Lolita

I was browsing through the yellowed pages; the old-book-scent filling the air. And then I found it. Last night, on page 43 to be exact.

And, now, I can't get this goofy smile off my face.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)

Claro (Part 1)

He was born during a solar eclipse, the light of the noonday sun obscured by the moon's shadow for a total of two fleeting minutes. His mother, eight months pregnant, was at the town market, in front of a fruit stall, happily sampling a ripe plum that the vendor has given to her for free. Even though she was way past that period when pregnant women have weird, uncontrollable cravings for certain food, Dona Placida had an inexplicable craving for plums that she left her husband at their dining table, halfway through lunch. Don Jubilo, his spoon hanging in mid-air, was dumbfounded with his wife leaving the table in haste, muttering about how she needed to eat a plum at that exact moment. He shook his head and thought: "What a weird woman" and then continued to eat. Don Jubilo's and Dona Placida's house was situated at the center of the town; the market is just a good ten-minute walk from their two-storey stone house.

Eclipses happen only once or twice a year. The sun and the moon are parallel bodies that, theoretically, will never meet. They are separated by millions of light years, each with a different orbit but nonetheless, connected to each other - moonlight came from the sun. The moon has always wanted to be close to the sun; to experience the sun's magnificent light wash over its dull body; to feel the sun's delicious warmth envelope its cold, rocky surface. The closest that the moon can get to it is when it passes between the sun and the earth.

As Dona Placida bit into her plum, the moon's wish to be close to the sun was granted. Dona Placida stood there, mesmerized by the sudden nightfall in the middle of a hot, summer day. She forgot all about the plum. She didn't even notice that her waters broke. She was hypnotized and time stood still; nothing was of importance to her other than the seeming union of the moon and the sun. No one can peel their eyes off the moon, now bathed in a golden halo that was almost blinding. Gradually, the moon moved on and the light from the sun was slowly spreading over the little town. But, Placida was still caught up in her reverie.   

She was propelled back to reality when she felt a tiny hand holding the small finger of her left hand. She realized that she was sitting on the pavement, cradling an infant - her newborn son - the tiny creature, indeed, holding on to her small finger, his umbilical cord still connected to her womb. He was so small, painfully small. He arrived earlier than expected, a month before he was due. His skin glowed like the moon's golden halo. His mouth began to open and he began to swallow mouthfuls of air without making a sound. His eyes started to open and he met his mother's curious, brown eyes gazing at him. He recognized her at once and managed to give her a small smile. He didn't cry at all, unlike all other newborns. It was Dona Placida who actually cried out of joy. She believed that what she was cradling in her arms was a child blessed by the sun and the moon. Claro, my Claro, she murmured to him. Claro raised his small hand and touched her mama's face in response.       

I will never have a shortage of brothers.

I already miss them, even though they just bullied me most of the time last Saturday. :)



The three musketeers :)

I hope we'll stay the same even as the years go by. SENTI LANG? Malamang separation anxiety. Hahaha. Ang hirap talaga 'pag manic Mondays, nagiging schizo/emo ang mga tao. The weather's not helping either. :D

Hope you guys have a nice Monday :)

Magic Mike

Me: Look, we don't have to put a bet on the odds of a game. That's fine. I get it. I don't care whether we win by 17+ points or just even one. But, you know, I just... I need some consistency.


Mike Silungan: I know.

Me: I need to know that you're not gonna wake up in the morning and play differently, or moodily. Like those games with AdU and ADMU. You hardly made any field goals.

Mike Silungan: And I can't give you that. Nobody can.

Me: Marvin Cruz did. Back in 2007. We might've lost but he was a consistent, good player.


Image from here.
*Excerpts from 500 Days of Summer

August Reading List

Five books in a month. Pretty ambitious.

Art Appreciation 101

Me, Jonna, and Shara



It was Shara's idea to interpret jewelry designs found on Pinterest in an attempt to break the monotony of everyday work.This exercise provides comic relief as well. From eccentric rings and comic facial expressions to house architecture, we have now moved on to interpret abstract paintings. It's interesting since Jonna attended painting classes and she was able to educate us on how to make out patterns/meanings in abstract works of art. Our interpretations have improved; we now know that we need to step back and squint, if necessary, to look at the bigger picture, instead of focusing on the nitty-gritty details which, sometimes, hinder authentic understanding. You need to step back and look at the bigger picture. True in art, true in life. Sometimes, all you need is a change of perspective.

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Of Tattoos and Super Mario Brothers

From a long day at the office, I found myself, finally, on my way home. I was lucky to find a seat  inside the crowded LRT train. I was seated next to a skinhead guy with several tattoos stamped on his body. I find tattoos intriguing and even considered getting inked once (when I was younger) so I discreetly studied the tattoos of this person seated next to me.

He had one abstract tattoo on his left arm. I think those were flames in red and blue. Aside from the tattoo, his left arm was adorned by several baller IDs and chunky bracelets. Nothing special about the arm tattoo; just the usual designs you can find in henna tattoo "lookbooks".

But, the standout tattoo can be found on his neck. I committed that tattoo to memory because it was interesting, like a recollection of my own childhood. Again, this tattoo was etched in blue and red ink. The drawing below is my recollection of the said tattoo.

This is my recollection of the tattoo. Yes, there were (red) waves even.  

I restrained myself from humming the Mario brothers theme while looking at his neck.