Gifts from Patrick: A Bruce Lee noodle bowl, a silk, Chinese sash (Judge Dee!), and a hand-made, leather key chain.

Patrick is fast becoming the best leather craftsman I've ever known.

Patrick Delivers My Custom-Made Leather Bag

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Patrick delivers the custom-made art carrier that he designed and executed for me. It is made of whole, Crazy Horse leather with minimal cuts, can accommodate a large sketch pad or a fair-sized, stretched canvas, and has specified pockets: one for a large notebook, another for five, fat fountain pens, and a third for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

Took him to a late lunch at M.'s cafe.

To prevent yourself from developing frozen shoulder or carpal tunnel due to too many hours at the computer, do one of the following:

--Work in a standing position.

--Rest your wrist on a roll of toilet paper while working.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a vineyard of white grapes.

Dinner at home with the granddaughters. Now they are off to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to buy frappuccinos.

The leaf of January falls off my planner.

Still rereading and savoring all over again _The Willow Pattern_. I am reading only one chapter per sitting. Love the quaint sets and props. I TOTALLY identify with Judge Dee!

Two cups very black and very bitter Moccona.

When a woman falls in love with a man "because he's funny and he makes me laugh", it is because she does not like members of the opposite sex whom she perceives as threats.

Love is nothing if it cannot be maintained. It does not exist on its own--it has to be maintained. And love is harder to maintain than a house, a swimming pool, or an expensive hobby.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a rooftop garden.

Napped twice this afternoon, first for two hours, and then for an hour.

The smell of turpentine always makes me feel weak and sleepy.

Atchay intros:

Never use the following to precede your messages:

1) "Hindi ko kayo, nilalahat, pero..."

The phrase implies that you are not only going to make a generalizing statement, thus contradicting your intro, but that you are singling out the person you are talking to and about to accuse him for something worse.

2) "Huwag kang magagalit, ha?"

No one has the right to tell you what to feel or not feel.

There is one President who now wishes he had never run.

I love to paint because I love to contemplate blank canvases. The sooner I finish a painting, the sooner I can set up a new, blank canvas to take its place.

Sometimes, when you are called upon to heal someone, it is to avoid being ill yourself.

You were reckless and ruthless because you thought you had to fight so hard for yourself.

Everything that you need, you already have, except that you have brainwashed yourself to think otherwise.

A horse wearing blinders believes there is only one direction, which is straight ahead.

Two cups very black and very bitter Moccona.

The sky is a vase of white-petaled flowers.

Good morning, Cubao!

Benjie will be working in the house today and the next three days.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

The sexiest shots are taken in interiors, not in exteriors.

They will continue to wear blue shirts and yellow ties as a sign of their fixation.

Others will wear yellow shirts and blue ties to express their triumph.

We are all back from lunch at my sister Remi's house.

Happy Birthday to my sister Remi!

Good morning, Cubao!

When the earth keeps still, the sky sings.

Rereading The Willow Pattern rather than The Red Pavilion for cozy nights. Using the dreamcatcher bookmark that Kat Asdaho gave me. Noticed that she very thoughtfully included a wolf figural!

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

Bought mangoes at the Sitio Catacutan fruit stand for the granddaughters and placed them in the ref.

Back from the center. Bought more planters. Will soon work on installing hanging plants below the balcony windows.

True wisdom descends on you when you realize that it was never necessary to compete with others, and that true happiness comes when you accomplish things out of love and compassion.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sky is a chest of childhood memories.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

In order to be a free and truly liberated artist, you have to detach yourself from all conservative institutions that dictate on you what you should be, what you should say, and what you should do.

I have no respect for that female public service/news program host because, years ago, I watched her co-host a noontime family game show in which she PREVENTED a family from winning a prize by prolonging the contest and giving blatant hints to the family's opponents as to the correct answers to the questions.

I hope that the TV station still has a copy of that show and reviews it, and I hope that there were witnesses to it other than myself.

She should have been fired immediately.

It is dismaying to watch a live news program in which, while waiting for news to come in, the broadcasters kill time by talking about trivia, or clowning, or thanking people who sent them food. They are like salespersons in shops without customers who are waiting for something to happen.

Even if you manage to convert the entire world to your religion, and even if everyone becomes a fundamentalist of that religion, there still will come a time when another religion will arise and will have its own staunch followers, because it takes all kinds of people to make a world, as surely as there are many kinds of birds and many kinds of fish and many kinds of flowers.

And many kinds of happiness, and many kinds of heaven.

Wearing Platinum by Roberto Verino.

Took Sarah's five-foot, unstretched canvas to the laundry on Banahaw Street. That is where I always take my pieces of unstretched canvas for pressing.

That laundry also operates alkaline drinking water service, and that is where we order our drinking water as well. I do that by phone. Whenever I dial their number, a friendly woman in her late 40s answers and accommodates me. This afternoon, when I dropped off the canvas, I asked after her. The young woman who accepted my job request informed me that she passed away in hospital December 30, 2016 after a month-long illness.

A blank canvas, drinking water, death.

Beginnings, life, endings.

If only I'd earlier on been told that she was ill, I could have visited her or given her some comfort for all the kindness she'd shown me in the past.

Didn't you ever ask yourself why the man who voices over the DIVA station breaks speaks like an Asian trying to speak like a white man trying to speak like a black man?

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a stainless steel colander.

A person with multiple personalities does not manifest different external behaviors. It is his mind, his attitudes, and his feelings that change from one personality to another. Only an expert psychologist--not the general public--can tell when the switches are made.

Anything other than that is a Halloween costume parade.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

Years from now, an entire generation of youth from both sides will tear down the wall. They will demonstrate to the world how one man's folly was an enormous waste of money, and that is what history will remember him most for.

A New Year's Gift from Kat Asdaho

Kat is the proprietor, designer, and artist of DreamCatcher's Charm, based in Zamboanga City.

Kat Asdaho is the proprietor, designer, and artist of DreamCatcher's Charm, based in Zamboanga City.

White feathers in honor of the god of white cloth.

Back from the center. Paid our cable bill and bought stuff for Angelique off a list that she gave me.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi _______, "Weird dream again. Of my mom. In the dream, I in-buried her, under what seem like terra cotta scultures. She was well, not 'dead' at all, not in a coffin, just the earth--more of dried clay--and was wearing the usual pambahay dress (not pamburol). Parang nakatulog lang under terra cotta. I remember smashing the terra cotta, maliit lang, maybe a foot high, to get to her. "Might be time to study dreams? No idea how, tho. Other than keeping a dram journal and remembering."

My reply:

Hello __________!

Your dream indicates your present ambivalence toward your mother. A part of you wishes that she were already your ancient past. Another part of you wishes to excavate her, rediscover her, and know her all over again because you really don't--as is the case with other people, because, we really don't completely know anyone.

This is a normal dream. Everyone has dreams with messages like this, especially when parents happen to be particularly disappointing.

The sky is an open expressway.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Angelique back from their mock thesis defense.

Water delivery and laundry pick-up.

Caught the two-episode "Notorious: The Menendez Brothers" on DIVA's Snapped. I seem to recall that this story was featured on Ci's Killer Kids some time ago.

Спать. Мы находимся в разных часовых поясах.
Вы идете о вашем дне, когда я мечтаю о тебе.
Когда я иду о моей, ты мечтаешь обо мне тоже?
Мы встречаемся только в виртуальном пространстве,
Поскольку киберпространство всегда вне времени.

The middle class sinks into poverty as though in quicksand.

All TV game shows rely on time limits. In real life, however, proceeding at one's own pace and relishing the moment are the keys to complete and stress-free enjoyment.

An emcee seldom does reflective thinking, because he is conditioned to be as spontaneous and quick-witted as he can possibly be.

She married that actor because he reminds her of her first, true love, also an actor, who shunned her.

There are two possibilities for the remote future:

--The first, that a land bridge will rise between China and the Philippines, and that eventually many Filipinos will go to Eastern Europe while many Eastern Europeans will come to the Philippines.

--The second, that a mysterious land mass will rise east of the Philippines, in the Pacific Ocean, and everyone will disagree on its name.

The Wands must continue pointing to the ground.

Там нет такого понятия, как разбитое сердце.
Сердце не хрупкая, но сильная.
Сердце есть дух. Это не плоть.
У него нет ни днем, ни ночью.
Это вечный свет души
И я буду держать твое в моей жизни навсегда.

Threw out more stuff we no longer want, including flat jigsaw puzzles, 3D jigsaw puzzles, and old board games in storage.

Discovered a perfectly-in-order Sheaffer fountain pen. Loaded it with orange Sailor ink. I'd forgotten that orange ink was one of my favorites ever since I was in high school.

Мягкое дождь падает на крышу моего дома.
Он убаюкивает меня спать, но я не могу.
Замораживания падает снег на крыше вашего дома.
Голодные Волк воет. Дикие медведь ревет.
Я посылаю вам хорошие мысли, чтобы отогнать ваши ночные кошмары.

Мягкое дождь падает на крышу моего дома.
Он убаюкивает меня спать, но я не могу.
Замораживания падает снег на крыше вашего дома.
Голодные Волк воет. Дикие медведь ревет.
Я посылаю вам хорошие мысли, чтобы отогнать ваши ночные кошмары.

Солнце нас объединяет. Это делает нас свободными.
Тем не менее, когда мы выходим на улицу и стоять на солнце,
Мы связаны друг с другом цепями фантазии
И я хочу, что солнце никогда не будет установлен снова.

Легко любить кого-то
Кто находится далеко.
Вы берете слова и изображения
Из киберпространства в ваше сердце.

Я не могу коснуться вашей плоти,
Только с моим умом.
Я не могу держать тебя за руку
И вытри слезы.

Я не могу лежать в постели
И почувствовать свое тело рядом с моим
Даже когда я закрываю глаза
И называть свое имя.

Стихотворение является подсолнечник.
Его ростки семян от сердца.
Подсолнечника ждет вас, чтобы ходить
И смотреть на него, прежде чем он исчезает.

Время идет дальше.
Мы сидим перед нашими компьютерами.
Мы до сих пор,
Но время держит нас на расстоянии друг от друга.
Мы должны встретиться друг с другом
В этой жизни.
Мы не должны встретиться после смерти
Потому что после смерти
Мы будем иметь интеллект
И не влюбиться.

We fall in love with how a person speaks because it is a reflection of how he thinks.

The imposition of speed always takes the love and the joy away from cooking, painting, writing, and knitting.

Two cups black and bitter Moccona.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a canopy of silver brocade.

Children will always believe that it is impossible for you to run out of money.

Living in a tree house is as iffy as living in a boat.

Sleeping in someone's arms is a form of regression.

A house is hostile whenever all of its windows are closed and you cannot see the warmth of life within.

As long as you are a creative person, there is no such thing as an uncreative job.

When the sky is completely covered with frozen clouds, people are glum because they feel as though they were trapped inside an inverted bowl.

Having to wait is proof that we have more time than we actually need.

My Russian Friends are born of a race of men who were poets since the beginning of time.

Reality collapses as soon as fantasy is abolished.

On _____________ there is only one gender, for there is no fragmentation.

There is neither wealth nor poverty on Mars for now, but there is certainly unhappiness, and people would rather be miserable on Earth than on any other planet.

Do not decorate with tall grass. They are the staple decor of funeral wakes.

Spirits of the deceased have difficulty moving on because the living have the very same difficulty.

They watch her show because they gloat over the shots in which her face verges on collapse, in which she vainly attempts to look 20 years younger, and in which she is dressed like an overstuffed German sausage. They enjoy her show immensely because of these.

I love watching shows on space exploration because they make me feel as insignificant as a grain of sand on the shore or a mote of dust in the sky. Whenever I feel that way I sleep very well.

I remember Sen-Sen, and that cinnamon, not citrus, is the best breath freshener.

Licorice, I suppose, is a good substitute.

Never is the word "love" so disgusting as when I hear it used in politics.

Some people write only and believe that it is their sole vocation and passion in life. Others paint only and believe the same. Yet others practice what they worked so hard to earn their degrees in, and believe the same.

All of these people have yet to discover that every person is an infinite well from which an entire range of talents and abilities must be drawn, and that drawing from that well with different buckets is the true meaning of self-actualization.

A person you met on the Internet will not stop surfing the Internet just because he already met you.

Your art is what you say it should be, not what others say it should be.

Good day, Cubao!

The sky is a catch-all for people's cries and woes.

If I devoted my entire time to painting, I would miss out on all the other wonderful pleasures in life.

From Sam Fiorella:

"John Hancock Day aka National Handwriting Day is celebrated annually on January 23, John Hancock's Birthday. For many years, we have celebrated this special holiday for pen people with a contest or promotion focused on handwriting. John Hancock Day is a special holiday for pen, ink and writing aficionados!"

I was in Prep when it rained in school for the first time. Everything changed round me--the dark sky, the classroom ceiling fluorescents that were turned on, the wet driveways and corridors we passed to and from the cafeteria and the prints my shoes made on the cement, even the looks on people's faces. I remember that I so much wanted to be at home and away from all those strangers.

That same feeling came to me whenever I was at work, though I thought it was always because the trains would be extra crowded.

Now, when it rains, I am able to pause and take my time conversing with the rain, and it tells me stories about why everything changes.

Home alone; granddaughters in school.

Two cups black and bitter Moccona.

The streets are still wet from last night's rain.

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept ten hours last night.

Wet night in Cubao.

Dinner with the granddaughters. We ordered food from M.'s cafe. I now bring our dinner plates to the cafe, so that, when the food is ready and presented, everything is brought into the house through the secret passage between the studio foyer and the waiters' sleeping quarters.

Been watching Friends who've been going live, some of whom do so for fun, for sheer chatting, for horsing around, and for nothing in particular. Trying to learn from their mistakes. Especially how to avoid a jiggly camera, poor lighting, and lousy audio.

When I did my test midnight lecture video a few nights ago, I received in-real-time reactions and comments--one from a Filipino and the rest from Russians (it was past midnight here but something like 7:00 PM in Moscow; so much for calling my live videos midnight lectures if my viewers are in different time zones).

I saw that the comments can be used to answer questions (if I have to), as in an open forum.

Of course I deleted the test video. It was awkward. I didn't know how to shut it off, and so it kept recording me long after. (I know how to shut it off now.) I also intend to delete my lectures 30 minutes after airing. I don't like the idea of having them saved in other people's files.

My midnight lectures will happen when they will happen, and very much unannounced. They are set to be seen by Friends only.

Three-hour, deep tissue massage.

Every page in that book is filled with spelling and grammatical errors, and that is a very bad reflection of quality control or the producer's haste to make money.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a tablespoonful of white sugar.

You either sleep or you let your Shadow eat up your night.

Never fear change, although it can entail a drastic revamp of your lifestyle, your comfortable habits, and your circle of friends. Welcome it. Embrace it. It is the only way to counteract the negative, astrological influences in your life.

Dinner alone at M.'s cafe. Then crossed the street to the peanut stand and had a glass jar filled with roasted, peeled peanut with lots of crispy, fried garlic and chopped red chili pepper.

Chito's Tree Is Trimmed After 38 Years

When you are content and feel that you have achieved what you've always wanted to achieve, everything becomes all about your children and your grandchildren.

A gust of cold wind sweeps over my city. It came all the way from Siberia to the tropics. I reach out with my hand and feel it on my palm. Did it ruffle your hair and graze your cheek before it touched me?

Подул холодный ветер сметает над моим городом. Он пришел весь путь от Сибири до тропиков. Я протягиваю рукой и чувствую его на моей ладони. Разве это потрепать волосы и пасутся щеку, прежде чем он прикоснулся ко Мне?

A haunted mind and a haunted heart are so much more terrifying than a haunted house.

Support your children's dreams. After you pass away, they will matter more than yours ever did.

Though inconceivable to many, it is really easier to keep things hidden rather than to expose them.

It often happens that an artist who has little appeal produces artworks that have very strong appeal.

Home alone! Aubrey attending a classmate's debut party and Angelique and J. off to watch a movie and have dinner out.

Back from the center. Replenished all the bathroom items that Aubrey needs. Saw lots of good stuff that I'll come back for some other time.

J. arrived. We are all home.

Must wait for the barangay workers to clear away the cuttings from Chito's tree. Bought them lunch at M.'s cafe.

Even before the rains come, new sprigs will sprout from Chito's tree, and I can then shape them the way I want.

The rip-off vendor doesn't like being made a fool of in front of his buyers. As a result he will always insist on having the last word, even if he is terribly wrong.

I certainly hope the ghost isn't as sensitive to being corrected.

The sky is a plate of lemon coolers.

Good morning, Cubao!

Woke up early. The barangay folks came to trim the huge tree outside our house. It was quite resplendent and arched above and across the street, but there was always the danger that it would take down the lines and cables that had gotten enmeshed in its branches, during some future, violent storm.

Now I can manage mere trimming to keep it in control.

Rely on yourself, not on persons in power. Otherwise, when they lose their positions, you will also lose yours.

The bamboo sheds leaves to make a soft bed for the weary passerby.

Stationary starships are strategically located stations.

4:15 PM. Very late lunch. Tried eating at V.'s canteen, then bought native sweetmeats at a stall.

Two cups black and bitter Moccona.

Good noon, Cubao!

Home alone, granddaughters in school.

The sky is a field of white daisies.

Today is a "hard labor" day for me--I'm doing my laundry in the washing machine and then filling hanging planters with garden soil on the side balcony.

Only computers have defaults. Never refer to anything in your life as being a "default"--a "default" outfit, a "default" hairstyle, a "default" meal, a "default" pastime.

You are a creative person. It is your duty to make as many positive changes as you can to everything that is a "default" in your life.

Two cups black and bitter Moccona.

Never make your workplace your world, no matter how important you believe your job is. Otherwise you will become a single goldfish in a tiny bowl.

Social media browsers and stalkers are they who end up with pangs of deep loneliness and sleepless nights, and all that happens because of their passive attitudes.

Engage with your on-line friends in conversation. You will no longer feel as though the world is passing you by.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sky is a slice of candied winter melon.

A Philippine-Made Notebook From The 1950s

I love the metallic silver print that never wore off, no matter what.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J. Afterward, lemon- and rose-flavored Turkish Delights and assorted licorice candies for dessert.

Only I like those confections. We tried others several times before but only I liked those also.

Two more listed under "Grandpa's Dreaded Desserts".

Lunch with Aubrey.

Went to the center to pay our water bill, buy food for our dinner, and buy more planters for our side balcony.

Also bought two things for the small porch at the back of my captain's cabin bedroom, but that is still a work in progress.

Your e-mail message:

"Goodmorning po! Im _________________ taking up BSHM Tourism. Yung thesis ko po is about 'Paranormal 

Activities as an Attraction to Allocentric Tourist in ________________ Hotel, Baguio'. Pwede ko po ba kyo 

ma'interview? Pandagdag po sa pagaaral ko yung makakalap kong information. Sana po matulungan
niyo ko :)"

My reply:

Hello ____________________!

1) I do not participate in such activities because they actually prevent the entire nation from

being truly spiritual. They are the very reason why there are so many superstitious atchays and atchay

thrill-seekers in this world.

2) As a former thesis adviser, I should comment that your topic has nothing to do with the advancement

of your university, your society, and tourism.

3) Had I been interested in helping you, I would require you to submit to me first a letter from your

department chair and your thesis adviser, on official university letterhead, asking me to grant you an 

interview and indicating to me the relevance of your topic. And I know that they will not do that, as

surely as I am not interested in being interviewed.

Frankly, I suggest that you choose a more substantial and well-grounded thesis topic, something

that your country urgently needs.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sun is a red-hot, soldering iron.

Of course I watched Garage Sale Mystery 6: The Novel Murders on DIVA. It remains my favorite series. As usual, it has a refreshing cast with no pretensions, no melodramatic monologues, and no attempts at looking sexy, a solid, main plot without loopholes, and deliciously cozy subplots. The characters in this episode include a bird man, a fake psychic reader who cons senior citizens, a mystery novelist, and a Sherlock Holmes expert. Even in this sixth production we are consistently given nice clothing and jewelry, and well-dressed sets and interesting props.

There is only one thing not consistent about this series, and it is that its main characters actually DEVELOP. I am so tired of other shows in which the same expositions are given and in which the characters never change and never age.

I hope that this series goes on and on through the time that its lead becomes a great grandmother.

Started reading _TTO_, which my sister Sylvia ordered and shipped to me. (She bought a copy for herself as well.) Very interesting. A true vade mecum.

If you devote more time to numbers, they will eventually come not from your mind but from your heart, and you will speak them as eloquently and as spontaneously as words.

Air speaks, and then earth.

The sky is the glass floor of the wind goddess.

Good morning, Cubao!

Intermittent, gusty winds in Cubao.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

At least six people from the south should own six of my Wands.

Mild Anxiety Attack?

There is a way to convert a mild anxiety attack into a whole-body orgasm, thus eliminating the need to take any kind of medication.

1) Be aware of how the anxiety translates to body sensations, focusing on your skin. The feeling should translate to an over-all tingle, as when you are pleasantly excited.

2) Associate the tingle with memories of anticipating graduation day, attending a big party, preparing for a job interview, and the like--note that they are all situations in which you are happy while not knowing exactly what will happen or how things will turn out, as though you were about to enter a new life. Note further that all of these are metaphorical of the neonate's entry from the uterus to the world.

3) Enjoy the tingle. It goes with a pleasant feeling of body weakness. It also lasts longer than an actual orgasm.

Know that anxiety is always a product of the imagination, and that imagination is also the key to convert it to a positive feeling--or to dispel it completely.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J.

An Unexpected, Post-New Year Gift From Tanya

The rationality of the universe is nowhere like the rationality of human beings.

You wonder why you wake up feeling exhausted even after a full night's sleep. It is because you've been involuntarily astral-traveling to faraway places yet recall none of it.

Nothing is really yours. Everything that you have is merely on loan to you for the present lifetime, in the same way that a stage actor has props that he surrenders to the theater at the end of a performance.

The sky is a half-consumed pillar candle.

Good day, Cubao!

Spent most of the day with Toto, who fixed the glitches on our two desktop computers.

Back home from an enchanted day in Alitagtag, Batangas with Tina. Yes, she brought the Krus Ng Alitagtag that I gave her.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is the hub of a spinning, bicycle wheel.

In-breeding is the worst thing that can happen to any intellectual. It causes one to give birth to deformed ideas.

You have to cross boundaries and expand your horizons.

Your Messenger message:

"Good afternoon, sir. I dreamed of something special last night. I was on a vacation with my family far from home when I decided to take a picture of the scenery. I took a picture of iced glaciers by the bridge while someone is taking a pose in it. I can't remember exactly who. I was lying in front of a cozy nipa hut by the lake. I proceeded to take pictures when I saw a glimpse of beautiful mountains above the sky, and some unidentified objects (planets maybe). I was ecstatic to spend hours lying on the ground watching the stars. We were somewhere in Manila, I guess; we opted to rebook our flights home to a later date because we were enjoying our vacation. Inside the nipa hut was a wide, mansion-like room. I met the husband of my sister (she is presently single) who had three dogs (1 is a Siberian Husky, the other two were actually babies in form) I was very scared to touch it since I was chased by a dog when I was younger. My mom hugged one of the babies (dogs) and that gave me somehow courage to hug it, too. And it was surprisingly easy to do. After that, I went out again to play. I was practicing to fly. Little by little, I went higher above the ground and I flew flawlessly when a young man saw me, and screamed "She can fly!" (a sound of mixed astonishment and fear) I continued to fly. I was staying on focus despite knowing that an audience will gather afterwards. I felt an unwavering sense of freedom. Then, I went back to the ground. Suddenly there were men approaching uphill, as if drunk and throwing weights at each other. I just avoided them, one after another, until I reached the nipa hut once again. My sister and her husband decided to fly back home earlier than us since it was Monday and my sister's husband seems to work for the government. He had his bags ready and awkwardly made my mom to pack an ice cream for him (chocolate ice cream in a huge container) My sister went hours later after her husband. My parents, myself and my husband (who is my present boyfriend-he appeared only once in this dream) decided to stay after accompanying my sister to the airport. I am particularly curious about the flying scene and the scenery above the sky because I knew it was not normal but I still embraced it. The mountains above the sky gave me a cozy feeling while flying gave me a sense of freedom. I hope you can help me interpret this particular dream. Gracias muy byen!"


My reply:

Hello _____!

This was another of your astral journeys--not only in time but in space. The present and the future are juxtaposed.

1) You will marry a man who is able to accept your psychic abilities.
2) You will reside not here but in a foreign country.
3) At this time you journey in the astral realm to escape not only your problems but other people's problems as well. Only after you have transcended this will you be able to journey to help others.

Good day, Cubao!

Chito, Chevy, and Vinci had to wait outside in the driveway for ten minutes, because I didn't wake up despite the bell in the small loggia.

Lunch and groceries.

A tin of ruby black tea from Cherry. I must have some tomorrow!

My Papemelroti Gnome Plaza and Miniature Cactus Garden

I tried making the positions of the figurines more dynamic, but they turned out chaotic and totally un-serene, like stage blocking, and so this is how they are arranged until they decide to change positions on their own.

Papemelroti Goes World Class

At last, Papemelroti upgraded its packaging--everything is now lovingly wrapped in brown paper and contained in sturdy, craft-paper bags. The bags are sealed with child-safe stickers. If you buy a lot of stuff, they even give you colorful eco bags to place everything in.

Finishing details like these are what make a company really classy. They reflect how much the proprietors value not only their own merchandise--but their customers as well.

Aubrey in school, Angelique and J. spending the day out, and I deliberating whether to buy more hanging planters, this time for the upper-floor side balcony.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

The sun is a slice of sweet and overripe pineapple.

All magic should be as light and as easy and as accessible as prayer.

Any magic that requires you to search high and low for "eye of toad and tongue of newt" may be fun for a while, but, in the end, you ask your self what that frenzied hunt was all about. You could have spent all of that time on more important things.

If the materials aren't in your back yard, forget it. If they are in someone else's back yard, then it's HIS magic, not yours.

I will encode it here now. Yesterday, Thursday, was an unpleasant day for you. You were short-tempered and felt like snapping at other people--and, maybe, you did.

The next time you seem to have a day like this:

--Do not exert yourself physically.
--Stay in one place if you can, and center yourself with a cool drink, such as lemonade.
--Avoid talking to others.
--Do not pass on the ill will. If you do, it will travel and go round.
--Treat yourself to something really nice.
--Know that no day is perfect, and do not take things that upset you as personal affronts.

Had my silversmith make this for me in the early 1990s to coincide with the release of my book Cubao Pagkagat Ng Dilim. Found it inside an old jewelry box and decided to wear it again.

Took two of Angelique's grad photos to put in my wallet.

Something must be wrong with Google Translate. Whenever I ask my Russian Friends on Chat "What time is it there?", the answer ALWAYS is "I do not know".

You are not obliged to answer everyone's questions.

Some people will deliberately challenge your knowledge only to see how much they can get from you. Don't fall into that trap.

It is best to keep such people ignorant and self-skeptical.

When a scanner or a healer asks for the full name, birth date, and photograph of a person requesting remote scanning or healing, it is not for the benefit of the scanner or healer but for the benefit of his spirit guides, who need to latch themselves onto something concrete in order to initiate full contact.

Most of us have been brought up to avoid staring at strangers in the streets or in public vehicles, because it would be impolite. In places with high crime rates, however, it is advantageous to look people in the eye, to remember them, and to be able to identify them later if necessary.

Poorer by thousands. Paid in full for Angelique's second semester of her senior year at university. She is graduating at last, but I am encouraging her to take up graduate studies while I am still alive.

I have never wanted to live in a condo because I know that I will feel like a wasp in a nest.

Sooner or later someone will smoke us out or spray insecticide.

Haven't you noticed that you hardly remember what you saw on TV the day or the night before? It is the same repression that occurs after coming down a public vehicle--you hardly remember who your co-passengers were.

That is because watching TV and riding a public vehicle are mere transition periods. It is where you come from and where you arrive that really matters.

Lunch alone at M.'s cafe.

Now waiting for a service person to arrive. If he doesn't, I might buy two more hanging planters to complete everything I need for the studio entrance.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir, I hope you can interpret my friend's dream. - - -> I'm kinda disturbed with the dream I had last night, my deceased Dad is driving the car, and we're driving on a very narrow road, but he seemed relaxed while I was too nervous since we might fall on the ravine on the sides of the road. I'm at the backseat with my sister. Then came another scene where we're already walking and he's on his wheelchair, it was a mountainous type of road and that's why we're forced to walk, but climbing up seemed too easy in that dream even if he's on a wheelchair. What's that all about? I'm a bit nervous coz I haven't dream about him in a long time and I might be on a travel again this week. I wish someone can interpret it for me. (Thank you Sir)"


My reply:

Hello _________!

Your friend is undergoing a major change in her life, possibly with regard to a marriage or a similar relationship, and this change entails an overhaul of traditionalist values. Even at this stage in her life she is willing to take huge risks if only to attain a happiness she has always wanted to have, yet, she is unsure as to how all of this will affect her security, her stature, and her currently comfortable lifestyle.

The sky is a dish garden of blossoming clouds.

Good morning, Cubao!

Another day of being home alone. Angelique at university and Aubrey at school.

Rest day from planting.

Two cups black, Moccona coffee.

The average person dresses to look like everyone else but really wishes he doesn't have to.

A person who has been doing something a certain way for years eventually believes that it is the right and the only way.

This is the year of the father who stands above the elderly king.

An afternoon of planting at the studio entrance and at the small loggia. Quite exhausting. Soil is heavy. Yet, the activity centers me.

Back from the center. Paid our phone and cable bills, and bought S-hooks, more hanging planters, chopped coconut husks for orchids, and a sturdy creeper.

Also checked out the newly-opened branch of Fully Booked at Gateway. They didn't have the books I am looking for.

Must go back to Gateway soon to buy figurines for our dish gardens, as in Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

Your Messenger message:

"Good am sir. Mababasa nyo po ba via pic Kung ano ang character ng isang tao?

"May gf po kasi ang brother ko and he is a Dr, and the girl has a son sa pagkadalaga. My brother is acting as if he is not himself, he had previous exes na nurse and Dr also like him, so gulat kami ng family nmin dahil Eto pong babae na gf nya now eh bukod sa dalagang Ina eh nagtrabaho po dati sa casino and gimikera. My brother seems serious with her showering her with gifts, he even defended the girl sa relatives namin when they asked him to just go back with his ex na Dr. Hindi naman po kami nanlalait but the girl is just a secretarial grad, both parents not working, sya breadwinner and may anak pa sya. We don't want to see my brother being used by a girl under the guise na Mahal nya Kubo bro ko. Because my brother looks as if he is enchanted with her.

"Mahal kuno...

"Eto po pic ng girl.. sna po mareplyan nyo po ako.

"We are all worried for my brother Kasi he is not like this with previous relationships... And we know na iba na rin mga babae ngayon, they use their brains more than their heart and who would not want to have a Dr. for a bf or husband?

"Sna po masagot nyo po ko. Salamat po."

My reply:

Hello _______!

I don't handle third-party cases. If your brother thinks he needs help, he should contact me directly.

The girl in the photo might just be providing exactly what your brother needs at this time in his life. He is an adult who has the right to live his own life and make his own choices. No one should tell him whom to fall in love with. Grant him the intelligence that he has. Grant the girl also the goodness of heart that she may have. That she is a single mother and that she did not have the benefit of a higher education have nothing to do with it.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a blue-and-white chess board.

When someone asks you for help, it doesn't mean that they want it or need it.

Watched the nth replay of the Edward Norton version of The Incredible Hulk on HBO. Liked it, but I have the same problems that I do with any version:

--I am disturbed by the Hulk's artistically-tattered, Scooby-Doo zombie pants, the way I am disturbed by the modest loincloths of Orcs. Who sewed them? Why are they color-coordinated with his skin tone like a Flintstones dinosaur? How can they drastically change in size?

--Didn't the scientists ever conclude that creating a Hulkess would solve the problem?

It is the kind and gentle people who live longest in this world, for no one ever wants to get rid of them.

Filled three planters with garden soil. It was quite backbreaking. Must do three more later.

Today I am taking a break from studio clearing work. Resuming work tomorrow.

In the meantime I should turn my attention to the planters at the studio entrance.

Drizzle in Cubao.

Noontime has been pleasantly cool, with or without a drizzle.

Late lunch at home with Angelique.

We have been eating by candlelight for the past two meals now, trying out our dinner candelabra.

Overcast sky above Cubao, like an enchanted, in-between time, neither day nor night.

Two cups black and bitter Moccona coffee.

If your brewed coffee isn't bitter enough, add a spoonful of Moccona in your cup.

Only when I wake up peacefully and leisurely does the day seem like a brand-new life ahead of me.

I look back sadly now at all the times I had to wake up to an alarm and jump out of bed.

Good day, Cubao!

The sky is a milk chocolate bar.

In an extreme long shot, a huge crowd of black-haired people looks like swirling, sun-dried raisins in a basin.

I have Friends from Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia. I am aware of tensions between their countries, and I am always hoping that none of it affects our friendship.

Back from the center.

Bought more rectangular planters for the studio entrance.

Finished organizing and re-stacking the huge amount of canvases and un-hung paintings in the studio. Divided them up into three groups: storage, recycling, and to give away.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a family-size Hawaiian pizza.

You turn on the lights to escape the discomfort of the night's embrace.

One of the security guards had an affair with a former tenant, who became pregnant and recently gave birth. The guard resigned and went back to his hometown with the former tenant. Presumably to get married, is what I'm thinking.

When you are recording a song inside a sound studio:

1) Do not bother to have a makeover. You might get your greasy lipstick all over the mike. Besides, you are exerting your voice,not your face.

2) Do not change the way your hair drapes over your head several times during your song. It doesn't make sense.

3) Do not switch the position of your headset. It will affect the audio.

4) Do not bother to move gracefully. No one is supposed to be looking at you.

I note that many of my Friends in the Russian Federation are into tight, really tight, pants. As tight as ballet tights.

A root beer at M.'s cafe.

A peaceful, serene, Sunday evening in the neighborhood.

Streamline your paper files regularly. Spare your family their having to pore over them in the event that you suddenly die.

There is nothing so ironic as having your family deliberate over the importance of certain documents and notes if, had they been able to ask you, you would only say, "Throw that away. It's trash."

Let all of those executives drive to and from work, and take their children to and from school, everyday for one month in the cars they claim have no defects.

Powerful people can defend themselves adequately without your help. They are even getting paid to do that.

Focus your efforts and resources on improving yourself, not your idols. Especially because, in your own time of need, they won't even know your name.

The worst awards of all are office awards. After you retire they really mean nothing.

When, in a discussion or interview, someone says "Moving forward," DON'T. He just wants to show that he is dominating the discussion and its direction because he no longer has ideas to properly address the present topic or issue.

Slap him in the face by saying, "Later. I'll tell you when."

If you like being frequently showcased by the media, you will eventually be unable to be yourself, make your own choices, change your mind and your image according to your passions, allow your darkness to show through, and live your life to the fullest.

Retire from work and from society, but never from your personal life.

Whenever you lose someone or something, remember that you cannot own the entire sky, only a handful of stars, and only those that manage to stay within your grasp.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Pretend that you want something very much, and make sure that other people know it.

Then watch your enemies spend the rest of their lives trying to prevent you from obtaining what they think you want.

A very late lunch with Aubrey.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

The sun is a castle-shaped play tent.

M.'s grandmother went home to Bicol today. She spent the Christmas and New Year holidays in Cubao, with M.

Dinner at home with Aubrey. Tried Korean fast food.

Later, a root beer at M.'s cafe. They are watching a DVD of _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_ again.

Then Angelique and J. arrived from dinner out.

The reason thousands of artists can live on painting and survive in the U.S. is that they have three options for placing their art: in art galleries, with private art agents, and in art cooperatives.

Be careful when choosing a "granite" top. Otherwise your kitchen counter will look like it is covered all over with moss or mold or forest sludge or muddy stone.

Enchanted Cubao sunset, the sky a dusty blue to the east and a burnt orange to the west. Everything is cloaked with a pink mist. Looking round me out on the driveway is like looking round within a Maxfield Parrish painting.

In the end, terrestrial elementals are of valuable service because they herald and can deliver messages from alien beings, since, on other planets, there may be no humans but there definitely are elementals.

Cleared the studio floor of four major things. Making progress.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a flowering, prickly-pear cactus.

The seniors say:

• "A single king rules a village
• No hat can be more famous than the crown
• Neither wide nor long, the hand may be larger than the head
• Wisdom, understanding and thought are the force that moves the Earth
• I have everything and everything I need
• It is a mistake not to learn from mistakes made"

Good morning, Cubao!

Bright and sunny!

The sky is a cartridge of blue and white paint balls.

When you have sex with someone, you become as identical twins. After you have parted ways, you remain connected. When the other is ill or on the brink of death, you will sense it--especially if the other is still in love with or thinking fondly of you.

Like the astral realm, cyberspace has no walls, fences, and streets.

Connect the dots. Why is it that, ever since he took office, many pretentious restaurants have been losing money and are shutting down, and many communication centers are downsizing?

Unwarranted ghost hunts are disrespectful to the spirit world.

The best statements are those that require no explanation.

Back from the center. Did groceries and bought two, rectangular planters for the studio entrance.

When someone insists on giving you unsolicited advice, attempts to sell you tickets, or tells you to give a donation to a cause, all you have to do is look him in the eye and say, "No one tells me what to do."

When the sweetest, most rational, and most mature friend becomes a crosspatch and unravels due to bankruptcy, poverty, or lack of money, believe me that he was never sweet, never rational, and never mature to begin with.

More clearing work in the studio.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sky is a bower of white grapes.

I observe that the most perverse, hypocritical, and neurotic members of society are those who live beneath veneers of traditionalism, conservatism, and religiosity.

Opted to go with broken sets as condiment cellars. Other people buy a completely new set when a piece in their set gets broken, but this seems more visually interesting to me.

Dinner with the granddaughters. This is the time I give them their Christmas cash gifts, after all the holiday brouhaha.

Why do we keep taking in Badjaos and Aetas during the Christmas holidays? They not only beg in the streets--they eat and sleep in the streets as well, and heaven knows if they can even locate public rest rooms. They all go back to their villages firmly believing how cruel, callous, discriminatory, and uncharitable Metro Manila residents are. Of what social and cultural value, therefore, is this annual "exchange visit"?

We should take in members of minorities only if we can provide housing and three meals a day for them, making their visit a pleasant vacation, which we can't even do for the victims of disasters.

If we have to take these Filipinos in at all, someone should build a cultural festival showcasing how beautiful they are, what their arts and crafts are, and how much they deserve to be treated well.

They are always thinking up less offensive, new words and phrases synonymous to "mediocre", all of which are pretentious, so that, in the end, they themselves become mediocre AND pretentious.

Back from the center after a late lunch with the granddaughters.

Paid our electric, bought three condiment cellars, a cooking vessel recommended by a friend, and eight little plants for the studio entrance.

The sky is a glass abacus.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept ten hours last night.

A nine-year-old boy from Bosnia went on Chat with me. The only way I could converse with him was through Google-Translate, from Croatian to English and vice-versa. He was very concerned about a "killer clown" and asked me whether this clown attacked again. I found three, Philippine-made videos on facebook and decided that they were what he was referring to.

I had to assure him, again and again, that all of it was phony, and shot with long shots, medium shots, and close-ups like a movie. 

Funny how people in different countries pick up trivia from your country and think that it's happening all over the place.

You cannot come to a psychic with a pack of lies. He will only turn things against you and make you ten times the loser you already are.

She came to me weeping hysterically, wanting to have her boyfriend back, asking me for magical solutions to her heartbreak and her sleepless nights.

Why should I help her? By merely reading her photo, I saw that her "boyfriend" is a married man who decided to go back to his lawful wife, and that she who came to me is the "other" woman out to destroy a family.

I NEVER take a cry for help at face value. People who cry the loudest are the real aggressors in life.

Three Buddha Heads For New Beginnings

I note that he is trying to look, dress, move, act, and talk like the action star but not quite succeeding.

January 3, 2017

Rampant bashing has resumed. Why did it stop for Christmas and New Year's Day, anyway?

Will it stop again--temporarily--on the Feast Day of the Black Nazarene?

Two cups black Moccona espresso coffee.

Gathered peepal sprigs from the side of the street and planted those in the new, terracotta planters at the studio entrance. Hoping they grow to be additional dragon  trees.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a packet of lemon jelly-worms.

From Cecile Brainard:

"I’m helping the publisher Onyx with this Special Philippine Edition. Please email submissions to cbrainard@gmail.com – Cecilia Brainard.

"Deadline extended to Feb. 28, 2017

"Call for submission:

"Onyx International Journal is accepting submissions of poems, essays, and fiction in English for a special edition on the Philippines. Focus is on the current situation in the Philippines.

"The editor will accept anonymous submissions. Payment will be a copy of the journal

"Onyx International is published by Jasmaya Productions and Publications – Jasmaya.com.

"Please inform other writers. Thank you."

If you survived the second day of the year, you will survive the rest of the year.

Curses and hexes really last no more than six months.

They do NOT last for generations.

Angelique and J. are now home.

Watching Teen Wolf 6 but only when the TV happens to be on and I accidentally channel-hop to it. Was turned off by the Mad Max antagonists. Now the antagonist seems to be out of Sleepy Hollow.

The only werewolf element in this series appears to be long, dark fingernails.

Uncannily, I found all of the Celtic runes in Japanese characters, and wonder if they are present in Chinese and Korean characters too.

Aubrey didn't want to eat a regular meal because of her tightened braces. She cooked noodles and asked for bags of savories, which I bought from D.'s store.

All of the shops in Sitio Catacutan are open with a vengeance. Although M.'s cafe opened at 2:00 PM, they are now in full force. Aubrey came back from the family dentist's and bought PHP809 worth of watercolor supplies for a school project.

Thinking of buying two items for the kitchen tomorrow.

Go tiny. Your dream house may be a big house, but, if you build it, it will consume all of your money with construction costs and furnishing--and then drive you to ruination by maintenance costs and repairs.

Do not let religion prevent you from seeing, recognizing, and analyzing patterns.

Cult leaders are always threatened by intelligent members.

As a general rule classroom teachers do not like students who have analytic minds.

Three-hour, deep tissue massage.

New Year Cabin Fever

Aubrey is off to the family dentist's to have her braces tightened, Angelique and J. are watching a movie and then having dinner with J.'s family, and I sauntered out to buy three planters at Farmers Garden.

When an employee indulges in malicious gossip about his co-employees, it is a form of stealing, and it is a sure sign that he does not love his job.

It is futile for an envious person to burn down his neighbor's house. When his neighbor rebuilds, his house will be a castle made of gold.

Late lunch with the granddaughters.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

The sky is a sheet of nylon mesh.

Every social climber is doomed to be forgotten.

It is now the time for atchays to tell fellow atchays they wish to irk by saying, "TUMABA KA." This is usually done in an ambiguous tone and with an equally ambiguous facial expression. It is a surefire way to offend atchays--even to the extent that they will be unable to sleep that night.

As I mentioned in a previous posting--on Google+, I believe--atchays cannot understand why "Tumaba ka" is offensive, so let me enlighten them again.

Here is what "Tumaba ka" means:

"Once upon a time you were gorgeous, but now you no longer are--and I am not sure whether you will be again."

A Rose By The Same Name Does Not Smell Just As Sweet

Do a mental recall of your "enemies", i.e. people who have done you injustices, competed unfairly with you, or hurt you in any manner. Make a list of their first names and nicknames.

You will note a surprising pattern. Let us use the name "Francis" as an example.

For every "Francis" who has hurt you, there will always be another person, also named "Francis", who did the exact opposite--rescued you, bailed you out, or was extremely generous to you.

Life is strange. Even your "enemies" and your friends come in pairs.

And even YOU have a counterpart to other people--whether a positive one or a negative one has always been up to you, so take time to reflect on how you have been cruel or kind to those people.