Pinto means Door

Translated into English, pinto means "door". In my dreams , I see a french door which opens into a secret garden, mysterious and awe inspiring, a door that leads me to beauty that only God can handwrite. There's grapevine trailing along crisscrosing wood that let's you peek.

e.e. cummings said "somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience..."


A door is just that... it can mean an experience that has been waiting for you to open...

It speaks of opportunity, the door which may open just a tiny bit for a tiny fraction of a moment, maybe disguised thinly as a challenge, or as difficulty.

Someone close to me,my sister is going to a far place, where she sees this slim crack, a door that may be the one door that can lead to other chances. Because what is a chance but a choice you take for yourself past all fears, past all ifs and buts.

The challenge quickens the blood and makes one feel alive. 

The choice renders you captain of your soul. Because a door is just that, a challenge and a choice.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

A beautiful and meaningful New Year to All...

 I want to share these passages by T.S. Elliot:

Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose-garden. My words echo
Thus, in your mind.
But to what purpose
Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves
I do not know.
Other echoes
Inhabit the garden. Shall we follow?
Quick, said the bird, find them, find them,
Round the corner. Through the first gate,
Into our first world, shall we follow
The deception of the thrush? Into our first world.


                                                -T.S.Eliot    " Four Quartets"


 A farewell to 2011. And a BIG welcome to 2012.Dreams are always there in my pockets. Always a chance to do something new...

Christmas with Edward Scissorhands

It is different now. Used be that when December comes the  cold air would remind us of the most anticipated day of he year.
Now it's been raining and the air is soggier than cool.
Some people would be agog,what with Christmas just around the corner. But me, I wait for Christmas because every year , I sleep at Christmas day. I make certain that we celebrate on the 24th. Christmas is a "relax day" for me. My children know that they each make  appointments and try to give me this day on my own.


What I do is I just eat the leftovers in the fridge, snuggle on my couch and turn the TV on. One of the staples is my favorite "Edward Scissorhands". It never fails to get me teary eyed when Kim and Edward have their tender moments. Another fave is that endearing " Love Actually". I do believe in Christmas.Ido! I do!


Christmas is and forever will be synonymous with my father. Once upon a time, my father introduced us to his own brand of Christmas. I remember waking up one day with a white Christmas tree in the living room, it was made of cotton!  He would make us put up stocking the day before Christmas. At night I would peep and try to catch Santa in action. But I never could catch him. One time my dad made a chimney made of japanese paper. It was awesome. As a child, that's something one could remember. Now as an adult, That's one I cherish. Every Christmas was an event for us because of my dad. 

Splendor in the Grass

Last Friday, for some reason, I copied a poem by William Wordsworth entitled Splendor in the Grass.
Saturday came without a hitch, lazily I watched old Frazier reruns. 


Then came the dawn of Sunday.
 I woke up thinking of angels and souls. Just recently I read Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. A poignant story of young people destined to be slaughtered for their body organs for other people who have debilitating diseases. These unfortunate young people happened to be clones.
The question that arose was, would clones have souls?
Mulling over this quandary, I told myself,
 "Souls like angel's wings should be earned."


I went downstairs, to get my first coffee of the day. I gave my mom some pandisal with cheese and a cup of coffee, and got some cabbage for my rabbit, Baby.
I called to her. But she didn't come to me. Quiet as all rabbits are, I was thinking maybe she just went upstairs or was just hiding under the sofa. My lazy feet dragged my slippers which made soft flapflaps on the tiled floor. It was a cool morning.


Then I saw her and I knew right away that something was awfully wrong. The way her body was splayed at her side. Her face so calm.She died quietly last night.
 It broke my heart.Maybe not my whole heart, but a tiny fracture of my heart has broken away, and I know I will never get it back again. I will miss her so.

What though the radiance

which was so bright

Be now forever taken from my sight

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendor in the grass,

Of glory in the flower,

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind…

                  - Splendor in the Grass, William Wordsworth

Last Christmas

I gave you my heart

A Poem Revisited

If You Can’t Stand the Heat


You ghost of poets
Who put your heads into ovens
Sat in closed cars and garages
Or jumped off ledges into hard edges
I understand
I have had hell
Compressed inside my cranium
As tightly as cotton stoppered aspirin.
Yes I understand; but I do empathize
With a Robert Frost or Marianne Moore
Of the staying souls
And take people away from them-
Not that they were saints-only stayers
When you ride a tiger
It’s death to tire of the ride.
- Margaret Flanagan

This poem which is from The Writer is a favorite of mine. I have been looking for other poems by Margaret Flanagan.If you know any, please, tell me.

Top Ten Tips for First Time Travelers

Half of the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness- Ray Bradbury

     Traveling. To some people it’s daunting. But at some point in each person's life, he starts as a first timer.

       So explore these pages and let them be a guide to you.

1. Travel with at least one companion.

     When you travel, two or more heads are better than one especially in reading signs, reading maps and sharing food. You can take turns taking each other’s photos. Friends or family, that’s  the way to go. There were three of us when we went to Macau.

2. Make an itinerary

     Plan,plan,plan. Months before you have to at least have decided where you want to go. This is because you have to know the facts about that place, climate, money, food, your own schedule, promo fares in airlines. Write down your plan. You can make changes as you go along.

3. Hunt for cheap air fare

    Always be on the lookout for promo fares in the internet or newspaper. You can book online or call the airline directly.(In my experience, calling is better. A very polite personnel will gladly help you out.

4. Learn how to read maps.

     It’s easier to see which places are near and which direction to take.  If you can cover more scenic spots that are near and walking distance, the better. Don’t be like some people who tend to waste time and money going to far places because they don’t know that there’s another historic spot just near where they are at the moment.

5. Always know how one can travel faster and easier

     Learn the train system in that place. If there’s a train card you can buy instead of using coins or money, the better. It’s usually cheaper. In Hong Kong, there’s the Octopus card which you can use for trains, buses, stores, and the like.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions and information.

     There’s always a Good Samaritan who will be glad to help you.

7. Always bring water and snacks

      Buy ahead of time in a supermarket or the nearest 7-11. It’s cheaper.

8. Bring rechargeable batteries

     Photos are very important. You can’t take the sceneries with you, only memories and pictures to prove it.

9. Budget ahead of time

     That’s the reason why you have to know in advance  how much you will spend for food, entrance tickets, fares etc. The internet is very helpful.

10.Enjoy!

      If you can’t follow your plan religiously, it’s okay. Savor the moments. You deserve it. Happy traveling!

    

Macau Tower

Top of the Tower

Macau...Asia's Las Vegas

        Macau is the gateway to China. After being colonized by the Portuguese, it is now a self governed  place which has strict rules even for Chinese from the mainland.

But tourism is promoted here so much so the hotels line up their buses at the airport just to pick up tourists.

       Macau's money is the pataka (MOP). 1MOP is 5Php.

       It is such a small place that you can almost circle it in 5 days. But of course there are little known secrets that can surprise you if you know where to look.

A stroll down the Venetian cafes

The Venetian Hotel                                                                                                                                                                                            


        Dubbed the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau's tourists have tripled these past few years widely due to the new hotels springing up adding to the already wide selection of wholesome and not so wholesome entertainment. For those who have money to burn,the casinos are open, for the simple tourists,there are exciting but cheap thrills!

Senado Square                   Photo by Mona

     Macau is a blend of Chinese and Portuguese influences. The architectural designs of buildings are colonial and it is not impossible to see a Chinese temple side by side with a Catholic Cathedral.

 Macau Itinerary

    From the airport, several shuttle buses are lined up to bring guests to any hotel they want to visit. These are all complimentary. My friends Mona and Mace took advantage of these freebies and visited  The Venetian,               The Galaxy, The Sands, The Crown, and The Four Seasons and The City of Dreams. Some of these hotels are within walking distance of each other so you can just cross streets and meander.

Tip:Hotels and casinos are open 24 hours so if you decide to walk make sure it's morning or nighttime because the sun is scorching at noon.

The Venetian Macau

Gondola Ride

Ticket: 118MOP/adult

Open: 10 am Last Ride: 9pm

What a way to relax.A gondolier will row the boat and sing operatic songs.

me,mona,mace

Cafes/Food Row

Average price of authentic Chinese noodles 35MOP-45MOP (180-260Php)

Dennis and Cha

City of Dreams

Shows: The Dragon Show/ 30 MOP   The Water Show/ 400MOP

 Mace n City of Dreams

Mace n Me

Macau Tower

You can stay at the top until nighttime. I suggest you go there at 5pm, have dinner and have a daytime as well as nighttime view of Macau.Awesome!
Ticket: 120MOP/adult  View only
Ticket:150MOP/person  View with snacks

snack at Cafe on 4

Macau

mona and me

photo by mace

Extreme Sports at Macau Tower: Bungee Jumping, Skywalking, etc.

Landscape Blue

My hair stands up, something picks at my brain,
The atmosphere touchy as empty lair;
Death is a lovely lady in the rain.

I prick my thumb but I can feel no pain
I hear my voice but there’s nobody there
My hair stands up something picks at my brain.

Sensitive sky cries on the world mundane
Sketched a pallid figure, a glint in stare
Death is a lovely lady in the rain.

My landscape blue I paint and raze again
And turning white I curse the lady there
My hair stands up something picks at my brain.

I see the landscape blush on bud and grain
One minute inched to gold what once were bare
Death is a lovely lady in the rain.

Blood rose, electricity in my vein
Ink spread on paper catapults in air
My hair stands up something picks at my brain
Death is a lovely lady in the rain.

Sargasso

Tonight I fall headlong
Down into that abyss
The yawning cauldron,
And then calm
Before the water
Hits the rocks.

I crawl with jointed limbs
On the crags and on the cliff
My aerial shudder as I feel
The ancient craving
And inundation of your lip.

I am Raggedy Ann hurling
Into the eye of the cyclone
Perspiration freezing my bones
Traversing the deathly silence
Of the stone.

Tonight I fall headlong
Deep
Deep
Deep into that abyss
The moon mask looking on
Black iris of the sky,
I rise seaweed tangled
Your memory clinging to my hair
Like a barnacle.

Lost Words in Old Newspapers ( the Rain is Here…)

          I’m the only person I know who reads old newspapers. My friends often tease me and ask me if have a history quiz.

          I find it fascinating to read week old and even month old newspapers as if they were magazines. I mean isn’t it why the concept of the written word was invented? Something meant to be recorded should be recorded and enduring. Although the newspaper’s lifespan was not really meant to be extended, on my part, I miss the old days when with the newspaper comes a batch of piping hot pandesal and melting Anchor butter or Dari Crème.

          It’s been raining in trickles, but just this morning, the rain poured and woke me up.

          Everybody was quiet in the house, as if the pitter patter of the drops lulled them even more to dreamland. So I went about in my affairs, brewed myself some real Batangas coffee((which I declare was much much better than what they serve in 2 Starbucks I went to), read old newspapers and blogged later.


           In the near future, newspaper would just be a memory. For lots of reasons. Trees are getting fewer and fewer. It would be unrealistic to kill trees just so we can read something that would be stale news a day after.

           Someone once told me “Computers are now taking over. Books will soon be outdated.”
I was obstinate, I was a bit antagonistic in defending my belief that books would stand against the test of time, although I was a bit unnerved.

          Am I going to be part of the generation of the last readers? Books have now become pricey that I can only afford used ones. In this times where everything free can be sold like water, television, pretty soon even the air we breathe would be bottled and sold.

          I want to put this query in an imaginary bottle and throw it into space to ask the cosmos at the risk of sounding banal,

          “Where have all the good times gone?”