Guilty as charged.

The now former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court issued a statement from his hospital bed that he, Renato Corona, accepts the guilty verdict handed down by the Philippine senator-judges.

Renato Corona was found guilty of not declaring truthfully his assets in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Majority of the senator-judges who gave Corona the guilty verdict were not lawyers.  Majority of the Filipino people who followed the impeachment proceedings were non lawyers, too.  As Senator Lito Lapid, when casting his verdict said to this effect, "ako po ay high shool graduate lang, di marunong mag ingles, hindi ko naiintindihan ang mga legal talk, pero ako bilang representante ng mga mahihirap at di nag aral ay boboto base sa aking konsyensya."  He found Corona guilty as charged.

Before Ferdinand E. Marcos was ousted from his post through a People Power,  the Filipino people never imagined for a moment, that Marcos would be overthrown. It was simply unthinkable.  Why? Because he controlled every nut and bolt of the government and military machinery; anyone who defied him, landed in jail or was never seen again.

It was unthinkable, too, that Joseph "Erap" Estrada would have been thrown off his Malacanang seat; it was not the impeachment trial that did him in, but another EDSA uprising: EDSA DOS.

Renato Corona, not being an executive figure was relatively unknown by the Filipino masa. He came into radar only when he prominently issued a TRO to allow ex-President Gloria Arroyo to travel out of the country.

That's why at the start of his impeachment trial, very few Filipinos knew the extent or importance of the proceeding against him. But as the trial progressed, the Filipinos started to learn more about the case and about the man Renato Corona.

When he testified in his trial, when he lambasted personalities in his testimony in a three-hour long diatribe, when he stormed out of the impeachment court, and when he finally came back and admitted that he had 2.4 million dollars and 80 million pesos stashed in banks and undeclared in his SALN, suddenly, almost 75% of the Filipino people casted a guilty verdict on the ex-Chief Justice.

Although Corona's popularity and approval rating had been continually slipping and was at its lowest negative 14, the guilty verdict became cemented in the people's minds and in most senators' minds in the last week of the impeachment trial.

If this same scenario happened in the U.S.A or Canada, I would venture to say that five months would have been too much.  The Clinton impeachment trial took just two months to be completed.

In Canada, impeachment takes another form, in that the Prime Minister can be voted out of office, by a vote of non confidence by the Parliament where a new election can be called.

With the conviction of a Chief Justice who is charged with protecting a corrupt ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Filipino people is elated at the prospect of change - that the present administration would push through with its promise of eradicating corruption.

Miriam Defensor Santiago said that the Philippines has always been voted as a most corrupt nation. No doubt about that; corruption has been a problem made worse by the Marcos dictatorship.

Since more and more Filipinos are working overseas and have been exposed to the democratic workings and economic successes of developed nations, these same Filipinos are demanding more and more accountability, transparency and progressive policies and actions from their government.

I remember a very rich American woman, Leona Helmsley, who was convicted of tax evasion by a New York federal court. She served 19 months in prison and more under house arrest. 

Her household help heard her say:  "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes...", a saying that became notorious and was identified with her for the rest of her life.

Leona Helmsley mug shot.

Judgement or Independence Day?

One of my favorite movies is Independence Day, a 1996 movie which starred Will Smith.  

Independence Day is a 1996 American disaster science-fiction action film about an alien invasion of Earth. The narrative focuses on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same date as the Independence Day holiday in the United States. It was directed by German director Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote the script with producer Dean Devlin, a Fil-Am.

I recall the big scene when the President of the United States, a role played by Bill Pullman, spoke to his troops - Ace USAF pilots that included Capt. Steven Hiller (Smith) and a motley crew composed of volunteers, in a send off ceremony for them to attack the aliens.  It felt like real, although we knew this was just a movie, a make believe.

Not so in the impeachment trial going on in the country right now.  Although very real,  the witnesses and evidences which were presented do not strike many as factual. Fabricated?  Could be.

Chief Justice Corona is on the verge of being convicted.  The drama which unfolded last week, May 22 when he appeared as a witness in his trial and May 23, when he came back for the cross examination were the highlights or climax of the trial.

On May 22, Corona gave his testimony, a three-hour long speech and then dashed out of the impeachment court and came back in a wheel chair when Senate President and Presiding Officer Enrile ordered a lock down of the Senate building.

Then on Friday, May 25, Corona came back, humbled and temporarily out of the hospital, to give in to a mellowed cross examination. He asked to be excused this time, and left after five senator-judges questioned him.

Corona in his two-day appearances berated the President of the Philippines and called him a persecutor, his cousin-in-law Jose Basa, a spoiled brat and the Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales, a liar and asked her if she had a conscience.  He also admitted that he has 2.4 million U.S. dollars and about 80 million pesos in banks which he did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Corona cried a lot, too.  Dapper in a suit and tie on his first appearance, and wearing a gel on his hair and a barong tagalog on the second day, Corona showed the public that he could deliver according to the promptings of his defense team.

When he suddenly walked out of the impeachment court on May 22nd, all hell broke loose, and the public and the Senators saw a well scripted act.  Even the Friday's (May 25) televised - reconciliation between the Basas (cousins of Mrs. Corona and part owners of the original BGEI) and the Coronas didn't escape the sharp eyes of the public - was it all for effect?

Today and tomorrow, May 28 and May 29 are Judgement Day(s) for Chief Justice Corona.  

Would it be Independence Day for the Supreme Court  and for the country if Corona were to be convicted?  Freed from one who'd been accused of coddling ex-President Gloria Arroyo, of flip flopping in high profile cases such as the FASAP, and from one who blatantly used the defense - absolute secrecy of dollar deposits- as an alibi for not declaring truthfully in his SALN.

Independence Day is always a favorite and historic day for any nation.

Gandang Umaga.

Ano nga ba ang ganda?  Sino ba ang maganda?


Katatapos lamang ng Ms. Universe-Canada pageant at ang kauna-unahang "transgender" candidate ay natalo. Maganda ba siya?  Sino ba ang maganda, at guapo?


Ayon sa artikulo ni Father Rolando V. De la Rosa, O. P,  Rector, University of Santo Tomas, sa Manila Bulletin Mayo 19, 2012, si Mother Teresa ng Calcutta ay ubod ng ganda kahit siya ay puno ng kulubot at tuyot na ang balat dahil si Mother Teresa ay namuhay nang maganda. Basahin ang kabuuan ng artikulo sa: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/359980/looking-well-means-living-well

GANDANG UMAGA.

The Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Ano nga ba ang ganda

Na pinagka-kaabalahan ng kababaihan t'wina?

Nuon ang pamantayan ay kung makinis ang balat niya, 

Kung maputi ang sakong ng paa

At mahinhin ba ang kilos niya.

Nguni ng lumipas ang taon, nang mabasura ang baro't saya

Nang gumulong ang kampanyang liberada,

Sa salamin pagtingin ni Ate't Nana

Ang mukhang dapat duon ay napalitan na.

Dito sa 'Pinas tisay na artista ay tiningala ng lahat,

Ang koloreteng pampapuputi ng bala't sa mercado'y pinilahan,

Ang sabong "Wonder" binili at ang spray net pinag ipunan ng pera,

Ang ilong na pango ay ipinagdasal, tumangos naman daw sana.

Ang binting balbon ay inahitan

Pati ang kili kili'y pinulbusan,

Ang labi'y pinulahan,

Ang kilay ay ginuhitan.

At ng si Nora Aunor ay sumikat

Kamorenaha'y tinanggap,

Kaliitan ay inangkin,

Kahirapa'y di pinansin.

Nang si Brocka ay nag direk

Pusali ay isinama,

Sa pinilakang tabing ang langaw

Nakita ng manunuod ang pagsingaw.

Nagdaan pa ang mga araw

Rumampa na naman ang dayuhan,

Mga tsinita'y napansin

Mga mapuputi'y muling dumating.

Mga OFW'y nagsilisan

Mga aktibista'y nagtakasan,

Mga ama't ina'y naghiwalayan

Mga anak ang naiwanan.

Nanganak sa ibang bayan

Ama't, ina'y dayuhan,

At ang supling na tinaglay

Aleman, Ingles, o Iranian.

May Haponesa't Singaporean

May Canadian, Australian,

May Amerkano't Mexican,

Pilipino'y kalahati na lamang.

Kaya ibang ganda ang nagisnan

Ng henerasyong digital,

Ibang ugali ang pamantayan,

Kakaibang kaisipan.

Tila kauri ng mga taga- ibang planeta

Mala-Avengers ang dating nila,

Kawangkis ay mga karakter- komiks

'Yung kostumadong- anime't  krokis.

Mga produktong pampakinis lalong yumabong sa tindahan

Ginastahan ang mga spa, rebonding at masahista,

Dating Olay ay napatungan ng sangkatutak na produkta

Botox, stem cell na sistema sinubukan ng may kuwarta.

Si Ate Kris, si Vicky Belo, si Madam Auring at Cayanan

Lalong sumikat at yumaman

Sinugod ng mga taga opisina,

Mga estudyante, retirado, mga matrona't

Kalalakihan,

Naging verb ang dating nila, as in Belo-fied ka.

Maganda nga't makinis kundi naman nagsisimba,

Nagsisimba nga't nangungulimbat din

Eh saan nga ba pupunta?

Ang mga gobyernong nagno-novena

Aba't milyon milyon daw na dolyares nakasiksik sa kaban nila.

Oy, oy, ate't kuya nakamasid si Conchita,

Ang Ombudsm na matapang, "spotless" ang rekord niya,

Mga mangangamkam ng yaman ng iba, taga-protekta ng may panlagay,

Huwag naman magpapogi, huwag naman magpa-ganda.

Ang kailangan naming mga tao

Ay ang malinis na mga opisyo,

Di mga korupt at gago, di mga mang- gogoyo,

Si Mother Teresa ng Calcutta,

Si Lorenzo Ruiz ng Binondo,

Maganda at guwapito sa mga mata ni Kristo.

Cliff Hangers Both.

Jessica Sanchez, Fi-Am finalist in American Idol

Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona

I'd never been a fan of the American Idol; my two sisters in the U.S. A are.  Also, I'd only seen some episodes of the X-Factor first edition, thanks to my sis who watched the show in the guest bedroom I was occupying while visiting her family.

Similarly, I'd only watched some episodes of America Got Talent, and remember enjoying the season where the winner was the ventriloquist-singer.

Of these talent shows, I'd only faithfully followed Dancing with the Stars. But I never voted for any contestant.

While in Manila, I'd lost touch with most TV shows I've been regularly watching in Canada, including the nightly news. Some days, I catch episodes of David Letterman and Jay Leno's late night shows, and flip through channels to see Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, and even the Talk Show, the rival of The View.

If I'm in a real mood for watching, I always tune in to the movie channels. Lately, I've been glued to the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The American Idol where the Fil-Am Jessica Sanchez is a finalist and the impeachment trial of Corona are the two blockbusters being eagerly awaited by majority of Filipinos.

CJ Corona will testify on Tuesday, May 22nd, and Jessica Sanchez will slug it out on May 24th with the other finalist, Philip Philips.

Both shows promise to be a cliff hanger.  Corona's fate could either be acquittal or conviction, and Jessica's, win or lose.

These two personalities are sure on the edges of their seats.  Both are rehearsing vigorously, I suppose, preparing for the greatest performance of their lives.

Though totally disparate in the arenas they are fighting on, both are being closely watched by millions of Filipinos.

In the case of the American Idol finalist, Pinoys in the U.S.A could vote; not in the case of the Chief Justice.  In the case of Corona, only 23 Philippine senators can vote.

Next week, Jessica Sanchez maybe the first Fil-American to win in the hugely popular American Idol. Also next week, Renato Corona maybe the first Filipino Chief Justice to be impeached.

Mug shot.

I often wonder why mugshots always make the subject appear ugly. Even the "beautiful" people, the Hollywood stars, look beaten in their mugshots.

Maybe it's the situation on hand; one had been booked for a violation.

The ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo didn't show her "factual" mugshots to the public. Those which appeared were "doctored" copies. Why? Because a mugshot always literally shows the bad angle of a person; it connotes a wrong doing.

True or false?  Mugshot of ex-President GMA, published by Inquirer.

Toyz asked me to google an ex-office mate who'd been arrested for assault in Arizona; her interest was piqued when a Balikbayan ex-office mate relayed the news. Presto, we found the person's mugshot. I personally don't  know the person but seeing some one's sharp image on the computer screen, a mugshot at that, stirs something in me.

My initial reaction was, "How dare this website display people's mugshots."  

The information the page contain, aside from the photo, are the gender, race, age, height, weight, the case number, place of arrest and the purported charge or violation.  And if the searcher wants more data, s/he should pay the website.

Oh, yes, there's a rider which says, "a person charged is innocent until proven guilty."

Apparently there are many websites offering such information. There's a jailbase, busted mugshots, arrestcentral, mugshotsword among others.

I asked myself, what could be the purpose of such websites and search engines.  

The answer is quite simple. It aids people who are searching for other people, who are trying to establish identities of individuals, who are proving/probing the characters of people with whom they are going to do business with, hiring, entrusting their affairs, or even checking on future partners for themselves or for their children. In plain language, it's an on-line police clearance.

Toyz wondered aloud what this ex-office mate could have done when the person was relatively new in the U.S. when s/he got arrested.

I could only venture that maybe s/he didn't know yet the ways of the people there and s/he could have gotten entangled with the wrong people. Who knows. The website doesn't provide the details. 

All I know is that in the U.S.A or Canada, these things become public knowledge and documents.  Even in the sleepy town of Steubenville, Ohio, those who'd been cited for simple misdismeanors such as over speeding find their names in the local papers. 

Which brings to mind the ongoing impeachment trial of the Chief Justice Corona. It took an impeachment trial to expose all those skeletons hidden way deep into the recesses of his and family's closet/s.  

Wouldn't it have been nice if there is a similar website here in the Philippines where prospective employers, future in laws, future spouses and just about anybody else could consult or refer to before hiring or hitching with someone?

Holywood actress Lindsay Lohan's mugshot, one of many.

James, "Mr. Soul" Brown mugshot.

Famous people get their mugshots over simple charges, grabbing paparazzi camera and dangerous driving are the two common ones or a more serious one like driving under the influence, while unknown offenders could hide forever.

Mugshot of RJ Bautista, accused in the murder of his brother, actor Ramgen Revilla.

Libre lang para kay Nanay.

By Gener on Mother's Day, May 2012. COPYRIGHTED.

RIGHT, Our Lady of Manaoag icon at the Caleruega Church in Tagaytay.



Kay galing naman talaga nitong si Mr. Freddie Aguilar,
Ang kantang Anak ay inawit ng iba't ibang taga-bayan,
Isang awiting kay saklap para sa isang magulang,
Na nagtiis, nagpakasakit sa isang anak na nagsuwail.

Maligalig ang puso ng ina kung ang anak ay napariwara,
Mahapdi ang luob niya kung ang kawan ay gutom na,
Maalat ang luha sa pisngi kapag si Nene'y naduhagi,
Matigas ang panga sa kaba kung si Nonoy ay sugapa.

Subali't anong laking tuwa niya kung ang anak ay malumanay,
Masigla ang gising sa umaga at maantabay sa kanyang paalala,
Masipag sa bahay at eskuela, mapagdasal at magalang pa,
Kapag pinuri ng kumare lumulundag ang dibdib ni Ina.

Ipinangutang ang iba, iginapang sa pag-aaral,
Inaruga't binihisan
Binantayan at hinalikan,
Ipinagdasal at tinutukan
Gabi't araw pinanigan,
Pinunasan ang likod at nilambungan sa hamog kung tag-ulan.


Mga salitang may alala kanila pang dinusta,
Tinawag kang di magulang at wala daw silang utang,
Hiniya ka mandin sa karamihan
Minura at tinalikdan,
Mas mabuti daw ang mga kaibigan at walang humpay ang bigay na ligaya.

Isinantabi ang nakaraan
At sinugod ang paruroonan,
Kasintabi'y mga barkada mga bagong dating sa buhay,
Wala daw silbi ang pamantayan ikaw'y makalumang magulang,
At ang sigaw masaya siya
Kasiping ang alak at balintuna.

Saan napunta ang pag galang, ang mga tamang pinag aralan?
Tinangay ba ng ihip ng hangin at mga ulan ng kabundukan?
Parang buhanging gumuho lang nang malampasan ng karagatan,
Tila tiklis ng kawayang bumigay sa lintik ng kaunusan.

Ano daw ang parusa ng Dios sa anak na lapastangan
Sa Ika apat na utos na " Igalang at mahalin ang magulang."
Kung ikaw ay nagsuwail, nanlait at nag-tampalasan
Sa impiernong bulok ang bagsakan
Ng kaluluwang sagad sa kasalanan.

"Nanay, Nanay patawarin mo ako,"
Sana'y matutuhang bigkasin mo,
Di ito palamuti sa mga facebook o twitter account diyan,
Ang katagang "Mahal kita Nanay" aba'y libre lang ito mga anak,
Sabihin ulit ulitin,
Bago tayo lahat pumanaw.

Grilling.

Last week, the clan celebrated a big birthday party for members whose natal days fall in May.  There were five celebrants in all, excepting the two sisters who are in the United States, and also born in the month of May.

The clan planned an out of town gathering (overnight swimming) but schedules conflicted; others could only attend Saturday, others, only Sunday.

So I stepped up to the plate. I volunteered our house for a barbecue and the clubhouse pool for a swim.

Setting one's house for family events is both a no-big deal and a big deal. With an absence of domestic help it calls upon owners' muscles and energy to set up the venue, which requires cleaning and pruning. The laundry woman came to the rescue and helped. 

The day was gorgeous for a barbecue, and a dip at the pool. Luckily, the fore casted thunder shower came in the evening as the fun was wrapping.  

It was a happy and novel way to see family again.

Who says going to Laguna or Batangas is the only way to beat the summer heat and have fun?

Gimik.

Weddings are always beautiful events.  These are sacred rites, and called one of the sacraments of the Catholic faith. As June, the traditional wedding month approaches, expect many weddings to take place in churches, parks, gardens, even in beaches.

But as less and less couples get married nowadays, more and more couples who get married make their weddings more of a show than a sacred event.

In a Manila Bulletin article dated March 3, 2012, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle has denounced gimmicks in church weddings, citing how some couples tend to focus more on making the wedding ceremony more dramatic, instead of focusing on the significance of the Sacrament of Matrimony and its significance to their faith.

As an example, he cited an instance when he was asked to officiate a wedding. The ceremony was delayed for 45 minutes because the butterflies that would be released while the bride was walking toward the altar were not delivered on time in the church.

"What do the butterflies have to do with faith?" asked Tagle.

"At one time, I also received a letter from someone who was about to get married. They were asking my permission if their dog, that has been with them for a long time, could be the ring bearer in their wedding. What has become of weddings nowadays? What is the significance of the dog to faith?" he added.

One time a friend attended a wedding and told me there was even a short skit at the entrance of the church.  A skit?  Well, I guess the groom must have delusions of being a star. 

Give it to Philippine superstar Nora Aunor to have started the fad in wedding gimmickry in P.I.  She and Christopher de Leon had their wedding on a beach - the first, I think, in Philippine history. 

After Guy and Boyet, many followed suit.

These days, couples get married while jumping from a plane, while scuba diving, while submerged waist-deep in water, while riding a motorbike, while having a tattoo session, and other outrageous moments, which will be good to post in their facebook accounts and youtube.

 Above shown are Sandra Eens and Jeroen Kippers, who became the first people in the world to marry suspended high above the ground in a specially converted cradle. They paid over £7,000 for the privilege of being the first customers of a company Marriage in the Sky.

Even the traditional wedding dance had been turned into a disco dance, thanks to Robert and Amy of "Everybody Loves Raymond."  But that was a TV show, remember.

It may be alright to incorporate fun and hilarity into weddings, but please do it during the reception, not during the wedding ceremony, or at the church door.  

It's out of taste. Taklesa, ika nga ng bakla sa parlor. 

Nota Bene.

Nota bene is latin word which translates into "pay attention" or "take notice."

It is in the singular imperative mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand. 

When someone says "pay attention or take notice," we normally take heed, especially when we are in a formal situation or venues, such as in meetings, presentations, conferences, in churches, etc. 

When our parents or spouses tell us "pay attention," we could sometimes react negatively or get incensed by the seeming command, but still, we listen.

Kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) find it hard to pay attention, by the very nature of their disorder.

"Kids who have ADHD are not bad, lazy, or stupid. They have a disorder that means they might have problems paying attention or sitting still in their seats. They can also act on impulse — this means doing things without thinking about them first. Kids with ADHD may spend a lot of time in the principal's office. Sometimes they do things that cause them to get hurt. They might change their friends a lot," according to www.kidshealth.org.

When children, without ADHD, fail to take notice of what their elders tell them, parents take it as being disrespectful or being hard headed.

Sometimes simple instructions land into deaf ears because the party/ies to whom the message has been directed simply are not focusing or distracted. If this happens in an office setting (e.g. admin support not paying attention to boss' instructions), it could spell trouble for an employee. Continued incapacity to follow instructions can lead to dismissal.

There are instances in personal relationships when one spouse or partner may play deaf to the other's oral pronouncements, or physical needs, or arguments, or concerns.  If the "indifference" is intentional, it could be cause for marital trouble.

Grown up children who refuse to pay attention to what their parents are saying to them, or worse, not take notice of their parants' sacrifices and years of rearing them, are acting immature and ungrateful. 

There was a Filipina maid in Singapore who'd been endowed millions of dollars by her doctor-employer whom she cared for for more than twenty years.  The maid said, "I've spent more hours with her than with my own mother." 

Good deed begets good deed. Parents can disown or disinherit their own children who had become monsters, and rely and take care of people who've shown them respect and love.

Eche fuera.

Eche fuera means to "throw outside." In our common usage of this idiom. we Pinoys always mean " to exclude" someone from something.

Eche fuera could also mean in the Pinoy slang, as "dedmahin," or to ignore.

How does eche fuera work?  When do we hear Pinoys utter such an utterance?

"In-eche fuera mo na ako sa buhay mo, " a spouse may tell his/her mate. Or "i-eche fuera na lang natin si X o si Y," a friend may tell friends regarding another friend he/she dislikes.

Some families could make use of "eche fuera," when dealing with discordant relatives or erring in laws.

In the social network, facebook, "eche fuera," could be "to block someone or to un-friend a friend. "Yoko na sayo, eche fuera ka na sa buhay ko."

If children become obnoxious, disrespectful, unreasonable, or vexatious, parents can do an "eche fuera," by disinheriting them.  That's the sweetest revenge a parent can do to ungrateful kids.

Parents, nowadays, are a big departure from parents born in the 20's or 30's. The Baby boomers and the disco generation are well into their retirement now, and have new found independence, thanks to retirement plans and pensions. Theses generations were the first of the two-income families, and of women also bringing home a piece of the bacon.

No longer do they depend on their children for their day-to-day expenses and emergencies; they go to ballroom classes, zumba, play tennis and golf, frequent the malls, movies, are active in their churches, and do their own travelling.

                                           ABOVE, Boracay, one spot retirees frequent more.

These parents communicate with their children by facebook, email and text messages. They borrow their grandchildren if they wish to see them, but do not feel obligated to baby sit them on a regular basis.

Pretty soon, there'd be residences for adult or retired couples, and nursing homes for the single or widowed retiree.

Retirees have new lives of their own; sometimes they are the ones who opt out of their children's reach, if being within their circle would mean being financially responsible again for their grown up babies, or being sponge to their many family woes. You'd hear parents yell, enough, eche fuera.

Jet lag syndrome.

I started the day early walking to mass.  Before 7 am, I was already doing my share of gardening, uprooting and transplanting plants into new, larger pots.  I worked with ferns and bouganvillas.

Those red earthern pots were qute heavy, what more filled with soil.  I lined up several just outside the gate, into the sidewalk, to spruce up the front of the house, sans formal landscaping.  The neighbour to the right has a well maintained front landscape, and the one to the left has nothing outside but a huge macopa tree just inside the fence.

The village landscaper, above, sells an  assortment of plants and lawn accessories. The prices are steep.

The street sweeper has been gone since the change in village association officers took place in January 1st, so nowadays, homeowners tend to the piece of street fronting their residences.

It's a good morning exercise.  But it's more a horror during summer.

Luckily, the summer in this part of Metro Manila has been kinder to us.  Morning and afternoon breeze continue to pass our houses, and way.

Right after transporting pots, I repaired the bamboo fencing above the concrete fence separating us from the neighbour. And swept every piece of twig, leaf and root which littered the area.

At eleven o'clock, I was ready to conk out.  I packed my "waling tingting," dust pan,  the mini spade, pair of scissors, bamboo sticks, and cleaned the mess I created.

I was ready to pass out; it was my blood sugar falling down. But then I remembered, I had three pieces of boiled saguing na saba at around 8:30; it was digested already.

Lunch was pocherong dalag with green mango, and dessert was a piece of hard, sugar free candy.

Napping didn't come handy although I was tired.  But at five p.m, I just closed my eyes and went out.

The next time I knew it, it was 12 midnight.

I went out to the back to unleash the dog Shadee whom I moved there this morning.  She protested moving back to the front, but after talking to her and a quick massage, she obliged.

Now the dog is quiet; the entire house, too. Except that this passenger on a no jet plane is having an imaginary jet lag.  An real jet lag would have been nicer.