Fasting

I always hear this quote whenever it's fasting week:

"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie.
It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for
heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not
the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we
drink in every night."-John Piper

2009

The last few days of 2009 were a blur. But with the blurriness came a sense of clarity that can only come after a bout of blurriness.


It was a year with its share of dramas. Some of my own choosing, some were shoved towards me. Things are meant to happen if they are meant to happen I guess.

When from afar it looked like a wall being erected, when I drew near, it turned out to be a new bridge being built. When doors were shut, windows have been thrown open.

There are a lot of places to be explored, hands to be held, backs to be patted, voices to be heard, ears needing to hear, shoulders to be leaned on and heads to lean on.

Here I am thankful to God for the year that was 2009.

Singapura

It has been a while since I experienced a different setting, a different taste. And as soon as I got that fix for a few days, I have been recharged.

Taking on the city for a few days showed me the many similarities and differences of Singapore and Manila. Consumerism pervades in every corner. Whether you are in Divisoria or Mustapha, it’s the same old banana. Every market is a collection of people trying to exchange stuff with your money.

Esplanade at night

At the same time, things are so different. SG is my first and only taste of the first world. And coming from this part of the world, I can’t help but stand in awe of its modernity and efficient way of doing things.

Working in the Philippine's central business district didn't make much difference. They mean much more serious business there in terms of efficiency of systems. Maybe that's why people smile less.

red building I saw on my way to 30 Cecil St.

Heck, even the pace of the escalators is much faster than what we have here. If these escalators are any indication of the difference in the pace of life, we have a lot of ground to make up for IF we want to catch on.

This trip was purely an escape. For a few days, I felt like living someone else’s life. It was a collection of missions for me, dog-bonding time, finding Pacita Abad's Alkaff bridge on foot, checking out the LKY school, trekking in Pulau Ubin, reconnecting with old friends and checking out the Platts office. As a throwback, we watched the movie Singapura at the national museum with Helen’s officemates. It was set in World War II’s Singapore.

Pacita Abad's Alkaff bridge

After six days, this SIMS-like place has grown on me. And I feel like I can better take on its smugness and toxicity.

Maybe that's what I need. A fresh perspective on something I've already seen.

The city and dog encounters have been a breath of fresh air.

in a bus stop in Toh Guan Road

I'm glad that whenever I feel like getting out of my daily grind. I have a fortress of solitude I can go to. As the Danish proverb says, the road to a friend's place is never long. Thanks to Bus 183. (I owe you a sling.)

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Let your heart be light

From now on,

our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Make the Yuletide gay,

From now on,

our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,

Happy golden days of yore.

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Gather near to us once more.

Through the years

We all will be together,

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

Defying Gravity

Something has changed within me 

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

Of someone else's game

Too late for second-guessing 

Too late to go back to sleep 

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes: and leap!

I'm through accepting limits
''cause someone says they're so

Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!

Criminal Minds and Glee

From Criminal Minds to Glee, the shift isn't that obvious actually. And the titles are a bit deceiving too. The former, despite its title, speaks of forgiveness in the end, while the latter speaks of competition and betrayal too. A case of “Don’t judge the show by its title”.

“Criminal Minds” uses quotations to drive home the point. While the Glee cast breaks into a song and dance number …..because they’re in a Glee Club.

I love the quotations in Criminal Minds. I, in the apex of boredom, even memorized some of these lines. And when nobody’s listening or if only a select few are, I sing some lines in the songs showcased in Glee.

And both are my top flavors of the month. Well, do these flavors only follow what’s trending or what’s abuzz? Or do I really like them? Who knows?

For now, they provide a wonderful diversion from the reality of the moment.

Pacman Gobbles 'Em Up

Pacman eats Mexico + UK + Puerto Rico Artwork by: Ralph Reigner Esquivias

My brother Bob is in the middle of the Indian Ocean but he just had to call me (using a sat phone) to ask me how the fight went. He was not satisfied knowing Manny Pacquiao won. He wanted to know every detail of the 12-round fight.

Bob and I, before the Pacquaio-De La Hoya fight 

Manny won again. So what’s new? Well, he did it in a weight division, seven rungs higher than his first belt. From flyweight to welterweight, his feat is simply amazing.

Some call him the best pound for pound boxer in the world. Some tag him as the best fighter of this era.

For all his achievements, one that has greatest impact for me is the unifying and paralyzing effect his fight has on the entire nation. As I was walking the Bonifacio High Street on a sunny Sunday morning, the walkways are devoid of the usual throngs of people. I heard one foreigner quipped, “Where are the people?” And she immediately answered her own question, oh today is the fight! That explains the ghost-town look of Hi-street.

Oh Manny.

With his nakakalokong smile and his ultra-quick punches, Manny united us once again, albeit for a few hours only.

Thanks to the organizers of the TIMEX run who put up a wide screen monitor for those who don’t have access to a live telecast. And watched under a blazing sun, we did.

Once again, the southpaw boxer from Gen San (or is it Sarangani now?) united a nation hungry for something to bind its people together.