Everyone asks me who Antenor is in my e-mail address "Studio Antenor".

Antenor was the teacher and mentor of Florante, Adolfo, and Menandro in Francisco Baltazar's romance Florante at Laura. It is not mentioned in the awit, but, since the episode of the boys' schooling has a decidedly Greek setting, I strongly believe that Antenor was not a human being but a centaur.

One sleeps well only if one is happy with one's bedroom.

Good night, Cubao!

In two hours I commence the best part of the day: bedtime. Sleeping is indeed an art, and it is the finest reward at the end of one's activity-filled day.

Caught the night showing of ROTCH on GTV. Each episode is filled with exciting events. Nothing drags.

Angelique and J. arrived home 9:00 PM.

One of the Moriones masks fell off its chain this evening but did not get damaged. I think its former owner, in Marinduque, is in trouble.

Finally did the middle binding on Aubrey's knitted top. Smooth sailing all the way.

One of the most valuable things I learned from graduate school at Ateneo a.k.a. Anteno (so close to my e-mail address) was to invite to a party only people whom you think like being with one another.

My apologies, therefore, to the great uninvited majority.

More words I think I understand: "AH-yah", "Coo-BOH", "HAH-yoh", and "Shung-GOH".

Caught the evening showing of ROTCH on GTV.

Cannot stand that ham actress making a deliberate effort to look, talk, and act like Zhiang Zhiyi.

The royal court he has gathered is comprised of characters from the rebel government in Dark Knight Rises.

Do not take pride in completing a painting in record time. Long after it is done, no one will remember the feat, and all people will see are the technical imperfections of your craft.

Sad banana fritter

Soggy like a dish rag

No pet cat deigns taste of it

But the stray dog waits 

All day long

I retained only the Spirit Questors who were always there during the major transitions in my life.

I discarded the Spirit Questors who tend to whip out crystals, magical implements, ghost-hunting gadgets, and such, because I have decided that they embarrass me in front of clients, especially religious clients.

If you have been visited by spirits of the deceased from the distant past during the past few nights, all you have to do is forgive them, ask for their forgiveness, and then forgive yourself.

Although the Festival of Hungry Ghosts has officially ended, you see, there are many straggling spirits that are allowed to come through until the end of the month, which is, actually, tonight.

Aubrey arrived from school 5:00 PM.

Call from G. He is working with a cultural institution and wants "Writing from the Heart" workshops in ________ City and in _______ Province.

Can I be away from the house that long? I'm the bill-payer and "chef" and dishwasher and someone has to feed and water the birds everyday and who will turn the water tank on and off for M.'s cafe?

I told him to schedule ________ Province first, since that it is nearer and accessible by land travel.

The time will come when computers will be able to read your mind, at least to some extent.

Social order is a system of rewards and punishments meted out by other people.

Spirituality is a system of rewards and punishments meted out by yourself to yourself.

Good day, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night.

Good night, Cubao!

Watching tonight's episode of ROTCH.

While I was retrieving psychic information for today's client, the character and name B., I believe a relative of the client, came up. I wonder if that was B.G., whom I haven't seen in 20 years, since, come to think of it, B.G. was raised in the same region.

Tomorrow is the last day of September 2015. The day after that, the fourth and last quarter of the year begins.

Watching Gong Palace again, and of course I don't understand a word. Except for "Shr" and "Sieh-Sieh".

Aubrey arrived from varsity volleyball training 8:00 PM. We had dinner together. I will soon be poorer by P5,500 because I need to pay her varsity fee.

Angelique and J. arrived from a movie and dinner out 9:50 PM.

Filipinos are good initiators, but only a few see their ideas through success. That is because they either cannot afford or are unwilling to invest in their own ideas. Sometimes foreign investors come in and appear to help, only to run off with both the ideas and the money afterward.

Re-viewed Death on the Nile but couldn't find the woman who appeared in Evil Under the Sun. It must have been a reference to another episode. I like this better than the Mia Farrow/Michael York/Amy Irving version, which seems to have been shot for the stars rather than for the story. The performers of Linette and Simon here are a stunning couple. An appearance by a much older David Soul, the Winter Palace Hotel in Egypt, the Nile cruise on the SS Karnak, fantastic afternoon and sunset shots, writer Salome Otterbourne, evidently either a precursor or a variant of Adriane Oliver (and this one a clearer and more credible interpretation than that by Angela Lansbury), exquisite, brass pots and trays, and deck furniture sets to have tea on.

Death on the Nile is a classic (it is, as a matter of fact, the first DVD in the series) and really entertaining because it is a love story more than it is a murder story. Because, frankly, in the last analysis, there are far simpler ways to commit a murder than the first one (and the others) in this episode.

Strained vocal cords are completely unnecessary to good singing. Note that the best songwriters--the Beatles and the Carpenters among them--never required them at all. It is too much like requiring dancers to do acrobatics.

I was Hercule Poirot at his best today. Two offices with _______________, the spirit of a mother and a little girl, spirit children's running steps in a corridor, invisible washroom  users, a depressive female employee, and a deceased oligarch who took me through his kingdom and his family tree.

Two cups Ceylon tea.

He is a natural rebel and cannot maintain the image of a conservative role model.

Waste boxes in cars are unwieldy and all too soon become grimy and germ-laden. Just use disposable plastic bags that can be thrown along with the trash.

A full water tank drains slowly. A low water tank drains quickly.

Waiting to be picked up.

I hope they allow me to take photos.

"Supersearch" is an old, Wang computer system term that never got picked up due to reverse envy. Unfortunately, it is a great word. I use it even in the astral realm.

Good morning, Cubao!

Wearing Gucci Guilty.

Good night, Cubao!

Tomorrow should be an even more interesting day.

Caught the 8:00 PM showing of Return of the Condor Heroes and the 9:00 PM showing of Gong Palace.

Re-viewed Evil Under the Sun. An Argentinian restaurant owned by Hastings (known for his flop investments), an island resort called Sandy Cove Hotel, Pixie Cove, a tractor ferry, a boat sometimes with a red sail and sometimes with a white sail, young birdwatchers, a tin sandwich box filled with heroin, two related murders, and beautifully lighted outdoor shots. This episode has a supporting character who first appeared in Death on the Nile, making me feel like watching Death on the Nile all over again.

I love Taiwan's GTV channel. Their current, main feature is Return of the Condor Heroes, and each episode is treated like a movie in a real theater. It has several screenings during the day: 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 5:30 PM, and 12:00 MN.

Do not decorate your house in such a way that people can tell what you do for a living. Decorate it so that people can never tell, but so that they can see what makes your family the happiest.

On top of our regular groceries and supplies, which my granddaughters buy twice a month, I recently decided to make my own, personal list of men's stuff and buy them myself. That way I know what new items are on the market to suit my needs.

Caught the 1:00 PM showing of Return of the Condor Heroes on GTV. I wish I knew everything that was going on.

Your house is both your haven and your heaven upon your retirement. If, during the course of your employment, you did not prepare a house to eventually retire in, you are in for a lot of misery and grief.

Do not tell yourself, "I'll buy a house later"--it will never happen. You will never find the right, it will be too expensive by that time, and you will be unable to afford it.

Aubrey arrived from school 3:00 PM. Bought her pancit and a Coke at M.'s cafe while I went to D.'s store and claimed my bottle of crunchy, deep-fried garlic from the peanut man.

To the Sitio Catacutan Market on a jaunt. Been wanting to stir-fry pork and chicken baloney for the past few days.

Business acumen is in one's mind and creativity, not in one's suit.

The problem is, many men think like method actors. Taking their cue from Stanislavski, they believe in working their way inward from a fake exterior.

But, that works only in theater, not in real life.

I love retirement! I do only what I feel like doing, not what I should be doing or what other people expect me to be doing. I can turn down requests for appearances and interviews whenever I like. All of this, 24/7!

I would never give up retirement for anything else in this world.

Never listen to the voices of fake fans. They are the devils who will drag you down to ruination.

I no longer go on Spirit Quests on weekends, because weekends are for my family.

Watched The Voice of China again last night on GTV.

Never use magic as a springboard to acquire friends. You will end up merely gabbing and gadding about and not practicing magic at all. Isolation is prerequisite to magic, even to the point that people will perceive you as unreachable and anti-social.

Watched Interviews Before Execution: A Chinese Talk Show on Ci. Admirable program, though the interviewer is self-absorbed and sensitive mostly to herself, giving one the feeling that everything is all about her.

Good morning, Cubao!

The rain stopped as soon as I woke up, which is just as well because, had it not stopped, I would have gone back to sleep again.

Good night, Cubao!

Re-viewed The Big Four, again more enjoyable to me on DVD than on paper. An omnibus--Hastings, Japp, Miss Lemon, and Georges are in it. Poirot's copper and ivory Art Deco chess set, a chinoisserie collection by a sinophile, a candlelit dinner, a variety of murders, and a cut-out cardboard theater. So theatrical that the mystery indeed ends inside a real theater. A good screenplay and good direction magnificently united a flamboyant story with disjointed scenes.

Heat thunder and rain in Cubao.

Watching China's equivalent of our old Concert at the Park on CCTV, except that China's is always grandiose and fabulous.

Men's fashion designers for RTW are old, tired, and unimaginative. Everything on the racks is comprised of either stripes or of plaids. There aren't even enough solid colors. There aren't even off-, Chekovian colors. Boring, corny, predictable, and an insult to many men, especially men who like being well-dressed.

And, someone please tell me exactly why stripes and plaids are supposed to be definitive of masculine fashion? Because, as early as I can remember, I have always associated them with pajamas, prison uniforms, nursery room wallpaper, gift wrappers, Scotch tape boxes, and tablecloths.

M.'s primary cook did not report for work Friday, Saturday, and today. She called in to inform M., however, that she will come in to work tomorrow. Apparently her house, located in an informal settlers' area, was demolished, and she had to relocate to Bulacan.

Yet another illustration that people focus all of their efforts on their careers and not on their houses.

Tried two more varieties of bread at the Sitio Catacutan Bakery.

Your Hangout message:

"Good day, Sir Tony! This is the second time my shadow appeared in my dream. I was asked for help by some workers at a pawnshop to clean their place while I was headed to school. I agreed to it. While I was sweeping the floor, one of my black shoes flew outside the shop. I quickly ran to it. There were vehicles. One particular vehicle stuck to me because the driver was rude. He drove so fast and ran over my shoe. I grabbed it quickly and put it on, then went to school. It was quick. Seconds after, I was headed back to the pawnshop since the upper floor is the dorm where I am staying. Two guys were distracting me, flattering me with all sweet words one could possibly come up with. I did not know that they had an accomplice behind me who just stole the money I had in my wallet. I checked it. I had all my money intact in an 'Ang Pao', only two thousand pesos was stolen from me and I thought to myself that it wasn't that much so I was ready to let it go when these two guys ran after the guy and would want to get my money back for me. So I ran after them as well. It was quite a chase. We ended up inside a cave, and finally caught the thief. The other guy got a thousand, and I got the other one. The thief was just laughing. He told us that it isn't that long before his mom comes to rescue him. We weren't really threathened by it. So we just went our way back when indeed, the mom was there who was carrying all sorts of attack weapons. Now, we're shaken. The two guys whom I was with, one of them turned into a girl. Together we went back to the cave as there was no other way. The mom made quite an entrance. She locked the cave. If there was one thing evident of her personality, that is that she's truly evil. She sniffed on us, planning on how she would attack us. We went underground, it was even scarier as it has all sorts of alien animals on standby. So we went back up. Crazy how the thief was just standing there frozen the whole time watching us. We did not mind because we were too preoccupied as to how we can escape from the evil mother. The mom was getting closer and closer to us when the guy I was with was protecting me, ready to die for me. He was reciting prayers then kissed me. He was saying sorry that I got all into this trouble because of him. I said it was okay. We can resolve it together. So we went back to the locked up entrance of the cave to try to open it. It was heavily locked with metal. So there is really no other way than to actually face the evil mom head on. There was a secret way (too similar to that of my first dream where I hid from my shadow). This time I was with the girl. The evil mom was there. I do not know what she's doing but I think she was facing a mirror. She instantly felt that we were there. I immediately thought of wearing an invisible cloak. I tried to feel every vibration in the tunnel, and tried to become one with it. The only problem was there was the two of us. So apart from myself, I also have to hide the girl from her. It was difficult at first because the invisibility cloak was designed only for one person but I somehow managed to pull it off. The evil mom went to another direction where my lover was. He distracted the mom so she would not chase us but him instead. I could not allow that so I went for him as well. I did not want him to be hurt. Then we all faced each other now. The evil mom suddenly summoned my shadow (the one who appeared in my first dream, only bigger). She told him to attack us. He was chasing after the three of us when I saw a heater. I filled it with water which turned really hot and pressed the button where it released water, and directed them towards my shadow. I knew that he will not be hurt by it but somehow assured that this will work for us. So i tried and tried to splash hot water on him. When we reached the corner of the cave, he collapsed. The other girl I was with checked if he was okay. He revived, not  as a robot now but as a human filled with emotions. He was so happy that his cheeks flushed red. He became our ally. We were pinching his butt to tease him that finally he's himself. We headed back to where the evil mom was, ready to retaliate. 4 is to 1, we thought. What could possibly go wrong? When we arrived, the exact opposite mom was there. The mom who was so pure, loving, and caring. She told the evil mom that even if she tried to poison us with a sticky yellow fluid she infected the water in the cave with. We were not affected by it. But it turned out that the evil mom was just scaring us with the poison. She never really intended to poison us with it. She was just waiting for the shadow to come back, for all of us to come back. Then suddenly, there were two rows that were set up. Each with a row of made-up bed, with children ready to sleep in it. The evil mom was on the other side, now smiling. Every children with different personalities each went to their respective beds. The good mom was there also. It was as if everything is in harmony now. The two moms were talking, and we were happy. The dream ended. Does that mean that I have finally reconciled with my shadow? How was that possible?

I really do not know what is with this tunnel that I frequently dream of it. I remember that I had a constant dream since I was in my first grade. Every single year until I reached 6th grade, I would dream of the same dream every time. It has even its title called "7 ways to Kamatayan". Weird, because I still cannot relate it to anything that is happening in my life. The dream ends with me standing outside the tunnel, struck by the calming light, finding peace in what we call heaven.

"____________"

My reply:

Hello ____________!

Yes, you are on the right track with your dreamworking and dream analysis. You have, as a matter of fact, become lucidly proactive in controlling your actions and the actions of the other characters in your dreams. I advise you to continue paying attention to, actually authoring, and interpreting your dreams for yourself.

There are just a few things I wish to point out:

Losing one shoe in a dream is equivalent to not knowing which direction to take in life. One shoe goes one way, the other shoe another. The imagery is reiterated with your losing money in the same dream: you lose two thousand pesos and recover one thousand pesos (one half) while the other one thousand pesos (the other half) goes to someone else.

I will say that you are on the way to reconciling fully with your Shadow, but you should always recognize him when he changes identity. He has actually become the man who is protective over you and whom you call your lover. The evil woman/mother is yourself, for everyone is the parent of his/her Shadow. Therefore, the woman's son and your lover are one and the same character, your Shadow.

The tunnel you frequently dream of is not necessarily a conduit to the world beyond physical life, though it could be in your case because you have psychic abilities, and your psyche may be giving you a glimpse of that world. However, it is usually and typically symbolic of the birth canal, and a call to be metaphorically reborn as the complete person you have always wanted to be and should be. 

 

Do not forget to lie down and rest for an hour in the daytime, when and where it is possible.

Like drinking water, it is one other thing that people neglect doing in the electronic age.

Unrequited love does not need to be requited. It is enough to recognize it for what it is, to fully accept it, and to leave it at that.

Every encounter with a person is a relationship, even if it looks like the absence of a relationship.

Weekends are opportunities to mend whatever got broken in the days between.

You can easily tell when someone is really attracted to you, because that person will always avoid looking at you.

Guests look round my house thinking they will find a trophy room, corner, or table. I don't have any of those, and I am revolted by people who do. My trophies and certificates are all hidden away. My real trophies are my paintings and my antiques.

The closest to the edge I have ever gone is to hang oil portraits of myself. It is, after all, very Agatha Christie.

It is fine to work in a team, but what will people will always remember you for is what you are able to do alone and on your own.

Two cups of green tea. Always good after lechon kawali.

Unbeknownst to many, contemplating Tarot cards is the best brain stimulant of all. That is why many people collect Tarot cards even without using the cards as they were meant to be used. They take out a particular deck and contemplate the cards according to their particular need.

Tarot cards are portable storybooks and art galleries.

When you are young you live as your metaphysical child. When you are grown up and married you actually have that child. From then on you live for and because of that child, because it is a way of living for yourself.

A good apple rots beside a bad apple because neither one has free will.

When a good person is beside a bad person, each of them is capable of the moral act of influencing the other.

What they really want is for him to spend all of his money and wind up a pauper. It is their unspoken act of vengeance against his reign.

Never judge a person based on one thing you know and nine things you do not know.

If you make everything depend on you and then something goes wrong, it will most certainly be your fault.

It is wrong to associate the night, darkness, and shadows with spirits and paranormal activity. Like most beings in this world, they are present even in the daytime and in the brightest of spaces.

Horror-movie mentality is the worst mentality of all, because it miseducates us about life beyond the physical.

Watched Untouchables: Power Corrupts on Ci last night. A serial-killer doctor.

Good day, Cubao!

Woke up at 12:00 NN!

Late lunch with the granddaughters.

Good night, Cubao!

Hoping to sleep ten hours once again.

Dinner with Aubrey at home, and then we had black, brewed coffee in M.'s cafe.

Angelique and J. arrived 30 minutes later, with glad tidings of a UST sports victory. I bought them dinner at M.'s cafe.

From where we were seated, we could see that there was an ongoing art event at Artery Art Space, across the street.

I never believed in gilding the lily ever since I was a child, all the way through school, through work, and even now that I've retired. I have always spoken my mind. When I don't like someone or something I say so, and why. I cannot stand being a hypocrite to anyone. It was a most effective way of eliminating riffraff from my life.

If all knowledge comes from God, why do we go out of our way to purchase an education to acquire it?

Watched a replay of Michael Jackson's This Is It on Sony. He was truly a great artist. Many other singers, including some in the Philippines, are derivative of him, and their art can ultimately be traced back to him, rendering their work unoriginal.

The world will never forget Michael Jackson, and thus has he obtained immortality. His demise was one of the biggest losses of the music world.

I have a Claude Monet easel, a folding plein-air type fashioned after Monet's actual easel. Although I refuse to give it up and do not work outdoors it is really very difficult to unfold and set up.

Do not trust a co-worker who uses her body language and facial expressions behind your back while you speak.

An overly made-up pair of eyes will always look like a pair of raw oysters.

I have always looked upon frogs as symbols of repressed lust.

The difference between an unschooled person and a schooled person is that the latter has an abundance of arrogance that only poverty can take away.

The best way to inculcate unconditional love is to give it.

I can never fully subscribe to Art Deco because I cannot fully appreciate veneer furniture and parquet floors. They are hard to maintain in this day and age and totally impossible to repair.

After watching a broadcaster for an hour, you can tell whether he is an oppressive, dominating, overwhelming parent or a mature and responsible one.

Every time you throw away a gift given you by a special person, it is you who loses something, not that person.

My mind is always stilled whenever I hear the precious songs of the rice-field birds.

Lunch at home with Aubrey. Angelique at university.

It is a nice, quiet day, though a trifle hot.

Some religions worship statues. But all religions worship the media.

You are wrong to think that the walls, the furniture, the plants, and the pet animals cannot disagree with you. You do not hear them because you believe that it is impossible for them to do so. Yet, sit still and listen the next time you are alone.

Diplomats who go abroad to live like kings are on the paths to their own destruction.

Return of the Condor Heroes continued last night. More characters, more subplots, more flashbacks.

I am convinced that Chinese storytelling had great influence on Russian storytelling.

The fat broadcaster has a sharp tongue but a dull mind, and does not have the intelligence to know it.

Why are hackers fond of sending messages to the tune of "You have reached your storage limit"? Don't they know that if one DOES reach one's storage limit, all one has to do is open a new account?

Good morning, Cubao!

Slept ten hours last night. The feeling is like that of finally purchasing something I really want.

Re-viewed Elephants Can Remember. Like Third Girl, I enjoyed the DVD version more than I enjoyed the original on paper. Ariadne Oliver is awarded Crime Writer of the Year, she has more necklaces but three that she already wore in Halowe'en Party. Ivory elephants, a piano recital, a gothic water therapy mechanism, and another shop with a quaint tea service. Plus, Poirot's gold and jasper tea service makes another appearance.

Good night, Cubao!

Hoping to sleep better tonight, since we are all safe at home on this cool, rainy night.

Caught Killer Kids: Please Kill for Me. Most reprehensible murders.

Refreshing rain in Cubao. Quite welcome, as it was incredibly hot over the past two days and nights.

Angelique came home 3:00 AM last night and rose 3:00 PM this afternoon. I took her to lunch in M.'s cafe.

Aubrey came home from her sleepover 2:45 PM and went directly to sleep.

Cooked rice for tonight and a batch of my favorite tocino to include in tonight's dinner.

Also bought bread at the Sitio Catacutan Bakery and tried a new variety for a future tea party.

Re-viewed Dead Man's Folly. More Ariadne Oliver necklaces, country furniture and decor, lush woods and gardens, an emerald ring, a fete with a carousel, a fortune teller's tent, foreign hikers, a folly, a search party, a wonderful tea service in a shop, switched identities, and three murders. As I mentioned after my first viewing I do miss the scene in Amy Folliat's lodge, which, in the book, not only showcased her obsessive-compulsive needlepoint but used it as a reflection of a criminal's obsession-compulsion.

Fear not a person's physical body. Fear his mind.

C., then a Jesuit priest, was our junior high school class instructor in Latin. He never liked me, and I recall at least three instances that support this:

1. G., a classmate, once turned to me from his seat to tell me something, and, even if I did not say anything, C. pounced on me and assigned me to afternoon jug,

2. C. once assigned our class to attend an evening lecture by a sociologist at the Philamlife auditorium and write a paper based on the talk. I went there and saw my classmates with C. but did not mingle with them; they seemed rowdy and inattentive. I sat in the back and diligently took notes, then immediately went home to write a comprehensive paper.

After submitting the paper, C. took me aside and grilled me, accusing me of borrowing a copy of the speaker's lecture from an unknown source and further accusing me that I was not even in the auditorium that evening because he did not see me.

3. During the time that we were translating the Catilinian Battles from Latin, C. assigned the class to write the rebel and conspirator Catiline's rebuttal. I did so.

After submitting my rebuttal he announced to the class that I wrote the best rebuttal, read it out to the class, and said that only a person who had a mind like Catiline could write such a rebuttal.

Unbeknownst to him, I considered these instances as extremely flattering. They convinced me that it is most wonderful to be different from the rest--one often comes as a surprise even to one's self.

The insight derived here, however, is not all about me. It is that a student never forgets an injustice or a flattery, and, perhaps, even more so, a flattering injustice.

Every parent's love must be constant, no matter what.

China is Asia's equivalent of the Roman empire. Like the Middle East and the Vatican, it is in fact the center of a world religion, Buddhism, despite its sociopolitical system, which has the intelligence not to destroy its national treasures. The most breathtaking and magnificent Buddhist temples are located there. Buddhism, however, is low-key and self-effacing, which is why the world hardly sees that it even has a "center". Unfortunately other religions have no penchant for such silence and obscurity.

Four young, male models have already come to me and made me think of doing a series that entails fine anatomy, but I am taking my time and doing things at leisure for now.

Retirement and being a man of leisure are a hedonist's greatest dream.

Note that while envy is one of the deadly sins most frequently committed, it is also the envious who are most frequently punished, and in full view of the envied.

I suspect that sins, like modern, glass windows, are self-cleaning.

Over the years at least six ethnic drums for meditation came to my life. I am gradually passing them on to others. They are hardly used because, rather than take me to altered states of consciousness, they actually physically ground and exhaust me.

Sometimes fantasy is not a springboard to crime, it is the safety valve that prevents it.

Pomp is always transitory and expensive. Real life resumes as soon as it is over.

Good noon, Cubao!

And a solemn Eid-ul-Adha to all my Muslim friends!

Watched the live coverage of the Pope's visit to the U.S.A. on CNN Absolutely, then American Ninja Warrior: Grand Finals on AXN.

When spirits cry out "Help!" and "Help me!" it is not because they are in a state of new, horrible suffering. It is because they were unable to make up for their mistakes and fulfill their karma when they were still alive in their physical bodies, and they are reminding themselves to not do the same in their next incarnation.

Angelique, J., and Angelique's block-mates are at Commerce Night, thankfully a dry night on top of the fact that tomorrow, Eid-ul-Adha, is a holiday. Aubrey is on a sleepover at a classmate's house.

And so I walked to M.'s cafe tonight.

There are things that every person usually does not forget, and those are that person's sins. They haunt one as repeatedly as the waves of the ocean rushing to the shore. This happens in order for the person to properly undo them.

Whenever I stand in front of or pray at different altars in churches and houses, I am able to sense which ones have sacred energy and which ones do not. I wonder if others are able to do the same, especially priests.

I like it whenever the guards and compound tenants are conversing at the lighted station between the small loggia and the studio entrance. I wish it would go on and on all night. It makes me feel that I am in the room of a cozy, lively inn.

I could never sleep in quiet surroundings. In 1974, when I was enrolled for an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, I and three students were scheduled by a rich doctor to stay in his beach house in Batangas over a weekend to conduct therapy for his autistic son. A typhoon was due to hit but I made it to Batangas anyway. Unfortunately I was the only one who made it there. Over that weekend I was all alone in the beach house. The power was off, the typhoon raged for days, and the nights were pitch black. I was rescued after the typhoon blew over. I swore to  myself that such a thing would never happen to me again.

Good night, Cubao!

Tomorrow is a holiday for the granddaughters, as everyday is a holiday to me.

He will fall ill in the midst of production.

Anyone who is truly happy and has inner peace will always look beautiful to others.

A lit candle will give you correct answers at this juncture.

The body will always be a mystery because it has a mind of its own, other than the mind of the Self.

It is possible to nip another person's depression in the bud. That is why everyone should have a good, working knowledge of clinical psychology.

Time goes by too quickly whatever I am doing, even when I am doing "nothing".

I've been watching so much CTV that I am certain that Cerefina, in the rear passage--which two of my bedroom doors and a window open onto--and the pet birds, in the small loggia--which a second bedroom window opens onto--can already understand and speak Mandarin.

One of the worst things about cosmetics is that they smell like cosmetics.

Maturity implies that you fully accept human error and that nothing is ideal.

Hopelessly hooked on Poirot. Re-viewed Cards on the Table. More necklaces worn by Ariadne Oliver, the interior of a rich, Syrian collector's house influenced by the Alhambra, Poirot's and Ariadne' Oliver's lovely apartments, a lesbian attraction, and two homosexuals.

It is all right to call your daughter a princess, but do not raise her as one. It is difficult for fragile, sheltered, and dependent women to survive.

Serious needlework opens the third eye.

I am already scheduled to visit the office building in question, which I somewhat dread because I know that the entities there are directly related to a hive of entities in ________________, which two of my Spirit Questors teams and I encountered in 1998.

Sex can always be engineered, but not love.

The Condor and the Eagle are not among the animals of the Chinese zodiac because they were not among the 12 that appeared when Buddha called.

Come to think of it, none of the air and water animals appeared, unless Dragon represents Sky Dragon and Water Dragon aside from Fire Dragon. I also would classify Rooster as an earth animal rather than an air animal--despite its wings, I mean.

Purified water delivery, 20 gallons.

Had a comforter picked up for laundering.

My research on pre-colonial Philippine magic took me to different ethnic communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. They have no characteristics in common because they have diverse mythologies and languages. Succeeding influences from other cultures show up traces of magic from the ancient Chinese, the ancient Hindus, and the ancient Islamics--cultures that may deny the existence of magic in their history although such practices subconsciously exist even today.

As I go further back in time and analyze the geographic flow on my world map, I see that all of it originated in China. Everything RADIATED from ancient China, all the way round to Manchuria, Russia, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

The Spanish and Latin influences on Philippine magic, heightened by the Mexican Galleon Trade, I classify as modern, not ancient, Philippine magic. I would not even call it indigenous magic, because it is post-colonial.

Good morning, Cubao!

A cup of black, brewed coffee at M.'s cafe jump-started my day.

Good night, Cubao!

A dry spell at last, and just when I don't feel like going to the cafe.

Return of the Condor Heroes and Gong Palace on CTV.

Bought Arthur & Merlin: The Legend Begins. Interesting. But I was thrown off by the watercolor end titles.

More replays on Ci: The House of Suh (sadly, that male criminal is such a fabulous person!) and I Killed My BFF: Heartland Horror.

I love long necklaces, especially precious-bead necklaces, because they are meant to be touched and fondled rather than just hang round your neck. I also love the way they rustle like voices on my chest whenever I move.

Not everyone has the same definition of having a good time.

There is a northern Chinese community that reminds me so much of the T'boli.

A lot of my money goes to gadgets that my children and grandchildren need. I used to think that such things were luxuries and mere toys. I soon learned that it is not the children who keep the gadgets up to date. It is the gadgets that keep them and other people up to date. (I mean good gadgets, of course, not the common rip-offs.)

The worst thing a decorator can do to a married couple's house is to do it up as though no one who lives in it is married.

"I wanna spread my wings/
But I just can't fly/
As a string of pearls/
The pretty girls go sailin' by/"

--Cliff Richard

Like show business, the broadcast industry has too many stars. Many of them feel undervalued, unappreciated, and neglected.

The difference is that, whereas show business stars cry out loud in public, broadcast industry stars hide away and weep alone at night and in the dark.

It drives her mad that the man she was in love with, and still is in love with, is now not only in love with someone else but also faces a happiness that she will never have.

The replays of his shows make him feel extremely miserable and severely depressed, because they remind him of how old and saggy he has become, something that no gym regimen can ever cure.

Always take note of which sets of clothes make you most attractive. The indications are the way people look at you and their tendency to gravitate toward you.

By the same token, take note of which sets of clothes have the opposite effect, and it is a wise decision on your part to never wear them again.

Never throw away clothes, however. Give them away. What does not look good on you will look good on other people.

A lot of riffraff make a career of survival out of political campaigns. They religiously attend such rallies, hang out and hover round the players long after the crowds have gone, and pretend to be available as volunteer workers for succeeding events in exchange for free meals, free thrills, intermittent allowances, and a false sense of security and importance.

Fast becoming a homely matron, her only fallback is her family, only for her to discover that her family is dysfunctional because she neglected it in the past in favor of her now-fading stardom.

Character is best not tested but simply observed.

Anyone perched on top of a pyramid will try every trick in the book to remain there.

As long as a citizen speaks a national language fluently, intelligently, idiomatically, analytically, and influentially, his mind belongs to his country and is way above his body, no matter where his body came from.

A man in uniform is handsome only to someone who cannot look beyond a uniform.

Good morning, Cubao!

Today is a day of home deliveries.

Good night, Cubao!

Thinking of searching for more episodes with Ariadne Oliver. Alas, I have only six: Dead Man's Folly, Elephants Can Remember, Hallowe'en Party, Third Girl, Mrs. McGinty's Dead, and Cards on the Table.

The goddess of the storm is my mother. She is also the mother of my younger son, Chito, and my eldest granddaughter, Angelique. Of the three of us, however, only I am prohibited from visiting places of death: cemeteries, funeral parlors, hospitals, and chapels.

So far I can see that the goddess of the sweet river is the mother of my daughter-in-law Ivy, my third granddaughter, Aubrey, and my fourth granddaughter, Chevy, and that the god of thunder is the father of my youngest grandchild, Vinci.

Craving an avocado fruit shake at M.'s cafe, but it's still drizzly outside and I don't want to get unnecessarily wet after I'd already taken my evening shower.

This afternoon I placed two special orders with my silversmith. I hope that he gets everything done by the end of the month.

Avoided watching TV today, and felt that I was more in the here and now.

Brief heat rain with gusty wind.

Angelique and J. came home 8:30 PM.

Aubrey still on immersion with the aeta community in Zambales. Wondering whether it is dry where she is.

My younger son, Chito, who lives in Bulacan, is now renting a room in __________ near the mortuary where he works as a mortician. He goes home to Bulacan only on his free day, once a week. This evening I gave him a bed cushion, a pillow, and a blanket. I still need to get him a padlock and an electric fan.

Re-viewed Third Girl, which I like better on DVD than on paper. Yes, this one has Ariadne Oliver and more of her necklaces as well. Portraits, an artist's studio, and a flamboyant ending. In this episode Poirot's sitting room upholstery is of a different, bold, color!

Sauntered to the Sitio Catacutan Bakery and tried two more varieties of their bread. So far I have two favorites that I want for a tea party. I'm thinking of two scone towers--one with salty bread varieties and another with sweet pastries.

Sometimes a dark cloud will cross your personal sky. You will wonder why you cannot see the sun in the daytime and the moon at night, and you will feel as though the whole world has abandoned you.

Know that all things pass, and that that your ancestors and spirit guides send such a cloud because you may have become too complacent.

Met M.C. and briefly re-discussed a possible book club for out-of-school youth. However, I made it clear that I refuse to hold sessions in my house.

Bought our lunch at the Sitio Catacutan Food Court before noon: ox tripe kari with traditional fish paste, pork nilaga, and afritada. Had we bought the ingredients for those and cooked them ourselves, it would have taken us forever--to go to market, to prepare, to place in three, separate vessels and set three, separate cooking times, and to clean up afterward.

With the present situation, all I have to do is set the table and wash dishes afterward.

I call this "jukebox dining"--I have three favorite stalls (one offering 15 dishes everyday, another ten, and yet another eight). And then, of course, there is M.'s cafe, which also offers eight.

There is a secondary gain to this: one is always kept abreast with community news, for Sitio Catacutan has its share of male and female Jane Marples.

Your e-mail message:

"Hello Sir,

"I come to you yet again for advice. For many years now I dream engaging in sex. Most of the time it has been someone in my past with whom I have a child or someone I don't know. However, recently I got the same kind of dream but with someone I just separated with. I have been told that these are manifestations of spiritual husbands controlling my sex and love life...and it is the reason why my relationships don't last.
Sometimes I dream being in love with a men who don't exist in real life.

"Do u have  any advice for me or a way you can help me get rid of these spirits?

"Thanks

"_______________"

My reply:

Hello _______________!

It is normal to have dreams of engaging in the sexual act. They are expressions of what you usually repress in waking life. In waking life, as a matter of fact, when it is not possible to engage in sex with a particular person due to your circumstances, the desire enters the realm of fantasy, whether conscious or subconscious, and then your dream world.

Your dreams about the men in your life and men whom you have never met are mere manifestations of your wish to remain sexually active. Such dreams as those you mentioned, therefore, are wish-fulfillment dreams.

Know that no man can ever control your sex and love life, because you have free will. If you feel that someone or other "controls" your sex and love life, it is because you have subconsciously allowed them to, and even more subconsciously want them to. Thus, when a relationship does not last, it has no supernatural cause. It is, rather, the result of two, combined free wills--yours and the other person's.

Note that the same process occurs in "diabolic possession". In the end, it is only the victim who can exorcise himself/herself.

There is really no way to "get rid" of such things. Suppression will only result in a rebellion of the psyche, as it does in the case of dysfunctional people who eventually become sociopaths. The only constructive activities I can suggest are channeling your excess energy into your work, being proactive in addressing social concerns, and getting to know members of the opposite sex primarily as persons rather than sex objects.

Good morning, Cubao!

Lolled in bed an hour upon waking up. It was like lingering in the arms of Night before rising to meet Day.

Good night, Cubao!

It was back-to-back Return of the Condor Heroes and Gong Palace on GTV this evening.

Actually Gong Palace isn't Gong Palace at all. I just call it that because I can't read Chinese titles, and the only performer I recognize is Feng Shaofeng, who may not be Feng Shaofeng at all and who may have never starred in Gong Palace!

Where people can afford it, they will hang huge tapestries on walls with a 2"-gap behind them. These will function as insulators and keep rooms warm on cold nights and cool on hot nights.

This day went by so quickly, which was surprising because all I wanted to do today was lie in bed and watch TV, a most luxurious feeling and my sweet revenge on all the Mondays I had to go to school and to work.

Still wondering when I'll get down to finishing Aubrey's knitted top, after which, I believe, I'll make my second painting for the year.

For the past two days I have been hearing an unusual, alarming, loud rushing in the air. It isn't the rain, it isn't the wind, it isn't vehicles in the streets.

I wonder if others have been hearing it too.

I have a bronze, two-candelabra chandelier that people have told me is either Rosicrucian or Masonic. It has a cross with figures of the four evangelists at the tips and two, two-headed birds, apparently falcons, hanging at the bottom. My personal interpretation of the two birds however, is that they represent the Condor (Left) and the Eagle (Right), the Condor being the Shadow of the Eagle.

An afternoon so humid that all I had to do was step outside in order for my shirt to be completely drenched with sweat.

Skipping lunch will always make you feel like a melting candle.

It is wrong to assume that anyone does not know how to follow his/her heart. What follows next is that you become judgmental toward that person.

There is a person whom I found in cyberspace and whom I wish to rescue, but the physical distance between us is too far and the photographs show me that it is way too late for me to be able to do anything.

Politics is full of shills. They are apparently innocent-looking people who surround you, pretending to be your supporters, and urge you to keep spending your money on campaigning because "you will win", "the people want you", "the people need you", "you are our only hope", and so on. They are exactly like the con artists in gambling dens who hover round you and urge you to lay your bets "one more time" because they "strongly feel" that you are "sure to win and make lots of money".

When the going starts to get rough, all of these shills conveniently disappear.

It is true that one has many enemies in politics, but the safest assumption of all is that one has NO FRIENDS.
.

They will stick with the empire until the empire collapses, after which they will move on to the next best thing.

Two cups Lipton's Forest Fruit tea.

It rained in Cubao while I was watching Return of the Condor Heroes on GTV. I thought the rain would never stop.

Whenever you tell a person what to wear and how he/she should look like, you impose your taste and your values on that person. It presumes that you are a better artist than that person is. It is the subtlest form of anti-human rights I have ever known.

Watched The Voice of China on GTV last night even if I couldn't understand a single word. I loved all of the songs, though. They are real songs with real melodies. There was no attempt to outdo refrains by means of screeching, yelling, howling, hooting, "Yoo-hoo, this is my bravura!", and other vocal acrobatics that actually ruin singing by pushing it to the realm of cheerleading.

I now have ASEAN associates who practice Vietnamese ngai, Thai barang, Japanese modern shugendo, and Tibetan old bon. I really must go way, way back to the time before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines. The use of Catholic imagery and Latin in oraciones is not ancient enough for me.

I should stop saying "ASEAN" and start saying "regional".

The more you have time on your hands, the more you have choices.

A person who is constantly preoccupied has no choices at all.

Little bits of vengeance do not amount to one, big vengeance.

Aubrey on immersion with her class in an aeta community in Zambales. Lots of fun for Aubrey, who likes interacting with other people.

Had I been in her place, I would have hated it but would have come up with a hefty novel anyway.

Yes, it is possible and acceptable for a Filipino to be in a foreign country and practice the indigenous magic of that particular country.

Good morning, Cubao!

Re-discovered the Sitio Catacutan Bakery.

Night classes, 4:30 AM, with or without rain.

Topic: The correct practice of indigenous magic in three ASEAN countries.

Good night, Cubao!

A productive day. I was able to do everything I planned to.

Long before man landed on the moon, when I was seven years old, someone bought me a tin, Made-In-China, mechanical astronaut. It was operated by two batteries in its backpack and had a nifty light in its helmet. It was my favorite toy for a long time. I kept it through 2004, then finally placed it up for sale in our Elvencraft shop since none of my children and grandchildren wanted it. My spiritual son F. eventually bought it.

I recall that, when I was seven, I turned the toy on and set it loose under the bed every night, and that was what I went to sleep by. It always made me feel that I was safe and well-protected, with an elementary roaming the floor below me.

There are times when a good dessert is the solution.

Do not be impressed by someone whose knowledge is merely copied from that of others.

Like many unknown artists, many unknown cooks are not given their proper due.

Two cups Lipton's Forest Fruit tea.

It is money, not sex, that ultimately controls everything.

"Buying Mirrors" (Night of Saturday, September 19, 2015)

Events of the Day:

A quiet day for me. Angelique was at university and Aubrey was in her room most of the time.

Loads of things to do--knitting, writing, gardening, among others. Yet, I took the day in slow motion and relaxed.

In the evening, P., an antique dealer, text-messaged to inform me that he would be delivering an item I ordered, but didn't show up.

Feeling quite vexed that Return of the Condor Heroes and Gong Palace do not show on weekends. Funny how non-Catholic countries subconsciously continue to follow Catholic traditions.

Angelique and C. arrived 12:30 MN after their general assembly. C. slept over.


The Dream:

I am in the commercial center of Cubao. I am in a big shop that reminds me of Henry's furniture store. I am hunting mirrors because I would rather hang them than paintings on my walls, and I can't seem to have enough of them (both in my dream and in reality, actually). I cannot find mirrors of the right dimensions. Henry advises me to go to __________ because they have a wider variety of mirrors for sale there. He does have one right-sized mirror but it is more suited to a gym. I pass on it.

I step outside and smoke a cigarette, then catch myself wondering why I am dallying when I could very well proceed to __________ and do some browsing there. Once I am on the ground floor I take a seat to watch a video featuring a female emcee leading a series of physical exercises. It is quite hilarious.

Two teenage boys sit on the chairs beside me, but there is not enough room and the boy next to me has to snuggle up close to me. I stand up and someone introduces me to the store manager. After brief pleasantries I go back to my chair and note that a Caucasian man has picked up my blue Ralph Lauren bag. I intercept him but discover that it is not my bag. I apologize, pick up my two bags (the blue Ralph Lauren and a long package on a trolley which makes me suspect that I bought a mirror after all). The skies outside are getting overcast. I need to get home.


My Interpretation:

In all of my dreams ceiling lights and mirrors represent psychic vision. I am called upon to hone and use this ability, yet, in this dream, there are the two key words and phrases "gym" and "a series of physical exercises", meaning that I need to achieve balance and ground myself at the same time.

I have been dreaming about two teenage boys for some time now, and they are probably boys in the neighborhood who know me as a mage and want to take lessons under me. The Caucasian man is a former student who has been out of touch for too long, because he is in a foreign country.

My psyche, symbolized by the store manager, tells me to pick up my bags and go home before it rains.

Angelique and her team won the championship for their Marketing video last night.

Sometimes a proud alumnus is nothing more than a person who is unable to feel secure independently of his alma mater.

In the 1950s schools set very strict rules as to requirements that instilled institutional pride: they dictated uniforms, shoes, haircuts, books, and such. This was fine then because WWII had just ended and the world was rehabilitating its ego.

I observe that schools are still blindly doing the same thing today, in the 2000s, only because they'd become used to doing so and mostly for photo-ops and for show, without realizing that the money that parents uselessly spend on "uniformity" upsets their budget and knocks off, among others, the quality of the food that they eat, among other things they could financially enjoy. Schools have become so concerned with fulfilling their "mission-vision"--the greatest abstraction ever invented by education--without bothering to listen to the needs of their students and their parents--who are the very people who are paying their salaries in the first place.

Besides, that kind of "discipline" inflicted by schools doesn't work at all. After six decades, it seems that everyone graduates to become corrupt as a form of rebellion and vengeance against their school administrations.

Especially in this era, an era of increasing individuality.

Good morning, Cubao!

Angelique and C. came home 12:30 MN last night from their general assembly. C. slept over.

This morning they had breakfast in M.'s cafe.

Thanking H. and T. for helping me figure out how to play DVDs in a better way.

Your Hangout message:

"Good day, Sir Tony. Sorry to ask you...for help. I dreamed of something I think was really important to my being. I even woke up at 2am, and remembered every detail even after sleeping it off. I often try my best to interpret my dreams, but this one was particularly hard. I know so that it meant something to me; I just can't figure it out. If you may, I hope to ask you for help in interpreting it.

"I stayed in my best friend's house. It was getting late so I waited 'til sunrise to head out and when it did, I gave my godchildren each a quick kiss and left. While i was leaving, I was with my brother. There was a collapsed man by the sidewalk. I signaled him to help the man. After helping the man, he attacked my brother. He was furious and robotic. He, then, chased me afterwards. I found an underground/tunnel and hid myself in there. Because of his laser ability, he found my location. I felt it. The only thing left for me to do is surrender. So I did. I only thought of happy things. One of those is to think that the end is really not the end. I was caught in that 'explosion'. Surprisingly, it felt nice. I felt calm and at peace. The next thing I knew was I was laying alone on the ground with beautiful stars at night over me. It was scenic... the banana trees, the fresh air, and the birds chirping. It was perfect. I realized that I was behind a back door of a house. When I entered, I came back to that same house...my bestfriend's.

"Lately, I've been troubled thinking about the man [...]. The relationship felt one-sided so I had to let go of it. Besides, it was wrong to begin with. So it must be ended. Maybe the dream has a connection to that. I just don't seem to be able to connect it. I hope you could help me. Thank you.

"____________"

My reply:

Hello ____________!

The man in your dream has nothing to do with the man you tried having a relationship with.

The man in your dream is your Shadow. One must confront the Shadow in one's dreams and make it one's ally rather than one's enemy. It is a step toward individuation. In this particular dream you denied its existence just at the point of confrontation by thinking of "happy things".

It is indeed frightening to be chased by one's Shadow in one's dreams. The tendency is usually to run away from it. You just have to work it out in future dreams on your own--no one can help you there but yourself. Just keep in mind that it is the Shadow that makes one a creative and productive individual.

Pay attention to the characteristics of your Shadow. They give you clues as to its origin in your life, your past, your childhood.

The indices you have so far are:

--Your Shadow is a man.

--He collapses, giving the impression that he needs help.

--He is "robotic".

--He has superhuman abilities and can trace your location no matter where you hide.

If, in your dreams, your Shadow has always consistently been a man, men will continuously cause your downfall until you reconcile with your Shadow. After you successfully make your Shadow your ally, men will be the cause of your greatest successes.

An antique dealer wanted to come tonight but didn't show up. He has an item I've been wanting for a long time.

Good night, Cubao!

Re-viewed a fourth favorite, Appointment with Death, set in Syria and with far more exquisite sets and props than in Murder in Mesopotamia. The scenery is breathtaking, the music is grand, and there are more shots of locals. An excavation in search of the head of John the Baptist, exotic, beaded lampshades, delicious furniture, and Poirot's irresistible, portable Art Deco toilette and writing box (I have a replica of the latter, and it is one of the items I refuse to part with!).

This one has John Hannah, later of The Mummy trilogy. Uncannily, he looks the same, acts the same, and seems to be wearing the same costumes, but his role here is much more substantial.

One difference between the book and the DVD: In the book, the wicked and dominating matriarch is knitting "something dark and coarse". In the DVD she has no knitting at all.

Re-viewed Murder in Mesopotamia, another of my favorites from the Agatha Christie: Poirot series. Archaeology is tempting but will always remain a road not taken, because I would rather be the collector sitting at home for the artifacts to arrive. This episode has a stunning setting. It also has an antique, cylinder seal, anonymous letters with quaint penmanship, arabesque window screens, mosaic wall tiles, and tapestries, antique, German, colored glass like what we have on our front balcony divider, exquisite tea services, mother-of-pearl inlaid trunks, a horsetail fly whisk, a forged, gold ox-head drinking cup, another of Poirot's portable silver ashtrays, and Middle East music that I always find magical. The best scenes, though, are the simplest ones shot in Middle East mid-morning and mid-afternoon sunshine, which is is just so fabulous and are great lighting feats. Alas, such places are no longer tourist destinations.

Though it is still September, I must say that the overused word of 2015 is "absolutely". More and more people are using it spontaneously, proof that the gullible are subject to contagious verbiage, as they are also subject to mass hypnosis, from which only the truly brilliant manage to escape.

Two cups Lipton's Forest Fruit tea.

Overcome with the Poirot itch once again. Re-viewed The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. Quaint expedition setting in the Valley of the Kings, a curse, Tarot cards, a planchette used for automatic writing, props, antiques, and artifacts convincingly excavated, and another Art Deco mansion. Another one of my favorites due to the visuals, but, alas, like a short story, very shallow characterization.

Sometimes black is really dark blue or dark green.

There is something positively witchy about the term "brewed coffee". It always makes me feel as though I am getting something more than coffee.

Lunch at home with Aubrey, and then we had brewed coffee and biko in M.'s cafe.

Good morning, Cubao!

At home with Aubrey. Angelique at university.

Good night, Cubao!

Waiting up for Angelique and J., who are out having dinner before coming home. As for Aubrey, she dropped onto her bed upon arriving from school and hasn't awakened yet.

Couldn't wait for Hallowe'en to view Hallowe'en Party all over again, perhaps my most favorite of all Hercule Poirot DVDs. A series of murders, a Hallowe'en party, a lesbian relationship, a young blackmailer, a village witch, a vicar, a forged will, two unlikely love affairs, an interrupted ritual sacrifice by moonlight, lighting candles for the dead, and, of course, Ariadne Oliver and her exquisite necklaces!

Watched Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Nice. Ariadne Oliver is in this one.

So far M.'s most popular dish is beef tapa. It is so much in demand that people come in to buy and take out lots of it.

M.'s beef tapa is traditional, Tagalog beef tapa, the kind I used to eat when I was a little boy in San Fernando, Pampanga. It is salty, like Australian pepper steak. It is not the common, contemporary notion of what tapa is today--a sweet bastardization that occurred when teriyaki was first introduced in the Philippines.

People keep forgetting why there is a proliferation of fashion jewelry, which is that real jewelry (gold and precious stones) is a security risk at this day and age.

Today's hot, fancy jewelry is nothing more than tomorrow's junk.

M.'s cafe was full house during lunch time. I had to wait the hour before taking my lunch there.

Amber is one of the few, truly magical stones.

Avoid purchasing something that will only take a lot of storage space.

The person who always speaks his mind is the safest friend of all.

You are happy only if your family is happy.

The best thing to sell is something that people need everyday.

No one has a real advantage over others, because everyone has something that everyone else does not have.

It is all right to be different as long as you hold all of the trump cards.

The fear of losing someone or something is a common fear, and yet it must be transcended.

Audiences are too hooked on physical competition programs that they forget and neglect to pay obeisance to the one and only and original precursor, Takeshi Castle.

I think, but I am not sure, that the other wuxia series I am watching on GTV is titled Gong Palace.

Good morning, Cubao!

A day of many, good choices--which is how we should always face our every day.

Good night, Cubao!

Now watching highly embellished ghost stories on Ci.

M.'s cafe is now on two shifts to accommodate 24-hour operations.

Watched The Double Clue. This one has the Countess Vera Rosakoff again--and a cigarette case like mine. In this episode Hercule Poirot falls in love.

As for myself, I love those emeralds--and that wonderful picnic set-up!

Producers are always on the wrong track when they try to immortalize trash.

You know that you are loved if your children and grandchildren like using your bathroom instead of your own from time to time. There must be something about a parent's bathroom that makes children feel secure.

Home alone. Granddaughters went to watch the Maroon Five concert.

Your e-mail message:

"Hello sir Tony,

"Just want to say thank you for your books, so much insights in them and nakakaenjoy basahin. Had to look for every nook and cranny to find your email address hehe. Somewhat nakakarelate ako dun sa mga experiences from beyond but I really don't mind it specially wired na po utak ko on thinking of so many things.

"Anyway sir, I have a question if you don't mind..I've been having this dream recently, it's all about schools po and I was wondering what could that mean? (Lucid dreamer po and very much aware when dreaming). Minsan naman po nananaginip ako na buto daw po ako tapos bigla na lang daw ako lalabas sa lupa and then andami pong mga taong naguusap tapos mainit and then masaya po, minsan naman may parang malamig na tornado na gusto pumasok sa noo ko, kaya po minsan pag gising ko nararamdaman ko pa din.

"Anyway, just want to say thank you again sir. All your works are masterpieces. I hope I could learn some things from you :) Thank you sir!

"- ___________________."

My reply:

Hello __________________!

Thank you for your kind words.

1. Dreaming about being in school means that you are currently in the state of learning a major lesson in life, especially if, in those dreams, you are running late for class, delinquent with your homework, or unprepared for an exam.

2. The second type of dream that you mention reminds me of shamans' dreams, in which the shaman, in an altered state of consciousness such as dreaming, either sees himself being cut to pieces--in your case having all of your flesh off your body--and then being reassembled and resurrecting a new, empowered person.

3. The tornado is your Shadow. Admitting it into your consciousness is pretty much a choice that one must make.

Never build your house to entertain huge groups. When there is no one there, it will look like an empty train station.

People without character live in houses without character.

Two nights ago caught A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery on DIVA. Liked it--I've been missing Garage Sale Mystery.

Good day, Cubao!

The dust bin man brought me more plants today, birds of paradise. Apparently a rich Chinese businessman recently purchased the lot adjacent to ours, and so the Magnolia office is moving out soon.

R. helped me replant the birds of paradise in front of M.'s cafe.

Good night, Cubao! Hoping to watch Mrs. McGinty's Dead and The Double Clue tomorrow.

Watched Cat Among the Pigeons. More rubies! However, this isn't one of my favorites.

My son Chito visits 6:00 PM. Dinner in M.'s cafe.

Aubrey arrived home from school 1:30 PM. They were on half-day.

No one votes for an executioner.

Thought of having an after-lunch, black, brewed coffee in M.'s cafe, but the sudden rainfall discouraged me. That is how spoiled I have become. The cafe is only a few steps away.

Stop twirling like a plastic ballerina in a music box.

You only manage to look like a slave being offered for sale.

Beneath the sweet demeanor, the motive is revenge.

I think of the story of Little Red Hen and its lesson whenever I know that I am better off doing things alone.

When you bake a cake and no one helps you, no one but you deserves to eat it all.

He has that one shot in Indiana Jones in which, when I saw it, I knew that he lost his virginity the night before.

Why bother to run for office if, on the horizon, you can see that the same people who vote for you are the same people who will tear you down?

The game that you play is only with yourself. It is fleeting, it is a waste of money, and it earns you no merit.

The dog stops twirling and chasing its tail because it gets dizzy and collapses.

Waiting for T. to give me a DVD installer.

I want this to be a knitting day, and I hope I can make it so.

Happy Birthday to my younger son Chito!

It is wrong to want more and more for yourself, because other people have nothing at all.

An unusually bright and sunny morning.

However, with our kind of luck, we could very well see it deteriorating into a day as hot as a baker's oven. After all, our unusually cool mornings deteriorate into downpours with flash floods.

We should never rejoice too soon, because something is always waiting to spoil our fun.

Good morning, Cubao!

Did my usual round in the Sitio Catacutan Food Court.

Now I want to know the title of the wuxia movie that plays on GTV immediately after The Return of the Condor Heroes. I watch that one too.

Good night, Cubao!

One more cyberspace book finally is out there tonight. I know which book to encode next, but, since it has never appeared in any other format before, it will take some time.

Hung out briefly with M. in his cafe.

Looks like a dry night. All of the rain must have fallen earlier this evening.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J.

Caught the last part of The Seven-Year Hitch on DIVA, then stayed on for American Dream Builders.

Angelique and J. arrived 5:15 PM from university.

Now waiting for Aubrey.

Now on section 95 of my encoding. Four sections to go.

One of the most orgasmic feelings I always have is yearning for summer in the rainy season.

Never refer to a Chinese coromandel screen as a biombo, because a biombo is a Japanese screen.

Brief, afternoon rainfall in Cubao.

One of the biggest accomplishments of the Internet and cyberspace is knocking down all the defensive walls of possessive and overprotective people.

Now on section 93 of my encoding. Good progress.

You haven't seen nothing until you've seen my sister Sylvia's HUGE collection of City Global and You Are Here Starbucks mugs in Sydney, Australia. She even had special cabinets built to showcase them.

The Septembers I Remember

The month of September was never, for me, a month of nostalgia, childhood memories, and past romance. I remember it always as the one month in the year that incurred huge expenses, most of them unforeseen.

Could it be that the Hungry Ghosts exact fees in exchange for the blessings they endow?

Tata Marcial Alejandro's (+) healing wand works. I am glad I am its owner.

Our classroom teachers are quick to teach children to say "Thank you" from grade school onward. I can even hear them ask the children, "What do you say?" when the sentence "Thank you" is expected. This is fine, but it also subliminally trains Fiipinos to have a gift-receiving mentality.

Sadly, those same teachers never teach those same children to apologize and say "I'm sorry".

That is why atchays never apologize. It is extremely painful and difficult for them to do so.

That is also why I admire politicians who are able to say "I'm sorry" and admit that they were wrong.

Now on section 83 of my encoding. Tedious.

Water flows
And sand
Tears on your face
And blood
They measure time
And nothing else
Forever wins the race
Against all

Good morning, Cubao!

M.'s cafe now has lechon kawali. On top of that other Sitio Catacutan Food Court stall's.

Saw Escaping Evil: My Life in a Cult on Ci, the first part featuring Jim Jones and his People's Temple, the second part featuring the Children of God/The Family International. Sometimes I feel that religious groups and cults thrive on--and collapse because of--disciples

--who have low IQs;
--who are driven by loneliness;
--who are lost;
--who know nothing better; and
--who believe their leaders' false promises of heaven.

Good night, Cubao!

Still wet and drizzly.

M.'s cafe is now open 24 hours to test the waters. Not that I'm going there for a coffee or a fruit shake in the wee hours. I am a werewolf, not a vampire. I'm going to sleep.

"...Sometimes she'd shop/
And she would show me what she'd bought/

Other people stared/
As if we were both quite insane/..."

--Hollies

Back home from a jaunt. Bought the granddaughters phone cards and the pet birds two kilos of millet.

Plan a costume party for Halloween. You will be most thrilled.

People copy others not because it is derivative but because it is actually lots of fun.

Many things are anti-human rights without their being recognized as such,

Occupation satisfaction is really not as complex as others make it out to be. If you don't like serving people, don't get yourself into a service-oriented job. Everything begins seemingly complicated when you insist that the job adjust to you instead of the other way around.

There was Born to Kill?: Dennis Rader on Ci, but it wasn't a very memorable feature.

There really wasn't anything much on TV last night, and I got hooked on a highly unlikely show, Say Yes to the Dress, on DIVA. Actually it was quite entertaining.

From the time they opened, M.'s cafe hours have been 7:00 AM through 2:00 AM and sometimes 3:00 AM, all of them working one shift. Since his waiters need to rest and sleep, M. started recruiting a relief set of waiters yesterday. One of them is a personable young lesbian who is quite interesting and might be worth writing into a play.

Good morning, Cubao!

The skies are overcast again.

Ben passed by to pick up his mobile and his handkerchief.

All home. Guards in their lighted stations. Once again we are the Berenstain Bears in the Night.

Good night, Cubao!

A hot shower followed by Ci in bed should do the trick.

Proceedings of the Day

Making visible changes is contagious in this neighborhood. Artery Art Space hangs an intriguing installation on its facade...

...and Ducati Motorcycle Shop renovates.

Shots taken from the interior of M.'s cafe tonight, another rainy night...

Two granddaughters and I wait for our food to be served. We didn't cook this evening.

The laundry man came to deliver one of Angelique's comforters. One of a thousand reasons why I must always be at home.