapped.

It's our casserole day.

Consuming all the leftovers in the ref to make way for new food coming in.

You cannot sway another person's political beliefs, no more than you can sway his taste for food, his taste for clothes, and his color sense.

Quite excited! My sister Sylvia ordered something for me from Sydney. It will most probably arrive in January, though.

For everything that has been said about Christmas ham, the best I have ever tasted in 65 years remains El Comedor's jamon en dulce, glazed and baked with a lot of clove sticks. Only I remember it well. Unfortunately El Comedor no longer exists.

From an e-mail message forwarded to me by my sister Lourdes:

"READ CAREFULLY (STIMULUS PACKAGE)

It's a slow day in the small town of Pumphandle and the streets are deserted. Times are tough. Everybody is in debt and living on credit.

A tourist visiting the area drives through town, stops at a motel and lays a $100 bill on the desk saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs to pick one for the night. As soon as he walks upstairs, the motel owner grabs the bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

(Stay with this and pay attention)

The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer.

The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his bill to his supplier, the Co-op.

The guy at the Co-op takes the $100 and runs to pay his debt to the local prostitute who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer her 'services' on credit.

The hooker rushes to the motel and pays off her room bill with the motel owner.

The motel proprietor then places the $100 back on the counter so the traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment, the traveler comes down the stairs, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, picks up the $100 bill and leaves.

No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town now thinks that they are out of debt and there is a false atmosphere of optimism and glee.

And that, my friends, is how a 'stimulus package' works!"

Wearing Platinum by Roberto Verino.

When Aubrey is cooking, she wants the kitchen all to herself. I can't even wash up dishes and utensils as she goes.

Back from Farmers Market. Bought ingredients for  Aubrey's shepherd pie, buko pandan salad, and bilo-bilo with sago. All the choice cuts for beef are going, going, gone.

Photo shared from Artyusha. Production still from Enter the Dragon. I have studied all of the extras/bit players in B.L.'s movies. To me this is the only one who is good-looking. All others seem to have been deliberately cast based on homely looks.

Tony Perez's Art of War: The best punishment on your enemy is to continue to make him unhappy with everything you are and have always been, everything you like saying, everything you like doing, and everything you have.

You don't even have to go out of your way to do anything against him.

The clouds are porcelain bowls of white rice.

Good day, Cubao!

Late lunch at home with Aubrey.

Angelique and J. are having lunch out.

The vegetable stall down the street is owned by a Vietnamese man. He is currently on vacation, visiting his parents in Vietnam.

Loving being at home and waiting for my family members to arrive from school and from other activities.

Remembering all of those times when I had to come late from work and all of the family members were already asleep, and looking back at all of those times with loathing. I was tired, hungry, unhappy, wary that, even if I'd arrived, I'd still have to unwind and shower, and then sleep only a few hours before rising to go to work again.

Now, time is at my command. I am in a hermit's heaven.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand, then passed by the Sitio Catacutan fruit stand to buy some watermelon and pineapple. Was surprised when the fruit vendor gave him an extra slice of watermelon for free.

Been visiting the Walls of my Friends from Russia and Ukraine, and I cannot help but marvel at how beautiful these people are!

Juxtapositions

Coffee in a TinTin mug and a stack of manuscripts to encode.

I might need a secretary, as Perry Mason had Della Street.

Back from the center. Bought a large coffee plunger and a medium one, two LED bulbs, two stainless steel barrel bolts, and a stainless steel lock hasp. The phone card stall was closed today; I have to go back there tomorrow. Bought two toy cars for two boys.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sky is a batch of oatmeal cookies.

The goddess of the storm is my mother.

Going to bed with BBC on TV. I turn the sound on a subliminal level, and that serves as my night light, while Aubrey has her aquarium as her night light. It is a phenomenological experience to be in a cozy bed while the world frantically marches on. There are snatches of fluorescent light coming in through the window from the front porch of my sister's apartment and wedges of halogen from a street lamp. In a corner of my captain's cabin bedroom, the pilot light of my computer's hard drive casing glows like a tiny, blue star.

Night is all about light, not darkness.

Need to move one tall bookcase and one armoire containing art supplies on Thursday.

Then throw away that flimsy, rice container-cum-microwave stand-cum-rice cooker stand that was such a bad idea in the first place. It is impossible to clean the inside of the rice container. And its two electrical outlets have always looked dubious to me.

When a president is elected, thousands of people associated with the outgoing president lose their jobs, and thousands of other people associated with the incoming president obtain gainful jobs. Until another president is elected, and the same process happens all over again.

Never rely on a job associated with any president. When you ultimately lose the job--and you will, sooner or later--you will cry out "Injustice!", "Oppression!", and "Revolution!" without knowing what really hit you.

Must rest tomorrow. I was fatigued yesterday, having had to move four pieces of furniture. It felt so good to have a hot shower and then snuggle in bed.

Will tackle more furniture, this time in the studio foyer, the day after tomorrow.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

The night is bristling with life. The Christmas party on Camp Panopio Compound is ongoing, and a family reunion is also ongoing, with a lot of music, in M.'s cafe.

Aubrey's Bangkok fighting fish in its new, 2.5-gallon aquarium. It is on a table beside her bed, and she now uses it as her night light.

Our last banishing candle. I lit at least a dozen over the past five days.

Note: Banishing candles should not be lit inside the house.

Wearing Platinum by Roberto Verino.

In the meantime Angelique is with Cath. She bought us tickets to the circus.

Back from the center with Aubrey. Paid our water bill and then did groceries for our Christmas dinner. Bought a small aquarium, filter, and food for Aubrey's Bangkok fighting fish. Bought more Christmas ham as well.

A snack at the Cubao Hogwarts Espresso Station.

At home we found glass pebbles, a little castle, a ceramic bridge, and sea shells from our old aquarium.

Act in your own service.

Do not wait to be rescued.

The sky is a little boy's toy balloon.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Jalan-jalan at the center with my granddaughters.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir Tony, sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you what these dreams mean, all of which I dreamt last night. "First, I was on a cruise ship, heading to Istanbul, accompanied by a travelling pack of acrobatic weasels. In the next scene, I'm back in grade school, looking out from the balcony of the highest floor, waiting for silver rain to fall. In the last scene, I found myself in a shallow crater on the moon, where I've been planting gigantic golden gumamela all along."


My reply:

Hi _____!

This dream is all about unrealistic expectations. It seems that one of your biggest defense mechanisms is imposing formidable challenges on other people for them to prove how worthy they are of your devotion. Unfortunately you present the same challenges to yourself, and you are often found wanting.

The hibiscus has been your power flower for the longest time. Honor it by placing something with a combination of blue and brown in your bedroom, and see your luck change.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand, then had an iced root beer at M.'s cafe.

Christmas lights on the iron divider

Monday, December 19, 2016

The warrior goddess arrives.

Ironically, this will be a week of giving closure to more than one issue.

Gave my old computer table to Toto, who has an Internet cafe, and am using my son Nelson's old study table in its place, because it is very sturdy.

A lot of cleaning and moving, but I'm done for the day.

A City Pound truck passed by. Saw all those dogs in cages. They had wistful looks in their eyes.

Home alone.

Lighting all our remaining banishing candles before the New Year.

Banishing candles should not be stored.

Good morning, Cubao!

Angelique, Aubrey, and J. are off to Pampanga to visit Ivy.

The sky is a gray umbrella.

A Cubao Christmas

http://tonyperezphilippinescyberspacebook16.blogspot.com/

A beer and a root beer at M.'s cafe.

Today, Sunday, December 18, 2016, my facebook Friends went up to more than 2,000. Of those, only 600 are Filipinos. The rest are from the United States, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Egypt, Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Spain, and France. I suspect that most of them are readers of my cyberspace novels.

As such, when I go to Newsfeed, I almost never see any postings made by Filipinos.

I feel that my account will be full before the end of 2017.

Welcome, world!

We hung white and silver Christmas lights on the Italianate iron divider in the dining room.

Aubrey home. They sold out again, on their second day.

One of the other groups, unfortunately, didn't get back their capital on their sales.

Aubrey bought herself a Bangkok fighting fish at Valle Verde Country Club yesterday. It is now building a bubble nest, awaiting a mate that will never come.

Allow your children/grandchildren to explore the world and discover things for themselves.

As long as Google Translate's output remains atrocious, users' language skills will continue to be atrocious.

Mobilese and computerese are every linguist's nightmare.

Moved an antique, hat/coat tree from my bedroom into the writing room. Though it sounds so simple it was quite a production number..  It entailed moving all the staves, wands, and swords that were on the tree and then, once the tree was in the writing room, replacing them with normal walking sticks, umbrellas, jackets, and caps.

Now working on the heretofore-unused mage's assistant's writing desk in the writing room. Will use that for the tabletop computer inside my bedroom and throw away the stand that the computer came with.

A Writer's Quirk

I am certain that only I experience this, that, when my keyboard is on my lap rather than on the keyboard stand, I feel more connected to my writing. The physicality of bearing the weight of the keyboard on my thighs and the rhythmic strokes that I feel as I tap on the keys, makes me merge, somehow, with what I am writing.

Very late lunch with Angelique.

The sky is a glass cloche.

Good day, Cubao!

Wet day. And yet, ROTC drills are being conducted on the Samson College campus. I can hear them from over the stone fence.

During any holiday season, single grandparents are never the stars. They are the stage managers who must ensure that everything goes right.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J. We had some of Aubrey's potato balls along with sisig and halabos. Nice!

Aubrey and her group's potato balls sold out. They had to buy more potato within the day. Their sale continues tomorrow.

When nauseous, eat tropical fruit candy.

When a person who wronged you is at death's door, forgive him. Otherwise you will never be given another opportunity to forgive him in this lifetime.

Snacking in front of the TV will only increase your frequency of watching TV.

Did some clearing work in the studio and in the writing room. Threw out four boxes of unwanted stuff. Couldn't be bothered to ask people whether they wanted them.

Went to bed last night with My Haunted House on Lifetime.

A person with real talent can never be put down, whether by groups or by individuals.

After all these years no tailor or dressmaker has ever created the perfect pocket.

There are two kinds of people to admire: people you can be like and people you can never be like no matter how hard you try.

Never  pray out loud and in public. If your prayers are not answered, you will only manage to look like a fool.

The best way to defeat him is to rebut him in calm, dispassionate tones, because he is terrified by the absence of hysterics.

"Go lang nang go!" is the slogan of people who make no advance planning, who don't care whom they trample on, and who rely on trial and error.

The sky is a tower of white pancakes.

Good noon, Cubao!

Aubrey is at her school group's potato ball sale at Valle Verde Country Club. I asked her to buy two boxes to take home, and will probably buy more tomorrow.

Dinner alone at M.'s cafe. Everyone was present--M., the waiters, the staff members, and M.'s cousin who came in from work. It was a cozy Friday night.

Angelique is still at UST for the annual Christmas celebration, and Aubrey just arrived from a classmate's, where they were preparing for their weekend potato ball sale at Valle Verde Country Club, which starts tomorrow.

Never take things personally, especially if you are incapable of reading other people's minds.

You Can Take It With You

Art, jewelry, antiques. Your house. Treasured possessions. Moments with your loved ones, like photo albums in your mind. You DO take all these with you, for they enrich your spirit, your appreciation for Creation, your sensitivity to existence. They elevate you to a higher consciousness in preparation for your succeeding lifetime.

Organizing an art supply cabinet and a potions cabinet simultaneously.

Ivy's birthday. The lamps and electric sconces at our ancestral table will be kept on through the night.

When you REST, you rehabilitate your body.

When you RELAX, you rehabilitate your mind and your heart.

Look back through your childhood and decide which age you were happiest at. Whenever you are stressed, spend some time alone and mentally regress to that age, focusing on the most memorable moments.

This is the best way to relax. You are still you in space and time at all times, at every age. All of these moments are at your command, for you to continue to benefit from, and all you have to do is visit them whenever you wish.

I associate pink and lavender with the taste of chocolate-covered almonds. When I was a child, those were two of the colors of the sugar coating of the chocolate-covered almonds my aunt used to buy. They came in an ovoid box with a tin lid. Alas, they are no longer being produced.

In the Philippines, the biggest downside to commuting in crowded trains, buses, and jeepneys is that people cannot wear what they like. Metro Manila will never the the center of fashion for as long as people wear what they like only to parties and special occasions.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

The sun is a reflection on a ceramic tile.

When you unburden your house, you unburden your mind. When you unburden your mind, you unburden your life.

You can keep your house clutter-free by following these guidelines:

--It is time to dispose of something when you haven't used it in six months. (Something my eldest sister Lourdes taught me long ago.)

--When something is broken, do not set it aside for future repair. It just won't happen. Keep in mind that: 1) There are items that, when repaired, will never be as good as new, such as electric fans, pressing irons, toasters, TV sets, washing machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and air-conditioners; and 2) When something breaks, it is because negative energy sent you was deflected off you, and the broken parts now contain that negative energy.

--Assess items as to whether they will accrue in value over time, such as original art, jewelry, and antiques.

--Ask yourself, Will someone else love this item more than I do, and will that person be happy to receive it from me?

--Never dispose of something and then buy two or more items to take its place.

--Always follow the rule "One in, two out". (A tip from Clean House).

--Ask yourself, Will my children and grandchildren appreciate having these items, or will they see them as so much junk and not know what to do with them after I die?

--Souvenirs, cheap gifts, and junk items made of resin, plastic, ceramics, and papier-mache must go.

I know that we should smile as often as we can, but having a sad or disturbed look while walking in the streets can actually prevent you from being targeted for a hold-up by envious crooks.

Watched the final episode of Amazing Race Asia on AXN. Happy that the Hindu team won.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

You can get rid of that awkward moment of having a new hairstyle by being aware that you must discover a new way to MOVE your body in a way that goes with the hairstyle.

Fourth cup of black, Dennis Coffee Garden coffee.

Found my old, dome-shaped glass paperweight. A Singapore dollar surfaced too.

I no longer store things in boxes. I forget what I put inside them and I eventually forget that the boxes exist. They just become dead storage in dead space.

Back from Farmers Market with Jaymark. Bought approximately eight kilos of potato (chose the really big ones from Baguio City) and food for our dinner. Fresh shrimp that used to cost P230/kilo are now up to P300/kilo.

Unable to be your guest lecturer. Too busy having fun.

The sky is a painted backdrop for a children's ballet.

Good morning, Cubao!

Wet night, wet morning.

She is no longer in demand. If people still remember her, it is for her stupidity on- and off- camera.

Sleep under a dark blanket sequined with stars.

Why is it the annual habit of some people to tell others what Christmas should mean to them?

You have to be open to the rest of the world before you can be completely open to yourself.

Always work for a regular salary, never for an intermittent prize.

He who is too much in love with himself believes that everyone else is too much in love with him.

What I dislike most in movies depicting space travel is that the producer, director, and writer take up at least the first 15 minutes orienting us to the space vessel, as though desperately wanting to convince us that they know their subject matter. And of course they don't, because no one really does.

I say, cut the scientific exposition and get on with the story!

Finally, my sister Sylvia, in Sydney, received her shipment containing her very first KT!

Salvaged all loose, working pens and pencils in the studio and placed some of them in a glass vessel on my writing desk. (There are a lot more.)

And now a cup of hot, Guan Yin tea...

Found these chunks of coral in the studio and placed them yesterday on the steel staircase in the loggia leading to Aubrey's bedroom.

Grow old rich, not poor. It's when your life really begins.

Two cups black, Dennis Coffee Garden coffee.

We are now doing a post-construction mopping operation on the floor.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sun is a coiled strand of champagne pearls.

When you rejoice over the misfortune of your enemy, you rejoice over your own misfortune.

After it is too hot, it is always too cold.

There are only a few ways of saying hello, but there are very many ways of saying goodbye.

The most important dreams are the most easily forgotten, because your ego prompts you to not remember them by making you neglect to record them or engage in conscious activity immediately upon waking.

Getting hooked on AXN's Battlebots. Wondering if I am capable of designing a battleworthy battlebot.

Your Messenger message:

"Goodevening sir. ask ko lang po kung nalilipat po ba ang mga energies ng ancestral house kapag tinibag at tinayuan ng bagong bahay? salamat po."


My reply:

Hello _____!

If you want to keep the energy, retain a piece of the old house and incorporate them in the new house, or use it as decor.

If you do not want to keep the energy, do not retain anything from the old house.

Aubrey's school group divided up what they have to shell out for their potato ball sale at Valle Verde Country Club. The school will actually pay for the capital upon the submission of receipts. The girls will pay back the school after the sale--and keep whatever profit they make.

Guess who was assigned to buy seven kilos of potato because he lives near Farmers Market.

The waiters and staff members of M.'s cafe have finished moving to the sleeping quarters between the cafe kitchen and my studio. I feel much better for everyone, including myself, for this. They no longer have to walk to their rented room in Planas Site late at night, the cafe will always have employees inside, and the cafe can open early every morning.

Almost done stacking the canvases and frames. Will definitely finish up tomorrow.

Found this laminated bookmark among the papers stacked in the studio. It's Aubrey's fifth-grade class project.

My granddaughters' penmanship (cursive and print) are unmistakably, distinctly, and hopelessly Paulinian.

Fourth cup of black, Dennis Coffee Garden coffee.

Taking a break from organizing the studio, though this is work I enjoy and don't mind doing. It's like organizing one's armoire but on a bigger scale.

Today, Tuesday, December 13, 2016, is the Feast Day of Saint Lucy, patroness of eyes and eyesight.

Above: Traditional portrait of St. Lucy. We used to have a framed picture of that in our ancestral house in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Below: My antique, sterling silver, St. Lucy talisman on my writing desk. Above it are my whalebone dip pen holder, and, to the right, my copper dragon pen.

On the desk, to the left, is my last, 2016, Executive Planner. Am finally shifting to the Cubao Leaky Cauldron planners.

Now scrubbing the floor and organizing studio stuff. Threw out a lot of junk, and discovered a lot of items I thought I'd lost over time.

Found a few more diaries and destroyed those.

Lunch with Angelique at M.'s cafe.

M. has been cleaning the cafe's sleeping quarters all morning.

Good morning, Cubao!

Wet night, wet day.

The sky is a soaking, athlete's towel.

Chips and a soda at M.'s cafe.

Drizzly evening in Cubao.

Cherry's driver dropped off an early Christmas gift in the midst of construction.

Must give her something magical for Christmas!