What a beautiful evening.  It's raining and I'm in the middle of a Dostoevsky novel.  Also about to make myself a cup of strong coffee.  Plus, there's yogurt in the fridge, and I've a bottle of good ole methyl salicylate to rub all over meself.
-

What a capricious child memory is, reminding me of  that bridge in Temecula, and the smell of cat pee in the halls of my old dormitory.

I wonder if I'll remember this afternoon.  An afternoon just like any other (a rooster's trill and orange light casting soft shadows) and yet perhaps not the same, perhaps not the same.

-
My twin sister and I turned 28 last week.  We went to this seafood place along Manila Bay, and afterwards watched Avengers. Wona was so terrified of Captain America and just cried the whole time.

-

A few days ago someone told me that I was a bit like Amelie Poulain.  Yeah, he probably knew it's what I wanted to hear, but still :)

A slow afternoon like this. Bouts of nausea in between zombie flicks.
-

Just finished Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain and started Dostoevsky's The Idiot.  4 days after the surgical extraction of my mandibular second molar, still paranoid about getting dry socket, still rinsing with salt water every so often.  I lost about three pounds, hooray, but I'll probably gain those back as soon as the gaping hole in my mouth closes.  Been eating a lot of ampalaya lately which could mean that I've become an adult (what's next, buying life insurance?)

Our birthday this Monday ("our" because I've got a twinkie). Twenty-eighth.  Yeesh.

The family might have a reunion in Japan this May.  It's about time, too.  Haven't seen my mom in five years, haven't seen my Ate and her family in four.
--

Everything I have, I have received.  I do not deserve, still You freely give.

--

life as a lit major, in memoriam:

1. Solitary lunch at the Museum Cafe, reading murder mysteries.
2. Prof. S inviting me to attend her class on Proust.
3. Mama calling to say she had already wired my monthly allowance.
4. Ham and cheese sandwich and brewed coffee before Sir F's class.
5. Helping Gem study for college entrance exams.
6. Patchy and the boatload of tears and the eventual happy ending.
7. Clunky poetry.
8. Thesis diarrhea.
9. Last Friday, when through Sir F. I found out I was etc.
10.  A lot of sitting in corridors.











With Senor Maranan and Dean Mirano at the 2012 CAL Recognition












With my English 21 professor












---




-

Just got back from a reunion/sleepover with A.C.E. schoolmates.  It was at this one-hectare farm, in a rather run-down building.   The farm had three mutts (who begged for your dinner with beady eyes)  and the big white one looked like Patchy.  There was also this one cute kitten we named Panchecat.

We  had a movie marathon in the evening.  I fell asleep past midnight while everyone was still watching Immortals.   Woke up to the sound of K-pop and a whirring camera (Cymon was taking pictures of those asleep). We had bread and instant coffee, then played games.

The whole thing was rather refreshing, really. 

To Him who freely gives wisdom, strength, peace, joy, and grace, I give my heartfelt praise.

Weird. A Caucasian guy (French, judging by the accent) approached me this evening, and with a distressed expression pointed at my shoes.  I thought he was trying to tell me that I had stepped on doody and so I checked my soles.  There wasn't any.  Then, in pained English, he told me that maybe *it* was in my pants. So I unfolded (the edges of) my trousers, and out popped a large cockroach.

I did the obligatory girly squeal, he did the obligatory manly squelch. I thanked him. End of story.

Instant coffee is much more palatable with whole milk and a lot of ice.