The Convivial Gist

Our cat Pinay was traumatized the  last time she was out "unsupervised" on our deck. She slipped out of the kitchen door and was out for 2 hours; it was late at night and raining. Only when we were about to go to sleep  when we realized she was not on her usual spot in our bed.   Well, she learned her lesson well and would not even put a single paw on the transition strip of our kitchen storm door.  But the call of her predatory instinct finally made Pinay  venture again on our deck. I guess she was just plain tired of watching the avian and rodent community having all the fun on our backyard that she wants some piece of the action.   The thing is, she had been confined and modified to be a domesticated animal for the last 5 years that she does not know that she is supposed to chase the sparrows and grackles and  anything that moves on that deck.  I think its the greatest indignity that a pet owner like me can inflict on Pinay. Prior to this photo, when the gangs

A ko ay nagpasiya na ihahayag ko ang aking pagninilaynilay na ito sa aking katutubong wika.  Maalala ng ilan kong mambabasa na aking nabanggit sa isa sa mga nauna kong sulatin na noong bagong dating ako dito sa bansang Amerika, sumapit ang punto na ako ay nagsawa sa pasasalita ng wikang Inglis. Upang maibsan ang aking pananabik sa bagay na ito, aking kinakausap ang aso ng aking kabiyak.  Sumalangit nawa ang kayang asong kaluluwa at harinaway nasa langit na sya ng mga aso. Isang katanungan ang umiikilkil sa aking mapagusisang kaisipan, - Paano mo masusukat ang kulungkutan ng isang Pilipino na naninirahan sa banyagang  lupain? Sinasabi ng marami na tayo ay likas na madaling matutu  sa gawi at asal ng ating inampong bayan, at ayon na rin sa mga karanasan ng mga Pilipino na matagal ng naninirahan dito, sa loob nga limang taon, nga mga baguhan ay narahuyo na sa buhay Amerika; ang pagnanasa niya sa kanyang inang bayan ay pagbugso bugso na lang at hindi kasing higpit ng dati. At

 Chocolate Eclair -  photo from Helfer's website  With the last extreme winter weather in St. Louis, my husband commented that  pollens were probably frozen, that he was not suffering the  symptoms of his nasty allergies on  the onset of spring. He spoke too soon.  His seasonal allergies came in with a vengeance that  he temporarily lost his sense of taste .  For a person who have a passionate relationship with his palate, its like being constantly punched on his stomach every time he eats. Ironically, with his gustation functionality in retirement , the more he wanted to eat different foods thinking that he can cajole the follicles of his tongue to come back pronto.  I reminded him, as long as he is in medication for his allergies, it will take a little bit of time .  Even if he is served dinner prepared by  5 star Michelin chef Alain Ducasse, it will probably reduced my husband to tears for I will be enjoying the spread  but I will have fun describing to him how the fo

I am a sucker for old fashion cartoons that I can proudly admit that I saw Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs more than I can count my fingers and toes; unabashedly cried when the great King Mufasa died and Simba tried to wake him up, commiserate with  Miss Piggy in her unrequited love for Kermit and other emotional display of affection to these animated personalities that I won't mention for it will totally make me look beyond silly . I n May of 1990, the creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson died.  I saw a tribute from the Disney artist of a drawing of Kermit the Frog being consoled by Mickey Mouse on the death of Kermit's creator.  That drawing created an imprint on my mind the idea of  raw sadness associated with death. Ironic that non living cartoon characters could invoke such  cogent feeling in me, on issue of death.  Here is the photo I am talking about:  T here is a colored version of this but I was still digging up the Internet and up to this point I have no lu

     Mary Jane Boots by Marc Jacobs      Finally I am in my other home, the Philippines.  As I am slowly creeping in the ranks of the senior citizens, I don't find travelling as much fun as five years ago. Being airborne for 18 hours in a stale cramp space, how I wish that I can win a lottery so that I can buy a comfortable arrangement in my crossing of the Pacific Ocean.     Its understandable that majority of Filipinas going home to their tropical abode  when some parts North America were buried in 6 inches of snow, wearing knee length boots was de rigueur.  I wonder how they managed when their legs and feet swell after travelling almost 8250 miles up in the air.     It was in  my second leg of my trip in Narita airport in Tokyo (another 4 1/2 hours plane ride to reach Manila) when I was totally blown away what some Filipinas would do to be fashionable and to announce to the people in NAIA that they came from the world of snow and sleet.      There were a couple of