Excerpts from my Books

While we are up to Chapter 14, I would like to take a 10 day “anything” challenge and enumerate the interesting, dull, stressful, questionable, and surprising efforts I did or got accustomed to during my stay at the Castle’s. I will probably just write it down starting at day one with no particular order. This might be fun!

President Trump restricts entry into the United States from China. The Trump administration suspends entry into the United States of “immigrants or non-immigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the People’s Republic of China.”

We were all planning to have a grand reunion in Manila. As always, Norms was the mastermind in all the details. Marc and Anne agreed to provide for the van while Norms listed down the names of the usual people that she needs to pick up at different stations along EDSA.

I did not sleep well on my last night in Hawaii. I did not want to doze off and forget the wonderful memories I had during my time with Peter, Oochie, TJ, and Annlou. I wanted to retain everything that happened during my days of travel between December 27, 2018 - February 2, 2019.

Little did we know that something malicious, untrue and damaging to the Trump Administration was already brewing. Bottom line is, they were doing everything they can to impeach our President in any way, shape or form.

I write about everything. I write every word. I have found that the only way I can write is early in the morning, first thing, stone-cold sober. So I will wake up, start writing, and write for as long as I can. It’s nauseating when some so-called “writers” tell others that they want to write. They hang out at Starbucks and just talk about writing. JUST WRITE for crying out loud!

In doing this book, I wanted to gather some of my photographs and categorize them by themes (from A-Z). Actually, somebody mentioned to me that I still have a few more letters to add in my themes to fully encompass all the letters in the alphabet! I wanted to showcase these photographs by way of prose and poetry aside from their short descriptions. Over the years of taking hundreds and thousands of photos from all of my travels, I want for you to experience them too.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Sino sa inyo meron nito? Genetics ba o sanhi ng ating kapaligiran? Bakit merong ganitong mga tao sa mundo? Masama ba ito sa ating kalusugan? Bakit ka nakatingala sa langit? Alam mo ba kasi ang sagot sa mga tanong ko? Sagot na kasi para di na ako magtanong pa dito. Nauubusan na din ako ng matatanong kasi.

We had a couple who wanted their privacy and told us that they will be fine and take care of everything and that we do not need to come in and clean their room. That sounded so nice of them and gave me some relief of not worrying about looking after their suite. A couple of days have passed and Peter was wondering if they ever threw out their trash in our outside bins? And so, one day he entered their room to collect any garbage in their trash cans. OMG!!! What a nightmare couple these two! Not only was their trash bins filled with garbage, their room was unkempt! The toilet bowl had shit clinging to the inside and can’t be flushed out. I bet one enjoyed the papaya so much that it “cleansed” their system from all the toxins inside their body!

He was so exhausted that he slept more than his usual four hours and slept an extra two. Melania on the other hand, got up early and prepared his favorite breakfast, a medium-cooked bacon and over-well eggs. She was going to serve him breakfast in bed. “Honey, Darling, Sweetheart” whispered Melania, but Mr Trump was still sound asleep. She could hear him murmur as he was talking in his sleep. “Super Deplorable Heroes ... Let’s do this!” She gave him a kiss on the forehead and tried to wake him up again. “My Love, it’s time to get up. I made your favorite breakfast, Mr President!”

Once upon a time in a far...far... away galaxy, Captain America's supersonic magic shield blew out some spouting signals to all the Super Heroes of the world for they were about to join forces to fight the Evil Spirit that was slowly lurking and about to harm all of mankind on Halloween night. "This has to be stopped. I and my Super Hero friends must end this! We have to inform the villagers!" said Captain America.

Madalas kaming tumambay dun sa harap ng bahay nila Elsie, Dondon, Dyn at Neil. Magkatapat lang sila ng bahay nila Tito Romy at Auntie Cora na may negosyong cement o hollow blocks sa may kanto. Silang 2 lang ata ang may bahay sa kalye ng Valdefuente. Sa kanto ay yung pagawaan ng simento at katapat naman nito ang bahay nila Dondon. Ilang lakad lamang, nandun ka na sa bahay nila Sienna at bago ka pa makarating sa dulo ng kalye, doon naman ang kanilang piggery at manukan. Kung didirechuhin mo yung kalyeng iyon magmula sa piggery, mapapatungo ka na sa eskuwelahan na kung saan gumraduate si Nancy sa elementary, na pinsang buo naman nila Dondon.

Meron akong kaklase noon na palaging nakaabang sa baon ko. Minsan meron akong baon na potato chips, tinanong niya, "Hindi mo ba bubuksan yang potato chips mo?" Alam kong hihingi siya pagkatapos. Sinabi ko na lang na mamaya ko pa yun kakainin. Ako ay nadismaya dahil hinintay-hintay ko ang recess para kainin ang aking potato chips! Noon eh puwede kang kumain sa canteen ng wala kang binabayaran basta't bawa't buwan ay binabayad ng aking magulang ang aking lunch allowance. Kahit anong gusto kong orderin eh ibibigay sa akin basta meron silang listahan ng kung sino- sino ang nakapag-bayad ng lunch para sa buong buwan.

"Kadalasan, meron ng pandesal na nabili ang aming katulong sa aming kapitbahay na si Aling Aida. Ito ay isa sa kanyang mga sideline. Apat o anim na itlog ang nailuto na rin sabay ng sinangag. Ganito palagi ang almusal namin sa bahay. Minsan walang kumakain ng itlog dahil kaming lahat ay nagsawa na kaya napupunta lamang sa ref namin. Kinabukasan, magluluto ulit ang aming katulong ng piniritong itlog at sama samang naidadagdag sa mga natira.