Wednesday, October 24, 2007

An Apology

I was editing my posts when I accidentally did the stupidest thing. I deleted the post entitled "My Father's Songs."
And here I am hoping that I'd be able to watch "Singin' in the Rain" again so I could write another testament to my dad's influence on me.
But then again, do I really need Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly to remind me of the gift of music which my dad has given me? (I have often been told that when my mom was in labor, my dad requested that there be piano music so that when I came out into the world, it would be the first thing I'd hear.)
So, Daddy, here's to you. And to music.

I do not know what to make of this

A glass door crashes down to the floor and shatters into countless pieces.
I fall with the glass door and land, somehow, on top of it. My whole body is pierced by glass bits.
There is a sharp pain on my right elbow and there, a sizeable, triangular shard of glass is lodged.
I cry.

I find myself in the hospital, seated on a white couch. Someone, a man garbed in green, plucks out, unceremoniously, the chunk of glass from my elbow.
Incredulous, I look at the man, then at my elbow. I can see the bloody flesh inside. There is a hollow, a gap between my arm and forearm.
There is a piece of string sticking out.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

"Heaven, perhaps, is what we imagine happiness to be. And hell, the failure of the imagination, the failure of faith, the triumph of fear, the triumph of despair, the inablility to rise above the suffering self."
-Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, A Book of Dreams-

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Questions Bored People Answer (got this from Gabby Lee's blog; title, mine)

1. Were you named after anyone?From Chanson D'amour (a Lettermen song) and from Vanessa Redgrave, the actress
2. When was the last time you cried?last Monday
3. Do you like your handwriting?I don't think much of it. Although several have complimented it.
4. What is your favourite meal? fried galunggong with sinangag and a dip of toyo with calamansi. yum!
5. Do you have kids?Jacqueline Louise, 8 and Joachim, 6
6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?The probability is high. I gravitate toward weird people.
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?Depends on who I'm talking to. With Myton and Kane, yeah.
8. Do you still have your tonsils?Yes.
9. Would you bungee jump?Never. I don't see the point.
10. What is your favourite cereal?I don't like cereal.
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?I wear pumps and sandals. No sneakers for me. Except before, when I used to run. But yeah, I untie the laces before I take them off. (Sorry, long answer)
12. Do you think you're strong?
My opinion of myself varies a lot.
13. What is your favourite ice cream?
Cookies and Cream and Double Dutch
14. What is the first thing you notice about people?
whether they're like me or not (talk about self-centeredness!)
15. Red or Pink?
Hmm. Tough one. But I think I'd go for pink.
16. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?
My arms
17. Who do you miss the most?
Daddy, Mommy, Earl, Otom, Mama
18. Do you want everyone reading this to fill it out?
Sure.
19. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing?
Right now I'm wearing an over-sized shirt and I'm barefoot
20. What was the last thing you ate?
Ensaymada from Shopwise
21. What are you listening to right now?
It Never Entered My Mind by Miles Davis
22. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Apricot
23. Favourite smells?
Coffee, warm croissant, frying garlic, frying bacon, my new body wash, Victoria's Secret Secret Crush (my scent forever), Clinique Happy (for women), Liz Claiborne's Curve Crush for men
24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Kim
25. Do you like the person that sent this to you?
It wasn't sent to me. I snitched it from Gabby's blog.hihi.(thanks Gabby!)
26. Favourite sports to watch?
None, really. But lately I've been forced to watch wrestling (!) because my best friend is a fanatic. And I mean fanatic.
27. Hair colour?
dark Brown.
28. Eye colour?
Wish I could say hazel. But no. They're black as black can be. haha
29. Do you wear contacts?
Nope.
30. Favourite food?
Adobo, Fried Tuyo, Chicken macaroni soup, pizza, carbonara, Glazed Donut (Go Nuts or Krispy Kreme), Garlic Bread, Baked mac, mac and cheese, sisig, churros (whew! now I'm hungry)
31. Scary Movies or Happy Endings?
Neither
32. Last movie you watched?
Intruder in the Dust (it's this old film adapted from Faulkner's novel)
33. What colour shirt are you wearing?
white. with a blue print that would best remain unspelled (is this a word?)here.
34. Summer or winter?
Summer
35. Hugs or kisses?
Depends on who they're from. :)
36. Favourite dessert?
Gloria Jean's Choco Macadamia frap
37. Most likely to do this quiz themselves?
people who like to talk about themselves (haha!); people who have a lot of time in their hands (like me-- I'm hibernating right now)
38. Least likely to respond?
People who have better things to do
39. What book are you reading right now?
What Was She Thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) by Zoe Heller
40. What's on your mouse pad?
Coffee stains. Haha
41. Favourite sound?
Miles Davis, Jackie's and Kim's voices, Doorbells (not buzzers)
42. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Beatles

Recipe For A Delicious Morning

It's best to be up while the sun is still mild--and newly-risen as she is. It wouldn't do to open your eyes to her glaring rays; this, when she's already at that all-time high with whatever's new in her life at the moment.

Next, inhale the fresh, crisp scent of the sheets wrapped around you (so it's imperative to sleep on clean linen, haha).

Then, turn on Miles Davis' Flamenco Sketches, let the music float into your head, waft into your limbs, then stretch, stretch your arms. But slowly, slowly, taking your sweet time.

Think nice thoughts. Like that warm, buttered toast waiting for you on the breakfast table.

Which you will have only if you rise and walk to your kitchen and make one.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Panther

by Rainer Maria Rilke

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,
has grown so weary that it cannot hold
anything else. It seems to him there are
a thousand bars, and behind the bars, no world.

As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,
the movement of his powerful soft strides
is like a ritual dance around a center
in which a mighty will stands paralyzed.

Only at times, the curtain of the pupils
lifts, quietly. An image enters in,
rushes down through the tense, arrested muscles,
plunges into the heart and is gone.

Lit Geek Update #6


Last book I read: She Flew The Coop by Michael Lee West

This book is hilarious, had me hooting with laughter and kicking my heels up while reading it. The writing is candid but spiced up with color and wit. Human frailty and resilience are celebrated equally, the setting being the fictional Limoges, Louisiana, a small-town backdrop with quirky characters that just as possibly could represent any community in any part of the world. A lot of recipes, too, that made me go hungry and grab something to munch on just to satisfy the craving brought on by the raw, unembellished description of Creole fare (Gumbo, crawfish pie, jambalaya, peanut butter and bacon sandwich (!), loads of mayonnaise and chili). A light, most-of-the-time-funny-but-when-it's-sad-it's-sad read.

What I'm reading now: What Was She Thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) by Zoe Heller