Old Habits

Quirino Avenue, the main road that leads to our place in Novaliches has had some serious facelift recently. In the old days it used to be a two lane asphalt road that became notorious for its heavy traffic at almost any hour of the day.

Today it has been widened into four concrete lanes, two on each direction. In fact just the other day, I noticed that a thick white line at the middle divides the road into each direction.

I suppose that line was drawn so that oncoming traffic (on one side) will be confined to two lanes, just like the other side. One would expect that with that line traffic would not be as bad especially during rush hours.

That's what one would expect, not what really happens!

Old bad habits do not easily die! Drivers who have this bad habits (bastos, I call them) cross the white line and disturb oncoming traffic, which, in turn, disturbs the flow of traffic on the opposite side because vehicles on the other side also cross the white line.

Each side ends up occupying three lanes instead of two. Each side is therefore left with a single lane.

The worst part is that traffic enforcers themselves often direct drivers to cross the white line and occupy one lane of oncoming traffic during rush hours. So it is not really difficult to imagine how order can be maintained in Quirino Avenue.

I always stay on the "right" side of the line, preferring to be on the safe side rather than disregard the thick white line which many bastos drivers do.

This is what Lewis Carroll said: "The 'selfish man' is he who would do the thing, even if it harmed others, so long as it gave him pleasure: the 'unselfish man' is he who would still do the thing, even if it gave him no pleasure, so long as it pleased others".

Novaliches drivers passing through Quirino Avenue should all be "unselfish". Hope springs eternal!

Coming of Age

Agatha Christie has given me a very inspiring quote: "I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations; and suddenly find — at the age of fifty, say — that a whole new life has opened before you, filled with things you can think about, study, or read about."

Well, for me it came about ten years later because in a few weeks time I will earn my second citizenship - senior citizenship. Indeed, I am looking forward to a "whole new life"...filled with things I can think about, study or read about, or even write about.


I saw Benjamin Button on DVD a few days ago. I cannot be like him, growing younger as the years go by, but my perspectives may become broader as I count the years. I think this is referred to as growing in hours and not only in years.

Why don't I feel my age? On the other hand, how should I know how it really feels when I have never been sixty before? This probably makes sense.

The other Sunday, the tindera at the talipapa in Sta. Lucia told me: "Tatay heto yong sukli mo." She could have called me "Kuya" or "Manong" but she didn't. That's the reality that I have to live with. No sweat.

When I was doing my groceries before Christmas at SM, I was courteously told to go to the special check-out counter for senior citizens with the shortest line. I obliged. Luckily nobody asked me to present a senior citizen's card - because I really didn't have any - yet!

Beatles Generation

I still am not feeling well today. In fact, I missed the National Directorate meeting where I am supposed to do some role playing with Dir. Irene Isaac. So I stayed in bed most of the time. Luckily, my younger son did not have any class so he stayed home and helped me with my needs. I got my old PC speakers and my MP3 Beatles Anthology that got me reminiscing my high school years in the middle sixties. In those days, the juke box was still the existing technology. When a coin is inserted into a slot, and number and letter keys are pressed, the machine selects from a collection of 45s, small black records which were the existing recording medium in those days. My barkadas and I even used to skip classes just to listen to our favorite Beatles pieces - I Saw Her Standing There, Can't Buy Me Love, If I Fell, Things We Said Today and countless other hits that fascinated our young minds. While listening to these oldies, I busied myself with a book that I got recently from a bargain counter. It was written by Rene Chandelle and entitled Beyond the Da Vinci Code - The Book That Solves the Mystery. Somehow, as far as I have read, it looks like some mysteries are being explained like Mary Magdalene, Jesus Christ and their descendants, the secret of the Order of the Templar and the Holy Grail. Looks like a fascinating book, especially if reading is the most I can do today.

Obama?

I'm probably getting old or just plain indifferent.

People, not just Americans but citizens the world over seem to have been hooked to the Obama inauguration coverage.

I caught a glimpse of what is happening on TV but that was all there is to it. I was not excited, hopeful or anything at all.

They say that when America sneezes, we, Pinoys, catch the flu. Maybe because our economies are intertwined and we often look up to Mother America for some sort of "salvation".

Black or white or yellow, Obama is change, hopefully. Maybe change from an "interventionist" role to a more "domestic" orientation where the strength of the American economy lies not in the munitions and armaments trade but in the development and use of new technology for health, fun and enjoyment.

Are we looking for our own Obama?

Wise Decision

Last night I had dinner with a former colleague in government service. It's been a full decade since we last met and he treated me to a sumptuous dinner to "celebrate" his decision to leave the service early in the game.

He used to work as a contractual employee and he realized that he will not get anywhere unless he gets a regular item. He didn't.

He made up his mind, left the service and tried it out in the market.

He seems to be making good, considering that he even picked up our meal tab. He is now managing a training center for seafarers and have made friends with a number of shipowners hiring Filipino crew.

Which explains why I suddenly cropped up in his mind. I have been involved in matters concerning the maritime sector for more than a decade now. So, for me, it was not a free dinner, after all.

For him, leaving the service early looked like a wise decision.

Why didn't I do the same? Well, as they say, no use crying over spilt milk!

Fun Books

Yesterday was a lazy day as I was not feeling so well. I spent most of the day in bed and my mobile phone calls were not attended to. Guys at the other end of the line may have given up on me.

But I did not want the day to pass on without something accomplished.

I was able to "publish" (printed in my inexpensive HP 2300 and bound with photopaper) my third "fun book" entitled "Technology and Gadgets and Some Fun", reflecting my fascination with emerging technology and gadgets.

Sometime ago I was able to "publish" my first fun book: "Food and Cooking and Some Fun", all about my gastronomic preoccupation. Consider this my first "cook book" if you may.

The second fun book that I "published" is "Life and Living and Some Fun", because there is certainly a lot of fun in life and living.

Some friends have suggested that I should make these into ebooks and publish them on the site but I am considering another option: have these published into real books and get my friends to consider buying a set so I can make a little money on the side.

If I have enough materials, I will make a fifth fun book: "Society and Politics and Some Fun" because there must surely be some fun in politics.

I will work on it.

New Beginning

It's a Monday, January 19, 2009 when I started this site.

I guess it will be an interesting trip, knowing that this will be a daily stopover for me, writing things that I see, hear, smell, taste or feel as I do my daily grind.

It will be fun, too.