Father's new priority

So, my father introduced his girlfriend to me saying, "This is Isme, by the way."

I said, hi, then went out the house's back door, and finished my coffee while I smoked. I went back in, avoided making eye contact and then pretended like I am busy unpacking and packing at the same time. Rationalizing.

I didn't know it was her. I thought she was just one of the folks from the country who were there for the annual reunion. My aunts, uncles and cousins had already been at home waiting for me to arrive from Manila, so we could all go to Gensan (the designated place for the annual reunion) together. So, when my father said those words from behind me, I thought she was a relative. But there was something about my sisters' silence and my father's awkwardness that told me she was not. I didn't want to deal with it just yet, so I acted like I was fine with it to my sisters', father's and Isme's shock.

How do you deal with that, anyway?

Summer

Holding a glass of some disgusting liquor and with her back to them, she said, 

you should know the sea's never as beautiful as in summer, 

then drank all the disgust of the world 

and left.

My Top Ten Summer Destinations

If the weather is not enough to whisper summer into your ears, I suggest going to any gym and see how packed it is. Around this time, people start trying to lose the pounds they have gained since Christmas. And in a few weeks, it will not just be the gym that's crowded but beaches and other summer destinations, as well.

There really is no better time that's best for traveling than during the summer months. From March to May, the likelihood of a typhoon ruining a much-awaited vacation is almost 0%. But it's not just storms we should avoid during vacations but the hassle of having to be in a very crowded place, as well. And, if you are allergic to a big crowd, never plan your vacation during the Holy Week.

Mt. Daraitan and the Stunning Tinipak River

View from the summit

If you are looking for a destination that is good for a weekend, Mt. Daraitan is a great choice. From Starmall in Crossing, it only takes around 3 hours to get to. This place in Tanay, Rizal has a lot to offer: caving, swimming and of course, hiking (for more information on how to get there, see travel notes below the story).

I did not expect much when I signed up for this hike with a group organized by a friend of a friend. Rizal is too near Metro Manila to still have interesting things to see. I had thought that this was another overrated place.

Low-Key Photographs

Photo opportunity in my kitchen

Some hotel lobby

Moving

I had become very comfortable with my last apartment, so I looked for a reason to loathe the landlady
and my 50-year old, next-door neighbor to justify moving to a new place. It was not difficult. I only had to think about them and realized I should congratulate myself for having lived there for years without developing some sort of heart disease.

That old home is actually nice, strategically located (walking distance from the highway, where I could get buses, jeeps, and cabs), and peaceful. Neighbors would go about their own businesses, and in fact, I rarely saw any of them. The problem was I had no problems, so I left.  Staying in a place for some time and actually loving it makes me uneasy. It is worse than the unease I feel with my next-door neighbor's moans while having sex with whomever she picked up on the street. Or my landlady's gossips about how the couple in unit A have each of their own families making the place their secret love nest.

The Talk

Batanes

Today, let's sit down.

I have brewed some coffee and bought some bread. I hope you like them. Even if you don't, it's fine. The sun is out, but the air is cool enough to give the fan a rest. It's quieter that way. Let us treat ourselves to silence. That is hard to come by here in the city. Don't worry about the sound your spoon makes as it clinks against your cup, stirring your coffee. If anything, it sets the mood.

Feel comfortable. You can look at me. Or look down. Anything you want to do. Or if you want me to turn on the fan, it's fine. The whir from the turning blades can't possibly ruin the day. It just makes it a tad bit noisier. 

It's been years.
We were going to own the world and smite the self-righteous, starting with the abusive landlady. But we were born with too much kindness, I think. We settled with turning her name to a verb- iv. to hurl all over the toilet seat after getting drunk. That was funny. Her being a word. I wish that had not been what happened to our dreams, though. That makes me sad. IS making me sad. Owning the world are just words we heard from a movie. The line sounded good and loaded. We never really understood it. Even so, it feels we're so very far from owning it. That's probably the only funny thing that's sad at the same time. 

Maybe it's not too late. It's ridiculous saying that when I told you I didn't believe in time that way. Change is more specific. But see, this coffee smells good. It has to. It is making me feel a little better, too. That's why I should never run out of it. I don't think we have to smell good. No, I like baths, but I meant that like the coffee smelling good. I think at any time of the day, we can either watch TV or look for homeless old people on the street to give food to.

Perhaps, after we are done with our cups, I will finally start learning how to grow rice. And you, you can start working on your smile. Or didn't you tell me you wanted to learn how to swim?
I am almost done. Let's do this again some time tomorrow, or next week or next year...maybe, many years later. 

I have to go. 

Good luck. 

Don't forget. 

Turn off the fan.