Woke up early morn scampering to find all the knickknacks that once filled up my backpack. I emptied it since March early this year and retired it into a forgotten corner of the house. The quarantine’s end wasn’t in sight, after all. All the things that I think I might need when in the office were all lined up on my desk — they are the following:
water tumbler
coffee tumbler
laptop computer
notebook and pen
battery pack
umbrella
digital pouch
toiletry pouch
shades
jacket
The bag? Yes, it’s nowhere to be found. I was about to check a mountain of luggage one by one and thankfully, Jaycelle was half-awake to tell me that it might be in a box full of bags. There it was, my old army green friend.
My bag and I, we’ve been through thick and thin.(more…)
All of my internal and external hard drives are being consumed by media files like fungus to a rotting tree trunk. I confess that I’ve been hoarding files from my camera that never see the light of day (or get shared to people involved). (more…)
…is the 5D Data Storage! It could store 360 terabytes of your photos and videos in full resolution!
When everything else melts (even the machine that can read this thing), fear no more knowing that all your cat pictures are safe in this coin-sized storage. Image credit: University of Southampton
Now, there’s no need to hesitate in shooting RAW and 4K! (more…)
We are hoarders. Hoarders of digital files. That turn into junk after a year without seeing the light of day. We dismiss in our daily lives the digital ephemera that sit in inside our digital boxes, thinking they are just there. (more…)
I heard it’s graduation everywhere. It’s oblivious to me since I am neither schooling nor am I parent to a school kid. It must be swell to have several weeks of vacation. I miss it. We all do.
And so, our everyday life continues.
Here’s The Happy Mondays by The Innocence Mission:
The happy Mondays, we blow down alleyways in our raincoats, in afternoons.
Exterior of a bakery. Katipunan Ave., Quezon City, 10:22 A.M.
A boy cleaning a car for sale. Katipunan Ave., Quezon City, 10:24 A.M.
The imaginary dogs beside us are old friends, they will speak to you.
Dried leaves filled the sidewalk. Whiteplains Ave., Quezon City, 10:24 A.M.
It is summer time. Whiteplains Ave., Quezon City, 10:24 A.M.
The police waiting for violators. Whiteplains Ave. and Temple Drive, Quezon City, 10:25 A.M.
Happy in the daylight. Breathe out, breathe in the end of school time.
An ice cream vendor reads the news today. Temple Drive, Quezon City,10:25 A.M.
I was riding a taxi going anywhere. Temple Drive, Quezon City, 10:26 A.M.
Happy on the way home. The west side also feels, and they know, everything that I know.
A vendor catering to vehicles during stops. Green Meadows Ave., Quezon City, 10:28 A.M.
A traffic enforcer taking shade under a tree. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:28 A.M.
Construction workers resting for a while. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:28 A.M.
The happy Mondays, we are blue-green in the air, we are yellow, too.
A group of friends goofing around. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:28 A.M.
A delivery truck which seems to be delivering chickens. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:28 A.M.
The clouds of Pennsylvania break apart, they move away from me and from you.
Sidewalk vendors stationed at the waiting shed. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:29 A.M.
A sweeper in his morning duty. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City, 10:29 A.M.
Motorists during a traffic stoplight. Ortigas Ave. and Meralco Ave., Pasig City, 10:31 A.M.
Happy in the daylight. Breathe out, breathe in the end of school time.
A painter suspended from a building. Onyx Rd., Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 10:31 A.M.
A security guard striking a pose. Garnet Rd., Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 10:32 A.M.
Happy on the way home. The west side also feels, and they know,
I come home from work being greeted by a dog who magically appears from the dark; a dog whose bark was a little hoarse months before like a prepubescent pimply high school kid; a spitz I’d like to cuddle but really, it would gnarl and bite my arm without those metal railings.
I sleep at night being lulled by a demon-like cat who laughs and cries like a demon-vampire and I wonder why the neighborhood isn’t out there with their pointed bamboo poles to put holes to its furry body.
I open my eyes in the morning being woken up by a rooster with the soul of a dog. Its repeating crows transmute into barks like those of a rabid dog gargling its drool.
These days, the roaches are out hiding, maybe in the drainage where they will emerge dead upside-down during the rainy season when it’s flooding. The mouse and rats, I haven’t seen them lately. No creature is crawling over my feet as I twist the key in the gate lock. That old rat who is un-frightened or just plain deaf — it’s gone.
My weird neighborhood people — they are awake at night and asleep in the morning. I hear muffled grungy guitar exhibition in the midnight like a recital for the nocturnal spirits; I sip my coffee while a live acoustic session plays early in the morning — whoo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo, who can ask me for more? — they’ve been practicing The Cardigans in a looped succession.
My weird neighborhood people — I belong to this place; a domicile I choose over pearly white walls and deafening silence.
—
Here’s Shake Yer Head by Eraserheads:
I was born upside-down I felt my grandma put my feet on the ground They put a spoon in my mouth And everyone was shocked to hear me shout
Kalantiaw St., Cubao Quezon City, 8:10 A.M.
Flowering Macopa. It’s the season of Macopa and it showers the ground with flower-dust once again.
Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, 8:23 A.M.
Reverse Painting. The man was painting the asphalt with black paint to contrast the white STOP sign painted on the ground.
EDSA near MRT Cubao Station, 8:36 A.M.
Solid R. Solid ride in this taxi.
Well I knew I couldn’t take all the dog food that they make I’d just as soon as put myself on a stake and burn
EDSA near MRT Cubao Station, 8:36 A.M.
Lala-Mon. Jejemon’s gluttonous cousin.
Somewhere along EDSA, 8:37 A.M.
Express Makeup. I feel pree-tee… Women all around the public make up their faces while they commute.
I saw it comin’ around I saw it comin’ around, yeah I saw it comin’ around So I just, yeah Shook my head and walked away
EDSA near Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, 8:38 A.M.
Red Light. Pedestrians waiting to cross EDSA.
EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City, 8:40 A.M.
J-Biel’s. Have you eaten at Jessica Biel’s Food Express?
EDSA and B. Serrano Ave., Quezon City, 8:44 A.M.
Nice Hat. Mr. Police officer, why smirking?
I grew up in a town Where everybody tried to push me around The girls were alright but the guys were tough They’re always buggin’ me with macho stuff
EDSA and B. Serrano Ave., Quezon City, 8:44 A.M.
Bus is Crossing. Killer buses on the loose – it’s my breakfast news.
EDSA, 8:48 A.M.
Freedom. Ride the Kalayaan taxi and fly like a bird.
Well, I ain’t no stupid fighter I go for flower power I’ve been running every race Just to save my face, yeah
EDSA, 8:48 A.M.
Terno. Sweet ride — arms wrapped around.
EDSA, 8:49 A.M.
Joy & Bebz. Appending a letter z to your name is equivalent to adding a letter h somewhere in the middle of it — only a little classy. Bhoy, Ghirlie, Jhun, Mhonette, Lhinda, Jhessie — you encountered these people at one point in your life.
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Chedeng. My grandfather used to own a white Mercedes-Benz 280S (or a related model). Since it was already worn-out from years of usage, we decided to jampack it with ten people to save up fare.
I saw it comin’ around I saw it comin’ around, yeah I saw it comin’ around So I just, yeah Shook my head and walked away
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Willy Boy. Everyone in Philippines has his or her Tito Willy and Kuya Willy.
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Big Wheel, Small Wheel. An attention-grabber for a Castrol GTX sludge protection oil advertisement.
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Learned. Maybe they mean “some lesson learned“.
Well, they try to see if you care It’s just a matter of not begging for more You know, it’s really suicidal to just give in With people you can never really be sure
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Jebs. This taxi is always in a hurry. Jebs is the Filipino word for shit.
EDSA, 8:50 A.M.
Roll Down. Once, I threw a consumed cigarette out of a taxi; it bounced off the half-opened window, fell behind the backseat.
EDSA, 8:52 A.M.
If There is Smoke. Someone’s cooking (or burning dried leaves) under the flyover.
Oh-oh, when it gets down to this they’ll eat you up When the words get in your head they’ll get you up It’s a saving grace to have enough When you find yourself in a compromising spot
EDSA near Ortigas Ave., 8:52 A.M.
MMDA Means. Marangal Matapat Disiplinado Ako (Honorable Honest Disciplined Me).
EDSA near Ortigas Ave., 8:53 A.M.
Towards. Walking while texting has, so far, not caused any casualties.
EDSA near Ortigas Ave., 8:53 A.M.
Bare. Street kid wandering around in his birthday shoes.
You should know, you shouldn’t take all that dog food that they make You’d just as soon as put yourself on a stake and burn
MRT Ortigas Ave. station elevator, 8:56 A.M.
Button. All elevators in MRT stations are moving in turtle-speed.
MRT Ortigas Ave. station bridge, 8:56 A.M.
My Bed in the Middle. This is his territory.
From MRT Ortigas Ave. station, northbound, 8:58 A.M.
Well-groomed Guitar Man. He sings Rey Valera or Freddie Aguilar songs as people pass by.
You’ll see it comin’ around
You’ll see it coming, comin’ around
When you see it coming around
You just, yeah
Shake yer head and walk away
