Pens and Books

The variety of friends we have astounds us sometimes.

Two days ago, I asked my mother’s maid to wash a bag (knapsack) I had not used in 13 years.  I checked the bag and found plastic sando bags (for wet umbrella or clothes), a bar of Safeguard in a soap box, and a Parker pen.

The Parker triggered me to look for the Cross pen given to me by my sister in the mid-1990s, to no avail.  That Cross model now costs between ₱6,000 and ₱8,000 ≈ $120 and $160.

A dear friend called me today to ask about a number of things, and we got around to talking about my lost and found lavender Parker.  I got that Parker because it just looks so gay, as in homosexual gay.

My friend knew about the Cross pen and told me about his Parker collection when he was in high school.  I told him I’m having second thoughts about buying a new Cross and a Montblanc pen since I still have working old (10+ years) Parker pens.  A Montblanc costs at least four books from Amazon.  Books I order from Amazon usually cost ₱5,000 ≈ $100 each (total cost of each book includes three fees: book price, shipping/handling, and import fees deposit).

My dear friend told me I should just buy the Montblanc instead of new books.  He said a valuable pen looks good on my hands, while books are simply fire hazards.

My friend’s comments really surprised me – and made me laugh hard.  He sees expensive pens as fashionable, while I imagine them tucked away in my shelves and boxes.  While my friend loves movies, he apparently does not value books.

Different strokes for different folks.

Torch Song

I have fallen in love time and again.  I have also been heartbroken once too often.  In the course of loving, I have made promises: to fight all odds, to wait and to love forever.  You know the drill.

Broken promises litter the résumé of my affairs.  However, I reneged on my words without premeditation.  It's a built-in mechanism for survival and renewal.

My heart has a problem committing to a promise when the object of my affection can not or is no longer able to love me.

My mind has not taken breaking promises to heart, but my heart has taken to mind the gift of letting go.

- originally sent as a text message to friends years ago

Amy Adams and Gal Gadot

Early in May this year (2017), one of my dearest friends and I talked about superhero films.  Jho is already a golden gurrl.  We planned to watch Wonder Woman together (we did on June 4).  Wonder Woman opened in Philippine theaters on June 1.

Jho mentioned the person playing Wonder Woman in the films Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.  Wonder Woman is not part of Man of Steel.

Jho said, “Yung gumanap na Wonder Woman, si Amy A… (The one who played Wonder Woman, Amy A)…”

“What?!” was my reply before he could finish his sentence.

“Amy Adams,” he finished nevertheless.

Jho misattributed Amy Adams.

Amy Adams played Lois Lane in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.  Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman and Wonder Woman.  The two women will reprise their roles in the upcoming Justice League movie.

No matter how fresh our memories are, we can still make mistakes.  What more with old memories that happened decades ago?

Memory errors are not as uncommon as some might think.  That is why it is important to document stuff as they happen.

My gurrl friend made a mistake.  That is no cause for committing herr to an asylum.  Didn’t you forget your keys at some point in your life?

To err is human, to forget more so.

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I asked permission from Jho before publishing this.

Atheists and the Faithful

One of my brothers called a few hours ago, looking for our mother.  Mama was asleep, so they never got to talk.

I haven’t seen or heard from him in around 3 years.

My brother just asked how I was doing and asked about my “spiritual life.”

I matter-of-factly told him I don’t have a spiritual life since I’m an atheist, a gay atheist.

“Who influenced you to be an atheist?  I would like to have a word with them,” my brother coolly said.  He’s one of my two born-again brothers.

“Nobody influenced me.  I just woke up one day not believing.”

“Ah okay,” was his reply.

My brother did not broach the issue (because there is none).

We grew up in a syncretic household: Buddhist from our Chinese side, Catholic from our Filipino side.

As Christians, we were raised Catholic.  But I went to a born-again school (grade and high school), so I became a fundamentalist for a long time while carrying the Catholic label (I was never baptized in any other church or faith).  The university I attended is Catholic.  I had my medical internship in an Adventist hospital.

I read atheist stuff after the fact, i.e., I was already an atheist before I read anything about it.

Religion or faith may be an issue, but not in our household.  We live and let live.  We give and take points of views.

Syncretism is not exactly an ideal setup.  I guess we’ve just grown old enough to understand or respect our differences, our humanity.

Organ Playing

Mama saw a man playing the organ in a segment of Eat Bulaga!, the longest running noontime show in the Philippines.  The segment is called All for Juan, Juan for All: Bayanihan of d’ Pipol.

Juan or Juana dela Cruz is the placeholder name for Filipinos.  Bayan is quite generic and means a town, community or country.  Bayanihan means working together for a common goal, for the good of the bayan.

In the show segment, a Juan or Juana from a less fortunate area in the Philippines is chosen and showered with gifts that include cash.

Today’s Juan has an organ in his home and showed his skill in playing the musical instrument to the hosts of the segment.

As the lucky Juan played the organ, Mama asked if I could still play the instrument.

I replied, “Not anymore, Ma.  I haven’t played the organ in decades.  I can’t even read a note these days.”

I then asked Mama the fate of our Yamaha organ.  Mama said it’s kept by my eldest brother.  The organ is being used by my niece who loves music and gives piano lessons.

Mama did not ask for encore, but I gave it anyhow.  I told her, “When I was young, I enjoyed playing the organ without the organ enjoying my playing it.  Now, the organs and notes I play with apparently enjoy my playing with them.”

Mama laughed silently this time, turning her head left and right.