Johnny

He wants to go to the moon and bring his ex-girlfriend with him. Not because he loves her but because of his desire to kill her. They were a couple for 5 years then he went to the Philippines to study English. After a few weeks, she called to break up with him. She didn't say why. She just ended their relationship. He thinks she has a new boyfriend that's why she did it abruptly. She called him a few days ago, didn't say anything, just cried. A few minutes after she put the phone down, he called her. She picked up but didn't answer.

Now he talks about cockroaches and looks intently at lizards. He said lizards can teleport themselves. He wants it for a pet. He is always puzzled by the size of cockroaches in the Philippines, he thinks it's too big. He recently heard a story about a huge rat which crossed the path of one student. The rat was almost as big as the cat, as one witness said.

He is skittish and jumps nervously at the mere mention of caterpillars. He is squeamish about this because of an uncomfortable encounter with one unlucky insect. He was about to wear his sneakers, wearing no socks, when he suddenly felt something soft and squishy inside his shoe.He felt it almost dissolve into very small parts between his toes. When he checked, he saw the dismembered parts of a caterpillar. He has the same reaction with sea anemones. I forget why.

Well one thing is sure, you can never forget Johnny. or Jjany-jany. Nor Dried Fish.

Watches

Uso na naman ang malalaking relo. I haven't bought mine but I plan to. I don't want the expensive ones. Gusto ko yung average lang ang presyo.

I'm right-handed but I wear my watch on my right wrist. I used to be left-handed when I was a kid but my mother encouraged me to use my left hand even before I could learn how to read or write.

When I came into my 30s, I kind of missed the feeling of my left-handedness. Kaya sa kanang kamay ako nagre-relo.

Other people have collections of bags, shoes, books and what have you but I don't. I never collect anything. I don't want to have too much of one object. Pero kung magkakaron man ako ng koleksyon, gusto ko mag-collect ng relo. Different kinds- vintage, modern, small, big- I imagine I would want them in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Musings

Money is useful but it's not always necessary.


Some people think their worth is the same as the amount of money they have.


Sometimes I feel empowered through other people. They make me feel strong so I become focused. I don't ask for it but it comes. Empowerment often brings surprise to me because of its source. Some people unknowingly make me empowered and then I get back on track. It's an exhilirating feeling, having people recognize a person's strength.


Pistis. It's the Greek word for faith. If I didn't have this, I would've crumbled and sank.

I Know

...a story about 2 thieves who wanted to rob a woman. She lived alone in her house. They gagged her and tied her feet and went inside to get what they wanted. You know what they chose? The refrigerator. They tried to lift it up, pushed and heaved to get past the front door, but couldn't. Then the kind woman, the owner of the house,instructed them how to carry the ref and how to move it at the right angle so they could leave her in peace.

...a young man who was working in the garden of their house when he and his mother heard a thud. It seemed like something hit the ground. When they turned to look,they saw the head of a young boy split open,his eyes out of their sockets. They learned later that the ten year old boy jumped from the top of their apartment building. The guy who witnessed that sad event had to transfer to another place, along with his family,to forget the images in their minds.

Hearing an interesting story does wonders. When grandmother tells stories of a magical place, of heroes and heroines, of mystical beings, of supernatural powers, we gather at her feet in awe of all the marvellous people and events.

Sometimes our maid can also do this but with more gory details about ghosts, monsters and witches. She tells of a story about a farmer who was so hungry after working in the fields all day, had to stop by a small eatery to feed himself. He had a serving of rice and dark brown sauce. He was so busy stuffing himself with the food he ordered that he didn’t notice a small finger, cut in portion similar to the pork he’s eating, lying underneath the dark sauce. Of course, our maid described it with more drama which makes for a very interesting piece.

Now the local barber or hair stylist is also an effective storyteller. You just have to filter which story about certain personalities is true.

Did you ever wonder why movies are very popular? It’s because of storytelling. People like to see and hear a good story or two. Movies are capable of keeping people enthralled for two hours, sometimes more.
A film director is like grandmother or the maid or the local barber. They’re all effective storytellers.
I may not be as compelling as the personas I mentioned but I have stories to tell. Some of them are good, some are bad and I want to share them with you.