Goodbye 2012... Hello 2013!

Blog160:

New Year's Eve!

Boom!  Crack!  Rattattat!

Firecrackers' popping there and here

Crowd neighborhoods with litter and foggy smoke

Soon as dusk turn to early evening darkness ...

New Year's Eve!

Streets everywhere come alive and merriment begins

Festive lights compete in color and brightness

While drum roll sporadically reverberates

Its piped sounds through wall crevices and cracks ...

New Year's Eve!

Outside ... excited teen boys led by fathers and friends

Brave their first attempt at lighting fireworks

While young and old women protect the very young

From getting close to the splintering, cracking fires ...

New Year's Eve!

Equipped with their whistles and paper-made blowers

Children push air in their noisemakers as hard as they can

Mixing up noises with tricycle drivers' horn tooting

As they snake in and find their riders' ways to homes ...

New Year's Eve!

Inside the house, Mother calmly boils water

For tea and chocolate milk that will be served

Along with native cakes, pancit and cheese sandwiches

In yet another Media Noche meal this last day of 2012 ...

Welcome, 2013!

New Year's Day pops in at 12:01 midnight

Amidst second by second counting ...10-9-8-7-6-5-4 ...

And cheery exchanges of best wishes and hopes

Juxtaposed with nostalgic singing of 'Auld Lang Syne' ...

Welcome, 2013!

Whatever unfolds - challenges or triumphs

Whatever comes our way - tribulations or joys

Whatever paths we step in - smooth or rough

2013 makes its entry into our lives, ready or not!

Colds' Blues ...

Blog159:

It isn’t a picnic to be run down by illness.  Illness of any kind doesn’t only affect our internal weather, but it also prevents us from managing a possibly smooth day of routinely-done chores or projects we want to complete.

In spite of the monetary expense, our want to get better from any physical un-wellness moves us to seek medical attention.   I had no choice but to do just that.  My recently acquired colds accompanied furiously by a nasty cough, overrunning nose, and face-contorting sinusitis have all gotten me grouchy and impatient.  I have also begun to dislike my internal weather, so … there - a trip to the doctor’s office I took!  The wait at any doctor’s office is never a picnic, but that one particular trip took the icing --- almost a our-hour wait!  Before she saw me in her office, the med doctor also aggravatingly, asked for several tests to be done: blood platelets’ analysis, x-ray, and urinalysis.  I was furious! I was overwhelmingly irritated because I thought the tests were unnecessary, and irrelevant to my need from cough relief!  After going through the motions of ear, throat, chest check (of some kind!), she prescribed eight medicines, complete with instructions of how they must be taken in intervals.

The doctor’s office wait was not the most irritating, mind you.  After taking only two doses of recommended medications, I developed rashes --- reaction to the medication, that ‘til now give me over-the-hill discomfort!  I should just have listened to old, tested remedies of water/fruit and rest therapy.  This irksome rash all over my body tests my patience!  I now wish for a magic wand that could whisk away this annoying rash … as quickly as it came!

What lesson did I learn from this experience?  Take three Aspirins, take regular fluids, and then just stay in bed.  From now on, no more trips to a doctor’s office over colds!

Connect & Participate

Blog155:

          Unless the crowd is totally estranged from one another, a conversation is usually a path to goodwill exchange.  Within a circle of folks gathered, a conversation usually begins because it is what civil people do.  Just what happens when a conversation focus is exhausted?  Of course, there is a lull … a let-up … that creeps in, especially if those present in the crowd aren’t quick to build on conversation cues.

          Whenever I’m in a circle requiring response to what’s spoken, I listen in on what’s said, then I try to connect with it an experience I’ve had in the recent or distant past, a related thought I know adding to what’s said, a question I have … so to understand  and/or clarify a point.  I don’t know what happens in someone else’s mind.  I simply engage in what I know so I don’t get left out.  Not doing anything may project dullness, social ineptness of which I do not want to be associated.  Call it a lack of confidence if you wish.  I really don’t care or do I?  And why is someone’s perception of importance?

          Participation in a conversation is a simple expectation in a circle.  While it can be avoided, it is best not to.  Participation is an act of good-will sharing in a crowd, even with strangers.  Face-to-face encounter is an invitation to become a part of, and it almost forces you to fit into a place … that which is something you can get comfortable, take on, and connect.  Even when the conversation is focused on something which you uphold is private, there is always something you could share without compromising that which you hold private.  For instance, in a gathering of women speaking on the subject of rearing children, a single lady who has not yet experienced caring for children could always talk about her sibling’s upbringing around the home, or her own parents’ experiences with child care.  She doesn’t have to be left out.  She doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.

          Getting engaged in a conversation is a brain challenge of kind.  What you do know about what’s being spoken about is often a quick-adrenalin run that forces you to search your mind quickly of that one related event, one related experience- personal or vicarious, which could add or enrich the conversation.  You could surprise those in the circle who may know or not know you very well that you have something pertinent and relevant to share.  I’m not a cook or chef, and I know very little about food prep.  When a conversation about food comes around once in a while,   I search for what’ I’ve recently read from a magazine or what I’ve viewed from a TV cooking prep channel.    I also recall my favorite tastes and observations about food prep and what makes a recipe palatable.  I don’t have to be a wiz.  I don’t have to be a practicing food tech person.  I have to only be willing to share what I know at the right time about food.  That way, I don’t feel left out, thought about as disinterested or dull!

          Visiting within family circles and friendships or acquaintances have force me recently to be in the receiving or giving end, conversation-wise.  It gives me comfort that sharing what I know or what I could add to the topics on hand at the right time could also comfort those around me who are simply themselves making familiar, friendly connections!

Sore Cold

Blog 149:

Head spins

Throbbing pain nags from shoulders

Dry cough invades chest airflow

Runny nose irritates every minute or so

Swollen throat makes painful gulping

What is it with you, persisting Cold

That intrudes in my possible perfect days?

You exhaust my body energy!

You debilitate my being!

You hold me down in this sickbed!

Inner ear pain joins the throng of hurt-filled head

Watery eyes blurr vision

Mucus aggravates cough

General body malaise spreads

Until all it could do is lie in that cradling bed

Shoo, Cold ... bother me no more!

Be gone from my being, Cold!

Let my ears and eyes rest from these excretions

Have mercy on my throat and nose- let go of these foreign irritations

Free my body of these germs that imprison the rest of me!

Clutter Battle!

Blog 151:

        Have you lately been around a place seemingly familiar ...glanced through the layout of things, then looked away as quickly as you can or closed your eyes because you do not like what you see?  Such a place might have potential for fine-looking and breathable, peaceful  things, but because items have collected in places here and there, without respect for order, balance or organization, it had become chaotic?  Time and again, I have, at my mother's living space!

        Two weeks after I got re-acclimated into the swing and things around my house that Mother temporarily occupies, I began to again be uneasy.  Uneasy ... not for anything seriously important, but because I just have never approved of how Mother had kept,or not kept things.  For some reason,  she time and again collected items that to me were unimportant or doesn't serve a legitimate purpose.  She repeatedly reasoned that this or that item bundled and stashed, would either go to a charitable cause or a relative unfortunately not able to get such material things as clothing, footwear, appliance (working/notworking), toys her grandchildren have outgrown, kitchen or dining ware, etcetera!

        As many times as we'ved talked over her practices, nothing had sunk in, it seemed.  I could not think of an explanation other than perhaps, Mother had continued to live in a much older time .. that of an economic depression and war-time era she lived through in the past.  An era may be that was far removed from easy access to replacing things when they got broken or chipped, rather than recycling them over and over until they actually fll apart.   Around the house, there were binsand boxes filled with thingsthat just stay in them --- for years,  baskets of brown paper and shopping bags, canisters bursting in the seams of cabinets that could be properly used to organize items of essential use ... small and big items that crowd the entire house.  Mother also had kept things that she hoped she still could make out of  bits and pieces of fabric, along with sewing items ... zippers, buttons, trimmings ... saved from almost tattered clothes that  for avery long time, she would not part with just because , in her words, 'they have use still.'

        Every time I come home, I'd restrain myself from saying anything, or doing something to clear up 'the clutter', but I just now realized how pointless my exercise had been.  Mother would not change her practices.  She would not consider re-arranging anything because the clutter had become part of her internal, psychological system as she liked them.  There definitely is something that the clutter, from my viewpoint, is serving, which I would never understand.  They have become her treasures ... her comfort ... her assurance that she would not, by any circumstance live without!

At 87 ...

Blog152:

At 87, she moves

As if just yesterday, she was 40 or 45

That I could remember ...

Many waking days, at 4 or 5 AM, she rises to start the stove

And boil water, or rice

So that her son, he himself an early riser,

Could have something warm and solid in his stomach

Before he heads out for work at his wokplace, a multinational-managed plant

At 87, she moves in the kitchen

To get meals prepped and made

As if just yesteryears, she was 30 or 35

And my siblings and I were just rising from night's sleep

And preparing to begin our journeys in school ...

At 87, she moves around the house

Taking care of this and that ... living esentials, she says ...

She lists what needs to be bought from the marketplace

She looks over what items of clothing must get to the laundry

She takes callsfrom friends and family and shares her thoughts

At 87, she moves

As if just yesterday, she was 40 or 45

That I could remember ...

Only supported by her walking cane

She navigates the roads and the neighborhood on her own,

Or accompanied by a good-hearted tricycle driver

So she could get her medications from the pharmacy

And pick up fruit and vegetables from her favorite grocer

At 87, she stands tall though a bit weakened

By her old bones, some of which were dislocated

From an accidental fall many moons ago

At 87, she reminisces of WWII experiences

She glimpses back on photographs of old and new

Family and friends ... parted, moved, living close by

At 87, she picks up a magnifying glass to clearly see

With her teary-eyed and degenerating vision

Words, pictures and thoughts from magazines or the paper

At 87, Hermie doesn't show slowing down

She independently thrives, lives her day-to-day life

Unceasing to give up control over her weakening being!

Almost Christmas

Blog153:

Almost Christmas ...

Out there ... people are rushing still

Looking for bargain, useful, fanciful presents

Hoping it surrprises a loved one,  a favored friend, a neighbor ...

Almost Christmas ...

Down the street ... soon a day darkensto night

Street lights, neon lights and festive lights glitter

And brighten one dull , unimpressive homes in the block

Almost Christmas ...

Children patiently wait to open presents

And let out "OH's and Ah's

Over items wished for and filled

Almost Christmas ...

Carolers young and old sing favorite season songs

And wait for rewards ... spare coins, candy,cookies or the like

Almost Christmas ...

I am growing weary and sad

Being absent from the presence of very dear loved ones ...

Christmas Cheers!

Blog154:

Families gather to cheer and hug

They tell stories of yesteryear's adventures or funny mishaps

"Come to the table, and give blessings to one and all,"  Father says ...

There's bountiful meal with which to share this year!

Auntie Rina and Uncle Adam rush in the door

Arms full of presents and cheerful voices

They greet everyone, "Ho, HO, HO"

We're playing Santa to one and all!

Cameras flash, here and there

Time to preserve families'gathering and presence

"Look this way ... count of three ..." Ben breaks the crowd

Click here ... Click there ...

Wow!  Great poses... Happy faces!

Families gather, sing, and chatter

Neverrending tales keep afloat one to another

"Why can't Christmas come more often," Ken asks?

Grandpa chuckles, "Because, little one, ...

Christmas must surprise and hold on hope until it's ripe to come!

JC's Mass

Eve of JC’s birth!

In Christian churches …

Devoted believers remember-

   His birth

   His lowly entry into world

   His messages of hope and love

   His Messianic journey

Eve of JC’s birth!

Out in the streets …

  Young and old find ways to bring material joy

   Fireworks are set off

   Sellers peddle their ware

   Rushed gift shopping goes on

   Revelers and merrymakers wander

Eve of JC’s birth!

Somewhere in the thick of darkness …

People long to be connected with someone or something

  Homeless souls roam for a spot to lie for the night

  Hungry children, men and women cry for food

  The sick have no relief from pain

  The lonely enter deeper into depression

Eve of JC’s birth!

In the recesses of my mind …

I reflect on how Mass for JC came to be celebrated

   In fashions so very different from its solemn roots

   In family circles

   Within and among friends

   Away from loved ones

 

Mass for JC’s birth!

All around the world …

   We cut a tree and don it with ornaments

   We use up energy to have festive lights or lanterns

   We eat and fill our stomachs until we grow sick

   We expects gifts

   We forget why we celebrate Jesus Christ’s Mass!

At A Gathering ...

Long-lost friends gather

In Techno Hub

Somewhere in Quezon City

As requested by one -

As wished and hoped for by one returning from afar …

A festive meal buffet of foreign and native recipes:

Sweet cakes, breads, soups, meat and greens

Are shared in reverence for both preparers and receivers …

Ties … long forgotten from memories

Are fetched from the back of minds

Brought out in the open and laughed about

Sores and hurts unearthed, spoken about …

Then in a pact, they are sealed and buried

In oblivion …

Gift-giving begins

A set of presents of same kind is passed on to everyone

One by one they are opened

Ohhh’s and Ahhh’s wander in the midst

Only to be broken by admiration verbalized …

Hugs … kisses … more hugs and sweet-nothings

Until time floats by and go away

And time for more hugs …

Blessings for safe departure … travel

Until once again, a reason for getting together

Comes around once more!

Long-lost friends gather

In Techno Hub

Somewhere in Quezon City

As requested by one -

As wished and hoped for by one returning from afar …

All is well …

All memories kept …

Yet to be drawn out

For reminiscing and nostalgi

Engage Your Mind!

          Unless the crowd is totally estranged from one another, a conversation is usually a path to goodwill exchange.  Within a circle of folks gathered, a conversation usually begins because it is what civil people do.  Just what happens when a conversation focus is exhausted?  Of course, there is a lull … a let-up … that creeps in, especially if those present in the crowd aren’t quick to build on conversation cues.

          Whenever I’m in a circle requiring response to what’s spoken, I listen in on what’s said, then I try to connect with it an experience I’ve had in the recent or distant past, a related thought I know adding to what’s said, a question I have … so to understand  and/or clarify a point.  I don’t know what happens in someone else’s mind.  I simply engage in what I know so I don’t get left out.  Not doing anything may project dullness, social ineptness of which I do not want to be associated.  Call it a lack of confidence if you wish.  I really don’t care or do I?  And why is someone’s perception of importance?

          Participation in a conversation is a simple expectation in a circle.  While it can be avoided, it is best not to.  Participation is an act of good-will sharing in a crowd, even with strangers.  Face-to-face encounter is an invitation to become a part of, and it almost forces you to fit into a place … that which is something you can get comfortable, take on, and connect.  Even when the conversation is focused on something which you uphold is private, there is always something you could share without compromising that which you hold private.  For instance, in a gathering of women speaking on the subject of rearing children, a single lady who has not yet experienced caring for children could always talk about her sibling’s upbringing around the home, or her own parents’ experiences with child care.  She doesn’t have to be left out.  She doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.

          Getting engaged in a conversation is a brain challenge of kind.  What you do know about what’s being spoken about is often a quick-adrenalin run that forces you to search your mind quickly of that one related event, one related experience- personal or vicarious, which could add or enrich the conversation.  You could surprise those in the circle who may know or not know you very well that you have something pertinent and relevant to share.  I’m not a cook or chef, and I know very little about food prep.  When a conversation about food comes around once in a while,   I search for what’ I’ve recently read from a magazine or what I’ve viewed from a TV cooking prep channel.    I also recall my favorite tastes and observations about food prep and what makes a recipe palatable.  I don’t have to be a wiz.  I don’t have to be a practicing food tech person.  I have to only be willing to share what I know at the right time about food.  That way, I don’t feel left out, thought about as disinterested or dull!

          Visiting within family circles and friendships or acquaintances have force me recently to be in the receiving or giving end, conversation-wise.  It gives me comfort that sharing what I know or what I could add to the topics on hand at the right time could also comfort those around me who are simply themselves making familiar, friendly connections!

Private World Speaks!

Ready or not it comes without persuasion

For every new day to begin journeys

In his world of wide or limited exposures!

You couldn’t really tell what goes on

But he emerges with some independence

In conveying meaning only he, well understands.

With his socially acquired words and expressions

He greets in his own way those he encounters

Sometimes with polite expressions

At other times, devoid of emotion.

Goings and comings of routine nature

Unyieldingly fills up his day.

Gadgets seem to interest him

Show him one not so complicated

And ask him to figure it …

By golly … you will not be disappointed.

Shortly … he’d tell you how and why

That gadget operates!

JK’s world goes roundabout school and home

In both places, he feels secure … confident

And open to some new learning and challenges

With which to prune, practice, and master

Then retrieve when necessary and demanded.

His extraordinary mind boggles and surprises!

Autism speaks!

It articulates for us the world of those

We find delicately fragile.

In its own time, it verbalizes for us

How to respond toward marginalize loved ones

Autism encourages us all to journey without fear!

Connections?

Connecting with friends and acquaintances should be a breeze in this digital day and time, so I thought.  NOT!  And it is not because of gadgets we have gotten savvy and have fallen in love to use.  Come to think of it more, it could be

due to time and method we access messages sent or received.  It could also be for other reasons.  Those -  I would leave out and about!

        When we contact people by texting, for instance, there's no telling if we'd get a quick response.  It's understandable that people may be away from their phone, like in my situation.  Because I don't carry, at hand's reach, my mobile - unless I'm in transit, my revert response to a message sent to me is almost always delayed and at times becomes irrelevant. Here in Manila, my temporary location, response to either a mobile or landline call is just plain problematic.  The PLDT-DSL connecting source put in the house are unreliable.  I feel I still am in the 90's or early 2000.  It is almost 2013!  These delays, lost calls and messaging should really not happen anymore!

        I tried to round-up a few old time colleagues for a get-together ... nothing fancy ... just to dine and say hello since it's the holidays.  My very busy former colleagues, now all in their own world of work and social groups find it hard to connect.  There's no telling when they'd respond to an FB or text message.  It was the case in this 'invite attempt' I recently made.  Some got the message on time, and did respond, but others did not until very late.  Information is stale.  It was a frustrating affair.  I gave up even trying again.  Having lived away from the circle for a long while, I am not even sure if the criss-crossing or meandering of messages was  deliberate or accidental.  I entertained being ignored, but that was sour grapes on my part.

        Was it or wasn't it an 'ignore' ... an excuse over delayed check on messages received or sent?  I have no clue.  the question now is -- how do I get over this frustration?

A Christmas ...

Blog 148:

I remember …

I remember a season …

I remember a season called Christmas …

Of now gone mid-19^th century

A Christmas without …

A lowly Christmas …

I remember …

I remember a Christmas night

After a supper of porridge and fish-

My brothers said Santa Claus was coming

So I must go to sleep and dream …

My brothers said Santa was going to bring treats

Candies and cakes, ice-cream and chocolate-

My brothers said Santa Claus was coming

So I must go to sleep and dream …

My brothers said Mother and Father would be home soon

My brothers said Santa would make sure Grandma got home

In time for midnight rice cakes and tea-

So I must get to sleep and dream …

I went to sleep and dreamt all the dreams

I went to sleep hoping it would be as they told

The hours went … the night passed …

The early sun peaked … then its heat grew warm

I lay in my ‘banig’ and cotton wrap

Thinking through … then recalling

The promises of the past night …

I realized-

Santa Claus never came

There were no candies, no cakes in sight

There were no ice-cream and no chocolate

Mother and Father did not get home

Grandmother did not show up

In time for midnight rice cakes and tea-

I cried a good cry

And went on to lay still some more in my ‘banig’ …

“Enough sleeping,” I muttered.

“Enough dreaming,” I mumbled softly.

I stood up and forgot that night even came and went.

Since then and as far as I can remember today

Of what brothers say

And what really happens

I remember …

I remember a season Called Christmas …

Of now gone mid-19^th century

A Christmas without …

A lowly Christmas …

Nonetheless, it was a Christmas indeed!

'Can't Breathe Here ...

Blog147:

I can hardly breathe here …

Clear plastic, brown paper, shopping assortment of bags …

Clutter!

Decorative, nondescript, old and moldy sized boxes …

Clutter!

Roll of TP, bottle of lotion, gift wrapping paper …

Clutter!

I can hardly breathe here …

Baskets filled with rolled ‘things’, old calendars, directories …

Clutter!

Moldy brief cases, stacked old photo books, outdated mags …

Clutter!

Cups and glasses-mementos from that and this person pile

On, in, and around every inch of kitchen cupboards

Clutter!

I can hardly breathe here …

Mundane items to me …

Of prime importance to her …

Eye sore, I think!

All items restlessly crowd every nook and cranny

Inside Mother’s “home space”

Eyesore, I think!

Why does she keep so many of the same kind of things?

What use are these possessions that crowd the living space?

Eyesore to me, I think!

I can hardly breathe!

She Rests?

Blog146:

Arms folded across her chest

Her feet folded back touching her rear end

She lies down on her side atop her wooden bed

In quiet, restful afternoon sleep

Where her thoughts take her, I wonder

Why are her arms folded across her chest?

Why are they not on her side where they should be?

And why are her feet bent in away toward her back?

In one, uneasy afternoon sleep

She lies down atop her wooden bed

Her feet folded back touching her rear end

Arms folded across her chest

Her feet braces the nagging sting of body soreness

Flowing from head to chest and

Circling her whole being over and around

After a night of manual labor at the Bottle Plant

Her thoughts must be on that excruciating pain

That annoying, struggling, hurting muscle and bone

Still she holds on, and she prays for miraculous healing

Before the next graveyard shift at the Bottle Plant

Alms ...

Blog145:

A gray, long haired …

Woman … of advanced age

Sits in a corner

Where passersby

Run toward or move away from.

Her presence there insults, it seems

And forces them to an abrupt halt

I assume they question …

“Why is she there with that palm outstretched

Clamoring for attention?”

They give her one look …

Some avoid an eye contact with her

And resume their rhythmic stride of purpose

Rushing to or from

A destined place for the moment

Still … she sits there …

She raises her wrinkled hand … her thin, bony arm

Her sunken eyes spot for compassion

But no, not one soul gives her mind

No passerby … not one stops

Still … she sits there

Hopeful that in time …

One might note her presence,

Bend down, and give her alms!

Bureaucracy!

Blog144:

If there’s anything that’s frustrating, and enough to scream about it, for me … it is filing paperwork for processing – wherever in the world!  Especially aggravating is when an office, one from which you need a document produced and taken care of, does not thoroughly list all required papers needed before the filing time so that it could move smoothly from point A to point B. 

I was terribly shut down … really annoyed today that I had to go back 3 steps and retrieve 3 documents before the one I needed could be looked into.  What I huff about is that why this was not transparently stated so that people like me could readily obtain what I need!  It made me feel stupid to get there at the site, after an already challenging travel and time, that I did not have what would fulfill a smooth application for a homeowner’s membership. 

My woe was not as really as terrible as another person’s lap-landed situation in the same documentation office here in Manila – The Philippines, that is.  Filing for documentation next to me, a not so advanced senior adult, wanted to apply for what she thought would be her crowning reward --- a Senior Citizen’s identification card.  This would give her recognition and the right to be pampered with very special treatment in the coming days.  She would enjoy discounts in food establishments, pharmacy, supermarkets, and even on transportation to and from a place.  I overheard ‘the attending office personnel’ tell her that she would have to go to a different office, not in the same building mind you, get 5 ID pictures, fill out an application, and proof of residence certification in the ‘Barangay District she claimed as residence.  She did not have all required pieces of information, much less pictures she was asked to show.  I pitied the woman who went from an amiable countenance to that of a confused and a frustrated being!  Her trouble was deeper than mine!

What does one do?  Not a blessed thing.  You couldn’t even verbalize your aggravation.  Doing so expands the issue without a clear solution in the horizon.  You simply turn around and collect what are needed and then begin the path to obtaining a needed or desired document … again!

Breeze Away

Blog143:

At break of dawn

Soft breeze flow

And wander through

Crevices of the window

Inside my room

The soft wind

Touches my still sleepy skin

It slithers to my face …

It whispers to my ear …

It glides to my eyes …

“Wake up!” it invites

Ignored … it wraps around my being

Sweetly, it jolts me again, “Wake up!”

Down the horizon

The sun begins to rise

The soft breeze speaks again,

“Look!” he invites …

“Wake up, and behold

The new day unfold!”

Sniper Alley

Blog142:

A woman and her son

Seeking a path

To food, water and medicine

Take their chance

Down the road

Amidst eerie feelings

Of gun fires

Shot by rebels

Or government soldiers

Ordered by a corrupt dictator

Holding on to power …

A gun fires a shot

The woman drops on the ground

“Mother,” the boy cries …

He is lost and confused …

He shakes by her side …

“Get up, Mother!” he demands

While tears flow down his face

He screams in anger at her …

“Why wouldn’t you get up?”

The woman lies still on the ground

Blood from her head begins to flow

And mix with the debris around.

“Wake up, Mother!  Don’t die now!”

He pleads … he bawls … he moans …

One more life is stealthily snatched

One more victim of senseless killing

Lies motionless on the gun shell-filled soil …

In Sniper Alley

In Aleppo

In Syria

Verses Duo

Blog141:

Winds

Unsettled

Slow moving

Sometimes cool

Other times warm

Easy-going

Could lash out in a storm

Tropical

Day-to-Day

One wakes to roosters’ crowing

Dark transitions to light

Get-up and go repeats itself

Challenges of living … waking … sleeping

Work begins and ends

LIFE …

Indulge

Blog140:

Yucky nails … ugh!

Pampering due!

Walk-in to a shop

Not just a shop of sort, but a ‘beauty shop’

Ask to be given care

Care … especially for hands and feet

Let pampering begin:

Lukewarm soak … wash … clean

Scrape underneath fingernails

Cut and trim cuticles

File and buff fingernails until shiny

Paint with a striking color

Indulge in hand/feet massage

Spoiled fingernails and toenails show off their stuff!

Treat done!

Yummm!

Blog139:

Wake up to in-flight aroma!

Smells yummmm!

What’s for dinner?

Here comes my plate-tray …

Let’s see the surprise

Hhhmmm … first, seaweed soup

Then, pickled veggies ….

     cucumber, radish and Mung bean

Followed by traditional kimchi

With steamed fish and spicy sauce … really hot!

Boiled, sweet brown rice accompanies the scrumptious tray!

What’s for dessert?

Cool, fresh melons and pineapples

To digest all … tea comes served: Jasmine or green?

Really yummm!

Gain from Loss ...

Blog137:

What will you gain, when you lose?
Pounds …
Kilograms …
Senseless weight, that is!

When you lose unneeded weight …
You gain a new self-outlook
You feel extra good about your accomplished goal
You sense a change from within
You want to move and run, jog and fast walk
You float, flee, and bolt because that joy of movement is with you
You dance to the rhythms of life as you please
You take off to new heights and claim your new freedom

What will you gain, when you lose?
Pounds …
Kilograms …
Senseless weight, that is!

What will you gain when you lose senseless weifght?
Why, you gain your beautiful, natural self ...
and you're worth it!

Travel Stance

Blog136:

By this time tomorrow I’ll be up with a crowd coasting the skies for travel Far East … on the other side of the globe.  Travel has its challenges - crumped seating, almost nil space for movement, long wait at the lavatory at times, and if your agent forgot to put you in a cabin away from traveling families with children, you’re bound to live with annoyance of crying and chatter.  These said, however, travel, on the other end, has wide possibilities and unexpected experiences.  You must simply be willing to mentally prepare or adjust with open-wide, good spirits!

Once in comfort flight, you could begin to look around and spot all sorts of converged people in the small space your eyes could roam.  From the manner of sitting to facial expressions, business-like women and men, seemingly ordinary, might be really important folks like you!  You begin to wonder why they are on board.  You assume or guess people travel to be at an important function, a business deal, a desire for an exotic or stress-free location, a visit to family and friends, a discovery learning expedition.  Purpose is of great consequence for the traveler because it completes bearing the long, sometimes physically-draining hours up in the air.

Be warned: you will get tired playing mind games!  What then?  The stacks of old or timely newspapers and magazines will invite you to turn their pages.  You couldn’t help it.  So you pick out an interestingly covered mag, maybe, then your fingers automatically turn the pages until an article, a photograph, a graphic of interest hooks you to zoom and give it a chance to become lucid in your mind’s eye.  You are now traveling on printed words.  You are absorbing information, questioning sometimes.  You will find yourself making connections of print and meaning with something else you had seen or met before- a personal experience, a movie, a locale, a person, a song.  Thumbing through the pages could take you away from where you are and get you going far removed and enveloped in nostalgia, dream, lament, and even wonder.

Sleep and mind rest is the other option you could choose to busy yourself while in travel mode.  After all, preps for this specific travel put you in a hazy, whirlwind-like action here and there.  You could put on a noise-reduction set of earphones and blinders.  Think of nothing else but a cozy pocket of a corner in your head.  Determinedly push yourself to tune out every noise you could weed out, and presto, an oasis of serenity could surge right in the confines of your little nook!   Stay there for a good quarter of the hour … more if you wish.  You would wake up refreshed!  You would have invigorated yourself by now and will be open to new experiences- a chat perhaps with the person next to you, a viewing of an in-flight movie or if you prefer, an entertaining musical selection from one of the plane channels or an interactive game you stashed securely in your own gadget just for a situation such as you find yourself now.

Travel is indeed just what you and I make it.  If we dread it, we are labored by the stresses that come with it.  If we remain flexible and calm, we will get to our destination in a breeze.  So … get on the positive mood, and reel in good spirits, and keep our mind open for the remaining hours of long travel!